Rwanda now clears Mount Kenya University Kigali campus programmes

Learning has now resumed at Mount Kenya University, Kigali campus, a month after the institution was ordered to suspend some of its programmes.

A letter by Rwanda’s Ministry of Education to the principal MKU Kigali campus gives a clean bill of health to the five programmes suspended a month ago.

“I am pleased to inform you that MKU Kigali campus is authorised to reopen the delivery of Bachelor degree of Upgrading Nursing, Bachelor degree in Pharmacy, Bachelor degree in Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor degree in Public Health and Master degree in Public Health,” reads the letter by Minister Albert Nsengiyumva.

The minister said the government was satisfied following a joint verification visit conducted by the Higher Education Council, Rwanda Allied Health Professions Council, National Council of Nurses and Midwives and National Pharmacy Council.

He said the report indicated that the campus had satisfactorily implemented the recommendations of the health-related programme audit.

Speaking to The Standard on Sunday, MKU Vice-Chancellor Stanley Waudo (top) said the endorsement is a boost to the institution. He said the university would now carry on with its efforts of scaling the heights in the respective fields.

“We already have plans of investing in the Rwanda capital. Some Sh550 million tower is coming up in Kigali and we hope that by June next year, it will be complete,” said Waudo. He said the completion would address the growing number of students in the city.

The news comes barely a month after Waudo pitched for the immediate harmonisation of East African Community curricula to enhance cross-border movement of students in pursuit of higher education.

He said delayed harmonisation had resulted into bottlenecks.

“This initiative is important because it will also unlock the potential of universities to train across the region,” said Prof Waudo.

Last week, Waudo said MKU temporarily suspended training in health science courses at Kigali Campus pending the harmonisation of curricula. Waudo said a validation workshop for the qualification framework for the Eastern Africa region held in Entebbe Uganda last year resolved that labour mobility was key to unlocking the potential in the region.