United States International University -Africa, through its Division of Legal Services, will be hosting a series of webinars on Zoom addressing various topical legal and governance issues. Stay tuned and follow the conversation using #USIULAW2020
By David Lomoywara
USIU-Africa and its students have always been at the forefront when it comes to research work and presentation of papers in international conferences. This year, the institution was privileged to have its alumni, Robert Rukwaro Maina, Immaculate Tallam and David Lomoywara present a paper at the NVivo Virtual Conference held last month. The theme of the Conference was ‘Qualitative research in a changing world’.
The conference came at a time when COVID-19 has turned the globe upside down. The unprecedented turn of events changed the way scholars conduct their research, and most of them have sought to use online platforms and other channels to get data necessary for their studies. In light of this, the overall aim of the conference was to enable participants to meet, learn and network with their peers and other experts from around the world to examine the global impacts on and trends in qualitative research.
In their paper, titled Marrying NVivo with NodeXL: A Qualitative Social Media Research, the three authors focused on the marriage between NodeXL and NVivo software for data mining and analysis to arrive at a hybrid social media data analysis procedure. The authors highlight a guideline on how NodeXL software can be used to mine data on social media sites such as Twitter using hashtags and keywords. After that, the data can then be exported and uploaded on NVivo software for categorization and analysis. They conclude that the two software will play a pivotal role in assisting researchers in continuing with their research work in these unprecedented times.
In their explanation of their rationale behind the paper, the authors noted that there were limited scholarly articles that could guide researchers on procedures that can harness both qualitative and quantitative data from online platforms. The paper therefore fills in this existing gap and will guide researchers while conducting studies using a hybrid mixed method of data on social media platforms.
David and Robert hold a Master’s Degrees in Communication Studies and specialized in Health Communication. They are both experienced in using NVivo software to conduct qualitative research. Immaculate Tallam holds a Master’s Degree in Information Technology, and she is well versed in using NodeXL tool which extracts data online and does sentiment analysis.
For more information on the conference, visit this site.
By Susan Muriuki
On Thursday, February, the Alumni Relations Department led by Principal Alumni Relations Officer, Mr. Michael Kisilu paid courtesy calls on two local alumni associations, accompanied by Alumni Relations Officer Ms. Joanne Alividza and Alumni Relations Intern Ms. Susan Muriuki.
Having recently been appointed to head the Department of Alumni Affairs, Mr. Kisilu sought to learn from his counterparts at Strathmore University and the University of Nairobi executed their mandates. Discussions held centered around key areas including organizational structure of the alumni department/association, alumni engagement initiatives, membership, data management, and fundraising aspect of alumni community.
A notable take away of the courtesy calls was that both University of Nairobi Alumni Association and Strathmore University’s Partnerships and Alumni Relations Department emphasized alumni engagement initiatives such as establishing alumni chapters, organizing workshops/trainings for alumni development, involving alumni in mentorship programs, collecting views from alumni on institutional governance, and hosting social activities such as gala dinners and cocktail parties.
According to the discussions, these initiatives, would make alumni feel part and parcel of their alma mater, creating stronger relationships, and promoting pride and affinity towards the University. Furthermore, the initiatives would provide platforms for alumni to give back to the University.
Members of the Indian and Kenyan communities who took part in a live recording of the Sema na Citizen TV show on Friday, March 8. They were accompanied by Prof.Wangari Mwai (Associate DVC-Student Affairs) and other members of the 2019 Culture Week Planning Committee. PHOTO: DIANA MESO
By Diana Meso
On Friday, March 8, a group of 30 students who presented the top two performances during the 2019 Culture Week Concert were invited to showcase their cultural dances during a live recording of the Sema na Citizen show at the Citizen Television studios.
The Kenyan team which was awarded the best cultural performance led by Mr. Benjamin Waweru (International Business Administration) and Ms. Vienna Lidaguli (International Relations) presented a traditional song skit showcasing various cultures in Kenya. This was followed by a rap song performance from Mr. Wesley Casmir (Journalism) and Mr. Peter Ngungi (Finance) showcasing their musical talents.
Meanwhile, the Indian team; second best in cultural performances were represented by Ms. Eesha Jobanputra (IR Major) who performed a rap mix of Sheng, Hindi and English, while Ms. Bhumi Patel (International Business Administration) and five of his fellow teammates showcased Indian attire worn on various occasions.
During the interview at the weekday show that airs between 10am and 2pm, both teams highlighted the significance of USIU-Africa’s holistic education, which has helped them nurture their talents, preserve and appreciate their cultures as well as those of their fellow students.
The students were accompanied by Associate DVC - Student Affairs Prof. Wangare Mwai and the 2019 Culture Week Planning Committee Treasurer Abdi Hakeem Mohamed (Finance).
By Dan Muchai
Dr. George Achoki has been appointed as a Commissioner at Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) by the Hon. Charles Keter Cabinet Secretary for Energy, for a period of 3 years with effect from Friday, February 8, 2019.
Dr. Achoki is an Associate Professor of Accounting and Finance in the Chandaria School of Business, with experience in management, academia and board directorship spanning over 20 years.
He began his teaching career as a Senior Lecturer in Kenyatta University, before joining the faculty of the Africa campus of United States International University in September 1997.
He was the coordinator of the Global Executive MBA program for seven years where he spearheaded partnerships with 4 international universities, and chaired the committee that rolled out the first doctoral program at USIU-Africa. He rose to head the Chandaria School of Business as Dean between 2013 and 2017.
He has published in the International Journal of Economics and Finance, the American Journal of Finance, and the Journal of Business and Management among others. He has authored 2 book manuals, and over 15 publications and conference presentations, and facilitated over 100 training sessions for corporate, public and not for profit executives.
Dr. Achoki holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, a Master of Commerce in Accounting and Statistics and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Accounting, all from Sukhadia University, India.
He has also been a resource person for Commission for University Education (CUE) formerly Commission for Higher Education (CHE) for over 10 years, and Inter University Council for Higher Education (IUCEA).
Between 2016 and 2018, he served as a Council Member at the Export Promotion Council where he chaired the Strategy, Product Development and Promotion and the Finance and Resource Mobilization Committees.
As a Commissioner, Dr. Achoki will provide oversight to the Commission’s management whose mandate is licensing and regulation, enforcement and compliance, and dispute resolution in the energy sector in Kenya.
Congratulations Dr. Achoki.
By Uwimana Oscar
Upon the election of the new student council members that took place Tuesday on July 12, 2022, the newly elected members were sworn into office on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 by the Director, Legal Services. The ceremony was attended by the DVC Academic and Student Affairs, the Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs, the Senior Clubs Coordinator, the Electoral Commission officials and the incoming and outgoing officials and the students.
In his remarks, Prof. Munyae Mulinge, DVC Academic and Student Affairs congratulated all the winners and appreciated all the candidates for the participation. He also mentioned that at a good working relationship is expected of them as it was with the outgoing Student Council leadership.
The Director Legal Services Ms. Helen Ombima congratulated the new student leadership and exhorted them to ponder and take seriously the oath that they took, adding that in the event of challenges, they needed to remember the day they were sworn in and endeavor to serve their constituents.
In her remarks, the Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs, Mrs. Ritah Asunda thanked the Electoral Commission for the hard work in organizing and running the election.
“Part of the student growth is participating in student election, and we thank the student council for being brave and volunteering to lead and serve”, she said.
The seven-member Council is made up of the following students:
Click here to download the Summer 2019 Course Schedule.
Participants take a photo outside the Freida Brown Student Centre during the annual legal awareness workshop
By Division of Legal Services & Company Secretary
The Legal Services Division held its annual Legal Awareness Workshop on 8-9 May under the theme ICT and the Law: Ethics, Rights & Limitations.
The workshop has become a lasting tradition since the division held the inaugural workshop in May of 2017. Attendees included faculty, staff, students and guests from other institutions of higher education. This year’s workshop attracted participants from as far as Eldoret. In her welcome address, the Director-Legal Services, Ms. Helen Ambasa highlighted the division’s mandate and the topics covered in previous workshops. She noted that the division curated the workshop program with all demographics in mind and with a deep awareness of the responsibilities and freedoms borne by all, both as individuals and corporate citizens. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Zeleza, echoed those sentiments in his opening remarks where he reiterated the special significance of the legal workshop by underscoring the importance of utilizing human capital for development in this information age.
Participants had the honor of hearing from a panel of experts over the two day period. Topics of focus included: Constitutional rights & limitations in the cyber space; An employer’s role in training employees on online conduct; Activism on the cyber space (social media); Intellectual property rights in the cyber space; Internet jurisprudence and sexual harassment - the legality of reporting cases online; An employer’s perspective on employees’ use of social media; data protection; and digital marketing – How to use it to combat negative public perception.
The facilitators, drawn from various professions, concentrated on responsible online conduct. The first day’s speakers included: Mrs. Sharon Chahale-Wata, the Assistant Director Legal & Technical Services at Kenya Copyright Board, who took participants through the various intellectual property rights that accrue in the cyberspace and distinguishing between industrial property & copyright. She emphasized that copyright protects expression of ideas and not ideas themselves and that copyright owners, particularly on the internet, must take a proactive role in protecting their rights. Mr. Fred Waithaka, the Head of Legal & Secretarial Services at Safaricom Limited, guided the attendees on the employer’s role in training employees on how to conduct themselves online. He highlighted the benefits and risks of internet and social media use, and underscored the fact that an employee should align their online conduct with the company’s culture.
Mr. Steve Ogolla, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya & Managing Partner at Steve Ogolla Advocates, led a session on the constitutional rights and limitations on the internet. He laid emphasis on the importance of exercising restraint and applying common sense to balance between the right of freedom of expression and other people’s rights to bodily integrity, dignity, and security. Participants were also taken through leveraging digital marketing to mitigate and manage negative public perception. This session was facilitated by the Senior Manager- PR & Communications at Safaricom Limited, Mr. Chris Karanja. Mr. Karanja cited the Safaricom experience in combating negative public perception on digital platforms and outlined five strategies that are useful in this regard, including driving brand love and owning & shaping brand narrative.
The second day of the workshop was commenced by Technology and Intellectual Property Advocate, Ms. Nzilani Mweu who expounded on activism on social media and the balance between public interest and defamation. Ms. Juliet Maina, the Advocacy & Regulatory Manager at GSMA, thereafter handled data protection particularly in the wake of regulation, emphasizing the need to protect one’s data even in cases such as registration for the Huduma Number, which is a government initiative. In emphasizing the significance of personal data and its protection, Ms. Maina pithed that if data is the new oil then trust has to be the new currency.
Mr. Morris Kimuli, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and Managing Partner at M. M. Kimuli & Co. Advocates, discussed internet jurisprudence in relation to sexual harassment, highlighting the provisions of the law that define sexual harassment and the penalties prescribed for the offence. The final speaker at the workshop, Mr. John Mwendwa, the Director-Human Resources, Nairobi Bottlers Ltd., spoke about an employer’s perspective on employees’ social media usage and protection afforded to employees who are cyber bullied. Mr. Mwendwa stated that employers have an obligation to protect employees against cyberbullying in the workplace and put in place policies to protect against misuse of social media. He also stressed the importance of organizations having a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment so as to encourage reporting of cases. This was further reiterated by the Director-Legal Services who urged students to report cases of sexual harassment so perpetrators are identified and appropriate action taken against them.
Attendees who included students, staff and faculty lauded the workshop as informative and well organized, proposing to have the same extended to a duration of one week in the coming years. The Director-Legal Services in her closing remarks thanked participants and facilitators for their audience and assured participants that the division welcomes their feedback and will do all it can to accommodate their requests.
By Taigu Muchiri
Dr. Dorothy Njoroge, an Assistant Professor of Corporate and Development Communication in the School of Communication, Cinematics and Creative Arts, presented her findings on mapping the citizen engagement strategies of county governments in Kenya on Thursday, March 4.
Having received an internal grant of KES 500,000 to conduct the research in 14 counties between April and August 2018, Dr. Njoroge sought to find out how county governments are conducting the public participation process, the challenges experienced and recommendations on how to improve the process..
According to her findings attendance to public forums organized by the governments continues to be low indicating such mass communication methods are not utilized optimally or do not reach the intended audiences.
These findings were corroboratd by county officials who bemoaned the low attendance at these these meetings, and how thence they are unable to conduct their business unless they attain quorum.
The constituents also indicated that poor infrastructure contributed to the low turnout. For example, weather roads limit them from moving from their homes to the county office to attend meetings during the rainy season. To counter this, county officials mentioned that they hold the meetings in convenient areas such as bus terminus or the market. This has shown to have great success because residents are not disrupted from their normal schedules.
The residents mentioned that there exists communication barriers in that the language used to communicate because only a handful of residents speak and read English at the county level. Most times, the process has to be conducted in Kiswahili or a local dialect.
Other reasons presented by the residents for not participating in the process include lack of awareness of how the process works and the information on pending forums is sent late or it is not received at all. Many residents say that the process is political and that it doesn’t address their needs and some say that the county targets specific people to send messages to attend the meetings.
The residents strongly expressed dissatisfaction in the deliberations during the exercise itself because it is largely controlled by leaders and they play a passive role. This has led to anger and disenchantment among the public while the Members of County Assembly (MCAs) blame lack of sufficient funds as the major constraint to effective public participation.
The residents expressed willingness to attend the meetings if they were more structured and included all members of the society especially the disabled. They urged the county government to conduct civic education on the process to attract more participation and encouraged an egalitarian relationship between the residents and the county leaders.
The 2010 constitution stipulates public participation in the law making process at the county level and all bills that are passed and implemented must be subjected to a public participation process to ensure inclusivity and ensure that the bill addresses the challenges of the constituents. However, this process has been a slow and lengthy presenting a challenge in its implementation. Both the constituents and the leaders put blame on the process and says that it is hindering development projects at the county level.
By Taigu Muchiri
Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza on Friday, February 22 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chairman of the Council of Governors and Kakamega Governor Hon. Wycliffe Oparanya, that will document county experiences, good practices and service delivery at the county level.
USIU-Africa is the first University to sign the MoU through with the Council of Governors with support from the World Bank will collaborate with Universities to document county solutions (innovations, best practices, initiatives that are transforming service delivery in counties).
This collaboration will serve as a win-win initiative for connecting students and Universities to industry, by assigning students to document a number of county solutions and initiatives. USIU-Africa will undertake a Training of Trainers on knowledge capture methodology under the guidance of World Bank and the Maarifa Center which is a knowledge sharing and learning platform for capturing lessons and experiences on Kenya’s devolution from the 47 Counties.
Speaking during the signing, Governor Oparanya touted devolution as a success despite numerous challenges. “These challenges continue to threaten devolution which is still very young. For it to work effectively, we need to prioritize financial growth, invest in human resources and urge the national government to fully support us,” he said. On his part, Prof. Zeleza pledged the University’s support in supporting Kenya’s devolution process by ensuring information at the county level is easily available.
This initiative is part of the Council’s mandate under Section 20 of the Intergovernmental Relations Act (IGRA) 2012, which includes addressing issues of common interest to counties as well as sharing of information on performance of counties for the purpose of learning and promoting best practices.
This agreement is unique in that it sets precedence for a structured collaborations between counties and the academia; ensures sustainability by integrating documentation of county solutions; engages students and faculty to document solutions that make devolution work; enables universities to understand research needs of counties; challenges universities to review their contribution towards realization of the objects of devolutions as outlined under Article 174 of the constitution and ensures effective management of youth in strengthening devolution.
Initial priorities under the agreement include documenting experiences, innovations and good practices of counties in public participation, agriculture, health, public finance management, revenue generation and good practices in social risk management in counties. Initial priorities under the agreement include documenting experiences, innovations and good practices of counties in public participation, agriculture, health, public finance management, revenue generation and good practices in social risk management in counties.
By Racheal Ngumi
As part of the annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, USIU-Africa formally launched the Disability Inclusion Center, which was established to assist the university community especially the Persons with Disabilities in accessing quality service and education in learning requirements while at an institution of higher learning. The Center provides an availability of technology through information systems, and technologies; hardware, and software whereby they are accessible and usable to Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs, thus advancing the disability mainstreaming agenda.
The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
In its Disability Policy, USIU-Africa commits to providing equal opportunities and support to all its diverse members including Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs. The university further recognizes and respects the rights of specific individual and group needs of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs. Moreover, the University shall, therefore, progressively provide reasonable adjustments for inclusive and quality education to enable them actualize their full potential.
Disability Inclusion is a life transforming event for persons with disabilities. This video demonstrates how USIU-Africa, and other partners of the Mastercard Foundation are working together to break down systematic barriers to inclusion and create accessible opportunities in education and work.
By Saada Mutasa and Diana Meso
12 students have made it through to the Mr. and Miss USIU finals, following a competitive pre-judging session held on campus for the pageant hopefuls to show off their talents and cultural and formal attire. The 6 male and 6 female students will battle it out at the finals on November 14.
Below are some of the highlights from the event.
