Kenyatta University (KU) medical students have finally been admitted to the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) for clinical training, ending a protracted five-year standoff between the two institutions.
The breakthrough, announced this week, marks a significant milestone for KU’s School of Medicine, which has long accused the referral hospital of sidelining its students despite being established primarily to support their training.
The first cohort of 200 students reported for induction at the level six facility, a move welcomed as a new dawn for medical training at KU. Student leaders said the development would ease the struggle of securing clinical attachments in other hospitals, particularly Kiambu Level Five, which had become unreliable due to recurrent doctors’ strikes.
Fred Latandi Ondieki, chair of KU’s Social Welfare and Co-curricular Activities and a fifth-year medicine student, said the standoff had caused prolonged academic delays. His colleagues, Vincent Ochieng and Karen Wanjiru, echoed the relief, noting that the arrangement would allow students to complete their studies on time without disruptions.
KUTRRH Chief Executive Officer Dr. Zainab Gura hailed the admission of students as a “major milestone,” reaffirming the hospital’s mandate to provide training opportunities for KU learners.
The deadlock had previously drawn in government bodies, including the National Assembly and Senate Health Committees, which intervened several times to push for a solution. Parents and education stakeholders had also voiced concern, warning that prolonged delays threatened the future of hundreds of students pursuing medicine and related disciplines.
With the standoff now resolved, optimism is high that the partnership will not only strengthen medical training but also boost healthcare delivery in Kenya.
The integration of KU medical students into KUTRRH is expected to be fully implemented by the start of the next academic year in September.
Written By Rodney Mbua
