By James Wakahiu
Hundreds of students and staff donated blood as the government
launched this year’s National Blood Donation Drive at the Mount Kenya
University (MKU) main campus in Thika town on Valentine’s Day.
It was a beehive of activity at the Mwai Kibaki Convention Centre in the
university campus as the entire college fraternity converged to donate
blood after an appeal by the university management and student leaders
led by MKU’s medical students. Spearheading the event was Charlene
Ruto, Kenya’s Blood Ambassador.
“We need to donate blood for our mothers and patients in our hospitals.
We are going to go to universities, high schools, and different
institutions because as young people, we should donate blood. Later this
week, we will visit the JKUAT university,” she said at MKU.
The First Daughter was recently unveiled by Health Cabinet Secretary
Susan Nakhumicha as a Blood Ambassador alongside three other blood
ambassadors namely Kennedy Sanya, the highest blood donor in Kenya,
Aisha Daffalla, Kenya’s Top Female Blood Donor and Caroline
Wang’amati, Coalition of Blood for Africa team lead.
Gracing the occasion at Thika was the Chief Executive Secretary,
Ministry of Health, Liti Wambu, the Kiambu County Executive
Committee Member, Health Services, Kiambu County, Dr Elias Maina,
and the Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Blood Transfusion and
Transplant Services (KBTTS), Dr Wakwabubi.
Welcoming guests to the university, MKU vice-chancellor Prof
Deogratius Jaganyi, applauded the Kenya Blood Transfusion and
Transplant Services (KBTTS) for choosing the university as a preferred
partner of choice in launching of the 2024 Blood Transfusion Drive.
The VC said the Kenya Vision 2030 puts Universal Health Care as a key
pillar towards which both the national and county governments have
devoted a lot of resources to ensure it is adequately funded for the good
of all Kenyans. “In support of the national and global needs on
healthcare, MKU has invested and continues to invest heavily through
its programmes that train personnel in healthcare to serve this nation and
beyond,” he added.
Prof Jaganyi said the institution supports this need through teaching,
research and community engagement. “This is offered through the
College of Health Sciences which is comprised of five Schools;
Medical, Pharmacy, Clinical Sciences, Nursing and the School of Public
Health.,” he said.
The event was organized in conjunction with student unions, especially
the students within the College of Health Sciences and the student the
entire student community at MKU. “I congratulate our students and staff
for the sterling role they are playing in this event,” he said.
Thanking the distinguished guests and all participants in the exercise, Dr
Vincent Gaitho, Chairman of the University Council said MKU is now
a role model for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). “This event is taking
place here on the PPP model; It has brought in the national government
and county governments and various private-sector players including
MKU as the host and a key support of the exercise,” he said.