By Taigu Muchiri and Mikhail Ben Nyamweya
USIU-Africa joins 80 campuses across the globe selected to host the United Nations Millennium Fellowship program that partners with the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI). The fellowship which unites and supports undergraduate leadership for the UN Sustainable Development Goals will start in September and end in November. This year, over 15,000 applicants from 1,458 campuses applied to join the program and after an aggressive recruitment process, 80 campuses (just 6%) in 20 nations were selected to host over 1,000 Millennium Fellows in the Class of 2020. The United Nations Academic Impact is an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realization of United Nations goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution.
The 20 students representing the university include Mikhail Ben Nyamweya (Senior, IR), who was selected as Campus Director, Tara Thiani (5th Year, Pharmacy), Ted Mitchell Apondi (Sophomore, IR), Coralie Irenge (Sophomore, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Manasseh Baraka (Senior, IR), Joy Michelle Moraa (Senior, IR), Esther Syombua Ndaka (Junior, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Osman Siyat Osman (Junior, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Joy Murugi Muriithi(Junior, IR), Muthoni Kibaara (5th Year, Pharmacy), Frida Chege (Senior, IR), Mary Wangui Kibe (Junior, IR), Michel Ushindi Lunanga (Sophomore, IBA), Esther Isack Mkilania (Sophomore, IBA), Arnold Birasa (Sophomore, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Karen Njoroge (Senior, IR), Timon Onyango (Junior, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Rejoice Ruth David-Decker (Junior, Journalism), Prudence Wanjiru Komu (Junior, IR) and Wendy Ochola (Senior, IR).
In his congratulatory message to the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2020, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza said that these young men and women have put USIU-Africa on the global map. “They will be joining their peers and putting their efforts together to make a long-lasting impact. We are proud of these young men and women who will be changing the world amid a global pandemic,” read his statement.
The Millennium Fellowship is a semester-long leadership development program that brings together students from across the world to solve the world’s most pressing problems and will be engaging in projects in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The complete list of the Millennium Fellowship class of 2020 can be found on their website https://www.millenniumfellows.org/meet-the-fellows
By Christine Kamala
Following of the adverse economic situation following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fundraising Department set up the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, which sought to create a safety net to enable underprivileged students to continue their studies. Working with the Educate Your Own initiative, the month-long campaign was able to raise Kes. 650,000, which was awarded to 38 students to pursue their studies.
Through this collaboration, a total of 61 students have received scholarships to study this year, as a result of an additional 23 scholarships worth Ksh. 320,000 being awarded to continuing students by EYO to undertake their studies during the Spring semester. These scholarships have supported beneficiaries from 11 Undergraduate and Graduate programs.
The Grant Award Committee Chair, Mr. George Lumbasi, noted that the beneficiaries were selected based on a number of factors, including their need, to ensure that only the most deserving students were selected.
“To mitigate the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis to our students, even students with negative fee balances were considered for the grant since at the time of application, all applicants had fee balances. We had to make sure that the selection process was as meticulous as possible, so as to give each applicant a strong chance, and ultimately, to ensure that the grants went towards supporting students who were most in need,” he said.
The Chief Manager, Fundraising, Mr. Eannes Ongus, noted that the contributions would go a long way towards supporting students in the pursuit of their dreams, praising the willingness of the University community to come together to support its members.
“The fundraising office wishes to thank the USIU-Africa community for their generosity and confidence in the impact of their contributions. The scholars also express great gratitude for the remarkable dedication and compassion that is displayed every day,” he said.
“This is a difficult period for everyone, and we don’t take lightly the sacrifice that each of you have made towards this noble cause of making a difference in these students’ lives,” he added.
Sandra Joan (BA. Psychology), one of the beneficiaries noted that through the grant, she has come to truly believe that USIU-Africa is indeed a family, and she was honored to be part of it. This sentiment was echoed by Sarah Masila (BA, Journalism), who notes that “It is how we connect to each other and how we treat one another with patience, compassion and honesty.”
To strengthen its fundraising efforts to support students, the University has procured an Advancement System (Raisers Edge NXT and Blackbaud Net Community) that will improve donor relations, engagement and online giving. Other strategic programs being implemented include proposal writing to support school grants & research efforts as well as case statements to corporates and foundations.
By Ernest.A.Mwanzi
Prof. Njeri Wamae assured students, faculty and staff from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences of good times ahead during her inaugural Dean’s Convocation for 2018/19 academic year, on Monday, January 28.
In her speech, she noted that in line with the University’s strategic goals of providing globally competitive and innovative academic programs, student numbers have drastically increased in the two programs offered in the School - Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Science, Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She noted that this year the school was preparing the cohort for hospital and industry as well as research attachments. Additionally, the school has already reached out to their networks to expand the choices for students’ research which includes institutions such as the Institute of Primate Research (IPR), International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). “We have identified public hospitals that will provide hospital round opportunities for our students in a public environment” Said Prof. Wamae.
In her address, Prof. Wamae revealed that the school is working on launching four new programs namely; Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor of Science in Clinical Medicine, Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
In a bid to expand and efficiently manage the University’s financial resources, the school has seen an improvement in the number publication rising from 5 the previous year to 24 in 2017/18 academic year. “We are also busy in developing impactful innovations such as improvement of water quality and environmental management through solar treatment and nanotechnology as well malaria transmission blocking,” added Prof. Wamae.
The school has also seen significant growth for both teaching and non-teaching staff with 14 full-time Faculty members who are engaged in delivery of both pre-clinical and clinical courses and 11 technologists.
Come next month the school will be launching a Pharmacy Skills Laboratory a one of its kind in both Eastern and Central Africa. Plans are at an advanced stage to acquire of a software known as ‘My dispense’ that will be used in the Pharmacy Skills Laboratory to help students understand the intricacies of dispensing medications in an interactive way.
Students should also expect a facility expansion of the Botanical Garden- for teaching advanced Pharmacy courses and research, where In the 201718 academic year, over 300 medicinal plants were planted and construction of an Animal house, for housing experimental animals. The school is committed to ensure that students get quality education with readily available top class facilities.
Moving on to the priorities for the current academic year, Prof. Wamae confirmed that the school will also be implementing the new and contextualized grading system for health and allied sciences, two STEM Programs in B Tech. Analytical Chemistry and BSc. Applied Biochemistry, initiate the Epibio online program as well as sustain progress with the development of the other programs mentioned earlier, launch a short course on Pharmacovigillence in partnership with Pharmacovigillence Competence Center, improve administration of the Pharmacy Mock Board Exams and administer them periodically and enhance research productivity by capitalizing on the expansion of our widening partnerships with the academia.
Lastly with the support of FHI 360, the school’s laboratories will be enhanced to international standards by having them ISO 17025 Certified by KENAS (Pharmaceutics Analysis) and WHO Accreditation (Medical Diagnostics).
By Christine Kamala
This week, the campus came alive with the spirit of Valentine’s Day. The community witnessed a spectacular celebration of love and community spirit at the Educate Your Own (EYO) Valentine's Market Fest. The 2-day event on February 13-14, featured a delightful blend of student and external vendors, brought together on campus grounds in a vibrant showcase of talent, creativity, and appreciation.
The Market Fest planned with the objectives to create awareness about the initiative, recruit volunteers and appreciate donors showcased the entrepreneurial spirit with a total of 16 vendors, including 14 talented student entrepreneurs and two external vendors. From handmade crafts and personalized gifts to scrumptious treats, the market was a one-stop destination for unique Valentine's Day finds.
In a remarkable collaboration, EYO partnered with Red Bull to add an extra touch of energy and excitement to the event. On Valentine’s Day, the highlight of the Fest, student volunteers joined forces to spread love across the campus. In a heartwarming gesture, they surprised on-campus donors, including staff, faculty, and students, with flowers and a can of Red Bull. The unexpected tokens of appreciation created a buzz of positivity and gratitude throughout campus.
The event not only provided a platform for budding entrepreneurs but also showcased the compassionate side of the university stakeholders. The Director, University Advancement and Partnerships spearheading the Management Board support committed to donate Kshs. 10,000 towards the scholarship kitty.
"I loved being part of this event! It's amazing to see the campus come together in such a festive spirit. The Red Bull surprise was such a thoughtful touch," shared Esther Waithera, a senior in Information Systems Technology.
The success of the EYO Valentine's market fest has set a positive tone for future events. Student volunteers are already planning for upcoming initiative that celebrate both the talents of the student body and the sense of unity to give back within the campus community.
As the week concludes, the echoes of laughter, vibrant stalls, and the sweet fragrance of flowers linger on, reminding the campus of the love and camaraderie that defines the spirit of EYO.
Stay tuned for more exciting campus events, and let the love, creativity and spirit of giving continue to flourish!
By Gaius Munene & Whitney Moraa
Leadership is a critical aspect of any profession, and pharmacy is no exception. Pharmacy students are the future of the profession and must be equipped with leadership skills to become effective pharmacy leaders. The USIU-Africa Pharmacy Club in partnership with the Pharmacy Students Association of Kenya (KEPhSA) and the International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation (IPSF) successfully conducted a virtual leadership training from February 20-22 that culminated in a physical workshop here at USIU-Africa involving pharmacy student leaders from all universities in Kenya on February 25.
Guest speakers from different fields of the pharmacy profession were present to fashion the young vibrant leaders and these included: Dr. Louise Machogu (President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya), Dr. Cohen Andove (Chairman of the Young Pharmacists Group of Kenya and proud USIU-Africa alumni), Dr. David Ochieng' (Chairman of the Kenya Association of Pharmaceutical Industries and Founder of Ryculture) among others. Esther from the Kenya Medical Association Sacco Limited (KMA Sacco Ltd.) offered a variety of financial solutions on how to navigate the market after graduation.
The future leaders were enlightened on a myriad of topics from financial literacy to fostering teamwork and effective communication skills during the physical event held at the University. During the virtual training, students were enlightened on leadership skills such as strategic planning, project management, and emotional intelligence in leadership, presentation, proposal writing, and leadership. Many students from USIU-Africa were able to attend the virtual training and were recognized by the KEPhSA and IPSF organizations and issued with certificates.
As the USIU-Africa Pharmacy club with the support of our able patron, Dr. Ermias Terefe, we were eager to organize this workshop since investing in leadership training for young pharmacy students, ensures not only the future of pharmacy practice is in competent hands but also contributes to the health and well-being of our nation. With events like these, the health system of the future is assured of future pharmacists that are not only experience but are also able to lead future conversations and discussions on health in all matters of health.
On a side note, both the guest speakers and the students from the various universities complimented our campus for its beauty, cleanliness, and hospitality.
Part of the USIU-Africa American Football team pose for a group photo during the unveiling of their new
uniforms.PHOTO: Ernest Mwanzi
By Ernest Mwanzi and Myles Gicheru
The USIU-Africa American football team famously known as ‘Panthers’ received new kits on Friday, July 26, 2019 through a donation from the Kenya Federation of American football (KFAF). The new jerseys were officially unveiled on Wednesday, July 31, where the team showcased their prowess in the game through a light training at the Rugby Pitch. The new uniforms mark the start of the long-awaited journey for the team as they prepare for the American football league that is set to start in September 2019.
The team which was started in September 2017 comprises of 22 players, five seniors, six juniors, seven sophomores and four freshmen. The team has training sessions every evening on Tuesday and Thursday.
The team continues to recruit more players in readiness for the league in September and encourage interested participants to join the team during their training sessions for recruitment.
The Panthers will now focus on having the team better equipped and prepared to compete in the international arena.
By Dr. Ermias Terefe
Photo: Edson Macharia
A total of 50 Bachelor of Pharmacy graduates took part in the Oath taking ceremony led by the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) and administered by PSK Fellow Dr. Rogers Atebe on September 24, 2021. In attendance were Dr. Rashid Aman, Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Ministry of Health, Prof. Frieda Brown, Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa, Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Francis Ndemo, Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Dr. Louis Machogu, President, PSK and Dr. Daniella Munene, Chief Executive Officer, PSK. The oath taking ceremony was led by Dr. Rogers Atebe.
During the ceremony, Hon. Fellow Prof. Francis Ndemo, Dean, SPHS congratulated the students for their achievement and appreciated the effort of the faculty and staff for successful delivery of the theoretical and practical courses in the students’ five-year journey. In his remarks, Prof. Ndemo noted that the School of Pharmacy was working towards the implementation of a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) program, which would increase the employability of graduates globally and also improve local and regional pharmaceutical care services.
In her speech, Prof. Brown Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa, congratulated the students and acknowledged the efforts of the faculty, staff and parents in the achievement of the milestone.
“I would like to convey my sincerest appreciation to your families, friends, employers, colleagues, mentors and USIU-Africa’s staff and faculty, all of whom have been instrumental in helping you achieve this milestone today,” she said.
“Each of you here today is proof of USIU-Africa’s standing in the regional and international academic sector. You are proof of our expertise in academic and research excellence, and you represent our efforts at being at the forefront of economic and social change not only in Kenya, but across the world. As you take your oaths today, remember that you now have in your hands the responsibility of shaping the future. There are many challenges, both ongoing and imminent, that we will have to face as an institution, a society, as a country, and as a continent. Use the education that you have obtained here at USIU-Africa to help you do the very important work of reimagining our future,” she added.
These remarks were echoed by Dr. Daniella Munene, Chief Executive Officer, Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK), who reminded the graduands to abide to the code of conduct for Pharmacists and invited them to join the society which would provide an opportunity for mentorship into the profession.
In his remarks, Dr. Rashid Aman, Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), Ministry of Health appreciated the infrastructure of the university particularly the investments made in the SPHS. Additionally, Dr. Aman encouraged the School of Pharmacy to introduce postgraduate programs that will help in the expansion of the school to become a center of excellence.
The Valedictorian, Dr. Akash Shah noted that the graduating class had put in time, effort and hard work to achieve their qualifications.
“Five years ago, we came with dreams and aspirations and today we are leaving with bigger ambitions. Our hard work, long hours of studying and constant stress have finally paid off. All the knowledge instilled in us by all our lecturers, which truly proved to be immensely valuable to us to our future endeavors. From lab sessions to the museum and to the botanical garden these are some of our few cherished moments,” he said.
By Idah Munyiri
AAR Healthcare Kenya hosted its annual environment day on November 10 at Ngong Road forest, next to the Bomas of Kenya. They invited several organizations, including USIU-Africa, the Kenya Air Force, Consolidated Bank, Finsco Africa, and students from Light Academy International, and St. Nicholas School. The focus of this collaborative endeavor was to champion environmental sustainability through a concerted tree-planting initiative.
Over the past five years, AAR Healthcare Kenya has planted 253,000 trees across the country, setting a remarkable precedent in environmental conservation. This year's initiative coincided with Kenya's inaugural tree planting day held on November 13, amplifying the significance of the endeavor.
While deeply engaged in providing curative healthcare, AAR Healthcare recognized the significance of preventative measures in achieving holistic well-being. AAR Healthcare through its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) 'Trees for Health' (T4H) project aligned its corporate sustainability strategy to reflect the company’s commitment to addressing the underlying environmental factors that influence health outcomes.
The event aimed to make a profound impact on crucial environmental aspects such as carbon dioxide absorption, climate action, enhanced biodiversity, and cleaner air. The collaborative effort resulted in the planting of over 2000 indigenous seedlings sourced from the Kenya Forest Service and nurseries surrounding the forest.
Furthermore, the active involvement of high school and college students was pivotal, reflecting a growing culture of environmental responsibility among the youth. AAR Healthcare Kenya facilitated their engagement, encouraging a sense of ownership by labeling trees for participating organizations and organizing follow-up visits to ascertain that the seedlings were properly planted and their roots well established.
By Kellen Njagi and Diana Meso
On Monday, November 29, the Academic and Student Affairs Division through the office of International Students, hosted six members from the American University (AU) - one of our Study Abroad partner institution in the United States.
In the meeting chaired by Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs and Mrs. Rita Asunda, Interim Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs, participants discussed the status of the study abroad program as well as how to extent the partnership to faculty exchange, research projects and duo-degree programs for students.
Additionally, the team from AU also assessed the COVID-19 preventive measures that the university has undertaken to ensure that students are safe. The team comprised of Sara Dumont, AU Abroad Executive Director, Kevin Taub, Associate Director for Risk Management and Global Safety, Gihan Fernandos, Director of Career Center, Robert Miles, Consultant on International Academic Programing and Partnerships, and Mwangi Njagi, AU Nairobi Director.
Also present at the meeting was Kellen Njagi, International Students Officer, Emily Ochola, Jubilee Insurance representative and Mary Mbugua, Head, Karen Hospital at USIU-Africa Clinic.
The Admissions team together with St. Anthony Boys High School Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates pose for a photo during an admission drive at the school premises in Kitale on Saturday, March 30.
By Diana Meso and Ernest Mwanzi
Representatives from the Admissions and Marketing and Communications departments visited St. Anthony Boys High School in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, on Saturday March 30, to inspire 400 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates to work smart and get a chance to study at USIU-Africa.
