UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI September 2020 VarsityFA magazineocus of the University of Nairobi UoN'sUoN's 88thth VVice-ice-ChancellorChancellor UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI Our Vision A world-class university committed to scholarly excellence Our Mission To provide quality university education and training and to embody the aspirations of the Kenyan people and the global community through creation, preservation, integration, transmission and utilization of knowledge. Our Core Values • Freedom of thought and expression • Excellence • Care • Good governance • Innovativeness and creativity • Partnership and teamwork ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFIED VarsityFocus I N S I D E Prof. Stephen Kiama installed as UoN's UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI 8th Vice-Chancellor VarsityFocus 5 Published by Office of the Vice-Chancellor Director of Corporate Affairs University of Nairobi P.O. Box 30197 - 00100 Nairobi Tel: 020 4913193 Experts speak on Email: [email protected] COVID-19 pandemic www.uonbi.ac.ke Copyright 15 University of Nairobi, 2020 All rights reserved Editor John A.O. Orindi, mCIPR Alumni Association Assistant Editor targets 1000 students Pamellah Asule for scholarships Consulting Editor 19 Otuma Ongalo Editorial Team Mariam Maina , mCIPR Peter Muturi Johnson Kinyua Brian Ouma UoN in talks for Peter Wekesa Esther Nekesa GIS Laboratory Peter Oluoch Naomi Nyaboga B.D Njuguna 32 Julius Thuranira Immaculate Kadikiny Silas Katam Photography Charles Muriuki Students tipped on Kevin Wamola Peter Oluoch Huawei certifications Creative Design 41 Kevin Wamola www.uonbi.ac.ke 1 VarsityFocus Editorial team John A.O. Orindi, mCIPR Pamellah Asule Otuma Ongalo Editor Assistant Editor Consulting Editor Editorial members Mariam Maina, mCIPR Peter Muturi Johnson Kinyua Brian Ouma Peter Wekesa Corporate Affairs Ag. Registrar Administration Career Services Office Advancement Office Vice Chancellor’s Office Esther Nekesa Peter Oluoch Naomi Nyaboga B.D. Njuguna Silas Katam Corporate Affairs Corporate Affairs Career Services Office Planning Division Procurement Division Immaculate Kadikiny Julius Thuranira Kevin Wamola Corporate Affairs Corporate Affairs Photographer/Creative Designer 2 www.uonbi.ac.ke VarsityFocus Editor’s note The new virtual reality in university education he education sector is reeling online lectures and examinations and huge investment involved in from the devastating effects of was poised to hold a virtual developing an academic to the level Tthe Covid-19 pandemic. All graduation ceremony on 25 of a professor or a member of the non- educational programmes have been September 2020. The University had teaching staff to top administrator affected due to the closure of also conducted a virtual inauguration level. educational institutions at all levels. of the new Vice-Chancellor in As the government directs more The abrupt closure and indefinite addition to holding many corporate resources towards the fight against suspension of on-campus teaching events and webinars online. These Covid-19, due consideration should and learning by the government in are commendable milestones. be given to the ongoing research in M a r c h 2 0 2 0 c a u g h t m a n y On the flip side, the transition to our universities targeting the universities and colleges flat-footed. online education needs to take into discovery of vaccines against Unable to adapt to the new consideration the plight of students infection by the coronavirus, drugs for environment where formal learning is from poor backgrounds and those treatment, and other long-term only possible through technology, living with disability to ensure that solutions to the pandemic. A budget many institutions resigned themselves they are not marginalised. Education boost for university research will to their fate. However, encourage innovation. A institutions that had invested stimulus package, granted i n d e v e l o p i n g t h e i r Going forward, the University of Nairobi to universities to support technological and human Senate is very emphatic that the blended their mission of knowledge resource capacity, like the development, will ultimately University of Nairobi, mode of delivery, involving online and help the society to recover intensified the use of face-to-face components, is the way to go and emerge stronger in the technology in order to post-Covid-19 period. This is c o n t i n u e w i t h t h e i r - JOHN A.O.ORINDI, mCIPR - what has been done in programmes. EDITOR Australia and the United The shift to e-learning at States to acknowledge the UoN was quick but not without its fair is a tool for empowerment and for value of research. share of challenges. The lack of promoting equality and at no time Going forward, the University of internet coverage in some parts of the s h o u l d i t