Kirinyaga is set to acquire its first Kenya Medical Training College campus, ending years of reliance on neighbouring counties for medical training opportunities.
The new campus, which is under construction in Kerugoya town, is expected to be completed by August and begin admitting students before the end of the year.
The Sh565 million college being developed on a two-acre parcel next to the Kerugoya County Referral Hospital is facilitated through a collaboration between the national government, Kirinyaga Central NG-CDF and the county administration, which provided the land.
Kirinyaga Central MP Gachoki Gitari, who inspected project on Tuesday, expressed confidence the institution would be ready in time for its inaugural intake, saying the development will open up new opportunities for local students pursuing careers in the health sector.
“The progress is good and we are hopeful that within the next two months the project will be complete. By the end of the year, when admissions begin, students from Kirinyaga will finally have a KMTC campus in their county,” he said.
The project is anticipated to stimulate economic activity in neighbouring towns such as Kerugoya and Kutus, with the presence of students, lecturers and support staff expected to increase demand for housing, transport, food services and other small businesses.
The MP encouraged residents to begin constructing hostels to cater to the anticipated student population, noting the accommodation being developed within the institution would not be sufficient to meet future demand.
Gitari said local farmers also stand to benefit from the project through the supply of food produce to students and staff once the campus becomes operational.
The MP further called for enhanced security planning, saying the expected influx of students would require increased deployment of security personnel to ensure the town remains safe.
According to Gitari, the establishment of the college will save students from travelling long distances to access medical training programmes and help strengthen the county’s healthcare sector in the long term.
He observed that Kirinyaga had for years remained among the few counties without a KMTC campus despite growing demand for health professionals.
The legislator also praised the county government for
investing in health infrastructure, citing the establishment of level 3 health
facilities across all subcounties and the expansion of services at Kerugoya
County Referral Hospital.
“Once students begin training here, they will have an opportunity to gain practical experience at Kerugoya hospital. Some of them will eventually be employed in our local health facilities, which will improve healthcare services in the county,” he said.
Project supervisor Simon Kimani said construction works had reached an advanced stage and remained on course for completion within the projected timeline.
He said the project is about 71 per cent complete, with major structural works already finalised.
The remaining phase includes painting, tiling, terrazzo works, installation of furniture and completion of other finishing works before handover.
“We are within schedule and expect to complete the project by the end of August. Most of the major construction works have already been done and we are now focusing on the finishing stages,” Kimani said.
He said the project has also created employment opportunities for residents, particularly young people.
Several youths from technical training institutions and Kirinyaga University are undertaking industrial attachment and internship programmes at the site, allowing them to gain practical skills and experience in the construction sector.
KMTC is the country's leading public middle-level medical training institution and has expanded rapidly over the years to increase access to healthcare education.
The institution operates more than 70 campuses spread across the country, offering training in nursing, clinical medicine, pharmacy, public health, medical laboratory sciences and other health-related disciplines.
