Helb doesn't have money to loan KMTC students, says Ogamba

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba yesterday told Parliament that Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) students have not been receiving Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) funding due to a lack of budget.

Ogamba clarified that some universities and training institutions were outside the ambit of the ministry, and processes their budgets through relevant ministries.

The CS, who appeared before National Assembly Education and Health committees, revealed that HELB was allocated Sh84.5 billion in this financial year against a requirement of Sh138.5 billion.

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

Ogamba said HELB has supported KMTC to the tune of Sh1.2 billion in 2022/2023 based on resources that were provided by the college through the Ministry of Health.

The CS said before that, HELB provided Sh468 million for loans to KMTC students based on support received from USAID for five years between 2014 and 2019, and that it was the ministry's policy to support all students pursuing higher education.

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“If HELB is allocated the function of supporting all higher learning institutions students, funding must follow and it is very clear that we have not refused to fund students in higher learning institutions with the challenge remaining on budget, that is the elephant in the room,” he said.

KMTC Chief Executive Officer Kelly Oluoch told MPs that the Constitution mandates support for students at the institution, which has a population of 68,000 students and 90 campuses across the country.

Dr Oluoch said the exclusion of the college from regular funding raises fundamental concerns regarding equity, equality and non-discrimination, which are firmly embedded within the constitution of Kenya 2010 with Article 27 affirming that every individual being equal before the law.

He said by HELB restricting funding to students within the institutions under the Ministry of Education, the State may be failing in its constitutional duty to foster equal educational opportunities.

“We currently have a deficit of Sh1.5 billion of unpaid school fees with KMTC always seeking support for funding to ensure that no student misses learning. We have 34 per cent of those who get admission not reporting while 27 per cent of our students defer their studies due to lack of fees,” he said.