Led by the Chief Manager-Admissions, Dr. George Lumbasi, the team educated the candidates on the requirements for joining the university, the various sophisticated programs offered by renowned faculty, scholarship opportunities that are available, the diverse culture with over 72 nationalities represented, the exchange programs and the endless opportunities to get out-of-classroom knowledge that awaits them at USIU-Africa.
So far, the university has admitted over 20 former St. Anthony students to various programs. Additionally, every year the men’s hockey team visits the school to nurture the young hockey talents and further drive admissions recruitment by informing them about sports scholarships offered at the university.
Additionally, both departments earlier travelled to Karima Girls High School in Nyandarua County on Thursday, March 28 during their 2019 Career Day. The representatives from both departments highlighted the quality of education that comes with small faculty to student ratio, world class facilities, exchange programs and industry partnerships to over 500 students including the Utumishi Boys Academy from Gilgil, Nakuru County.
Both St. Anthony Boys High School and Karima Girls are national high schools located in Kitale and North Kinangop respectively. St. Anthony Boys boasts of a population of over 1800 while Karima Girls has about 1700 students.
By Jane Asava
On Monday January 24, Ms. Jane Asava, Admissions Officer, represented the university at Crawford International School Career Fair. The event saw over 60 pupils between Year 12 and Year 13, engage and ask questions about our various degree programs, entry requirements, career path among other things.
B.A Animation, B.A Psychology, BSc. Applied Computer Technology (APT), BSc. Software Engineering, BSc. Accounting and BSc. Finance were the most queried programs by the students.
The event is just a start of the many activities the Admissions Department has planned for this year geared towards creating awareness and increasing enrollment numbers.
By Jacky Mabia, Esther Wanjiku & Sheryl Kamonya
Three members of staff from the Admissions department attended Kianda School Career Day on Saturday, February 19. The team interacted with 80 Form 4 students together with their parents and teachers and informed them on the different degree programs offered at the university, entry requirements and different career path available for them.
Most students were interested in learning more about Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Science in Data Science & Analytics and Bachelor of Science in Applied Biochemistry. The school further extended an invitation to the Admissions Department in November this year for an Open Day. Ms. Jackline Mabia, Mrs. Esther Wanjiku and Ms. Sheryl Kamonya were present at the event.
By Admissions Department
On Saturday May 7, three representatives from the Admissions Department, Samuel Irungu, Esther Wanjiku and Faith Ojwang attended St. Mary’s School Career Fair. The team interacted with over 120 pupils and parents and showcased our various programs and facilities. Participants showed a huge interest in B.A Animation, Bachelor of Pharmacy and various courses in Chandaria School of Business and School of Science and Technology. In attendance were twelve universities from various parts of the country.
The Department also hosted Bingwa Homeschool Group and Chief Mbogori High School on Friday May 13 and 20 respectively on campus. Led by Dr. Uvyu Mbole and Jackline Mabia, 45 students from Bingwa Homeschool Group together with their parents were taken on a campus tour and got a chance to learn more about the various programs they were interested in including B.A International Relations, B.A Psychology and BSc. International Business Administration.
Jane Asava, Esther Wanjiku, Faith Ojwang and Sheryl Kamonya guided a team of 150 Form 2 students and their 5 teachers from Chief Mbogori High School around campus. The students were interested in B.A Animation, IT and Health Science related courses.
By John Sande
The Admissions Office recently conducted a virtual tour and career talk via Zoom to prospective international students and their parents from the Bingwa Homeschool Group. This group comprises of parents who have chosen to work and walk together by sharing information about higher education as they homeschool their children, and prepare them for university education.
The 30 participants were eager to get information on programs offered at USIU-Africa, admission criteria for international students, career options, scholarships, internships, among many others.
Dr. Lumbasi gave the opening remarks, thanking Bingwa Homeschool Group for their continued support, especially so during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Admissions Office took the group through a virtual tour of the university, made a presentation on the admission requirements to join the various programs offered, and together with the Marketing and Communication team, responded to the numerous questions asked by the prospective parents and students.
In another session held on Friday, June 5, with 250 students from Pacemaker Session, the Admissions Department invited Dr. Robi Koki Ochieng, a Journalism lecturer and faculty member in the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts, who shared her experience as faculty on innovative learning particularly with USIU-Africa’s transition to online learning platforms such as Blackboard, the Library e-resources and video conferencing through Zoom and BlueJeans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In her presentation, Dr. Koki was able to demonstrate USIU-Africa’s preparedness for academic and business continuity in times of adversity.
Speaking after the sessions, Dr. Lumbasi noted that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted the education sector, and as such, all future initiatives needed to be rethought.
“The Covid-19 situation has initiated a reinvention of tact and we continue to partner and engage with the various stakeholders to prepare prospective students for life after high school. The Admissions Department is committed to ensuring that all our prospective students receive the necessary support as they transition into higher learning, “he said.
By John Sande
On Saturday, 20 March, 2021, the Admissions Office participated in a virtual university fair conducted via Airmeet and hosted by St. Andrew’s School, Turi based Molo, Kenya. St. Andrew's School is an international, Christian, co-educational boarding school, offering the British national academic curriculum under Cambridge and Pearson examining bodies to students aged 4 – 18.
The fair which attracted many universities from across the world but mainly from the United Kingdom had presenters talk about scholarships in the UK, UK student visa, Work Integrated Learning and Co-op in Canada, Engineering, among others.
Also, in attendance were parents, teachers and a few other students from schools around Africa, including Maru-a Pula School and Livingstone Kolobeng College in Botswana, St. Mary’s School in South Africa as well as the International Community School of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
The Admissions Office was able to engage with prospective students who visited the university booth during the 3-hour virtual fair to discuss about programs offered at USIU-Africa.
In another session held on Thursday, March 25, the Admissions Office hosted a virtual tour and career talk via Zoom to prospective international students and their parents from Bingwa Homeschool Group.
Bingwa Homeschool Group comprises of parents who have chosen to work and walk together by sharing information about higher education as they homeschool their children, and prepare them for university education.
The 15 participants were eager to get information on programs such as Fashion Design, Culinary Arts, Cinematography, and Engineering, and those offered at USIU-Africa, admission criteria for international students, career options, scholarships, and internships, among many others.
The Admissions Office took the groups through a virtual tour of the university, made presentations on the admission requirements to join the various programs offered, and responded to the numerous questions asked by the prospective parents and students on admissions criteria, career options, scholarships, internships, among many others.
During the session, the participants were able to find out more about the partnership between Mastercard Foundation and USIU-Africa that will enable high-performing students faced with financial, gender, displacement, or disability constraints receive quality education and leadership development over the next 10 years under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
Some of the high schools students who accepted the University’s invitation to an open day from Friday, March 8, 2019. PHOTO: ERNEST A. MWANZI
By Taigu Muchiri
The Admissions Office held their annual Open Day on March 8, 2019 which attracted a total of 13 schools, 470 students who were accompanied by their teachers.
The department aims to market the University to students in their last year of high school, including providing career advice to attendees, clarifying issues about the university and strengthening existing relationships with high schools.
Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, gave a brief background of USIU-Africa and explained to the students why USIU-Africa programs are the most sought after in private universities.
She also mentioned the holistic experience provided by USIU-Africa, which focuses both on academic and personal growth in such areas of student life as sports, and student club activities. She urged the students to continue working hard in their studies in order to qualify for USIU-Africa admission.
Most enquires from the high school students concerned the financial aid programs, as well as various programs offered at the university. A majority of them were interested in student activities, and how they would interact with fellow students.
The Admissions Office also explained to the students the enrollment process and basic minimum requirements that they needed to meet before they are enrolled for any program.
The students were able to interact with various aspects of the University governance units such as admissions office, student leaders, placement and career services, alumni who all gave the students valuable information concerning life on campus, academics, student activities and clubs.
At the end of the open day, the students were taken on a campus tour by the staff from Admissions Office, to gain a feel of the world-class experience offered at USIU-Africa.
By John Sande
Last week, the Admissions Office held a virtual career talk with students from Abaarso School of Science and Technology, based in in Hargeisa, Republic of Somaliland. Abaarso is a premier 7th-12th grade co-ed boarding school that is changing lives and helping to rebuild a nation. The School believes in nurturing the academic, intellectual and character development of promising Somali boys and girls so that they can effectively and ethically advance their society as the leaders of tomorrow.
The session was carried out as part of the initiatives that the Admissions department is deploying in its efforts to market the University to students in their last year of high school, including providing career advice to attendees, clarifying queries about the university and its processes and strengthening existing relationships with high schools.
The session was attended by 20 participants, all of whom were eager to acquire information on transitioning into university, including programs offered at USIU-Africa, admission criteria, student diversity, career options and prospects, scholarships, internships, among many others.
On board to encourage the students was Mohamed Abdilahi Mohamed, popularly known as Suubiye, a holder of a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree, Class of 2018. Suubiye is currently working at Abaarso as a teacher, and was at hand to share his USIU-Africa experience with the students.
“In addition to giving you the correct tools and knowledge to succeed in the world, USIU-Africa also provides you with the opportunity to be part of a diverse student body, drawn from all over the world. Being a student at USIU-Africa and interacting with all these diverse people made me better prepared for life in the real world,” he said.
“USIU-Africa also helped me to maximize my post-university opportunities while still at school. Through the Career Placement Office and the connections to our alumni network, I was able to quickly find my way around my career of choice after graduation,” he added.
At the end of the session, the students were taken through a virtual campus tour, which allowed them to get a feel of the University’s world class facilities, which many of them reported looking forward to experiencing in person once schools opened. The questions and answers session was very engaging and participants had their various queries on school operations responded to.
By John Sande.
On Friday, 24 July, 2020, the Admissions Office held a virtual career talk for prospective students from Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) group alongside their mentors and Careers teacher.
SHOFCO is a grassroots movement that catalyzes large-scale transformation in urban slums by providing critical services for all, community advocacy platforms, and education and leadership development for women and girls. SHOFCO works to disrupt survival mode and build a promising future for urban slum dwellers, with a focus on women and children as the key to community transformation.
The first cohort of over 40 participants drawn from 11 different high schools spread across the country were eager to get information on programs offered at USIU-Africa, admissions criteria, career options, scholarships, internships, among many others. The second cohort is scheduled to have a similar session with the Admissions team in August.
The participants were taken through a virtual tour of the university, which was concluded by a presentation on the admissions requirements to join the various programs offered, and a Q&A session to respond to the numerous questions asked by the prospective students.
In his opening remarks, Dr. George Lumbasi, the Chief Admissions Manager thanked SHOFCO group for the continued support to USIU-Africa especially during community service engagements with USIU-Africa’s students.
“We continue to partner and engage with the various stakeholders to prepare our prospective students as they transition into higher learning, and beyond. We are pleased that you have been part of the process to make our students more socially responsible,” he said.
In his keynote address to the students, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza begun by giving a brief historical background of USIU-Africa and gave an in-depth explanation as to why USIU-Africa was a notch higher above the competition.
“We are the most international and national university you will encounter in East Africa, comprising over 74 countries represented, and accommodating young people from across all the 47 counties in the country. The opportunity to encounter and the experience you receive from these interactions is one that you will treasure for the rest of your life,” he said.
On the COVID-19 pandemic which has greatly disrupted the education sector, and the protocols the university had put in place, the Vice Chancellor noted that USIU-Africa was committed to ensuring that the students continued to access world-class education by staying on the cutting edge of technology to continuously enhance online learning.
“By leveraging on our state-of-the-art technological infrastructure and systems, we ensured seamless transition to online learning platforms such as Blackboard, the Library e-resources and video conferencing through Zoom and BlueJeans, demonstrating USIU-Africa’s preparedness for academic and business continuity in times of adversity,” he said.
“We are also developing cutting edge programs to tap into the current demands of the digital revolution that will enable acquisition of skills necessary for a successful career in the 21st Century,” he added.
The Vice Chancellor was also excited to share information on the recently signed partnership between Mastercard Foundation and USIU-Africa that will enable 1,000 high-performing students faced with financial, gender, displacement, or disability constraints receive quality education and leadership development over the next 10 years under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
“We are the only university in Kenya to have been selected by the Mastercard Foundation to be a partner in the provision of scholarships to young people from disadvantaged financial backgrounds and other marginalized communities. This goes a long way in proving to you that our education will truly take you places,” he said.
“With the support of the Mastercard Foundation, we look forward to significantly expanding the impact and reach that USIU-Africa has had across the world, by moulding students who will catalyze Africa’s continued advancement into a better, brighter future. By embracing the Scholars Program, we will increase the international student population from 15 percent to 20 percent, which is in line with the university’s strategy of internationalization. The Program will enhance the socio-economic diversity of the student population as it will increase the number of students with disability, refugees, young women and displaced youth to address barriers to higher education for these marginalized populations,” he concluded.
By Linet Aguko
Last week, the Admissions Office held a virtual Open Day for the Form Four Class at Nova Pioneer School, alongside their Careers teacher. The session was conducted as part of the department’s efforts to market the University to students in their last year of high school, including providing career advice to attendees, clarifying queries about the university and its processes and strengthening existing relationships with high schools.
The Admissions team took the opportunity to illustrate the learning opportunities that were available at USIU-Africa, including the online learning platforms that the University had deployed during the lockdown as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The team also took the students through the end to end process of getting into USIU-Africa, from the admissions process, right through to the registration for classes. These sessions were conducted by Admissions staff alongside selected faculty members, who were at hand to provide detailed information and guidance to the students regarding various programs
Dr. George Lumbasi, the Chief Admissions Manager begun the session by giving a brief background of USIU-Africa and gave an in-depth explanation as to why the University’s programs were some of the most sought-after in the country and in the region.
“Joining USIU-Africa means having the opportunity to experience a holistic education, focused on both academic and personal growth, in areas of student life such as club activities, community service and sports. We also ensure that each of our students is given a fighting chance to complete their education by putting in place comprehensive financial aid programs that assist our financially needy students to complete their studies,” he said.
The students also had the opportunity to chat to current students enrolled in a wide range of programs, representative of USIU-Africa’s diversity in both its programs and its student body, which is drawn from several nationalities across the world. The students shared their journey to and at USIU-Africa, their reasons for enrolling at the University, tips for excelling at USIU-Africa, among others.
At the end of the session, the students were taken through a virtual campus tour, which allowed them to get a feel of the University’s world class facilities, which many of them reported looking forward to experiencing in person once schools opened.
By Nicole Ottaro, Tony Mutugi and John Sande
The USIU-Africa Admissions Team - represented by Jane Asava, Jackline Mabia and Elaine Andanje - was at Bunyore Girls High School over the weekend for the annual Bunyore Girls Careers Day, which attracted over 2,000 students from other neighboring schools.
The event provided a platform for our Admissions Officers to engage with the students and share information on programs offered, university entry requirements, financial aid scholarships, co-curricular activities, student life, and much more.
In attendance were several schools including Chavakali High, Chavavo High, Keveye Girls, Eregi Girls, Tigoi Girls, Mudavadi Girls, Maragoli Girls, Kaimosi Girls, Ebusiratsi Girls, Hobunaka Boys and Girls, Ramba Boys, Ebulonga Secondary, Mukumu Boys and Girls and Chango Secondary.
Another team of Admissions Officers were also present at the World Link Career Day that was held at Naivasha Girls’ High School on June 2-3. The team interacted with Form 3 and 4 students from six high schools with a total of about 500 students. There was an interactive panel question and answer session that saw the team answering questions from the students. Many of the students were very inquisitive about the career options and the qualifications for various programs at USIU-Africa.
On the second day of the event, the USIU-Africa team interacted with about 1,000 Form 1 to 4 students from seven high schools. The event was primarily held to guide Form 1 and 2 students on the subjects to select for their KCSE exams and how their selection would affect their career choices, as well as informing the Form 4 students on the career options they could pursue after high school.
Last weekend, the Admissions team was also at the St. Georges Girls High School Career Fair, which was open to Form 4 and Form 2 students. The team gave a presentation on why the students ought to join the institution, as well as interacting with the students in regard to the programs offered, the entry requirements and the career paths after graduation. The students were interested in Pharmacy, Animation, Criminal Justice studies, Software Engineering and Finance courses.
By John Sande and CTW Team
Last Friday, over 400 St. Ignatius Mukumu Boys High School students who visited the campus this morning on an educational tour of USIU-Africa. Led by Dr. George Lumbasi, the Chief Admissions Officer, the Admissions team assisted by a number of faculty shared information on programs offered, university entry requirements, financial aid scholarships, co-curricular activities, student life, and much more.
The students comprising mostly of form fours interacted with the faculty, staff, and students, and got to experience the best USIU-Africa has to offer through a comprehensive campus tour.
Previously in the month, the team had visited Kagumo High School during its 90-year anniversary celebrations. The event allowed our Admissions Officers to engage with the students and share information about the university. Among the guest speakers was Prof. Maina Muchara an alumnus of Kagumo High School who went on to share his success story as a testament to the transformative power of education.
By Dudu Mkhize
After two years of COVID-19 disruption and virtual meetings, the Africa Facts network of fact-checkers was held in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi from 9 to 10 November 2022, and brought together fact-checking organizations and experts from all corners of the continent.
