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25th Graduation Ceremony Speech by the Vice-Chancellor

SPEECH

 

BY

PROF. DEOGRATIUS JAGANYI

VICE-CHANCELLOR

 

DURING THE

MOUNT KENYA UNIVERSITY 25TH GRADUATION CEREMONY

 

GRADUATION THEME: UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

 

ON

 

FRIDAY, 2nd AUGUST 2024

 

AT

MOUNT KENYA UNIVERSITY HAPPY VALLEY GROUNDS, THIKA

 

  • Salutation
  • The Chancellor, Prof. John Struthers,
  • The Chief Guest, Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, Principal Secretary, State Department for Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Education,
  • Members of the University Board of Directors,
  • Chairman, University Council, Dr. Vincent Gaitho,
  • Members of the University Council, both Kenya and Kigali,
  • Vice-Chancellor, Mount Kigali University, Rwanda, Dr. Martin Kimemia,
  • Vice-Chancellors and Representatives present,
  • Members of the University Management Board and Senate,
  • Your Excellencies,
  • Distinguished Guests,
  • Mount Kenya University Staff,
  • Parents and Guardians,
  • Graduands and Students,
  • Ladies and Gentlemen.

 

  • Preliminary Remarks

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the 25th Graduation ceremony of Mount Kenya University (MKU). Allow me to proudly congratulate all the graduands for completing their studies successfully. The success was made possible by collective support by various Stakeholders. To this end, I acknowledge with appreciation the support accorded to the graduands by parents, guardians, and staff among others during their studies.

 

Mr. Chancellor Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, today, we celebrate an extraordinary achievement which is a testament to the dedication, resilience, and excellence of our institution, as we witness the highest number of graduands (7974) in 14 graduations held in the last seven years. It is both an honor and a privilege to acknowledge the collective effort that has made this milestone possible.

 

This achievement is a result of the culmination of a well-orchestrated journey of planning, execution, and relentless improvement. Over the last three years, we have implemented several key initiatives to enhance our academic environment:

  • Our Academic Sustainability Project has been pivotal in strengthening our performing programs
  • Our Postgraduate Students’ Academic Progression Tracking Project has been instrumental in supporting postgraduate students to complete their studies on This includes a comprehensive restructuring of our Postgraduate School.
  • Significant strides have also been made in sensitizing our researchers to the need for publishing in internationally recognized, indexed, and peer- reviewed journals. This initiative aims to elevate the visibility and impact of our research on a global scale.
  • We have greatly improved quality assurance audits and surveys which have contributed to a robust framework on taking action by management and to foster continuous improveme
  • Our strategic approach to student recruitment, has been vital in ensuring that our enrolment targets are not only met but surpassed.

Through all these initiatives, we have remained focused on not only achieving our students’ expectations but also surpassing them and creating an environment where they are thriving.

Indeed, the record number of graduands we celebrate today is not an isolated event but a testament to a journey marked by meticulous planning, regular monitoring, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

It is the result of a shared vision and the hard work of everyone involved in our university community, namely Board of Directors, Council, Management, Staff and Students as a collective.

Today, we are graduating Seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-four (7,974) graduands who we are celebrating their academic achievement. All these graduands have fulfilled all the academic programme requirements for conferment of various degrees and award of various diplomas and certificates as follows:

  1. Fourteen (14) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degrees.
  2. Five hundred and thirty (530) Master’s Degrees.
  3. One hundred and fifty-five (155) Postgraduate Diplomas.
  4. Five thousand and ninety (5,090) Bachelor’s Degrees.
  5. One thousand eight hundred and one (1,801) Diplomas, and
  6. Three Hundred and eighty-four (384) Certificates.

 

  • Student Matters

 

  • Student Enrolment

Mr. Chancellor Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to note that the University has continued to strive in enrolling students for various academic programmes. In the current semester/trimester of May-August 2024, the University registered a total of 56,225 students. This high student enrolment has been possible mainly because of our approach to recruitment.

