Courses
Is Biochemistry Marketable in Kenya? (2024)
Biochemistry is one of the most sought-after careers in the world today, this course has produced lots of graduates that have partaken in so many research and life-changing programs. Biochemistry is the application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels.
It emerged as a distinct discipline around the beginning of the 20th century when scientists combined chemistry, physiology, and biology to investigate the chemistry of living systems. It has become the foundation for understanding all biological processes, it has provided explanations for the causes of many diseases in humans, animals and plants. There is so much to learn while studying Biochemistry and there are so many opportunities available for biochemistry graduates in Kenya.
Is Biochemistry Marketable in Kenya?
Over the years, there are some courses that people will not even think of studying due to the unavailability of jobs and biochemistry was one of them then, but now biochemistry is one of the leading courses in the world today that has produced many graduates with lots of jobs. This answers the question, biochemistry is not marketable in Kenya, you might ask why? This is because the Kenya market does not favour biochemistry graduates as there are limited jobs available for them and many of the roles/positions are already being filled. There are thousands of jobs available for biochemists worldwide and none of them came from Kenya according to research which was carried out on LinkedIn, this is a course that allows you to do lots of research work that is beneficial to humans and plants and none of the openings or offers is from Kenya this is to show you that studying biochemistry in Kenya is a big risk unless you have other options.
The knowledge and methods developed by biochemists are applied to all fields of medicine, agriculture and in many chemical and health-related industries. Biochemistry is also unique in providing teaching and research in both protein structure/function and genetic engineering, the two basic components of the rapidly expanding field of biotechnology. Biochemists are interested, for example, in mechanisms of brain function, cellular multiplication and differentiation, communication within and between cells and organs, and the chemical bases of inheritance and disease. Biochemistry can be divided into three fields; structural biology, enzymology, and metabolism, students can decide to focus on one of these fields of study and excel. This is not a difficult course to go into as it requires little or no mathematics, it is a course that can be done by anyone but you will only excel if you are a lover of science and can carry out scientific research.
Being a biochemist in Kenya is not easy as there are no available jobs for graduates of this course. Biochemist graduates in Kenya find it difficult to get jobs in their desired place of work and even when they do they are being paid meagre wages like KSH 30,000 which is not a good amount of money for the work done and the effort that is being put into that course. There are lots of biochemists in Kenya that are working in the bank and other places there are not supposed to be, this article is not meant to discourage you but to make you see the possibilities of being a biochemist in Kenya and getting a good job. If you are a lover of science and you have the money then it is advisable you further your course in biochemistry and gets scholarship opportunities that can take you outside of Kenya to study this course. Employment of biochemists and biophysicists is projected to grow 15% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations, about 4,000 openings for biochemists are projected each year, on average, over the decade and all of these openings and job opportunities are from other countries.
It is advisable that you start with a diploma if you are passionate to work in the lab in Kenya, this is because most companies prefer those who have done a diploma course for two years from a college, and to work in the lab you will need a KMLTTB license, to get the license you will need a diploma in medical lab sciences, you can only work in a research lab which some need the license too. This course competes with other biological courses in the market and this is why you need a diploma to compete with them as they fail to employ graduates. Many graduates that even comes out with first class in biochemistry were not given any scholarship by the government and many of them are working in different companies even forgetting they once studied a science course at the university. If you have passion for this course you are free to go ahead, there are many things you could learn while studying this course.
Requirements for Biochemistry Courses in Kenya
Before applying for a biochemistry course in Kenya, you will need to know about the certain requirements that are needed. Every institution in Kenya has certain requirements for each course and it is advisable you know the requirements and fees that are needed to study this course.
- Mean grade of a C+(plus) at KCSE and a C+ in Biology or Biological Sciences and a C (plain) in Mathematics
- Minimum of two principal passes in science subjects in Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE)
- Diploma in science subject with at least a credit pass from an institution recognized by the university or the senate
- Have a diploma in applied sciences with at least a credit pass in the relevant subjects from an institution recognized by the university senate.
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Finally
Biochemistry is a great course but studying this course in Kenya and hoping to get a job is not easy. Biochemistry is not marketable in Kenya and the pay is very small even when you tend to get a job. If you are passionate about this course, then you can study it further in other countries.