In 2017, at the first Africa Facts meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, only two of the network’s organizations were fact-checking regularly. Today, the network is made up of more than 20 organisations from across Africa – from Burkina Faso in the west to Ethiopia in the East and Zimbabwe in the South. This is testament to the growth of fact-checking on the continent over the past five years.
“We are excited to hold this important gathering of African fact-checkers, to share ideas and best practice in effective ways of combating the scourge of misinformation on our continent,” said Noko Makgato, Executive Director of Africa Check.
“It is imperative to strengthen verification and fact-checking in our media eco-system if we are ever going to effectively counter misinformation and propaganda that’s eroding veracity of information in many quarters,” Dr. Dorothy Njoroge, the Media and Communications Department acting chair of the host institution, United States International University-Africa added.
At the inaugural summit, fact-checkers discussed several topics on strengthening fact-checking in Africa. These included obstacles in the fight against misinformation, why media literacy matters, and fact-checking in challenging environments.
The summit concluded with the highly anticipated African Fact-Checking Awards gala dinner, which is the longest-running awards program honouring fact-checking journalism in Africa.
“The awards aim to bolster fact-checking excellence throughout the continent,” said Dudu Mkhize, Africa Check’s Head of Outreach. “This year we have more than 200 entries from over 20 African countries, making it clear that fact-checking is growing across the continent.”
The awards have three categories, with honours going to a winner and a runner-up. The winners were:
The winners of the working journalist and professional fact-checker categories received a prize of US$3,000 while the runners-up received $1,500. The winner of the student journalist category was awarded $2,000, and the runner-up $1,000.
By Bright Gameli
On March 3-4, brilliant minds came together to share knowledge and take part in a 6-hour per session Masterclass for two days hosted by USIU-Africa. The Masterclasses happened for two days with each day having 3 concurrent sessions.
Topics covered during the session included Cloud Security Engineering, Digital Forensics and Investigation, Breaking and Securing Docker Containers, Introduction and advancing BugBounty hunting, Ransomware Development and Prevention, Deep Dive into Threat Intelligence for Corporate Networks.
The trainers were very engaging with the 250+ delegates attending with practical hands-on labs for every session. Africahackon has been running many short term boot camps and conferences but this time changed the approach to a Masterclasses that takes the approach of delegates interactive with real life scenarios in our society and organizations.
For 10 years, the cyber collective Africahackon for a very long time strive to nurture cyber excellence in the African continent. The founder of the Africahackon cyber program, Dr. Bright G. Mawudor encouraged delegates to share more with other colleagues who did not make it for the session. He further clarified that, by extending the knowledge and skills picked up from the Masterclass, participants got to create a ripple effect thus closing the cyber security skills gap in Africa.
The event had other supporting partners from Amazon AWS, Startinev, Mozilla foundation and CTFRoom.
Dr. Bright promises to have more of such sessions happen in the near future and encourage people to join the community by registering on www.africahackon.com to receive the latest news and detail instead of only social media.
By Tapiwanashe Mlambo & Tabitha Musya
On Saturday, February 25, all roads led to USIU-Africa for the Q1 AfricaHACKON Masterclass. A collaborative effort between USIU-Africa’s School of Science and Technology, AfricaHACKON, 369Global, CyberGuard Africa, and Startinev brought forth a laudable Cybersecurity Masterclass that gathered industry experts, learners and cybersecurity enthusiasts alike.
For over 10 years, AfricaHACKON, a cybersecurity collective has been actively fostering research, capacity building, towards mentoring and building a strong community of cybersecurity experts to bridge the ever-yawning skills gap in an aggressively dynamic cyber threat landscape, locally and globally. Notably led by Dr. Bright Gameli, CEO of CyberGuard Africa, the Masterclass aims to foster and nurture cybersecurity and propel cybersecurity excellence across the African continent.
The multifaceted participation from different domains across industry, academia, and the government reinforced the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration in navigating the intricate landscape of cybersecurity threats – a fundamental pillar of any robust organizational security strategy.
Addressing the skills gap and capacity building
A central theme of the Masterclass was addressing the worldwide cybersecurity skills gap. In his opening remarks, Dr. Stanley Githinji, Assistant Professor of Information System Security at USIU-Africa, highlighted the importance of not only identifying cybersecurity gaps, but also individually and collectively filling these gaps through continuous professional development and industry-aligned education. In attendance was Mr. Philip Irode, the Deputy Director of Cyber Security at the ICT Authority who amplified this message, stressing the crucial need for comprehensive capacity building to fill critical roles through collaborative efforts of Public Private Partnerships.
The Masterclass comes timely at the heels of Kenya’s National Computer Incident Response Team (National KE-CIRT/CC) reporting over 1 billion cyber-attacks as the nation increased its digitization efforts in the quarter ending December 2023. Since cyber attackers are not slowing down, Mr. Irode, stressed the importance of cross industry collaborative efforts towards increased cyber resilience. The event was sponsored by 369 Global, a Canadian-based conglomerate aiming to build and invest in an inclusive capacity building in both local and international jurisdictions. Kumaran Nadesan, the co-founder and Deputy Chairman of 369 Global encouraged the attendees to complement technical skills with soft skills, both equally critical in the cybersecurity industry.
Deep dives and emerging trends
Through a dynamic blend of presentations, live demos and hands-on activities, the Masterclass tackled critical facets within the field. Expert-led breakout sessions delved into extensive topics like re-engineering cloud security, API exploitation, threat monitoring and intelligence to internet governance and data protection offering invaluable knowledge for both seasoned and newcomers in the cybersecurity field. Another exciting session dealt with how to choose the right path towards advancing one’s career in cybersecurity. Majority of the attendees were students from various universities, over 100 of who were USIU-Africa students undertaking forensics and cybercrime specializations and Masters of Science in Information Security students. The interactive sessions provided wealth of insights of how to start in cybersecurity. The various industry experts and IT professionals came prepared to spend the day and remained for networking (and photos) throughout the event.
Beyond the technical depth, the event fueled inspiration for both students and those transitioning their careers to cybersecurity. Uplifting statistics displayed Kenya's potential to become an African cybersecurity leader, galvanizing investment in the sector. Personal success stories, such as individuals transitioning from non-coding backgrounds to 19-year-olds conducting demonstrations in mastering API management, ignited a sense of possibility and determination for the hundreds of students in attendance. The Masterclass thrived on the energy of networking, paving the way for connections, mentorship, and future collaborations within the cybersecurity community.
Even from the perspective of an attendee, the information packed event was a great success. The insights and interactions, and networks forged during this Masterclass serve as a reminder that the cybersecurity landscape is ever evolving. The masterclass ended at the resounding climax: staying ahead demands continuous learning, unwavering collaboration, and a commitment to empowering individuals from all backgrounds to rise within the field.
By AIESEC
The USIU-Africa AIESEC Club held a three-day leadership training, “ Planning Conference” in Nakuru from Friday, March 18, to Sunday, March 20, aimed at downscaling the national direction to the different Local Chapters through educating incoming Executive Board members on goal creation and tracking, aligning them to the Kenya AIESEC national direction, helping them identify and understand their strengths and weaknesses, inspiring and motivating them to take up their roles as well as help them make realistic plan for their terms.
The event attracted other local chapters including Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi, Strathmore University, Moi University, Daystar University and Chuka University. It further gave participants a chance to network with their peers, alumni and various partners including Kericho Gold, Centonomy, Kasha, Tropical Heat and Koa.
USIU-Africa AIESEC was awarded the prize for being the best Local Chapter. The conference was facilitated by the Kenya AIESEC Executive Board.
One of the AISEC members explains the exchange program to an interested student. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Taigu Muchiri
The annual AIESEC week was held on June 11-13, 2019 with the objective to enroll students for the global cross-cultural exchange program during Summer. This is an initiative that provides opportunities for students to meet, engage and interact with other global AISEC members through global volunteer, global talent and global entrepreneur.
The global volunteer is a cross-cultural experience for youth who want to gain personal development and leave an impact in the world. It brings together international youth from around the world to work on social impact projects that contribute toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The program works closely with local AIESEC members who assist in culturally inducting the volunteers as well as facilitating an enjoyable experience for them.
The global talent program allows students searching for the next opportunity and differentiate themselves through an international internship and gain professional experience. This allows organizations across the world to fulfill their human resources needs with skilled young talent, hire global interns and gain a competitive advantage over their business rivals.
The global entrepreneur program involves a dynamic, fast-paced work environment where budding entrepreneurs can begin their entrepreneurial journey with an internship at a startup. It connects startups with bright minds, ready to learn and contribute and infuse an international perspective and a fresh energy through hiring an international entrepreneur. Students who enroll for this program are empowered to experience a fulfilling environment to learn and contribute towards their entrepreneurial goals.
AISEC aims to develop youth leaders who have the ability to empower others by actively finding solutions to challenges. It is a global youth network impacting the world through leadership development experiences. AIESEC has been facilitating youth leadership activities, as well as international internships and volunteer experiences for over 66 years; developing a global learning environment across 126 countries and territories. AIESEC is a non-governmental not-for-profit organization in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), affiliated with the UN DPI, member of ICMYO, and is recognized by UNESCO.
By Patrick Obel
We are aware that Alcohol and Drug abuse exposes students to serious problems including but not limited to disruptions to their studies, risky lifestyle, and injuries from accidents or fighting, and exploitation by drug dealers among other dangers. Some students drop out or end up getting discontinued from the university all the same. Their personal life, friends and family relationships degenerate.
Our campaign this year with the theme: “Defined by choice, know where to draw the line” was therefore aimed at creating awareness on matters regarding alcohol and drug abuse in order for the students to take responsibility for their choices.
In her opening remarks the Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor- Student Affairs, Mrs. Rita Asunda welcomed all the guests and participants. She emphasized the need for all the students to take responsibility to protect their future because statistics show not only in Kenya but the world over that, harmful use of alcohol and drugs is leading to death, disability and increase in non-communicable diseases.
She confirmed that despite the challenges and the loss brought about by alcohol and drug abuse the university is committed towards working to have an alcohol and drug free campus, because “Drugs don’t build, they Destroy”.
Among the guests for the day was Dr. Catherine Amulundu, a clinical Psychologist and a director at Fountain of Hope Treatment Center who made a presentation on treatment options for the affected. She emphasized the need to identify the barriers to seeking treatment and the drivers of resistance to change. She said treatment and recovery is possible and there are specialized services for the same, hence seeking help is the right step to recovery.
Mr. Boniface Ndirangu, the chairman of Addictions Prevention and Rehabilitation Association of Kenya and a Director at Eden House Group shared his own recovery journey as a university student, letting the students be awareness that it is better not to start harmful use of alcohol or drugs or to stop if one has started, because the journey of abuse is progressive and leads to a lot of losses, however he also said that recovery is possible.
Vincent Muasya aka Chipukeezy, a renowned comedian and member of NACADA shared on responsible choices for the youth during the event. He told the audience that there is need to come together, be open and real because alcohol and drug abuse is a crisis. He urged young people to talk to each other and work towards managing alcohol and drug abuse.
Harnessing of people’s strength, engagement in alternative like games, sports, clubs, talents, self-awareness, confidence and courage to face life and let go, emotional intelligence, having healthy relationships and being knowledgeable about alcohol and drug abuse was greatly emphasized throughout the week.
We believe that this awareness campaign served as an awareness and prevention measure for alcohol and substance abuse and will enable members of the USIU-Africa community to be conscious of the issues surrounding the abuse of alcohol and use of illegal substances. Eventually it is our hope that this awareness campaign in the university will lead to a reduction in traffic fatalities, violence, unwanted pregnancy, sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, injuries, cancer, and heart diseases among others.
By CTW Team and the Alumni Office
Last week, the USIU-Africa Alumni Association concluded its elections to select new members of the Alumni Association Executive Committee. The elections were contested by a total of 26 contestants, who ran for all four posts, Chairperson (6 contestants), Vice-Chairperson (13 contestants), Treasurer (3 contestants) and Secretary (4 contestants).
The new officials are listed below:
Both James and Caroline are current members of the Alumni Executive and were therefore defending their positions. The outgoing members of the Association promised to work collaboratively with the incoming members to ensure a smooth transition.
As part of its stakeholder engagement Alumni Association will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Friday, July 8 at the Panafric Hotel, Nairobi.
By Esther Lihavi
On Friday, March 31, the USIU-Africa Alumni Association held a breakfast event at Utalii Hotel for the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign, and staff who are alumni. As guests arrived, they greeted each other and enjoyed breakfast while waiting for others to arrive.
Mr. James Gathere, the chairperson of the Alumni Association, called the meeting to order and introduced the members of the Alumni Association Executive Council who were in attendance. He expressed the Association's interest in this particular interest group and invited Ms. Caroline Mugadi, the treasurer of the Alumni Association, to lead the program.
Ms. Mugadi thanked the staff for attending and invited Dr. Uvyu Mbole, the longest-serving staff alumni at USIU-Africa, to share his story. Dr. Uvyu spoke passionately about his journey at USIU-Africa and welcomed all the guests to introduce themselves and share how they became a part of the university.
Mr. Michael Kisilu, the Principal Alumni Relations Officer, gave his remarks, emphasizing the importance of support from staff who are alumni. He encouraged collaboration within the different departments represented at the event and urged them to contribute to the Association in any way they could.
The Vice Chancellor then gave her remarks, expressing her joy for being a part of the breakfast and her fascination with the staff's stories about how they joined USIU-Africa. She echoed Mr. Gathere’s sentiment about the staff alumni being a special group and emphasized the need for collaboration to strengthen the USIU-Africa brand.
The staff were then given an opportunity to voice their suggestions for how the Association could support them and how they could work together to make a difference.
In closing, the Association Chairperson gave a vote of thanks and left the guests with a slogan for the year, "We Are One."
By the Wazee Vs. Vijana Steering Committee
The annual Wazee vs. Vijana rugby game made its come back this past Saturday, July 23, 2022 after a 3-year hiatus. The return of the game marked the 22nd game played by the old boys of the rugby team against the current and active squad.
The game is a way for the past team to impart not only their knowledge and experience in the game to the current squad but foster a relationship between the two that will see a rise in mentorship opportunities both on the pitch and off the pitch.
The Wazee are also passionate about education and use this as a fundraising drive to support a scholarship specifically for rugby players. They hope to also challenge other teams to get together and organise the same so sport can once again raise the USIU-Africa flag high locally and internationally.
This year’s game was the best attended of the games so far, with over 550 people in attendance. This year we were honoured to have the honour and pleasure of hosting notable persons both from public service and the corporate sector. Some of the guests that joined us were:
We are thankful and grateful for the pledges received in cash and promise to work closely with the Alumni Association to mentor our young players. We look forward to the coming year and to a bigger and better Wazee vs. Vijana game with a dream of having the first ever women’s exhibition match in 2023.
By Benjamin Nengomasha
On Monday, July 31, 2023, The USIU-Africa Alumni Office in partnership with Placement and Careers Services office(PACS) launched a CEO Roundtable program aimed at enhancing mentorship and networking opportunities to the students. Through this program, students have exclusive access to USIU-A CEO alumni thus empowering them to explore career paths spanning across industries.
The inaugural event commenced at Kimisitu Sacco, where our very own alumnus Mr. Lwanga Mbeche is the CEO. The group mentorship program kicked off with a two-hour session where Doreen Otieno, the HR & Admin Manager at the Sacco, skilfully moderated and guided the discussions while ensuring all inquiries were addressed. Jonathan Asena Mtange, the Marketing and Business Development Manager, expounded on operations and product offerings that cater to customers' needs.
In his remarks, the CEO emphasized the importance of giving back to one's Alma mater. He commended the Alumni Office's efforts for establishing such a platform and shared his experiences in the workplace.
The students had a unique opportunity to interact with seasoned professionals and gain insights into opportunities and the challenges they face in their respective fields. After the mentorship session, the students were taken round on a physical tour of the organization, giving them a glimpse of real-life operations and a taste of the professional world.
With the prospect of internships being made available for students at the Sacco, this collaboration between the university and the organization promises to be mutually beneficial, providing students with practical learning experiences while offering the company access to fresh perspectives and talents.
The Alumni CEO's Roundtable Mentorship is set to become a regular event, with more alumni industry leaders and CEOs joining the initiative to mentor and empower the next generation of professionals. The USIU-Africa Alumni Office aims at making the program an integral part of the university experience, preparing students for the challenges in the professional world and expanding their networks.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Agatha Loyce Gwokyalya is a driven and accomplished individual who graduated Cum Laude in 2018 from USIU-Africa with a BA in Journalism. During her time at the university, Agatha's dedication and talent in journalism were fulfilling as she was the Best Journalism Student for that year, setting the stage for an impressive career journey.
After graduation, Agatha embarked on her professional journey, starting as a TV Producer at NTV-Uganda in 2018-2019. Her work in the industry allowed her to gain valuable experience and insights into media production, content creation, and the power of storytelling through various media channels.
