The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Students seeking admission to Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) for the September 2026 intake have only a few hours remaining to submit their applications, with the application window closing at midnight on Tuesday, August 11.
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) opened applications on July 23, allowing eligible candidates to apply for certificate and diploma programmes offered at KMTC campuses across the country.
KUCCPS has, however, clarified that students who were already placed in university degree programmes during the 2026/27 placement cycle are not eligible to apply for KMTC diploma or certificate courses in the ongoing application period.
The agency issued the clarification following questions from parents and guardians whose children had intended to join KMTC but were instead placed in degree programmes.
According to KUCCPS, the placement system prevents students from holding two placements during the same placement cycle. Students who secured degree placements in 2026 will therefore have to wait until the March 2027 KMTC intake to apply.
The agency also dismissed claims that students were assigned degree programmes or institutions at random, explaining that placements are determined by the choices submitted by applicants.
The clarification comes amid growing interest in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), as well as other non-degree programmes, among students eligible for university admission.
TVET institutions provide practical and skills-based training through artisan, certificate and diploma programmes, offering an alternative pathway to traditional degree education.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said on July 8, while announcing the 2026/27 university and college placement results at the Edge Convention Centre in South C, Nairobi, that 293,869 students had secured places in universities and other tertiary institutions.
Of those placed, 202,133 students were admitted to degree programmes, while 91,736 were placed in TVET and other non-degree courses, including diploma, certificate and artisan programmes.
Ogamba also revealed that 8,915 students who qualified for degree programmes had chosen to pursue diploma and TVET courses instead.
With the deadline fast approaching, eligible applicants interested in joining KMTC in September 2026 must complete and submit their applications by midnight on August 11.
