Helb does not possess funds to loan to KMTC students, states Ogamba.

Helb does not possess funds to loan to KMTC students, states Ogamba.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has informed Parliament that students at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) have not been receiving funding from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) due to a budget shortfall.

Ogamba elucidated that several universities and training institutions operate outside the jurisdiction of the ministry and process their budgets through the relevant ministries.

The Cabinet Secretary, who appeared before the National Assembly Education and Health Committees, disclosed that HELB has been allocated Sh84. 5 billion in the current financial year, against a requirement of Sh138. 5 billion.

“I would like to inform Parliament that HELB provides estimates for both new and continuing students based on information supplied by universities and other institutions under the Ministry of Education, with the budget allocated to HELB for funding students generally designated for a predetermined number of students in universities and other institutions,” he stated.

Ogamba indicated that HELB has extended support to KMTC amounting to Sh1. 2 billion in the 2022/2023 financial year, based on resources provided by the college through the Ministry of Health.

The Cabinet Secretary mentioned that prior to this, HELB allocated Sh468 million for loans to KMTC students, derived from support received from USAID over five years between 2014 and 2019. He added that it is the ministry’s policy to support all students pursuing higher education.

“If HELB is assigned the responsibility of supporting all higher learning institution students, funding must accompany that allocation; it is abundantly clear that we have not opted to withhold funding from students in higher learning institutions, with the ongoing budgetary challenge being the core issue at hand,” he remarked.

KMTC Chief Executive Officer Kelly Oluoch conveyed to Members of Parliament that the Constitution mandates support for students at the institution, which serves a student body of 68,000 across 90 campuses nationwide.

Dr. Oluoch articulated that the exclusion of the college from regular funding raises significant concerns regarding equity, equality, and non-discrimination, principles firmly embedded in the Constitution of Kenya 2010, with Article 27 affirming that every individual is equal before the law.

He asserted that by HELB limiting funding to students within institutions under the Ministry of Education, the State may be failing in its constitutional obligation to promote equal educational opportunities.

“We are currently facing a shortfall of Sh1. 5 billion in unpaid school fees, with KMTC consistently seeking funding support to ensure that no student is deprived of learning opportunities. We have 34 percent of those admitted not reporting, while 27 percent of our students defer their studies due to insufficient funds,” he stated.