Currently, Agatha has found her passion as a Social and Digital Media Content Coordinator in the USA. Her role involves strategizing and executing digital media campaigns, engaging with audiences on social platforms, and ensuring that brands create compelling and meaningful content that resonates with their target audience.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Agatha is a visionary entrepreneur and the founder of ALG Concept. Under this brand, she offers Digital Marketing consulting and services, helping businesses enhance their online presence and develop effective marketing strategies. Additionally, she grows her personal brand in content creation, crafting her online identity and leveraging social media for her personal branding.
Inspired by her experiences and academic pursuits, Agatha decided to enroll in a Master’s program for Applied Media Psychology. Her aim is to further her expertise in digital media consultancy, with a focus on helping organizations to promote responsible media campaigns, fostering media literacy among individuals, and contributing to better the ethical media. Her passion for this field was ignited during her time at USIU-Africa, where she delved into media theories and developed a keen interest in the psychological aspects of media consumption and its impact on human behavior.
Agatha's commitment to work-life balance and overall well-being sets her apart as a well-rounded individual. She strongly believes in the importance of finding harmony and happiness in every aspect of life. In line with this belief, she is working on developing a digital product designed to help adults manage their work-life balance frustrations and discover contentment in all aspects of their lives.
In the pursuit of work-life balance, Agatha draws inspiration from Thomas Merton's words: "Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony." This sentiment perfectly aligns with her approach to life, where she strives to strike a healthy equilibrium between work, personal pursuits, and relationships.
As she continues her journey, Agatha remains driven by Orison Swett Marden's philosophy: "Work, love, and play are the great balance wheels of man's being." These words remind her of the importance of nurturing one's professional ambitions, cherishing personal relationships, and finding time for leisure and personal growth.
With her passion for media psychology, digital marketing expertise, and commitment to well-being, Agatha Loyce Gwokyalya is making a positive impact in the media industry and beyond. She credits USIU-Africa as having played a crucial role in shaping her aspirations and fostering her dedication to creating a positive and responsible media landscape. As she continues to make strides in her career and entrepreneurial ventures, Agatha remains an inspiration to fellow alumni and aspiring media professionals alike.
Subscribe to Agatha’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ALGConcept/about
Get social with Agatha on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alg.concept/, LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/algconcept/, and Twitter - https://twitter.com/ALGconcept
By the Alumni Relations Office
Nasikiwa is the founder of AFRAT Agriculture Company Limited. She is currently serving in International Labour Organization as Senior Communications and Information Management Assistant for the United Republic of Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. She has more than 10 years’ experience in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, and Banking fields, having worked in various private and public organizations.
She holds a Master’s degree in communications from the Walden University Minnesota, USA, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from USIU-Africa and Post Graduate Diploma in Management in Foreign Relations from the Centre of Foreign Relations Kurasini, Tanzania.
She is also a certified Director and member of the Institute of Directors in Tanzania (IoDT) as well as Certified professional in social media and Email Marketing by the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Nasikiwa is keen on community and plays a big role in it by elevating women and young Tanzanians by levelling the playing fields through creation of opportunities for them both economically and socially. She also supports the government in provision of safe and reliable health services especially to children with cardiac diseases.
She is a believer of structural and strategical change to the community and country at large. Her efforts have always been backed up by her motto, ready for change.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Anne Keah is the Head of the Governance Service and the Secretary of the Executive Committee at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland. In this role, she oversees the UNHCR’s engagement with the Member States of the Executive Committee and ensures the compliance for obligatory reporting to the United Nations General Assembly.
Anne holds a B.A. and M.A. in International Relations and graduated top of the International Relations class at undergraduate. While at USIU-Africa, Anne participated in the 55th Annual Conference on United States Affairs at the West Point Military Academy in New York in November 2003. She also served as the Executive Secretary of the Students Affairs Council in the same year.
She joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya in 2007, as Third Secretary, where she graduated top of the class at the Foreign Service Institute. She rose through the ranks to the post of First Counsellor and specialized in multilateral diplomacy. Anne has served two tours of duty at the Permanent Mission of Kenya to the United Nations Office in Geneva between 2008 and 2013 and later between 2018 and 2021. Anne has participated in numerous multilateral engagements on behalf of Kenya.
In March 2021, she won the UNITAR Best Female Negotiator Award for the successful facilitation and adoption of the UNHCR multi-year work plan. In 2020, Anne was the Rapporteur of the UNHCR Executive Committee and supported Kenya’s Chairmanship of the Meeting of States Parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, under the leadership of Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva. In 2018, Anne represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the National Technical Committee on the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework and was part of the delegation that negotiated Kenya’s position in the Formal Consultations for the Global Compact on Refugees. Anne enjoys reading, traveling and is big on family.
By Alumni Office
Barnabas Suva is the Membership and Administration Manager at the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA) and a CPA-qualified finance and administrative professional with a successful background spanning over ten years in the NGO and International Education Sectors.
He graduated with a Masters of Business Administration in 2018 and a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration in 2016 from USIU-Africa. He also has a Business Writing certificate from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and a Teaching Assistant Diploma from Penn Foster University, USA. Additionally, he graduated from Strathmore University as a Certified Public Accountant and he is a member of Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
He recently published an article dubbed “International curricula giving an edge to East Africa’s budding innovators” in the East African newspaper (August 27 – September, 2 2022). Barnabas is passionate about international education and is thus very proud to be serving in the international education sector.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Beth Wambui Mwangi is the founder and CEO of MyWagePay Ltd., a Kenyan financial wellness company. Beth is an entrepreneur, a solutions provider and a trailblazer in the Kenyan Fintech scene, being one of the few female startup founders in the country. She was ranked among the Top 10 leaders under Westerwelle Foundation’s Young Founders Programme in 2022 and was named an AfricaBerlin Network (ABN) Ambassador in June to facilitate the connection of startup ecosystems across Africa and Berlin.
Beth founded MyWagePay Ltd. which has been awarded a Digital Credit Provider (DCP) License by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). The Fintech company which was founded in November 2020 offers financial wellness services to corporate employees in the form of financial education and earned wage access. It is among the 10 firms awarded the license out of 288 applicants after submitting an application and meeting the stringent requirements in line with the CBK regulations released in March 2022.
Additionally, MyWagePay has been selected for an accelerator program that seeks to propel startups to launch operations in the United States as well as the TechBridge Invest Accelerator Program starting in late September 2022. Today, MyWagePay manages a number of leading corporate employers in Kenya including the College of Human Resources (CHRM), Maanzoni Lodge, and Sanic Logistics as some of its partners receiving financial wellness services. The company works to enhance corporate employee’s financial health and boost productivity. Additionally, she is an administrator of two thriving Facebook groups with over 1.2 million members.
Beth’s journey towards attaining her MBA began just when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in March 2019, but was determined to pursue her studies.
“With the marginalization of many women in corporate setup, I wanted to prove to everyone that it was possible for a female to succeed. I almost gave up when COVID-19 disrupted normal learning patterns but quickly took up the opportunity when online studies continued at USIU-Africa,” she added.
Beth has a background in education having graduated with a BA. Education, and worked as a teacher in various high schools before branching into her current career in finance.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Bina Maseno is the Founder and Executive Director of Badili Africa. She graduated from USIU-Africa in 2016 with a BA in Journalism, and has worked as a journalist at K24, a communications specialist and has been a political aspirant in the 2013 elections.
The challenges of her experience running for political office as a 23-year-old woman inspired the founding of Badili Africa. As a mentor, facilitator & moderator, she has been invited to & led global discussions across initiatives like the Obama Africa Leaders Program, the Bill and Melinda Gates Goalkeepers event in New York, USA on the "Power of Women Movements" in a session moderated by Melinda Gates, the African Union regional meetings and the most recent ones by the United Nations Population Fund Africa in Gambia on Governance & Accountability and Women in Dev on Gender and Leadership.
She has extensive work experience on gender democracy, human rights, gender mainstreaming, politics and governance. Badili Africa merges beauty with civic dialogues for political awareness and involvement with governance and democratic processes in Africa. Badili Africa strengthens the leadership capacity of women and girls in the informal settlements and learning institutions by encouraging and cultivating spaces that enable grassroots women and girls to organize as leaders to influence local development plans, policies and programs in ways that prioritizes their needs and those of their communities. She continues to use her voice to encourage and champion women's participation in politics, leadership and governance as well as actively participate in the broader discourse of governance as active citizens. She envisions a Kenya where the citizens are educated in the tools of civic power, their rights, responsible citizenry and are problem solving contributors.
Bina was a contestant on the recently concluded Ms President Season 2 Finale show, which aired on KTN Home every Thursday at 8:00 pm, where about 700 women with commendable backgrounds and from all works of applied to the Ms. President Leadership Academy. The show pushed for women’s representation in governance, highlighting high ranking women and encouraged the public to visualize women in leadership, culminating in a campaign, where Bina emerged as one of the top 6 candidates, and ultimately as 1st runner's up.
To track how Bina performed on the show, follow her on her social media handles: Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @binamaseno. You can also follow Badili Africa on its social media handles: Twitter/Instagram – Badili Africa (@badili_A), Facebook – Badili Africa
By Alumni Relations Office
Brian Marwa graduated with a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration (Concentration in Entrepreneurship) from United States International University-Africa in 2021, where he was also the head of communications for the Tanzanian students' community.
Brian is currently a Tax Associate at Deloitte, where he reviews financial records, prepares and files tax returns, works on corporate tax compliance, and assists with tax audits for various clients. He also consults with clients, responds to their questions and concerns, leveraging his knowledge to contribute to the tax department's knowledge management. Brian is also pursuing his CPA in Tanzania to further his business acumen and knowledge of the Tanzanian accounting and tax landscape. His experience in tax spans a wide range of organizations in various industries including financial services, telecommunication, energy and resources, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and service sector where he has carried out tax compliance, tax audits, and tax advisory.
Brian further gained valuable experience as a student research assistant at Agri Frontier, where he helped to analyze agricultural transformation models and policies. He has a strong interest in research and policy work aimed at developing small businesses.
He is a result-driven, collaborative, and motivated professional who continually seeks to learn and grow in the field of tax and business.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Aikande Clement Kwayu, a social scientist with experience in academia, business and development work, is a vivid manifestation of “Education to take you places”. Aikande has published two academic books: (i) “Religion and British Development Policy”- Palgrave (2020); and (ii) co-authored “Pragmatic Faith and the Lutheran Church in Tanzania: Erasto N. Kweka’s Life and Work” – Lexington (2020). Aikande is a part-time lecturer at the University of Tumaini Makumira.
Between 2018 and 2022, Aikande was an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From 2013 to 2015, she was a research affiliate of the University of Oxford (UK). Aikande has a PhD in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham (UK). In business, Aikande manages a life insurance company (Bumaco Life Insurance) in Tanzania. Being both an academic and business woman reflects transferrable skills and readiness to learn, explore and move to places beyond comfort zones. Dr. Kwayu, holds a BA and an MA in International Relations from USIU-Africa.
By Alumni Relations Department
I am an Accountant by profession. I joined PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC) in 1978 to train as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). I was transferred in 1984 for an International Exchange Program with PriceWaterHouseCoopers in the UK Firm and based in their Manchester office. I had the privilege to work in many parts of the UK and handled major client assignments. In 1986, I was promoted to the position of Assistant Audit Manager in the firm. I returned back to Kenya towards the end of that year. I re-joined PriceWaterHouseCoopers Kenya office and was posted to their Mombasa office where I rose to become the Regional Manager. In 1988, I was transferred to Nairobi Office and appointed staff and planning manager responsible for the audit staff. I earned promotions every year and by 1990, I was promoted to the position of Senior Manager which was the highest staff position below partner level.
In 1993, I left to join commerce and industry and worked for major companies such as Dolphin Group, Sameer Group, East African Cables Limited, Firestone E. A Limited, Sameer Africa Limited, Kensta Group, Deacons Group. Majority of these companies had operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritius, South Africa. I was promoted to many ranks and held senior managerial and board positions such as: senior manager, General manager / CEO, Group Finance Director, Group CFO, Group Operations Director, Comptroller Finance, Commercial and Operations Director. I left commerce and industry in 2016.
Academically, I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude – GPA of 3.78) – class of 2000 and an MBA in Strategic Management (best student with a GPA of 3.77) – class of 2002 from USIU-Africa. In 2015, I graduated with an earned a PhD. in Business administration (specializing in Entrepreneurship and small business development) from the University of Nairobi. In 2017, I taught a Master of Science class for one semester at the University of Nairobi, standing in for one of my Doctoral thesis examiners, Professor Jackson Maluu. Since 2018, I have been an adjunct lecturer in the School of Business at KCA University and teach and undergraduate and masters students.
My hobbies include: community service - principally helping the less fortunate to pursue their education. I am keen and active environmental conservation with a focus on transformation of ASAL to productivity – to exploit their full potential particularly in employing contemporary technology in agriculture to foster agribusiness and quality life.
I joined USIU-Africa as a mature student at the age of 40 years in 1998 and completed my undergraduate degree in 2000. As much as I had graduated with a first degree, there was a new demand at the job market and in particular in commerce and industry for managers to have master’s degree. This was because the business operating environment in Kenya was becoming more dynamic and complex and especially with the introduction of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) in the country by the Brenton woods institutions the World Bank and IMF. The consequences being the opening of the Kenyan economy to global competition. Business planning was becoming a challenge because of the unpredictable and fast changes in the macro environment. I therefore felt the need to gain more knowledge in order to adequately respond to the ever-changing business environment in the country, which was adversely affecting many businesses and hence my reason for enrolling for an MBA majoring in strategic management in 2000. USIU–Africa was my choice for my MBA because of the flexi time study program – availability of evening and weekend classes which worked well for me, a good and predictable learning environment, experienced and student-centric faculty and administration staff, a blend of mature students from industry enabling the sharing of experiences, multicultural environment, focused and committed leadership and of course the best state of the art library (then Doctor Lilian Beam Library) in the region - the engine of knowledge.
When I reflect back and think of USIU -Africa, I always remember its mantra: Education to take you places. It holds true since the education that I received has had a tremendous and positive impact in my career and personal life. It gave me an extraordinary knowledge, courage and confidence that I never had. It prepared me to look at problems as challenges and gave me the bundle of knowledge to apply including critical thinking skills in resolving challenges whether at personal, group, institutional or a country level. I became a solution-oriented person. The education at USIU-Africa, took me places by way of: career and employment opportunities to work in high profile organizations, earn promotions. I have earned recognitions, respect and honor, visited diverse countries, interacted with the low and mighty, earned me admission (courtesy of my Master’s degree) to the University of Nairobi to pursue a PhD. It has and continues to take me places that I would never have been If I did not have that education. It has taken me from the corporate world to the classroom as a lecturer to share by way of giving back to society. It has given me a high profile, rewarding and fulfilling career.
I am proud that my children decided to join USIU-Africa at different times of their individual academic lives, it was their choice. But perhaps having been a student at the University, it had a tremendous impact on their choice. They used to visit me during Saturday classes and have a good time playing at the gardens and having meals at the cafeteria as they waited for my classes to finish so that I could join them to start the weekend. They enjoyed the environment very much, which should never be taken for granted for you never know its related impact to those who come into contact with it in their decision making to join USIU-Africa in years to come. USIU–Africa, was the only University they knew and had visited and was therefore not surprised by their choice of USIU-Africa.
I never vetoed their choice, I had no reason to do so. I was confident that they would be in safe hands and in addition they will get an education to take them places. I knew USIU–Africa will offer them: quality education, a good learning environment with a double accreditation, flexible timings, multicultural environment, opportunities for growth such as work study, graduate assistant opportunities, academic advisors for guidance, unrestricted electives, student support system, a holistic life, travel opportunities, extra-curricular activities and benefit from an active student council - which one of my daughters during her academic life at USIU-Africa, she served as a member, Secretary, Vice President and finally as President!
Dr. Ambrose Ngere is a distinguished Consultant Clinical Psychologist/Therapist, operating his private practice in the vibrant city of Nairobi, Kenya. As the esteemed proprietor of Ogwedhi Health Clinic located in Kahawa West on Kamae Road, Dr. Ngere offers his expertise in a convenient and accessible location, merely 200 meters off the Eastern Bypass. Additionally, he extends his services to Golden Homes Apartment, where he operates from suite no 6 in Westlands, conveniently situated opposite the renowned Westgate Mall.
Dr. Ambrose Ngere earned his Doctor of Psychology degree from USIU-Africa, honing his expertise in the field of clinical psychology. Throughout his academic journey, he acquired a diverse array of skills, including proficiency in Group Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
With a wealth of experience under his belt, Dr. Ngere specializes in providing comprehensive psychotherapy services catering to a myriad of psychological issues. His areas of expertise encompass marital counseling, adolescent guidance, substance abuse treatment, diagnostic assessments, management of various mental health disorders, and crucial psychosocial support for children grappling with psycho-developmental challenges, along with their caregivers.
Dr. Ngere's professional journey is adorned with diverse experiences, having served in various settings, including refugee camps. This extensive exposure has equipped him with a profound understanding of gender dynamics, children's issues, and the imperative aspect of protection in culturally diverse environments.
