The government has been asked to consider extending scholarships to students doing medicine in private universities.
Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Board Chairman Prof Simon Gicharu says since the course is offered only in a limited number of universities, learners should be allowed to join private institutions and get scholarships.
“The students who choose to do a course in medicine which is not available in all our universities and are admitted to private institutions should be offered scholarship to pursue the course,” he stated.
Gicharu who is also the Mount Kenya University (MKU) Chairman Board of Directors was speaking during the handover of the newly constructed university mosque and renovated Students Centre on Thursday at the Chancellor Towers grounds.
“We are saying that the vulnerable students who want to do medicine at MKU which is the only private university offering the course in the country, should get government sponsorship,” said Prof Gicharu who was accompanied by the Pro-Chancellor and University Council Chairman Dr Vincent Gaitho and the Vice-Chancellor Prof Deogratius Jaganyi.
At the same time, the KICD official maintained that the new government funding model for higher learning has not seriously affected operations of private universities.
“It would be unfair to say that the new government funding model has affected our operations. According to the report by the Task Force, students in public universities would be getting scholarships and other support while those in private institutions get loans to meet the cost,” Prof Gicharu explained.
The Chairman also said the youth, particularly college and high school students, should be used as vehicles of uniting the country through various religious denominations.
He noted that the MKU leadership decided to build a mosque to be used by over 7,000 Muslim students as a way of demistifying religious norms and bringing cohesion among Kenyans from different backgrounds.
The students led by MKU Students Association Chairman Eric Ochieng appealed to the government to review the University Education funding model to ease the fees burden for learners particularly in private institutions.
Muslim student representatives led by Mohamed Kadir Ali welcomed the management’s gesture of building them a place of worship, saying it is a big relief for the large number of Islamic adherents at MKU.
By Kamau Njoroge
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