Universities partial reopening starts as medical students ordered to class

Universities may be inching closer to partial opening after Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Council (KMPDC) ordered final year students to return to class and sit examinations.

In a circular to university deans of school of medicine, KMPDC Chief Executive Officer Daniel Yumbya wants urgent measures put in place to allow the students undertake mandatory clinical examinations. The directive resonates with the proposal of public and private universities managers who requested to be permitted to take in final year students to start learning while observing Covid-19 protocols.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha had earlier proposed partial reopening of universities and noted that only vetted and approved institutions will be allowed to open.

He however said that reopening of universities for “face-to-face sessions will be on a case-by-case basis based on approved compliance with the Ministry of Health Covid-19 protocols”.

Speaking last week, Magoha said only Strathmore and Mount Kenya Universities had met the reopening guidelines. It is not clear if all the universities that teach medicine have complied with the reopening protocols.

Ministry of Education had, however, in a circular to all Vice-Chancellors and principals of constituent colleges, directed the institutions managers to come up with reopening plans too. Magoha has equally been doing visits to universities to establish the level of preparedness for reopening.

And the circular by Yumbya now gives hope to possible partial opening for more universities.