Through his unwavering dedication and expertise, Dr. Ambrose Ngere stands as a beacon of hope and support for individuals and families navigating the intricate terrain of mental health concerns in Nairobi and beyond.
Dr. Fatuma Ahmed Ali is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) of the United States International University – Africa (USIU-Africa), Nairobi, Kenya. She is a visiting faculty and an external researcher of the Interuniversity Institute for Social Development & Peace (IUDESP) of the Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain. She is also an Associate Fellow at the Horn Institute, Kenya, gender advisor for the Somali Women’s Study Centre (SWSC), Somalia, Board Chair of the NGOs Coalition of Violence Against Women (COVAW), Conscious Kenya, and the Advisory Board member at the Austrian Centre for Peace (ACP).
Dr. Ali holds a European Doctorate (PhD) with distinction in “Peace, Conflict and Democracy Studies and an International MA in Peace, Conflict and Development Studies from Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain. She has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in International Relations (Hons) with minors in Sociology and Management from the United States International University - Africa.
Dr. Ali is a Gender expert, mentor and academic activist with almost 20 years of experience. She has facilitated workshops and trainings for civil society organizations, young politicians, regional diplomats in East Africa, EUCAP and security officers in both Kenya and Spain. She has extensive experience in research, publication, curriculum development/review, project evaluation and rapid assessment. She has also worked as a consultant with International NGOs, UN agencies (UNDP, UNHCR, UNODC, IOM and WFP), regional organizations such as Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR), Kenyan Government, and the Commission for University Education (CUE).
She has been involved in organizing several roundtables, seminar series, colloquium and international conferences. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, briefs, opinion pieces, one edited and self-authored book in both English and Spanish languages. Dr Ali has won several research grants and awards. She is also a recipient of the prestigious Peace Prize 2020 award of the City of Castellon (Premio Por la Paz Ciudad de Castellon), Spain.
By Alumni Relations Department
Dr. Lunar Odawa is a practicing Clinical Psychologist/Consultant and Child Therapist in her private practice in Nairobi, Kenya. She founded Blossom Psychotherapy Services which offers psychotherapy, psycho-educational assessment, coaching and employee assistance programs in Kenya and beyond. She is a results-driven professional with a proven track record in psycho-social support, education program coordination, employee assistance programs and executive training.
Dr. Lunar holds a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, and an M.A in Counselling Psychology from USIU-Africa and Bachelor of Education degree from Kenyatta University. She is a trained life coach and leadership coach and has undertaken several courses in child therapy.
Dr. Lunar is specialized in designing and implementing impactful initiatives, such as Njoo Dada, a teenage mothers safehouse. Her proficiency in clinical assessments, intervention strategies, and therapeutic approaches enriches her ability to design and implement initiatives that effectively address the complex psycho-social dynamics in diverse settings for children and adults.
Her passion for people development and mental health advocacy has enabled her to facilitate seminars, workshops and be invited as a keynote speaker in organizations and events both locally and abroad.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Felix Yvan Rugwizangoga is a Chief Strategy Officer at the Rwanda Green Fund. The Rwanda Green Fund aims to support poverty reduction and sustainable wealth creation by providing strategic financing that accelerates Rwanda’s commitment to building a strong climate resilient and green economy. Felix is a USIU-Africa alumnus who graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's degree (Cum Laude) in International Business Administration. Thereafter, Felix did a Master's degree in International Development from the University of Manchester through the prestigious Chevening Scholarship.
Prior to being the Chief Strategy Officer at the Rwanda Green Fund, he worked with the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation where he was in charge of partnerships for Africa. Before this, he worked with the German Multinational, Beiersdorf AG, as a Business Development Manager for Rwanda and later as the Key Accounts Manager at the cluster headquarter.
Alongside other experts in trade facilitation, Felix Yvan contributes to articles for the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT). UN/CEFACT is a subsidiary, intergovernmental body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) which serves as a focal point within the United Nations Economic and Social Council for trade facilitation recommendations and electronic business standards. Apart from that, Felix also represents Rwanda on the Strategic Trust Fund of the Climate Investment Fund (CIF).
To catch up with more of his achievements, interact with Felix on LinkedIn @Felix Yvan Rugwizangoga.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Joan Nyambura Thuo, popularly known as Joan the Career Coach, is the founder of JoanwinningCV. She graduated from USIU-Africa in 2009 with a BA in Psychology. She excels at career coaching, interview preparation, presenting client skills in a compelling manner and boosting client confidence in the process. She believes that every job seeker, no matter the level of employment or industry, needs a well-crafted CV, a five star optimized LinkedIn profile and a cover letter that tells the story of their career and makes the reader sit up and take notice.
Joan is on a mission to help individuals obliterate the glass ceiling, soar all the way up the corporate ladder and take a seat at the big boss table where they belong. She utilizes her expertise to help individuals overcome self-doubt so that they can confidently articulate their value (on paper, online and in person), and position themselves for success in today’s highly-competitive job market both globally and locally. After working with her, clients have landed their dreams jobs, gone from absolutely no call backs to several interviews lined up, been recruited for high-level positions and built enough confidence to actually turn down offers simply because they weren’t the right fit.
Storytelling is in her blood, utilizing this skillset, she authored Purposeless Bride and recently published a podcast dubbed Careerwise which seeks to help individuals scale upwards in their career journey. She has also featured in TV and Radio Shows. Some of these shows include: Career danger signs by NTV; Interview preparation and CV writing by Radio Maisha; Use of social media for employment opportunities by Blazespaces; and Qualifications vs Experience by Family Radio.
Catch up with Joan for career tips on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn @Joan The Career Coach.
By the Alumni Relations Office
USIU-Africa alumna, Mrs. Jondo Malafa Obi, in recognition of her service to the Cayman Islands was recently awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) as part of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 2022 Birthday Honors & 70th Anniversary Jubilee. Jondo is the Executive Director of the Cayman Islands Red Cross and has successfully changed the strategic direction for the organization over the last 18 years.
As an auxiliary to the Government, the Red Cross plays a prominent role within the national response mechanism of the country supporting national emergencies including the recent COVID-19 pandemic response and the Hurricane Ivan response in 2004 which devastated 85% of the infrastructure of the Cayman Islands.
In the Spring quarter of 1989, Jondo arrived at the once known Mayfair Hotel in Westlands and joined USIU-Africa to commence a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration which she completed in 1992. She returned a year later to complete a Master’s degree in International Business Administration. Some of her fond memories of USIU-Africa during that time was meeting fellow students from various countries and hanging out at the “Visions Nightclub” on Thursdays which was themed “Spaghetti Night” specifically created for USIU-Africa students.
On completion of her studies, she was hired by the United Nations, where she was assigned to Kigali Rwanda from 1999 - 2000 and worked with various UN organizations, including; the Peace Keeping Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR); the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United National International Criminal Tribunal (UNICTR). She continued her career and was re-assigned to Congo Brazzaville and worked with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) where she occasionally served as head of Country Office in the absence of the Country Director.
Previous awards include receiving the Certificate & Badge of Honor from the Cayman Islands Government and a 10-year service award from the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens, Cayman Islands where she served as a board member and sat as Chair of several committees.
By Alumni Relations Department
Mohamed Asad, popularly known as Alby is the founder of M. Alby Productions Ltd., a brand that handles Corporate Digital Marketing and Film Production. He graduated from USIU-Africa in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism.
He is a young media personality who rose to fame by spreading joy to random strangers around Kenya. From cheesy lines that bring smiles, to touching stranger’s hearts by gifting them, ‘The King of Smiles’ holds a reputation for positive impact on the Kenyan society. His online audience, known as the ‘Mambo Nation’, a slogan derived from the creator’s unique theme of starting each video with a ‘Mambo’ and ending with a smile, hit a milestone of close to 90 Million views on TikTok, which is Alby's biggest social platform alongside Instagram and YouTube. Alby also used his popularity to spread smiles in the streets of USIU-Africa while he was a student.
The 23-year-old has not only built a name for himself in the hearts of many Kenyans but also in the corporate world where he took up marketing campaigns last year for major corporate brands such as Centum (Two Rivers Mall, Galitos, Bic, Nokia, InDrive and Fanta Africa).
To get a touch of Alby’s smiles, follow him on his social media handles: Twitter /Facebook /Instagram /YouTube
By the Alumni Relations Office
Peter Oruka Odera is a renowned scholar and a seasoned thespian who graduated with a B.A in International Relations in 2016 from USIU-Africa. He has published several journals and articles on various topics including peace, national security and diplomacy, with his latest publication being on his paper titled "Traditional African Sagacious and Didactic knowledge Application" which he presented alongside other distinguished scholars from all over the world, during the 5th Biennial African Philosophy World Conference (APWC), 2023 of the African Philosophy Society in Gulu University, Uganda.
He has featured in various Kenyan TV shows including "Maria", "Nganya", "Salem", "Tujaribu", "Mafundi","Sue na Johnnie", "Aunty Boss", "New Beginnings", "Changing Times", "Mali" among many others. Additionally, he is passionate about financial markets and currently serves a Real Estate Investment Trust Consultant at Nairobi Securities Exchange.
By Alumni Relations Department
Dr. Robert Lukhanda Shibutse is a finance and strategy expert with experience in banking, insurance, cooperative and microfinance sectors and academia.
Dr. Shibutse graduated from USIU-Africa in 2019 with a Doctor of Business Administration degree (DBA) in Finance. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics major) from The University of Nairobi and a graduate degree in business administration (MBA) from Eastern and Southern African Management Institute, Arusha, Tanzania. In addition, Dr. Shibutse holds CPA-K and CS-K qualification. In the co-operative sector, Dr. Shibutse holds the African Development Educator (ADE) 2016 and Madison USA De 2016 qualifications and was recognized as an International Credit Union Development Educator (ICUDE) at the Word Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) conference in Austria 2017.
Dr. Shibutse has worked in the Banking, Insurance, Cooperative and Microfinance sectors. He is currently engaged in financial and strategic consulting at a personal level. He is a co-founder of Terigi Africa, an African investment company supporting the development of the financial sector in Africa. Dr. Shibutse is the current CEO of Real People Kenya Limited and serves as a non-Executive Director at White Ribbon Alliance (an NGO dealing with reproductive, maternal and newborn health) and advisory board member at Belva Digital, the leading tech- marketing agency in Kenya.
Dr. Shibutse believes youth empowerment and proper governance are critical for our future.
By the Alumni Relations Office
SSylvia Bosire is the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of BlipEarth - a social media start-up company based in Texas, which shows you what is trending around you. She graduated from USIU-Africa in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and Technology. She further did her Masters in Information Systems from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. She has worked in the IT industry for more than 15 years and founded BlipEarth in 2021 together with other partners.
Blipearth is a social media platform that is designed to show the user what is currently trending in a city that they are in or in an area that they are going to. By allowing users to see what is trending, they can then choose to go to an event or location. Many people find themselves in new locations and it’s a challenge to find something fun to do in a new city or town - Blipearth is now solving that problem by showing you what is trending around you.
The application also allows users to add content (Blips) and share with their followers and friends. It allows the user to search by mile/kilometer and see what is trending around their area. If the event is trending, it shows up on a map for the user to see, so he or she can decide whether to attend or like the event. The application has options such as “follow” and “like” which allow users to discover new locations.
BlipEarth can be downloaded from play store (Android) or app store (iPhone). The user needs to register and login to interact with the application. Users can login with Facebook, Google or via email. BlipEarth recently partnered with USIU-Africa as the main sponsor of the School of Science and Technology Innovation and Hackathon event. This event brought together students from various universities in Kenya to exchange ideas and compete for the most innovative idea.
Victor Baba Emmanuel Aligo is an ordained minister and a graduate of the Master of Arts in International Relations (MAIR) from the United States International University-Africa, where he graduated at the 44th Commencement Ceremony with a GPA of 3.714 (Magna Cum Laude).
Victor Baba ministers and serves at the Reconcilers World Ministry, where he manages capacity development across all the networks of the ministry. In addition to this, he is an Alternative Dispute Resolution specialist, sought-after trainer, practitioner, and mentor to mediation enthusiasts across the world. Presently, he is a faculty member, advisor, and trainer at Accords International (India), Global University Somalia (Somalia), Settlement House, and Three C’s Met International Institute (Nigeria), respectively.
In Kenya, with refugee status, Victor Baba has practiced mediation for both for-profit making entities (law firms) and non-profit establishments, notably the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Kenya). Additionally, he has volunteered more than 200 hours in community organizing and building across Nairobi, Kenya.
Having established a reputation in the alternative dispute resolution world, Victor Baba was recently announced as a JAMS Weinstein Fellow and awarded a grant to undertake a semester-long program at the Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation (PON). The JAMS Weinstein Fellowship is considered the holy grail among jurists, legal scholars, judges, lawyers, and practitioners from around the world.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Audrey Nkirote, a USIU-Africa alumna, is the founder and lead consultant at Harpie HR Ltd. Audrey graduated from USIU-Africa in 2011 with a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Human Resources Management and Entrepreneurship. Armed with theoretical knowledge, she ventured into the real world and accumulated over 15 years of multi-sector exposure. This diverse experience gave her a unique perspective on the intricacies of different industries and the various challenges professionals face.
In the ever-changing landscape of today's job market, finding the right career path and securing the perfect job can be a daunting and challenging task. Many professionals often struggle to navigate through the complexities of the job search process, unsure of how to effectively present their skills and experiences to potential employers. Audrey has witnessed firsthand the struggles that individuals encountered during their job searches and the need for a holistic approach to career development.
Her organization offers a one-of-a-kind and integrated approach to the job search process, which goes beyond the traditional resume-building services. Harpie HR Ltd's methodology involves applying life, leadership, and growth coaching in job search preparation. This means that professionals not only receive guidance on their resumes and interview techniques but also gain invaluable insights into their own personal and professional growth.
Beyond her work at Harpie HR Ltd, Audrey, dedicates her time to sharing informative and challenging content through posts and webinars on various social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Her online presence serves as a source of inspiration for professionals seeking guidance and motivation on their career journeys. Professionals who have worked with Audrey have not only secured their dream roles but have also experienced personal growth and fulfillment in their careers.
Audrey Nkirote's work stands as a beacon of hope for professionals seeking to level-up and find their rightful place in the professional world. Through Harpie HR Ltd, she continues to make a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals, guiding them towards fulfilling careers that align with their true purpose.
Gain some insights from Audrey on LinkedIn @Audrey Nkirote, Instagram @audrey_nkirote, Twitter @audreynkirote and Facebook @ Audrey Nkirote
By Duncan Thumbi
On Friday, March 15, the USIU-Africa Alumni Relations Department, headed by Mr. Michael Kisilu and a group of fifteen students visited the AAR Healthcare Kenya Limited Headquarters in Nairobi. The visit was under a long-term program by the Department called ‘The CEO Roundtable’ which gives continuing students an opportunity to visit, network and learn from Chief Executive Officers and senior managers of corporations who have one thing in common – they are alumni of USIU-Africa. This marked the third of such visits; the previous two being, a visit to the Kenyan Parliament and the Nairobi Securities Exchange PLC.
The visit was courtesy of the General Manager, AAR Healthcare Kenya Limited, Elizabeth Wasunna, who is an alumnus of USIU-Africa, having graduated with a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance. In her presentation to the students, she shared her story and her journey from University to her current position. “It is important to build one’s brand right from university and through life, be reliable and a person of your word, and passionately work hard at everything you do,” she said.
Thereafter, the General Manager invited Dr. Mburu to introduce the students to the Clinical Operations of AAR Healthcare – Doctor/ Pharmacy/ Lab/ Nursing who gave the students insights on the major services offered by the corporation. This was followed by a walk to the clinic, and ambulance to learn first-hand how they operate. The experience was rich in knowledge, provided lessons and excitement for the students.
Finally, the day was concluded by a networking session during lunch, courtesy of the General Manager, Elizabeth Wasunna. Thanks to the Alumni Relations Department, led by Mr. Michael Kisilu, students have been inspired, mentored, motivated, as well as received internship opportunities from these visits under the continuous CEO roundtable program. It is encouraging to know how positively impactful the USIU-Africa Alumni network is; when its potential is fully utilized for the benefit of the continuing students.
By Benjamin Nengomasha
On Friday, November 17, USIU-Africa students were given a unique opportunity to attend the third edition of the CEO roundtable at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The occasion began with a warm welcome extended by the management team, three of whom are proud USIU-Africa alums, including the CEO.
The meeting kicked off with an engaging address by the CEO of the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Mr Geofrey Odundo. He shared his journey from humble beginnings, reflecting on his time as a student and the pivotal role USIU-Africa played in shaping his career. Emphasizing the practicality of the skills gained, he underscored the value of education in opening doors and encouraged students to approach learning with an open mind.
The CEO's address seamlessly transitioned into a professional discussion about the financial industry, focusing on investment banking and other careers in finance. As the CEO highlighted the significance of the NSE as the barometer for the Kenyan economy, the largest market in East and West Africa and the second most innovative market in Africa, he outlined the lucrative opportunities available for students pursuing majors in accounting, finance, and technology. He shed light on the various potential careers in finance and how to actively look for internships and secure them while making investments and building personal wealth.
