Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) is set to unveil its new Matungu Campus in Khalaba Ward after the completion of a three-floor storey building that is supposed to house administrative offices, a tuition block and library, thanks to efforts made by the area Member of Parliament Hon. Peter Oscar Nabulindo.
Matungu had lagged for long as it is among few sub-counties in the country that do not have any functional college.
Speaking to this Writer, the Constituency Clerk of Works Mr Kassim Kulubi avers that a lot has been done and they are ready to have students for the March intake if all goes well.
Mr Kulubi noted a week ago, officials from the KMTC Kakamega Campus visited the area and gave a clean bill of health going by the standard of the structure that was done by the CDF and asked them to add more structures.
“This project is game changer in Matungu and we gave it our all, going by the input, interest and everything that is so far involved.
We want our students not to be travelling to Kakamega or elsewhere for medical training. The MP (Peter Nabulindo) is committed towards the project and he has promised to do everything humanly possibly to see to it that KMTC Matungu Campus is commissioned soon,” Mr Kulubi said.
So far, it is only the power connection and water that is yet to be fixed but Mr Kassim has promised to have them fixed in the coming weeks.
According to Mzee Gregory Konyore, a local and an immediate neighbour, the project is viable and he thanked area MP for doing much towards setting up of the college.
“As a community, we are glad that the project was brought in our area and that it is going to change the livelihoods of the locals. We are ready to have students and ready to support them,” he said.
He noted some of the locals have already put up private hostels to accommodate students who will be coming to study there hopefully from 2025 and beyond.
Another local Mr Nixon Mulando also avers that the college is economically going to empower the community as a number of locals are likely to get some jobs like security, cooks etc.
According to Mr Mulando, the KMTC board should consider hiring locals to add value to themselves when the right time comes.
“Initially, it was a tall order to get a letter to join KMTC as the colleges were very few but we are glad that by opening up the KMTC Matungu Campus, the process will be easier as a number of locals who want to pursue medical courses won’t strain much for them to be enlisted,” Mr Malando said.
Khalaba Health Centre, Matungu Level IV and Lunganyiro Model Centre are the local health centres where medical trainees will go for ward rounds.
Mr Daniel Mbakaya, a renowned medical trainer and a Matungu native has also pledged to help the college commission as soon as possible.
Mr Mbakaya said the college has what it takes having assessed the structures in place, and pointed out that he knows the right button to press and will help in pushing the Director KMTC to commission the college so that it can have its first batch of students in March next year.
The college sits on a six-acre piece of land and is fully funded by the Matungu NG-CDF whose patron is Hon. Peter Oscar Nabulindo.
