NAIROBI, Kenya — Former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has attended an engagement with the 2026 Beyond Zero Nursing Scholarship beneficiaries as the programme expands opportunities for young people from underserved communities.
Kenyatta, who is the patron of Beyond Zero, arrived at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) headquarters in Nairobi ahead of the 2026 Beyond Zero Nursing Scholarship Cohort Engagement at the Nairobi Campus.
The engagement marks another milestone in the partnership between KMTC and Beyond Zero, which has supported the training of nurses since 2016.
Scholarship Targets Underserved Communities
The 2026/27 scholarship programme is targeting young people from Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties, underserved minority communities, and vulnerable and marginalised groups.
The programme seeks to expand access to professional nursing training for students from communities where healthcare services and skilled personnel remain limited.
Through the Certificate in Community Health Nursing Scholarship Programme, successful beneficiaries will receive full scholarships covering the two-year training programme.
Beneficiaries to Receive Full Scholarships
The scholarships will enable the selected students to undertake community health nursing training at KMTC without bearing the full cost of their education.
The programme is designed to equip beneficiaries with practical nursing and community health skills that can be applied in areas facing shortages of healthcare workers.
The training is also expected to strengthen the pipeline of health professionals available to serve communities across the country.
Beyond Zero-KMTC Partnership
The scholarship programme forms part of a broader partnership between Beyond Zero and KMTC aimed at strengthening Kenya’s community health workforce.
Since 2016, the partnership has supported the training of nurses, with a particular focus on increasing opportunities for young people from communities that have historically faced barriers to accessing healthcare training.
The initiative complements wider efforts to improve the availability of skilled health workers at the community level.
Nurses to Support Community Health Services
The beneficiaries are expected to contribute to community health services after completing their training.
By expanding the number of trained nurses from underserved areas, the programme aims to help address local healthcare needs and improve access to essential services.
Beyond Zero has continued to promote initiatives focused on maternal, newborn and child health, as well as strengthening healthcare systems and workforce capacity.
2026 Cohort Marks Another Milestone
The 2026 cohort engagement highlights the continued implementation of the Beyond Zero-KMTC partnership nearly a decade after it was established.
The programme’s focus on ASAL counties, minority communities and vulnerable groups is intended to ensure that scholarship opportunities reach young people from areas where the need for trained healthcare workers is greatest.
The 2026/27 beneficiaries will undertake the two-year Certificate in Community Health Nursing programme, after which they will be positioned to contribute to healthcare delivery in communities across Kenya.
