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A dispute over Kenyatta University students access  to Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) for training and research ended yesterday after the first batch of trainees reported to refferal facility after months of bad blood between the two sister institutions.

 It was a handshake moment for the management of the two entities during the occasion supervised by Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala at KUTRRH on Monday.

 The PS divulged that initially, 100 medical students from the University will be admitted adding that more than 800 medical students at Kenyatta University will benefit with the modern facilities and equipmentat the Hospital to excel in their studies.

Some of the equipment at the facility include Spect-CT, Pet-CT, Brachytherapy and the Cyberknife, the only one of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 “Today, we have hit a very important milestone because KU medical students will start accessing the hospital. With the kind of learning experiences the students will gain from the facility, we can only expect them to be the best medics in Africa,” Inyangala said.

Unlimited access

 Noting that the ownership row pitting the two institutions is being resolved by the Government, the PS said that officials from both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health are working together for the success of the medical training programme.

 “The important thing here is the training of the university students. We are working together deliberately, positively and collaboratively for the posterity of the programme and for the best outcomes in terms of student competences and research outputs,” the PS asserted.

 The hospital management board led by the chairperson Prof Olive Mugenda was at hand to receive the students, assuring that they would cooperate with the university to ensure learners have unlimited access to the hospital facilities.

 Prof Mugenda noted that while KU students will get first priority, medical students from other institutions will also be accorded the opportunity to study at the facility.

 “They are the luckiest students because we have one of the best equipment like the Cyberknife and the students will get the opportunity to experience them and be the best doctors in the continent and even internationally,” Mugenda said.

 The students, accompanied by their lecturers and Vice-Chancellor Prof Paul Wainaina hailed the Parliamentary Committee on Education for intervening to end the dispute following their petition.

 Both Prof Wainaina and Prof Mugenda agreed to work together despite several years of suspicion which led to the intervention of both National Assembly and Senate Education committees to resolve the matter.

“We are privileged to see our students, professors and hospital officials working together with the aim of producing the most competent and best doctors. The equipment that the facility has and particularly for teaching are the best,” Prof Wainaina added.

 The VC maintained that the outcome of the ownership row between the two institutions will not affect the medical training programme.

 Thiong’o Muiruri, KU students’ union secretary general said the number of medical students accessing the hospital should not be limited to 100.

 “This is a momentous occasion that brings an end to the series of demonstrations and petitions. We, however, insist on being accorded unfettered access to the entire facility and call for fully reverting of ownership of the hospital to the university because KU built KUTRRH,” Muiruri said.