KMTC Karen campus to build Kenya’s second human milk bank

Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Karen campus is planning to build Kenya’s second human milk bank to provide lifesaving breast milk to new born babies. Pumwani Maternity Hospital has the other.

Dr Peris Kibet, the principal of the college, said they need Sh15.4 million to put up nutrition clinic facilities, a breast milk bank and a fully-fledged wellness centre.

Dr Kibet was speaking during the first Nutrition Alumni meeting that brought together more than 400 former students.

She challenged the alumni to support and fund the institution's projects aimed establishing the college as a centre of excellence in nutrition training.

The nutrition clinic, with a breast milk bank and mother-friendly services, will provide lifesaving breast milk to babies born prematurely, those born underweight or severely malnourished, and those who have no access to their mothers' milk.

The implementation of the human milk bank will be completed in the next two years in conjunction with partners like the Danish government, Unicef, Nairobi County Government, and Kenyatta National Hospital., Carolina for Kibera among others.

The college was built in 1966 as a training centre for in-service enrolled nutrition nurses, in honour of Karen Blixen, a Danish authoress. It boasts being the pioneer college for nutrition in Kenya.

From September this year, the campus will start training nutritionists from eight Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) countries on nutrition.

Chief guest at the event, Amref International University Vice-chancellor Prof Marion Mutugi, welcomed the move to improve the college's infrastructure and plans to make the institution a regional centre of excellence for training of nutritionists.

“Karen Campus has had extensive experience in the field of nutrition for 43 good years,” said Prof Mutugi.

Located 20 kilometres from Nairobi city centre, the institution became a constituent college of KMTC in 1990. With 29 lecturers, the campus trains nutritionists for certificate, diploma and an in-service course for certificate graduates.