KCB Foundation has launched its KCB Scholars Programme in South Sudan, awarding scholarships to 50 third-year medical students at the University of Juba in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s health workforce.
The inaugural cohort includes 30 male and 20 female students, who will receive financial support to complete their medical training and pursue careers in the health sector.
Speaking at the launch event at the University of Juba, KCB Foundation Managing Director Mendi Njonjo said the initiative would help equip young South Sudanese with skills needed to address the country’s healthcare challenges.
“South Sudan needs a strong, skilled and committed health workforce,” Njonjo said. “These scholarships will therefore go a long way in enabling young South Sudanese men and women to acquire skills that their country urgently needs.”
The programme comes as South Sudan continues to face limited access to higher education. UNESCO estimates that the country’s tertiary education gross enrolment ratio is about 2.5 per cent, meaning fewer than three in every 100 university-age young people are enrolled in higher education.
South Sudan has seven public and private universities serving a population of more than 12 million people. Infrastructure constraints, limited funding and academic capacity have restricted access to university education and contributed to shortages of skilled professionals in healthcare, engineering and education.
The shortage is especially acute in healthcare. A 2025 analysis published by the South Sudan Medical Journal estimated that the country has about 7.6 skilled health workers per 10,000 people, well below the World Health Organization’s recommended threshold of 45.5 health workers per 10,000 people for universal health coverage.
Undersecretary in the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, Omot Okony Olok Guon, welcomed the partnership, saying investment in education was central to the country’s long-term development.
“The Government of South Sudan appreciates the partnership with KCB Foundation in supporting our young people to access higher education,” Guon said. “Investing in education is investing in the future of our country.”
KCB Scholars Programme was established in Kenya in 2007 and has supported thousands of financially disadvantaged learners. According to KCB Foundation, it has awarded more than 7,000 secondary school scholarships and over 600 tertiary scholarships, with a 99 per cent secondary school completion rate and an 84 per cent transition rate to university and college.
KCB Foundation said it would continue pursuing partnerships that expand education, skills development and economic opportunities across the region.
