University invests Sh500m in Kitale-based medical college

Mt Kenya University has pumped over Sh500 million into its medical college based in Kitale to grow the number of healthcare professionals.

Last year, Mt Kenya University (MKU) converted its Kitale Campus into a medical college—Equip Africa College of Medical and Health Sciences – that aims to train thousands of healthcare technicians.

With financing from MKU Foundation, the amount has been spent into equipping the college’s nine laboratories. The college, with a capacity of 5,000 students, opened its doors in January to the first batch enrolled in various certificate and diploma courses.

Equip Africa College of Medical and Health Sciences was established by assembling facilities and training equipment used by the defunct Thika Institute of Technology. Speaking to Hashtag, its acting registrar for Academic Affairs, Jackson Murigi said they have students enrolled in three programmes — Community Heath and HIV Management, Health Records and Information Technology and Nutrition and Dietetics.

The second intake will take place in September. “We have upcoming courses set to start in September such as Clinical Medicine & Surgery, Nursing and Environmental Health Science and Medical laboratory all at diploma level,” Mr Murigi said.

The college is accredited by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority and is undergoing inspections for some courses.  

“We have most of the approvals,” Murigi said of accreditation from regulatory bodies such as Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board, Clinical Officers Council and Nursing Council of Kenya.

“This move offers students who got C Plain and below, and missed university, an opportunity to build their career in healthcare. That’s why we saw it wise to convert Kitale campus into a medical college to offer both certificate and diploma courses,” Murigi said.

Students at the college will get an opportunity to take practicums and attachment in various hospitals that have partnered with the college. These hospitals include: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kitale Referral Hospital, Kapenguria Referral Hospital, Bungoma County Hospital and Thika Level 5 Hospital.

Equip Africa College of Medical and Health Sciences’ launch comes at a time when the Government is directing its focus to the diploma and certificate courses.

With the number of students scoring the minimum university entry grade of C+ falling sharply, there is growing demand for middle level colleges.

From last year’s KCSE examinations, of the 606,394 students who sat KCSE, it is only 62,851 who attained the minimum university entry requirement of C+.  And from this number, it is only 26,866 students who applied to join colleges although there is available capacity of 54,927.

Recently, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed said a total of 500,000 students who sat last year’s exams must be admitted to diploma and certificate courses.

This is why two weeks ago, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service re-opened its portal for diploma and certificate applications.

The latest applications target students who did not make it to universities and wish to be admitted to national polytechnics and technical training institutes.