Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) is set to establish a research-based nursing school to address health challenges in the Lake Victoria basin.
The institute, which is at the final stages of getting clearance, is scheduled to open its doors for the first nursing students in May 2026 with initial thirty students expected to be admitted.
The School of Nursing established through sponsorship of the Belgian government via the VLIR-UOS programme, has already been given the green light by the Kenyan Commission for University Education (CUE).
The nursing school, which is a component of Health subproject, is a deliverable in the ten-year collaboration program between JOOUST and Flemish universities coordinated by the Vrije University of Brussels (VUB).
According to Jooust Prof. Denis Ochuodho, the nursing school’s core mandate besides training will be health research, unlike conventional nursing schools which are solely focused on training health practitioners.
“Already we have a fully equipped skills lab courtesy of the Jooust-Flemish universities collaboration programme funded by the Belgian government. We are ready to start admission next semester which is mid-2026,” said Ochuodho.
Prof Ochuodho, who is the coordinator of VLIR-funded projects at JOOUST revealed that nurses trained at the institute will be better equipped to handle health issues prevalent in the Lake Victoria region.
“We are a university established in a community set-up; having nurses trained locally will make it easier to address health issues afflicting the local community,” said Prof Ochuodho.
He observed that through the nursing school, the university will not only be engaged with the community in terms of training and employment of the nurses but also through continuous health research.
Ochuodho who was speaking during a visit by a delegation from Vrije University of Brussels (VUB) disclosed that the nursing programme has already been developed and accredited by CUE.
He further revealed that the university is in the final process of getting clearance from respective bodies concerned with the nursing programme in Kenya.
By Brian Ondeng
