Enrollment Trends at KMTC: Most preferred Courses
Recent findings indicate that the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) continues to attract a significant number of students across various programs. According to the 2025 Kenya Economic Survey, Nursing has maintained its position as the most enrolled discipline at KMTC for the fifth consecutive year. The report highlights that, among the 29,326 middle-level medical trainees enrolled in the previous academic year, diploma nursing students constituted the largest demographic.
In the 2023/24 academic year, there are 4,825 students enrolled in the diploma program for Community Health Nursing. Following this, the second most populous diploma course is Clinical Medicine and Surgery, with an enrollment of 2,567 students. Other notable programs include Health Records and Information Technology (2,016 students), Community Health (1,832 students), and Orthopaedic and Trauma Medicine (1,615 students).
At the certificate level, Orthopaedic Plaster Technology leads with an enrollment of 1,696 students, followed closely by Community Health Assistant (1,645), Health Records and Information Technology (1,623), Emergency Medical Technician (1,539), and Community Nursing (1,409).
The Economic Survey notes a growth in the overall number of middle-level medical trainees, rising from 26,830 in the 2020/21 academic year to 29,326 in the 2023/24 academic year. This report was published by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) on May 6 in Nairobi.
Conversely, higher diploma courses represent the smallest segment of the student body, with only 702 trainees across various specializations, including pharmacy, nursing, medical engineering, and clinical medicine and surgery.
It is important to note that high enrollment figures do not necessarily equate to the popularity of a course, as these numbers may reflect the availability of training slots or the demands of the national workforce. To accurately assess student preferences, data on the most competitive courses—those with the highest number of applicants relative to available slots—would be necessary.
The survey indicates that Kenya has a total of 64,449 registered nurses, comprising 7,874 individuals with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 49,871 diploma holders, and 6,704 certificate holders. Additionally, there are 30,800 clinical officers, including 28,712 diploma holders and 2,154 degree holders.
KMTC is recognized as the most prestigious mid-level medical training institution in Kenya. In 2024, approximately 56,516 individuals applied for various diploma programs at KMTC; however, only about 19,000 were admitted, resulting in 36,863 applicants, or 65 percent, being excluded from enrollment. Former Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu noted during the 2024 Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) stakeholder forum that the number of qualified applicants for KMTC programs significantly exceeded the institution’s available capacity.
Despite the upward trend in enrollment, the number of graduates has experienced a decline in the most recent academic year. The Economic Survey reports a 6.8 percent decrease in the number of middle-level medical graduates, totaling 21,147 in the 2023/24 academic year. In December 2024, KMTC conferred degrees upon approximately 21,147 students, with female graduates outnumbering male graduates, accounting for 67.2 percent of the total.
Diploma holders represented the majority of graduates at 53.7 percent, while certificate holders constituted 43.9 percent, and higher diploma holders made up a mere 2.4 percent. In December 2023, KMTC achieved a record graduation of 22,695 students, the highest in the institution’s 96-year history. During the graduation ceremony held at the Moi International Sports Stadium in Kasarani, college CEO Dr. Kelly Oluoch remarked that the graduates, having undergone extensive training, are well-prepared to contribute to advancements aligned with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.