Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced a Sh490 million investment in the expansion of the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Karuri Campus in Kiambaa, promising additional classrooms, laboratories, a library, student hostels and other facilities to transform the institution into a modern medical training centre.
Kindiki made the announcement on Tuesday during an inspection of ongoing construction works at the campus, where he said the Government was responding to the growing demand for health professionals occasioned by the expansion of access to healthcare.
The Deputy President said Sh70 million had been allocated for the first phase of the expansion, with a further Sh130 million to be provided for the second phase.
The two phases will bring the Government’s investment in the campus’ academic facilities to Sh200 million.
A further Sh290 million has been set aside for construction of student accommodation, bringing the total investment cited by the Deputy President to Sh490 million.
“We are heavily investing in the construction and expansion of this KMTC. The national government will continue supporting the expansion of learning institutions across the country,” Kindiki said.
The Deputy President said the first phase, which includes key learning facilities, would be completed within four to six weeks before work on the second phase begins.
The planned facilities include a lecture hall, skills laboratory, library and computer laboratory, according to Kindiki.
He said the expansion was necessary because the Karuri campus has continued to attract more students but faced limitations in teaching and accommodation facilities.
The campus has been undergoing construction of a modern three-storey building, with KMTC previously reporting that the facility would provide additional classrooms, skills laboratories, computer laboratories, a library and administrative offices.
Kindiki said the Government’s investment in medical training was also linked to the increasing number of Kenyans accessing health insurance and healthcare services.
He argued that expanding healthcare coverage would require a corresponding increase in the number of doctors, nurses, clinical officers, laboratory technologists and other health professionals.
“Kenya Medical Training College is our number one institution in terms of generating the workforce of healthcare professionals that we need,” he said.
The most significant addition to the campus will be student accommodation.
Kindiki said the Government had awarded a contract for construction of hostels with a capacity of 580 beds at a cost of Sh290 million.
He said the accommodation would allow students to live closer to the college and study under better conditions.
The hostel project forms part of a broader Government programme to expand student accommodation in technical and medical training institutions. Government tender documents have previously listed a student village at Karuri KMTC in Kiambaa among planned institutional accommodation projects.
Kiambaa MP John Njuguna Kawanjiku welcomed the investment, saying he had lobbied for additional resources to expand the campus.
He asked the Deputy President to push for the speedy implementation of the hostel project and release of funds for the second phase of construction.
Kawanjiku also appealed for improvements to the campus’ external environment, including paving and other works, as the institution prepares to accommodate more students.
He further raised the plight of students living with disabilities, asking for assistance for a student who requires a wheelchair to access classrooms.
In response, Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a announced that she would provide funds for two motorised wheelchairs for students at the institution.
Ng’ang’a also said the Government had committed funds for the hostel project and urged students to remain focused on their studies and aspire to leadership and professional careers.
Kindiki linked the Karuri project to the Government’s wider plan to increase the country’s health workforce.
He said expansion of medical training institutions was necessary as Kenya seeks to improve access to healthcare and strengthen the health system.
The Deputy President urged the students to concentrate on their studies, saying the country would depend on them to take over professional and public responsibilities in the future.
He also cautioned young people against alcohol and drug abuse, urging them to protect their health and remain focused on their education.
The Karuri campus has a long history in healthcare training. It traces its roots to the early 1960s and has evolved from a rural training facility into a KMTC campus. KMTC has previously said expansion of the campus would create room for additional programmes and improve training capacity.
Kindiki’s visit to Karuri was also used to highlight a series of road projects in Kiambaa.
Speaking later at a public engagement at Banana, the Deputy President listed several roads that he said had either been completed or were at various stages of implementation.
Among them were roads linking Kiambu to Raini and Kaspart, Banana to Ndenderu and Ruaka, and routes around Ndota, Ndarara and Sigona.
He also cited the Karura-Gachie-Gacharage-Riveroli road and announced additional projects linking Kimashia to Northern Power and Gathiekera through GID and Njoro to Kiwalo Junction.
Kindiki said contracts for some of the new road projects were ready and pledged to monitor implementation.
He also cited the Rosslyn-Total Ruaka-Gituamba-Ndenderu route among roads being addressed under the Government’s infrastructure programme.
The road announcements come as the national Government steps up development activity in Kiambu, with Kindiki saying recently that the administration had prioritised extensive road construction across the county.
The Deputy President repeatedly framed the projects as part of a development agenda, urging residents to judge the Government on delivery of infrastructure and other public services.
He credited Kawanjiku with lobbying for some of the projects in Kiambaa and pledged to support further requests for resources.
Kindiki’s Kiambu tour comes amid an intensified Government development and political outreach programme in the region, during which he has visited several constituencies to inspect roads, agricultural projects, markets and education facilities.
At Karuri, however, the central message was the expansion of medical training capacity.
With the first phase of construction nearing completion and a second phase promised, the Government is betting on the campus to train more health workers as demand for healthcare services continues to grow.
For the students and the surrounding community, the promised Sh490 million package could mark a major shift in the fortunes of an institution that has struggled with limited space and accommodation as its population expands.