Mr. David Wainaina, the NSE's Chief Operating Officer, reinforced the value of education and stressed the importance of effective communication and confidence in the professional environment. He encouraged students to participate in the NSE's Investor Challenge, citing its potential for job placement opportunities and prizes.
The event also featured insights from the Strategy Risk and Compliance Director, Mr David Wagemma, who delved into the role of big data in the finance industry, particularly in FinTech. He highlighted career opportunities in IT and Software Engineering, emphasizing his most significant takeaway from leadership courses: the importance of finding one's voice and identity in the professional world.
Adding a valuable perspective, the Chief Business Officer at the NSE, Ms. Mbithe Muema, shared her journey from adversity to a leadership role in the finance industry. She inspired young aspiring women to pursue their dreams and detailed the transformative steps the NSE is taking toward digitizing the trading platform. The Dosikaa app, she explained, facilitates automation and eases trading.
The event concluded with a dynamic question-and-answer panel, where students interacted with seasoned professionals from the NSE. The importance of personal values, resilience, humility, and the significance of networking was reiterated, leaving students with a profound understanding of the financial industry and the attributes required for success. The event served as a powerful catalyst for students, providing them with knowledge and a roadmap for navigating the complex and dynamic world of finance.
By Racheal N. Ngumi
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) was ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’.
The digital age has been one that has been characterized with change and progression that has seen great strides made in innovations and technology, which has contributed to how we live and engage. Women have been part of these great strides and untold contributions to which these accomplishments against all odds have made historical advancements in the technology sector.
Acknowledging the existing gender gaps in digital access will ensure and bring in a more inclusive culture where women can fully express themselves through their ideas, innovations and technology and in turn advance and strengthen their growth and development. Having women participate and take lead in their decision-making provides a space for their representation in their education, careers, health etc. Having them represented in these spaces, for instance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will address gender inequity challenges and barriers they experience and will encourage and empower them towards tech design and innovation.
Further growth and development in digital technology is opening new doors for the global empowerment of women, girls and other marginalized groups. From gender-responsive digital learning to tech-facilitated healthcare and financial related technology, the digital age represents an opportunity to eliminate all forms of disparity and inequality. Growing inequalities are becoming increasingly evident in the context of digital skills and access to technologies, with women being left behind as the result of this digital gender divide. The need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education is therefore crucial for a sustainable future. Furthermore, addressing barriers such as the pervasive threat of online gender-based violence coupled with a lack of legal recourse will make great advances towards providing a preventive and responsive approach that will further address and acknowledge the challenges they face in the digital spaces they occupy.
Adopting a gender-responsive approach to innovation, technology and digital education can increase the awareness of women and girls regarding their rights and engagement. Advancements in digital technology offer immense opportunities to address their growth and development and as a result achieve the Sustainable Development Goals set on gender equality.
We call upon YOU to power on in the efforts YOU have made in the digital world. To make it safer, more inclusive and more equitable for women and girls. To encourage their participation and empower them toward making great innovations and technology.
By Dan Muchai
Culture Week 2019 will begin this Tuesday, March 5 and climax with the Culture Concert on the night of March 7. An exhibition of food, dance and artifacts from 20 cultural communities represented at USIU-Africa will be held behind the cafeteria on Tuesday, March 5 and Wednesday, March 6, while the Culture Concert will feature this communities presenting their dance routines on stage from 7pm on Thursday, March 7.
The Culture Week 2019 Committee invites you to be part of this celebration of cultural diversity of cultural diversity by purchasing regular tickets at KES 450, or VIP tickets for KES 2,500 online on ticketsasa.com
By Joyce Wanjiku
During the Black History Month celebrations, on Thursday February 17, Antonio Longangi in his unpublished book “Amandla: Born of the First Congo War” recounts his memory of the War.
“In my whining and escorting mother, something stopped us. A strange sound resonated not far from the house. The ground was shaking and the question was "What's that?" Repeated explosions followed by the sound of guns started screaming on the East side of the city and everything changed from that instant. The sound was coming from the military camp of Katindo, as I thought at the start, and the panic was on. The ground was shaking when it repeated, again, again, and again. It felt as if mountains were rising and pushing away everything on their way up”
Longangi joined Mrs. Lucy Kung’u, Principal Counsellor, to discuss matters related to childhood and mental health. What is a child to do in the wake of a war? What are the ramifications of war on children? Trauma is the short answer.
Antonio shared how living through the war, fleeing, watching death, dust, smoke, fire and explosions impacted his mental wellness. The innocence of childhood bliss of a child who gets excited at the thought of adventure when he sees his people fleeing gets robbed and is replaced by a premature awakening. A child who once knew only laughter and joy now gets to know good and evil. Immortality becomes real to them. They have witnessed the chaos of life, the fragility and unpredictability of life, the human condition rooted in fear and survival and the world becomes simply a deserted and chaotic place.
Trauma manifested itself in Antonio’s life in the form of an existential crisis, existential vulnerability, high emotional walls and many ways of compensating such as creativity and taking on responsibility.
Additionally, Mrs. Kung’u also shared other causes for trauma in children such as neglect, domestic violence, deprivation of basic human needs, bullying, defilement and natural calamities. She also talked about other ways in which trauma manifests itself including but not limited to disturbed sleep, nightmares, avoidance, projection and flashbacks.
When left unchecked, trauma could develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which constantly reminds them of their traumatic experience. Trauma hinders children from being their most resilient self as it disempowers them such that they are no longer able to do things they otherwise would without much trouble.
In the discussions, it was evident that Black youth empowerment should start with owning our story and part of that story is that Africa as a continent has a history of trauma ranging from issues to do with slavery, colonialism, war and conflicts etc. There is a need to let go, learn, and relearn for the black man to be in his best mental states. Peace must then be our guiding light. We must then be intentional with the eradication of mental unwellness related stigma in Africa which is a result a lack of knowledge. It is only then that we shall regain our ability to be happy, functional, and productive. The path to wellness begins by telling our stories.
By Antonio Longangi
Antonio Longangi (Class of 2021) released his debut non-fiction "Amandla: Born of the First Congo War" on Saturday, June 4 at Alliance Française Nairobi. The event was graced by several members of the University community (faculty and students) and a panel of experts featuring professionals in academia and non-profits.
The book is a memoir of the First Congo War (1996-97) as experienced by a young Congolese boy in the early stages of his childhood. It extrapolates on the ramifications of such an experience on the boy now a young adult, bringing out the questions of Congolese identity and collective trauma sprouting from turbulent experiences. The book also features a Foreword by Mrs. Lucy Kung'u (Principal Counsellor, Counseling Services, USIU-Africa) and an Afterword by Marko van der Beek (Founder of a Netherland based Psyray company, ScanCoaching).
Speaking at the event, Dr. Nicodemus Minde, Lecturer, International Relations at USIU-Africa highlighted the importance of individual narrative in shaping the collective memory of events. He explained that individual experiences are essential in understanding the impact historical events have on a nation. In the same vein, Mr. Christian Rumu, Human Rights Campaigner, Amnesty International, pointed out the importance of understanding events through the eyes of those who experienced them. He argued that outsiders may bring solutions, but they often fail to realize the intrinsic needs of those affected by the various challenges they are addressing as it has been the case in the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Other speakers discussed the author, Antonio Longangi, and his book which is a testament to a story of generations past and present living in conflict zones. Dr. Lax, linguistic expert and former Language lecturer at USIU-Africa shared her experience working with Longangi on editing the book. "I accepted to help because I understood how serious Longangi was about the book and the story he wanted to tell," she said.
On a more personal note, Victor Mshindi (Class of 2017) recounted his early interactions with the author and his work. "We waited so long for him to complete this work and seeing what he turned it into the wait was worth it."
The book launch was concluded by the official baptism of "Amandla: Born of the First Congo War" and the author promised more stories to be released soon. Antonio Longangi left his country, the DRC, in pursuit of a world-class education that he received at USIU-Africa and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations, Diplomacy and Foreign Policy.
USIU-Africa is pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Munyae M. Mulinge to the position of Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic & Students Affairs effective Tuesday, March 1, 2022 for a period of one year.
Prof. Mulinge joined USIU-Africa in January 2009. He has served the University in various capacities including being Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS), Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences (February 2011 to April 2014), Associate DVC, Academic Affairs (September 2017 to January 31, 2021), and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs (March 2021 to February 2022).
Prof. Mulinge holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Iowa, USA. Prof. Mulinge has taught Sociology in various colleges and universities in the United States, Botswana, and Kenya.
He has conducted research in varied areas, including Higher Education (focusing on governance and the quality of postgraduate training), job satisfaction and organizational attachment, corruption and economic mismanagement, ethnicity and HIV/AIDS, leading to the authorship and publication of many research works with internationally acclaimed journals and publishing houses.
Congratulations to Prof. Mulinge as he takes up his new position.
Fred Okoth, an Applied Computer Technology Major is now a team member of the Samurai Rugby Squad and he will be taking part in Safari 7’s scheduled to take place this weekend.
This came after he shared a video of himself playing on social media during the Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) games held in Makerere University, Kampala Uganda earlier this month. The video prompted Samurai RFC officials to travel to Nairobi to interview Fred further on his passion and expertise in the game.
Samurai Rugby founded in 1996, is one of the best invitational 7s teams in the world which develops players and coaches through a growth mindset, compete to win everything and have a lot of fun.
Mr. Okoth, is also currently under the sports scholarship program after he was scouted by the USIU-Africa Rugby team from Maseno School. We wish him the best as he represents the Samurai team and USIU-Africa.
In other sports updates, our various sports teams participated in hockey, swimming and Chess in the ongoing Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) University league. In hockey, the men’s team beat Kenyatta University- Parklands campus 2-0. Our swimming team emerged 2 while our Chess players were position 9 in the leagues.
By Lola Hannigan
The concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not new, for a long time there has been discussions and imaginations of a world where robots will be living alongside human beings. AI and its recent advances can be felt in nearly every sector worldwide.
According to Katherine Haan's article in Forbes (2023), data sourced from the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that at the end 2023, nine out of ten organizations were supporting AI for competitive advantage. 85.1% of AI users were using the technology for article writing and content creation and that 35% of businesses globally had adopted AI. The number is expected to go higher with prediction of the AI market size growing to $407 billion and 64% of businesses/organizations globally using AI by 2027.
In the media industry, AI has revolutionized how content is generated and created, how it is distributed and even how consumers receive it and at what times. Furthermore, through AI media companies are able to tailor-make content for a consumer and know exactly when to push it to them.
With AI algorithms, media companies can analyze user behavior, preference and historical data to deliver tailored content whether it is articles, videos or podcast across different communication platforms. Thus media companies are able understand their audience better, optimize distribution strategies, carry out more effective media & advertising campaigns and maximize engagement.
Through ChatGPT, which had 100 million monthly active users within two months of its launch, journalist can generate news articles, press releases, media briefs and more within seconds. Additionally, there are other AI tools like Gencraft, Pixlre, Canva, DeepAi that let you create a photo in no time, and with Speechify Studio, you can generate a whole movie.
While AI has immensely improved operations in the media industry, it also comes with its downsides and challenges. With AI there is a high risk of misinformation and spread of fake news facilitated by malicious actors, there are also privacy issues surrounding AI due to its ability to collect a lot of information from the users sometimes without consent.
Additionally, with the ability of AI to perform multiple tasks faster, there are concerns that this might cause job losses or reduced demands of skills especially from journalists, editors and other media personalities. Also, the tech giants that develop AI technology have so much power which might stifle competition and fuel issues related to algorithm bias and censorship especially in the media industry.
With that said, AI will keep advancing and it is paramount for the media industry to embrace and leverage on its potential as well as work towards minimizing the risks associated with using AI.
Caption: Damaris Irungu Ochieng’ is currently one of the most sought-after scriptwriters on the continent, having scripted shows like Makutano Junction, Jastorina, Kona, Mali, Pray and Prey, Nyumba 10, Knowzone, Kiberan ShakesPeare, Sopie, Die Husband For and Run Honeymooners.
By Dr. Rachael Diang’a
Film Production and Directing students had a unique opportunity to learn from an award-winning scriptwriter and script editor on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, when the Department of Cinematic Arts organized a virtual scriptwriting mentorship session with Damaris Irungu Ochieng’ for its Scriptwriting concentration students. Scriptwriting is one of the four concentrations in USIU-Africa’s BA Film Production and Directing program. The other three are Directing, Editing and Cinematography.
Damaris Irungu Ochieng’ is currently one of the most sought-after scriptwriters on the continent, having written Emmy Award-winning scripts, emerged a finalist at the Durban International Film Festival Film lab, among so many other prestigious engagements in the global film market. She has written/edited scripts for so many successful films screened on DSTV, Showmax and a wide array of other local and international platforms. Locally, she is more known for scripting: Makutano Junction, Jastorina, Kona, Mali, Pray and Prey, Nyumba 10, Knowzone, Kiberan ShakesPeare, Sopie, Die Husband For and Run Honeymooners.
With an expansive writing experience in writing for film, TV, comic books, fictional and nonfictional books, Damaris was the best speaker selected to motivate and mentor our young writers this semester. She interacted with the enthusiastic students on all aspects of scripting, giving them hope about an area in film making that has received less attention in the creative industry. “I really enjoyed the information shared. We’ve gotten to see such an exciting side of the film industry, especially learning how it works for scriptwriters,” admits Gracia Olesa, Film Production and Directing Major, who attended the session.
The students were guided through tips on how to make meaningful career income from scriptwriting. As doctors, engineers, accountants and all other professionals make money from their skills and knowledge, Damaris emphasized that the time was nigh for not just creatives in general, but specifically screenwriters in Africa to make money from their art.
“Although all screen media start with a script, scriptwriting is the most misunderstood job in film sectors in developing countries. Similarly, a lot of upcoming filmmakers tend to shy away from scripting, preferring areas that come with faster fame like acting and directing and even producing and cinematography, which have a sizeable amount of control. Scriptwriters get less attention during festivals and awards ceremonies because their work is not shown in its original (written) form in the pomp and glamour that characterize the cinematic industry,” she said.
“In a finished audio-visual product, it’s difficult to quickly single out the input of a writer since the director’s visualization of the script kind of takes over and the dividing line between the director’s and the writer’s work gets blurred in the eyes of many,” she noted.
This confusion notwithstanding, the students who attended the session were shown how much control and flexibility writing accords them, especially in certain delicate situations such as where one has to create a healthy balance between family and work, or when having multiple jobs.
The students were further guided on a variety of areas of interest including how to how to generate and develop stunning story ideas into saleable scripts. Writing can be a lonely journey and often times in this process of turning ideas into final scripts questions of doubt may cross a writer’s mind.
“As an aspiring writer, this session has been very informative and very insightful and some of the questions I have been asking and the problems I have encountered as a writer have been answered,” says Christian Khaemba, (Junior, BA Film Production & Directing, Scripting concentration).
This is the essence of inviting industry professionals to mentor our students since not everything can be taught and mastered within the confines of the classroom. Some issues get clarified along the way as our students seamlessly transition into the film industry.
Jonathan Chola, a BA in Film Production & Direction Freshman is elated by this approach to learning. He says, “When someone who is in the industry comes and talks to you, it’s like you get to see the future in a sense. You get to learn from someone else’s experiences which is the best way to learn; because when time comes and you have to face a similar situation, you know what to look out for.”
As is common with mentorship, Mrs. Irungu Ochieng’ did not leave the students without some crucial tips on how to make it in the writing business since writing is currently gaining currency in Kenya.
Jemima Gichuru, a BA in Film Production & Direction Senior in the Scripting concentration was impressed by Mrs. Irungu Ochieng’s willingness to share some tips to succeeding in scriptwriting, noting that it was interesting to hear from her how the industry works and to know that more and more people are into scriptwriting. Some of the tips were shared to navigate the industry as an up and coming scriptwriter included:
1. Never get comfortable where you are;
2. Always be hungry to learn new things;
3. Continue investing in and developing yourself;
4. Be willing to start with a lower job than you think you should;
5. Flex your muscle beyond your comfort zone;
6. We are all multi-talented,
7. Stand and be counted as part of the Africa Rising narrative, we need it.
USIU-Africa’s Cinematic programs stand out for their close interaction with the industry and in the Spring Semester, over ten industry professionals have given guest lectures in the classes. These have been drawn from Kenya, USA, Uganda, and Nigeria among other countries. The idea is to expose our students as much as possible to a variety of cinematic cultures from all over the world.
By Joyce Wachuka
Managing your finances as a student is an important life skill every student should have. Such knowledge is not like a high school chemistry lesson that may or may not be applicable later in life. Developing good decision-making skills when it comes to your money is something that can be practiced as soon as you learn it till the day you die. With more students starting up local businesses in the locale, learning how to be financially responsible and grow one’s finances as well is a skill any student interested in the state of their financial pockets should learn.
