Kenyatta University medical students will now conduct their training at Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) following months of an ownership tussle between the university and the hospital’s board.
This follows a directive from a Parliamentary Committee in Governance and Education that resolved to have the students train at the medical facility. The committee made the decision during a meeting at the National Assembly that brought together representatives from interested parties.
In a bid to address the ownership status of the referral hospital, the Committee invited three cabinet secretaries to find a solution including Prof. Njuguna Ndung'u (Treasury), Susan Nakhumicha (Health) and Ezekiel Machogu (Education)
Others present at the meeting were KU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina, KUTRRH Chairperson Prof. Olive Mugenda, and Ahmed Dagane, KUTRRH CEO.
The committee reviewed the hospital's history and development emphasizing on the university's initial proposal to retain ownership of the facility.
Kenyatta University had proposed to retain the facility to facilitate seamless learning for its students.
The committee gave a directive to have students practice their training at the facility, noting that this will help the students access practical education which will enable them to mould themselves into quality medical practitioners.
The committee further raised concerns over KU’s reported land encroachment.
In response, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu stated that the original settlers would be accommodated.
He further assured the committee of the Ministry’s support in putting an end to the encroachment.
The ownership tussle pitting the hospital has been dragging on for five years now, intensifying earlier this year when the university staff and students were denied access to the facility to do their practicals.
Initially, the hospital was earmarked to be a training facility for KU students enrolled in healthcare and research studies.
Later on, former President Uhuru Kenyatta on 25 January 2019, classified the hospital as a parastatal under the Ministry of Health dissociating it from the university.