c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e Nairobi Senate is very emphatic that country and the cost of data for marginalisation of some members of the blended mode of delivery, students were some of the problems the community. involving online and face-to-face that slowed down the transition to Universities are also staring at components, is the way to go. Virtual virtual learning. The University found massive losses in the wake of the learning will no longer be a choice a solution through engaging internet pandemic. It is costly to keep idle staff but an integral form of teaching and service providers like Telkom Kenya on the payroll. The slowdown in learning. and Safaricom to provide reliable i n t e r n a t i o n a l r e s e a r c h a n d The Varsity Focus team is proud of the and affordable data for learning. The collaboration activities has also exemplary leadership provided by partnerships with Google, Cisco, and impacted negatively on research- the University of Nairobi by adopting Microsoft in the provision of platforms related incomes. On a sad note, the use of technology to overcome the for online learning and virtual coronavirus infections have claimed bottlenecks brought about by the meetings also helped the University to the lives of renowned academics and closure of on-campus learning. Keep overcome the teething challenges. some members of the non-teaching it up UoN. staff at the University. The departed At the beginning of August 2020, colleagues will not be easy to replace JOHN A.O.ORINDI, mCIPR given their experience as well as the UoN had already conducted 10,467 EDITOR www.uonbi.ac.ke 3 VarsityFocus Vice-Chancellor’s message Unitate et Labore! Unite in Labour for a better future University of Nairobi towards a financial reforms will lead to efficient trajectory of excellence. payment and receipts management to Firstly, we will need to invest our check revenue leakage while energies and resources in setting up a enhancing the optimal utilisation of comprehensive integrated data resources, reduction of wastage, and management system. This will entail review of the financial viability of re-engineering our business processes income generating units. These and embedding the use of technology r e f o r m s w i l l a l s o c o v e r t h e in curriculum content delivery; human procurement functions so as to resource management; financial maximise efficiency, increase management; student management, transparency and accountability, and including the administration of exams; deliver value for money. An efficient research grants management; and and optimal internal financial Prof. Stephen Gitahi Kiama, timetabling among others. ecosystem will allow the university to Vice-Chancellor Secondly, we will need to refresh our m ov e wi t h c o n fi d e n c e w h e n m a n a g em ent, a d m i n i st ra t ive, mobilising for external resources ngraved on the University of oversight, and governance structures. because of the assurance that every Nairobi logo are the Latin This will entail the elimination of cent received will, at the very least, words, 'Unitate et Labore'. E redundant and overlapping systems, render 100 percent of its value. This means 'unite in labour'. As a processes, structures, and reporting The net effect of these measures is an community, we are bound to this call. centres. It will also entail encouraging i n c r e a s e d u n i v e r s i t y v a l u e During my installation as Vice- the flow of power, resources, proposition, making us the destination Chancellor on June 5, 2020, I responsibility, and accountability to of choice for both local and appealed to all staff and students to the lowest levels. We will also need to international students, scholars, make every effort to recalibrate our institutionalise efficient decision and innovators, and industry. We are also collective culture and attitudes policy making and implementation at aiming at becoming the preferred towards teamwork, while upholding every level. knowledge partner for government as discipline and integrity; commitment Thirdly, we will need to embark on the regards ideas, solutions, consultants, to duty and scholarship; and path of fit-for-purpose training. We and policy direction. efficiency and excellence. shall relook at our university course I am confident that with the Indeed, with your support and offerings and assess the level to which implementation of these measures, we dedication of time and energies in they respond to market, industry, will be true to our mission, 'To provide honest service to our university, we are societal, and government needs as we quality university education and set to reach the promised land in also weed out redundant and t ra i n i n g a n d t o e m b o dy t h e building an enduring legacy of o v e r l a p p i n g c o u r s e s a n d aspirations of the Kenyan people and academic excellence.