Optometrists don’t just sell glasses. Here’s what the KMTC course really trains you for.

Most people hear “optometry” and think “glasses shop.” That’s the myth. Here’s the reality.

MYTH vs REALITY

✗ MYTH: “Optometrists just sell glasses.”
✓ REALITY: Optometrists examine eyes and diagnose and manage conditions, injuries and disorders affecting them. Selling and fitting glasses is the work of opticians, a different role.

✗ MYTH: “It’s the same as an ophthalmologist.”
✓ REALITY: Ophthalmologists are doctors registered with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council. Optometry is a separate profession with its own training path.

✗ MYTH: “It’s an easy diploma.”
✓ REALITY: The entry bar is real. You need a mean grade of C, C in English or Kiswahili and in Mathematics, and C- in both Biology and Physics. Maths and physics are core to the course.

The course at a glance:

• Diploma in Optometry, 3 years
• Offered at selected KMTC campuses, so check the portal for where it’s available
• Diploma holders can continue to a Higher Diploma in Optometry (Contact Lenses) at KMTC Nairobi
• It appeared among the courses with vacancies when KUCCPS reopened KMTC applications in both March-April and September 2026

The job market, honestly:
✓ The profession is small. In 2023 the Optometrists Association of Kenya counted about 580 trained optometrists nationwide. A Kenyan study using the VISION 2020 benchmark of one per 50,000 people put the need at roughly 950 for a population of 47 million
✓ Optometrists have been licensed through the Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority, but regulation of eye care has been changing, so confirm the current licensing steps before you enrol
✓ Current job adverts ask for a diploma, a licence and about a year of experience
✗ We couldn’t find reliable current salary data, so we won’t quote a figure
✗ We found no evidence of a structured government hiring route for optometrists

Those workforce figures are dated, so treat them as a rough picture, not a forecast.

It’s GOOD if:
✓ You like science, maths and physics, and careful detail work
✓ You’re comfortable explaining results to patients
✓ You’re willing to build experience and look beyond a government post

It’s BAD if:
✗ You assume a government job is waiting on graduation
✗ You dislike physics or maths
✗ You picked it only because it looked less competitive

Optometry is a small, specialised field, and fewer people chase it than the crowded courses. That can be an advantage, but check licensing, job routes and campus availability before you apply.

Optometry students and graduates, what’s the one thing people get wrong about your course?