Kenyatta University (KU) and the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) have been on notice by the Senate Committee on Health.
The Committee, chaired by Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago gave Kenyatta University and the KUTRRH up to September 2025 to resolve a long-standing conflict that bars medical students from training at the hospital.
The Committee issued the ultimatum during a meeting with officials from KU and KUTRRH on Thursday, July 24, at Bunge Tower.
In the meeting, the committee addressed the crisis which forces students to seek placements at facilities in Kiambu and Thika.
KUTRRH Board Chairman Kembi Gitura acknowledged the absurdity of the situation, despite the hospital’s legal autonomy.
“I was appointed chair of a board guided by existing legal instruments. But I fully agree this is not about personalities. It is about ensuring our students receive the training they deserve,” Gitura said.
Mandago issued a stern warning to the leaders of both institutions, demanding they rise above bureaucratic infighting.
He stated that students’ affairs are more important than the internal wrangles between the two institutions.
The Senator asked KU and KUTRRH to stop the unhealthy competition and focus on the training of medical students who are critical for the country’s future.
“Let’s be very clear: the welfare of these students is not negotiable. “We are seeing signs of distraction and internal competition that must stop now. This is not about who runs what; it’s about providing the best possible training for our country’s future doctors,” Mandago stated directly to the councils.
The committee granted the request for an extension from the two institutions.
However, it mandated that KU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof. Paul Wainaina, the hospital’s CEO Dr. Zeinab Gura Roka, and a Joint Implementation Committee to submit a comprehensive progress report by the September deadline, whether a formal invitation is issued or not.
Kenyatta University and KUTRRH Row
KU lost representation on the KUTRRH board in 2021, when Legal Notice No. 39 converted it into a state parastatal.
The University was removed from the decision-making table after the VC and a member of the university council were removed from the board.
Additionally, the changes also cut off medical students from being trained at the hospital.
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VC’s Pledge
In May 2025, Prof Wainana reignited a spirited push to return the KUTRRH to its original mission as the training hub for its health sciences students.
Wainana revealed that KU students went for training in facilities in Kiambu and Thika, despite having a state-of-the-art facility within their institution.
“Students doing health programmes such as medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health, and medical labs have been struggling in using sub-standard facilities in Kiambu and Thika,” the VC said.
“That affects the quality of education we offer—yet we have a state-of-the-art hospital right here, one built with students in mind.”
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Committee Previous Ruling
In 2024, the Health Committee recommended the revocation of Legal Notice No. 39 of 2021.
This paved the way for the reinstatement of KU representation in hospital management, and the handover of the academic and training block to the KU School of Health Sciences.
However, Wainana said nothing has changed a year after the Committee ruling, and students cannot access the hospital.
He pledged to return the hospital to KU before his tenure ends as VC.
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