Agencies in row over admission of KMTC students

Admission of 4,300 students to the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) is facing another huddle as two Government agencies fight to own the process.

Both KMTC and the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) are entangled in yet another clash on placement of the 2016 diploma students.

KMTC maintains no students shall be admitted to its campuses other than those selected by it.

The KUCCPS board also resolved that unless the Universities Act (2012) is amended to take away their placement powers, they would continue to perform their placement role.

The details emerged when KUCCPS Chief Executive Officer John Muraguri appeared before Parliament's Education Committee.

Committee chairperson Sabina Chege sought to know whether the placement row that existed during last year's exercise had been resolved.

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"The matter has not been resolved. We went for a judicial review but before determination of the case, we were asked by the Attorney General and Head of Public Service to withdraw the matter from court," said Mr Muraguri.

He said KUCCPS was assured of an internal solution to the stalemate, a matter he said was yet to be communicated.

He, however, said independent persons, separately, moved to court over the same issue.

"We were put as respondents and the last I heard was that the cases were consolidated and the hearing date  set for April 19," said Muraguri.

Muraguri said the board decided that because the law is still in place, they must place students to all the KMTC institutions.

"The board agreed that we should continue with placement to KMTC until the law states otherwise. Several students applied and we are processing their placement," Muraguri said.

The total declared capacity by KMTC institutions is 4,364.

Tinderet MP Julius Melly said the amended Universities Act would ensure only KUCCPS has the mandate to place students.

"KMTC is operating under some funny law," he said