University of Nairobi Channel (UNC) visits UoN-KNH Campus

In line with their mission to educate, entertain, and empower its audience while serving as a vehicle for disseminating research outputs and knowledge from the university to the community, a team from University of Nairobi Channel (UNC) Tv visited UoN-KNH Campus on 15^th April 2026 to shoot a documentary on cancer.

The team was armed with cameras and enthusiasm to learn about cancer and the part played by the University of Nairobi (UoN) and its partnering institutions in advancing research and treatment of the deadly disease.

Led by UNC host Sila Harmaton, the team visited the highly equipped Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative-Institute of Clinical Research (KAVI-ICR) research labs and adjunct facilities to delve further into what goes on in testing and research into cancer.

KAVI’s lab technicians led by Dennis Chalo and Catherine Mutuku took them through the processes that they undertake in researching the disease from sample collection to analysis of the samples to facilitate diagnosis, treatment and research of cancer.

Dr. Noel Onyango, KAVI’s Head of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) took the team through the top of the range facility housing the institutes research labs and systems for example, the cryogenic system and expounded on the tests they undertake on samples and the storage mechanisms of the collected samples for testing and research.

The team also visited partnering institution University of Nairobi Institute for Tropical and Infectious Diseases (UNITID) where Prof. Julius Oyugi the UNITID director expounded on what part the institution in collaboration with the university play on cancer research and treatment.

In line with the UoN’s vision of being a globally competitive university transforming society, the university partnered with UNITID in a ground-breaking move in advancing cancer treatment and research with the establishment of a one of its kind public oncology clinical trial center.

The center receives select cancer patients for clinical trial runs of cancer medication and treatment in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies in a symbiotic relationship that facilitates research on cancer from the patients and advancing treatment through results from the research all while the patients receive free treatment.

According to Prof. Oyugi from 2022 there have been four clinical trials with more ongoing where currently there are two breast cancer and one liver cancer clinical trials ongoing. He further urged the public to take advantage of the free clinical trials and apply to be in the program.

“By the time we were setting up this clinical trial, this was the first public Oncology clinical trial in Kenya. We put the University of Nairobi on the global map,” Prof Oyugi added.

The team further explored the frontiers of research on cancer by visiting UNITID Center of Excellence for Oncology Clinical trial labs and clinical trial rooms like the chemotherapy infusion room where the team from UNITID led by Esther Mukuni UNITID’s project manager explained how the facility is reshaping cancer treatment.

Prof. Oyugi emphasized on rethinking of the norms and myths around cancer and insisted that the general public be informed of the genetic and viral disease and to increase uptake of screenings and vaccination to ensure early detection, diagnosis and treatment to combat cancer.

His sentiments were echoed by Winnie Nyanchama, a research nurse from UNITID who emphasized on the need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and being informed on the various risk factors that cause cancer like smoking, unhealthy eating habits and exposure to cancer causing agents like radiation.