The second semester 2016/2017 academic year has been as distorted as it has been exciting. Ordinarily the semester comes to a close in the first week of May, but the end will this time round come at the end of June 2017. The Semester is normally busy and the fact that many activities did not take place as earlier scheduled means the two months ahead of us are packed with both academic and a plethora of other events. Notable of these are games, athletics as well as cultural and careers week. While the drama festival has ended, we look forward to music in August 2017.
Key developments have marked this semester. The most fundamental of these is the verdict of Commission for University Education Inspection Audit where Kibabii University was listed among the 12 Universities who satisfied the admission requirements. This has given revitalized the University’s confidence to focus on the provision of quality academic programmes, operations and services that contribute to greater customer satisfaction. The other was the Grant proposal writing training conducted by the renowned African Population Health Research Centre. Then more recently was the training of Job Analysis Teams by the highly respected firm of Price Waterhouse Coopers appointed by the Salaries Remuneration Commission. During this period, the Curriculum review process that had been going on for some time came to a conclusion. The University also negotiated and was vetted on a new performance contract 2015/2016 with government through the Ministry of Education which largely target to improve the service delivery, promote creativity and innovativeness.
You all agree that the quantity and quality of our facilities will improve tremendously with the completion of Tuition Block Phase II at the end of May 2017. This will definitely make the academic programmes we are offering more competitive. The two international conferences coming in the next few weeks will obviously provide a platform to show case of our infrastructure.
These activities and developments are critical as we strive to set out Kibabii University brand to affirm its status and global competitiveness.
But perhaps the most captivating is the on-going review of the students’ organization constitution, in readiness for the students’ election. Incidentally this coincides with the campaign period for nominations and eventually the national elections.
All these events at local and national level are critical to Kibabii University in several ways. One is that the University is part of the larger society and cannot extricate itself from what is going on around it. Two, it is the objective of the University to provide holistic education which addresses both academic and general knowledge.
It should be noted that the University has the privilege of benefiting from the dialogue going on just as much as it should contribute to the same. Both staff and students have shown keen interest in the unfolding events. We should however selectively borrow so that we pick the positive for our consumption and enrichment but avoid the negative.
The lessons we learn from all that is going on around us are:
- There is urgent need to raise the level of tolerance for diversity in order to form a cohesive community.
- We should all participate in providing solutions to the problems bedeviling Kenya and the continent in our own big and small ways. In the words of Roosevelt, let us do whatever we can with what we have wherever we are.
- It is imperative that we engage in meaningful dialogue/debate driven by reason rather than emotions.
- Cautiously use the social media cognizant of the fact that anything communicated is subject to scrutiny.
- All of us form concerted effort to fight drugs and other vices.
In conclusion I wish to reiterate that ultimately all of us MUST embrace actions that ensure good reputation and positive image of Kibabii University.
Other Vice Chancellors Speeches
Officials from Commission for University Education visit Kibabii University for quality audit inspection of public and private Universities and University Colleges
Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) conduct Job Analysis for all jobs in Kibabii University
Successful conclusion of Job Analysis exercise by the Salary and Remuneration Commission and PWC at Kibabii University
Vice Chancellor Prof. Ipara Odeo received a certificate for the best Kiswahili poem producer after the conclusion of the 58th Edition of Kenya National Drama Festivals
