- However, Odhiambo promised fellow students that he would deal with the concerns amicably.
- Ex-president Moses Ngigi while handing over reiterated the need for reserved ownership of the school hospital.
Image: GEORGE WAMBUA
Kenyatta University student leaders have committed to employing diplomacy in solving current varsity woes.
Some students maintained their stand on what they term an illegal takeover of school property.
Even as the new student council led by Teddy Odhiambo takes office, they expressed their plea to work with the management of the day.
The newly sworn-in secretary general Samuel Thiongo committed to using diplomacy in solving matters.
"We want to tell our able VC Professor Waceke Wanjohi that we are ready to engage with you on any matter," Thiongo said.
Odhiambo said his administration will ensure an end to the problems facing KU students.
“There is no problem without a solution, we will work with the new VC to ensure all these woes are resolved,” Odhiambo said.
This he said would be a better option compared to staging demonstrations.
Odhiambo, who is the former secretary general promised fellow students that he would deal with their concerns amicably.
"We don’t want to get into it with the thorax, we want to know the root cause and forge a way forward," he said.
Ex-president Moses Ngigi while handing over reiterated the need for reserved ownership of the school hospital.
Ngigi said he is confident that the hospital will be taken back to the university.
“I am confident to say that we defended our land which was meant for expansion and building more hostels against government grabbing,” Ngigi said.
Documents tabled in Parliament reveal an ugly fight for the control of Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital which escalated in 2016.
Embattled ex-VC Paul Wainaina had picked the return of the hospital to the university as a mark of his legacy during his tenure.
However, Prof Olive Mugenda who now chairs the KUTRRH board said the university was never meant to run the hospital in the first place.
The hospital project was financed through a concessional loan agreement between the government and the EXIM Bank of China amounting to Sh8.7 billion.
In September, the previous council led by Ngigi wanted the takeover of the institution's land stopped.
The leaders wrote to the national director of Physical Planning on Wednesday saying the land in question is not available for re-parceling.
Ngigi said the land had been set aside for education-related purposes.
This includes completion of the stalled School of Business, a student recreation centre and hostels.
“We the KU students have formally objected to the development plan relating to our land on the notice dated August 29,” the statement reads.
Ngigi said the students' council consulted students pursuing medicine, who will be largely affected.
"We object to the proposed alienation, allocation, subdivision or interference with the subject land," he said.
The student council attached a copy of signatures collected from KU students in their letters.
Ngigi cited a breach of process in the attempt to reallocate the land in question.
"None of the options stated in section 9(2)(c) of the Land Act of the conversion of private land such as LR.No.11026/2 were engaged," he said.
The leaders further demanded that KUTRRH be accessible to health science students.
The students accused the current council led by Crispus Kiambaa of working with Mugenda to sabotage the efforts.
“The MoU does not create any legal obligations and it is a mere statement of intentions from KUTRRH and the coerced new KU management," the statement reads.
Ngigi said the MoU is not legally binding.
Odhiambo will lead the institution closely with the help of Melly Nzilai Muli as the vice chairperson. Robert Bonaya (organising secretary for social welfare and co-curricular activities), Juliet Ngele(Secretary for gender and special needs), Abdikani Mohammed (Academics) and Jappher Mursin(treasury).
Thiongo Samuel Muiruri will be the secretary general.
Image: GEORGE WAMBUA