University of Nairobi amends fees for medical students

KMPDU officials led by Secretary General Davji Atella sign agreement with UoN management. [Twitter, KMPDU]

The University of Nairobi (UoN) has amended fees for their Master of Medicine (MMed) programme following talks with the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

In 2021, UoN doubled fees for their postgraduate and parallel degrees from an average of Sh275,000 to more than Sh600,000, resulting in KMPDU moving to court.

In their submissions, KMPDU argued that the increase in annual fees for medical students would ultimately deny Kenyans the right to affordable healthcare.

"The 200 percent increase at once is too drastic, and may have adverse implications on fees compliance, reporting rates, continuity, and completion rates; especially considering prior commitments. It will deny young Kenyan doctors access to quality education," KMPDU said at the time.

The medics also argued that Masters students contribute to the delivery of clinical services at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and training of undergraduate students through apprenticeship during Registrars' rounds.

After extensive negotiations between the two parties, UoN Vice Chancellor Stephen Kiama and KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atella agreed to have the medical fees increased gradually.

In the agreement seen by The Standard, students who joined the university in academic year 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 will pay Sh247,000 per year, an increase of 14.4 percent from Sh216,000.

At the same time, those who will join the institution in the 2022/2023 academic year, the fees will be increased by 60 percent from Sh216 000 to Sh345,000 for the first year.

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"To mitigate the concern, the fees will reduce by 13 per cent from Sh345,000 in part one to Sh300,000 in part two. Accordingly, the cost of three-year programmes will be Sh945,000 increasing progressively to Sh1.9 million for the six-year programmes," reads part of the agreement.

Additionally, select Masters students will be engaged in tuition of undergraduate students on a rotational basis and under the guidance of their lecturer in the 2023/2024 academic year.

"The Departments will undertake Curriculum Revision to provide for Academic Recess with effect from the 2023/2024 Academic Year. In this arrangement, each student on rotational basis, shall be allowed two months of academic recess in the form of elective terms every year."

"Such leave may be taken in a hospital where, although private, may earn the students credit. The elective term shall be supervised by a qualified consultant and a logbook of activity recorded for purposes of evaluation," the agreement reads.