 

  • Student Co-curricular Activities

Mr. Chancellor Sir, Ladies and Gentlemen, the University has continued to support student welfare activities:

  • MKU participated in the 9th Edition of the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) biannual national games in December 2023 in which 16 Universities across the country were represented. MKU emerged the best – overall and won sixty-two (62) medals. MKU was also the best in male teams, female teams, and private university category.
  • In this year’s Kenya National Drama Festivals, MKU emerged the best overall in the University category. Courtesy of our exemplary performance, MKU was honored to make its presentation for the winning genre ‘spoken word’ titled “abandoned” at the presidential state concert at the Sagana State Lodge on the 19th of April 2024.
  • MKU has continued nurturing our MKUSA (student associations) student leaders by supporting and exposing them in different forums such as: attendance in the African Leadership Forum and participation in the Women Convocation Conference and National Conversations in May 2024, attendance in the National Prayer Breakfast hosted by the National Assembly, and participation in the Annual Leadership Gathering (Retreat) in June, 2024 in Machakos.
  • In recognizing that disability is not inability, MKU hosted Nicholas James Vujicic, an Australian worldwide renowned Christian Evangelist and motivational speaker in February 2024. By extension, our enabled differently students held a fun moment themed Disability Pride: Changing the Narrativeat the Mwai Kibaki Conventional Centre in May 2024 which had a wide spectrum of speakers who re-energized our students in different perspectives.

 

  • Academic Programmes

In order to align the MKU Teacher Education Programmes curricula as guided by the requirements by Commission of University Education (CUE) on aligning the universities curricular to the fundamentals of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), the University has supported and finalized the alignment of the seven (7) School of Education programmes to CBC and it’s awaiting the approval by CUE for the respective programmes to be implemented.

By extension, the University Senate has approved a number of curricula which have been reviewed to address the emerging trends and the market demands.

  • Research, Innovation, and Community Engagement

Mount Kenya University has continued to implement her strategy on research, innovation, and community engagement. Some of the highlights include;

  • Research and Innovation

The importance of academic discourse to allow exchange of ideas, dissemination of research findings and innovation cannot be overemphasized. The University supported the organization of various forums such as the 8th CAREED Conference, the Cancer Implementation Science Symposium and the Western Regional Workshop at Thika and Nakuru Campuses respectively, to provide a platform for academics and sector players to exchange innovative ideas and ways of improving social development.

The University has continued to build strategic partnerships to strengthen research and innovation ecosystem. Several members of faculty from different schools and departments have travelled to Europe under the Erasmus mobility grants to engage with colleagues in different universities to discuss future collaborations. The University has also established a strategic partnership with Mayo Clinic of Arizona, USA, in cancer research. Discussions are underway with other local and international partners, including The University of Florida, for joint research projects.

As we all know, cutting age research requires heavy investment. MKU has set aside financial resources to support research activities, including providing seed grants through the Vice-Chancellor’s Research and Innovation Grant. This year, the University will award faculty members from various schools research grants up to KSHs 1.8 million. Faculty members are expected to work with post-graduate students to improve the graduate completion rate. The MKU faculty members continue to source for external research funding by applying for competitive research grants. This year, between January and June, the University faculty won over Kshs. 75M (Seventy-five million,) to support research and innovation.

On the innovation front, four student innovators from the University’s Innovation Incubation hub pitched their innovations alongside contestants from 30 countries at Strathmore University. The University, together with Kenyatta University and Start-Up Energy jointly plan to release a call for digital solutions on clean energy. More good news to innovators is that the University, with funding from the World Bank, has planned to launch a call for innovations.

 

  • Community Engagement

The University engaged with the community by participating in four Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) shows. These were Meru, Nanyuki, Machakos and Embu. The University was awarded the best Innovation Stand in Meru and Machakos Ask shows.

 

  • Quality Assurance

The University through Quality assurance (QA) has enhanced the operation process management to ensure that every step in the production and delivery process meets established standards. Implementing a robust QA system involves continuous monitoring and evaluation of processes, identifying potential issues before they affect the final product. This has been achieved through regular audits, process optimization, and employee training. In customer service and product management, the University has focused on meeting and exceeding customer expectations. This involves rigorous testing of products before they reach the market, as well as implementing feedback mechanisms to gather and act on customer insights. The University, being ISO9001:2015 certified through QA practices has developed comprehensive service protocols, conducted regular customer satisfaction surveys, and provided ongoing staff training to ensure high service standards. By prioritizing quality in both product management and customer service, the University has built trust, fostered loyalty, and has guaranteed MKU long-term success.

  • Conclusion

 Finally, as I conclude, I wish to observe that, MKU has become of age, thanks to the University Board of Directors, the Council and Senate for providing transformative visionary leadership and support. To all the graduands, parents, guardians and University staff; thank you once again for embracing MKU brand and together we shall unlock infinite possibilities.

To the graduands, I am confident MKU has given you the opportunity to attain all the necessary competences needed in your area of specialization, confidently, go out there and with industriousness and integrity, change the world to be a better place to live.

 

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

Prof. Deogratius JAGANYI

VICE-CHANCELLOR