Year one and two students at Mount Kenya University (MKU) Kigali Campus are set to resume face to face learning in January 2021, after the varsity got green light from the Higher Education Council (HEC) this week. “MKU Kigali Campus is allowed to deliver face-to-face teaching for Year 1 & 2 students. HEC will make regular assessments and verifications at MKU – Kigali Campus to ensure that good quality of education is provided within a safe, healthy and conducive environment,” reads a statement by HEC. The university is among the first universities and higher learning institutions whose students in year three and above were allowed to resume physical classes, after an inspection proved that they had put in place measures to prevent any possible spread of Covid-19. Universities, same as other activities, were halted in mid-March in bid to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the guidelines employed by MKU Kigali Campus include a tech-based registration method that everyone entering the campus has to use and fills in their details to be used when there is a need for contact tracing of a person who tested positive for Covid-19. Other protocols including handwashing facilities at the campus’ entrance, a sanitization booth and social distancing in classrooms. The varsity has also put in place teaching facilities such as classrooms with sufficient sitting capacity and other technological tools such as smart TVs enabled for live streaming of classes to avoid congestion of students in a single class in case of class sessions attended by many students. Sanitizers placed at different rooms in this campus are manufactured by its students at the School of Health Sciences. Currently, year one and two students were studying online using Microsoft Teams, but according to MKU Rwanda’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Edwin Odhuno, students who continued their studies after the Covid-19 outbreak in Rwanda were few. “50 per cent of our students were not able to study online after the Covid-19 outbreak, for different reasons such as lack of (internet) bundles, poor internet connection and many other reasons,” he said, noting that the resumption of physical learning for year one and two is essential. By the time the government halted the operation of universities as a result of Covid-19 outbreak, students at MKU Kigali Campus were few weeks to end their semester. On this note, Odhuno said: “We will bring these students back on board and take them from where they stopped or start afresh, depending on their wish. We have an academic team that is just seated to plan how these students will be catered for. Very soon we are going to roll out the timetable in this regard.” Highlighting the safety of students, Odhuno underscored: “The safety of our students and staff is a priority. As a matter of fact, we have put in place all necessary health protocols vis-à-vis Covid-19 prevention.” To make sure all standard operating procedures on Covid-19 are respected, MKU Kigali Campus has appointed selected youth volunteers that include students, to be part of the taskforces in place to monitor adherence to Covid-19 preventive measures The campus also set aside a room where anyone who might test positive for Covid-19 can be isolated. There is a trained nurse to provide first aid to the patient, as they await help from health professionals.
