Controversy over Kenya Medical Training College admissions

NAIROBI: Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) has said that it will not allow the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to enrol students on its behalf.

A letter signed by KMTC Director Olang’o Onudi says the institution will continue with its own admissions, contrary to the provisions of the various laws that confer such that function to KUCCPS.

“I wish to inform you that the KMTC Board of Management’s position on this matter is that selection of students to the programmes offered by KMTC is the mandate of the College Academic Board as stipulated in the KMTC Act...,” reads the letter sent to KUCCPS Chief eExecutive Officer John Muraguri.

Dr Onudi says in the letter that KMTC is not obligated to send any details regarding available vacancies to the KUCCPS.

He was responding to a letter by Muraguri asking the institution to submit college capacities for the 2015/2016 programmes.

“Kindly submit the same urgently so that KUCCPS can move to the next stage of processing 2015/2016 placement. In the event that we do not receive the same by March 27, 2015, we shall retain the capacities submitted during the 2014/2015 placement,” reads the letter signed by Muraguri.

Section 6 of KMTC Act on admission says: “Admission to the college as candidates for diplomas, certificates or other awards shall be open to all persons accepted as being qualified by the Academic Board...”

KUCCPS, however, says the KMTC academic board admits students based on a placement list sent to it by the former.

Section 55 of the  Universities Act 2012 establishes a single placement board (KUCCPS) for students to universities and colleges.

Onudi Tuesday said the KMTC board had already made a decision, which shall not be reversed.

“KUCCPS can do their admission and we shall also do ours. We shall advertise because our Act has not been repealed and nobody has told us not to admit,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Health has been informed of the board’s decision.

The correspondence between KMTC and KUCCPS opens another confrontation similar to what was witnessed between the two institutions during last year’s placement.

The matter was so weighty that the Parliamentary Health committee was sucked in after KUCCPS stood its ground and placed some 4,234 students into the college.

Some MPs in the committee familiar with the admissions told The Standard that the process is ‘a den of corruption’.

“Many students who get admissions there pay heavily. That is why there is much effort to maintain status quo. Is KMTC a scam or is it a plot to ensure poor students do not get admissions,” said an MP who did not want to be named.