The world changed after COVID-19, on a medical level as well as financial. Currently in Kenya, inflation is on the rise which means that the cost of living is also on the rise. Between the increased costs in fuel, as well as everyday items, it has become clear that without good financial practices, everyday living may be increasingly difficult for the working man let alone a university student.
It is thus imperative for students to learn and apply good financial practices as early as now. It not only betters their chance for a more secure financial future, but also ensures that students learn to make good financial choices as early as now.
One could wonder what the consequence would be for not learning how to manage and grow their finances. In all honesty there is a possibility that nothing may change, life may continue just as it had before, supported either by your guardian or by yourself. However, that may not always be the case. By not learning how to manage your finances, one can be led down the treacherous road of irresponsible money handling such as frivolous spending, gambling as well as forming a good rapport with your local loan shark.
So where should one start? Well for one if you have your local loan shark on speed dial you should delete their contacts. The first step would be to assess your current financial state this includes your current income streams and expenditures. Know how much you have compared to how much you spend. Consult a financial advisor if you are in debt and work out a suitable plan to clearing the debt without having to rob a bank.
Work on your saving habits, learning to set aside a certain amount of money every time you earn takes discipline and commitment.
Research on investment options. Most banks right now offer ways to invest your money in-house. Learning about how to invest your money through programs like Mpesa’s Mshwari, MMFs (Money Market Funds) and bond investments is a step in the right direction.
In conclusion, managing your money does not have to be rocket science. But it does call for discipline and a little research. Doing so can also increase your knowledge. It calls for one to be willing to take responsibility for their current financial state and to set financial goals for the future.
By Lauryn Gitau
On Wednesday, July 26, students in Filming and Directing from the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts went for a field trip to the Maisha Magic studios on Ngong Road. The aim of the trip was to expose the students to a real film set experience and mentorship from industry players. What started as a simple excursion turned into an unforgettable experience for the students.
Courtesy of our host, veteran film and TV producer Njoki Muhoho, the 30 of us plus our lecturer herself an award winning film and TV producer, director and scriptwriter, Ms. Sheila Mulinya, were immediately welcomed by Margaret and Tecla, the Zebra Productions Producers of the ongoing Maisha Magic series, Salem. We were intrigued as we witnessed the intricate details of their pageant themed set that was the filming location of the day. The lavish backdrop was brilliant white with hints of tangerine orange and it was adorned with sparkling lights creating an enchanting ambience fit for a pageant queen. Every element of the set was crafted to perfection, capturing the essence of opulence and grandeur that defines a beauty pageant. It was like stepping into a realm of enchantment, where ordinary spaces transformed into extraordinary worlds through the magic of cinema.
Meeting the crew behind the otherworldly set up was a dream come true. The Salem set’s costume department was a treasure trove of elegance. Gowns of various styles and colors sourced from Uganda and Tanzania lined the racks, each meticulously chosen to reflect the characters’ unique personalities for the contest. Lincoln, the wardrobe stylist, animatedly explained the vision for the costumes that would ensure that every dress would be a showstopper. Their dedication to the craft was inspiring and their stories of perseverance fueled our dreams, igniting a fire within us to pursue our creative aspirations.
In a captivating encounter that left an indelible mark on us, we had the privilege of meeting the formidable and indefatigable veteran Kenyan film and TV producer, Njoki Muhoho. Despite being on the brink of leaving town for a trip, Ms. Muhoho, the CEO of Zebra Productions, generously spared an hour of her precious time to mentor us on the intricacies of Kenya's film and TV production industry, particularly shedding light on the highly anticipated TV show, Salem, which her company has been commissioned to produce for MNET.
During our brief but impactful session, Ms. Muhoho delivered a tough-love speech, sharing her invaluable experiences and the challenges she encounters while holding the reins of Zebra Productions. As the driving force behind the success of the Salem TV series, she emphasized the significance of discipline, dedication and the observance of professional processes in film production. Her words served as a guiding light, igniting a flame of determination within each of us to pursue our passion for filmmaking with unwavering focus and enthusiasm.
With the local Kenyan film and TV production industry in its nascent stages, Ms. Muhoho reassured us that despite the challenges, there are ample opportunities for those who dare to seize them. As we embark on our journeys to graduation, her words will serve as a constant reminder that success in this field lies not only in talent but also in embracing hard work, perseverance and the courage to soar with the opportunities that come our way.
As the day unfolded, fate intervened in the most unexpected way with an unexpected change of plan venue and we once again found our way on the university bus snaking our way into the “Nderi Film Village” where the main Salem set is situated. A chance encounter with the kind-hearted award winning actor Ainea Ojiambo and award winning film and TV director Victor Gatonye opened a door I had never imagined. Luckily for us, they were good friends with our lecturer Prof. Mulinya. Upon request, and through their friendship that has lasted over two decades, the two professionals immediately accepted to spare their time to chat with us about their experiences for the over 20 years that they have worked the craft in the local film and TV production industry in Kenya.
Ainea Ojiambo, known for playing villains and for his role as Snake in the Makutano Junction TV series emphasized the importance of being disciplined in the creative industry and shared insightful advice that every student took to heart. He noted that one of his most difficult roles to date was that of playing a soft guy in a film.
“I had to watch multiple movies where the character kills themselves just to get ready to play the part,” he said. He showed us that he’s not very different from us and that at the core of it all, we were all dreamers and believers in the power of imagination. His words struck a chord within us and it was as if a veil of awe was being lifted.
Film/ TV director Victor Gatonye who is currently directing the Kina TV series joined us, taking us through his personal journey as a passionate storyteller. “I just do stories,” Gatonye stated. He reminded us that filmmaking is not merely about the cameras and lights; it’s about delving into the boundless universe of imagination where dreams take flight and stories come alive.
When asked what part of production is most exciting to him, he quickly replied that apart from directing its “prepping and editing, I love colors”. He described how the creation stage was a delicate balance of structure and spontaneity. He spoke about the joys of collaborating with screenwriters and bouncing ideas back and forth since it was where the initial vision of the story came to life, fueled by passion and editing put everything into place. It was during these stages that the possibilities were limitless and he felt like the conductor guiding the orchestra of creativity with his baton of vision.
We also had a session with veteran film/TV producer John Karanja, himself native of Nderi village who also shared with us some nuggets of wisdom on navigating the fickle local film and TV production industry. The three professionals effortlessly answered our numerous questions. Sharing their experiences was testament to their kindness, generosity and desire to impart knowledge to our generation. Overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement, we eagerly hung on to every word and moment that they shared.
Afterwards, we embarked on a tour of various sets on the Salem location and discovered that each one held a story waiting to be told. Our first stop was a quaint and timeless bedroom set. Adorned with posters of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, the room exuded warmth and reflected the character’s deeply religious personality. Next, we found ourselves in a classroom set brimming with potential and aspiration. The walls were adorned with colorful posters and inspirational quotes, igniting a sense of curiosity and ambition. We stepped into a Principal’s office set that was right next. The ambience was a blend of determination and resolve, where a strict professional navigated the challenges of the daily grind. As we entered the dimly lit jail set, the atmosphere grew heavy. We joked around, locking each other up and begging to be set free but the cold iron bars seemed to tell stories of mistakes and second chances. We got to experience different sets like an interrogation room, rural home and gym all in one location. Mr. Karanja even took us to see the laundry, prop, massage and lounge rooms for the cast and crew explaining how each room benefitted the entire production. The sets serve as vessels for storytelling, mirrors reflecting the human experience and the myriad of emotions we encounter in life. We were reminded that storytelling is a powerful tool to evoke empathy, understanding and connection among individuals.
Later, time seemed to standstill as we stood amidst the cameras, lights and action on the Kina set. We had the rare opportunity to watch scenes being shot in real time and the crew’s passion and dedication were palpable. The rush of adrenaline and the anticipation of being in the behind the scenes of a live TV production were indescribable. However, watching the path to movie magic wasn’t all that smooth. Witnessing the crew’s tenacity during retakes resonated with our experiences in university. It reminded us of the importance of perseverance since behind every perfect shot lay countless moments of patience and determination – a valuable lesson beyond the film set.
The class trip to the Salem and Kina film sets was so much more than a mere academic excursion; it was a transformative journey of self-discovery and friendship. We left the sets that day inspired, equipped with newfound wisdom, ready to take on the world of Kenyan film and TV production with the wind beneath our wings, just like Salem's soaring storyline.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Benching for Education, championed by Anoon Bul Aguer Kuir, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar from South Sudan, started as a community-driven initiative seeking to provide durable and comfortable benches to the students in Kings Secondary School. The challenge of insufficient seating facilities impeded the learning experience at the school, posing a challenge for both students and educators. Through collaboration with the community, the project aimed to enhance the learning environment, promote student well-being, and advance the school's mission of providing quality education.
Anoon, a third-year student in the Bachelor of International Relations program at USIU-Africa, firmly believes that education is the key to empowerment, and that every student deserves a comfortable space to learn and grow. Through the project, which ran from October 14 to 20, 2023, she was able to put her belief in action by providing the school with 10 weather-resistant benches.
These benches, strategically placed in classrooms, study areas, and outdoor spaces, greatly improved the students’ well-being, as they no longer had to sit on the ground or on makeshift seating. Designed to withstand adverse weather conditions and to accommodate varying age groups, the benches have benefited 30 students, with each bench designed to seat three students.
Anoon credits Mr. Alier Abraham, the school’s Managing Director and Mr. Matiop Kuol, the Principal, for their leadership during the implementation of the project.
“Their strategic guidance, commitment to educational excellence, and enthusiasm for creating an optimal learning environment were instrumental in steering the project toward success. Their vision and collaborative spirit laid the foundation for a transformative initiative, which seeks to address the fourth Sustainable Development Goal of providing quality education,” Anoon says.
The project has had a profound impact on students at the school, with students reporting improved comfort during classes and breaks due to the availability of benches. This has positively impacted their well-being, reducing the physical strain and discomfort associated with inadequate seating.
The provision of proper seating has contributed to increased academic engagement. Students are now more focused and participative in classroom activities, leading to potential improvements in academic performance. The project has also instilled a sense of dignity and equality among students. Access to uniform and comfortable seating ensures that every student, regardless of background, has an equal opportunity to learn in a conducive environment.
At the community level, Anoon notes that the project has fostered a sense of community engagement. Parents and members of the community, observing the positive changes in the school environment, are more likely to be involved in school activities, promoting a collaborative educational atmosphere.
“The success of the Benching for Education Project has inspired discussions about addressing other infrastructure challenges in the community. It has sparked conversations about potential future initiatives to improve the overall educational experience further by providing the students with computers, school buses, and additional classroom facilities,” she says.
With recommendations for continuous monitoring and expansion of the initiative, the Benching for Education Project is poised to inspire future interventions that will bring about transformative change not only at Kings Secondary School, but across South Sudan.
By Taigu Muchiri
Every year, USIU-Africa celebrates Black History Month during the month of February. On Monday February 4, Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Zeleza delivered the key note address marking the commencement of Black History Month 2019 activities.
Speaking during the opening, Prof. Zeleza mentioned that the African migration story can be turned into a success and not as a problem as viewed across the world.
The African diaspora is having a positive impact in the countries that they have chosen to reside in. As a member of the diaspora himself, the Vice Chancellor noted how acquainted he is with the challenges and opportunities of living and working in the diaspora. In his view, the African diaspora are indispensable to Africa and can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by contributing gainful in their countries.
One such impactful and far-reaching initiative is the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program that has so far awarded 385 fellowships to African-born academics to work with host institutions in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria and Ghana, to work on projects in research collaboration, graduate student teaching/mentoring and curriculum co-development.
Prof. Zeleza also reminded his audience of other impactful areas that the African diaspora can engage in such as the political, economic and social spheres in their home countries.
He pointed out that political involvement began as far back as the first generation of political leaders in Africa, who took up the reins of government in their newly-independent countries as a result of diaspora engagements. He called on the diaspora community to actively engage their governments and the diplomatic communities to bring about much needed change in development.
The diaspora economic contributions through philanthropy, skilled manpower, investments and remittances, have also become equally impactful by providing much needed economic boost in their home countries. Indeed a World Bank report shows that current remittance flows to developing countries currently stands at $457 billion worldwide and $69 billion to the African continent and this is projected to grow in the next couple of years.
Prof. Zeleza concluded by underlining the economic potential present in the Diaspora’s large trained and experienced work force that has the potential to turn Africa’s brain drain into brain gain and circulation. Most of the students who study abroad usually return home and transfer new knowledge and skills to improve and enhance development projects.
Other activities that will be the highlight of this year’s Black History Month celebrations include the evolution and history of Black History Month and linkage between black migration in Africa and the diaspora, refugees and displacement using an interdisciplinary approach to explain the illegal movement of the African people across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.
In the United States, the month will be observed under the theme “Black Migration” which emphasizes the movement of people of African descent to new destinations and subsequently to new social realities. While reflective of earlier centuries, this year’s theme focuses on migration patterns from the twentieth century to date.
The theme will also sensitize the community on the emerging issues related to black migration on the continent, inspire Africans to appreciate the continent and believe that they can succeed in making it a better place. The theme is expected to generate relevant discussions in our continent that are currently influencing policy in the United States and Europe.
By Lydia Winda
The month of October is global breast cancer awareness month which is geared at creating awareness about breast cancer and showing solidarity with cancer survivors, those we have lost to breast cancer and those who have lost their loved ones to breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally and the second most common cancer overall after lung cancer in both developed and developing countries, low – and – middle – income countries. This can be attributed to increase in life expectancy and the adoption of a western lifestyle. There were over 2 million new cases of breast cancer worldwide in 2018. In Kenya, there are 28,000 cases diagnosed annually.
Both men and women can get breast cancer, but it is more common among women. Some of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:
Risks of Breast Cancer
Diagnosis
Breast self-exam is important for early detection of a lump. This can be done through a mammogram or a breast ultrasound. Your doctor can also recommend an MRI and biopsy to determine its presence and extent. Try and get as much information and knowledge about the diagnosis.
Early diagnosis of breast cancer is highly encouraged for early diagnosis to mitigate morbidity and mortality associated with it. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths associated with this disease is steadily declining, largely due to factors such as earlier detection, a new personalized approach to treatment and a better understanding of the disease.
Breast self-examination chart
A breast self-exam can help screen for; check for tumors, cysts and other abnormalities in the breasts.
Adopted from; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215940/, https://www.who.int/health-topics/cancer#tab=tab_1 , https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/symptoms.htm
Prevention of breast cancer
.
Studies have shown that psychosocial support is vital for breast cancer patients right from diagnosis throughout their treatment period. The need of psychosocial support is attributed to psychological distress, fears, pain, cognitive, social and functional problems that have been documented in many studies.
By Tebby Otieno
Education among students who struggle with internet connections may soon change in some of the country's educational institutions. That follows the recent relaunch of Learn Kernel, a video-like device that has piqued the interest of several scholars from private learning institutions in participating in the pilot project and using the device as a learning tool for a subset of their students.
Speaking during the launch at United States International University-Africa, Learn Kernel's Director of Business Development, Erica Potter, described the device as a tool that will empower and transform education by bridging the digital gap among learners who do not have access to computers or smartphones in their schools.
“Learn Kernel is a tool that local communities are able to use and have been asking for a long time to propel their transformative education content. There are programs to help the youth, women, children and men in Kenya to increase their livelihood, knowledge and knowhow,” Erica said.
The schools will load local informational content into the devices before distributing them to their students, who will learn by watching videos, bringing them closer to the digital world. The school administration will decide on the content.
According to Jeffrey Potter, Chief Executive Officer of Learn Kernel, a wealth of content is available for various groups interested in using the device to educate their members. He says the company can create content for those who request it and load content provided by respective institutions.
“For schools, students can self-load the next course work that they do every couple of weeks and we expect to create an ecosystem that allows that no child in our schools in Kenya is going to be left behind, they are all going to have access to the digital world,” he told Nation.
Learn Kernel has infinite chapters and can store up to 16 hours of video for learners to watch offline. He says the tool has the same learning effectiveness as tablets and the ability to spread throughout a community with an excellent snowball effect.
While the primary schools that will participate in the pilot project are private, the founders hope to work with the government in the future through the Ministry of Education. Two universities will also have their students participate in the pilot program as part of their certificate courses.
Apart from schools, the Learn Kernel device is used to train members in the agricultural, medical, innovative, and entrepreneurship industries, thanks to its audio and video combination feature, which enables effective communication of complex information.
In January 2018, Learn Kernel was launched in Kenya to educate people working with the World Food Programme in the country. During this time, the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) learned about it, received 100 Learn Kernels devices, and began testing their effectiveness.
Saliou Niassy, Head Technology Transfer Unit TTU at ICIPE, says that since then, they have developed several cartoon and video tutorials on agriculture that they load into the devices and distribute to their farmers.
“Agricultural technologies especially those that are nature based are not easy to disseminate but these devises help farmers to have direct access to knowledge in a very fast way. We have used several versions for technology dissemination, learning and training and also contributed in shaping their functionalities to make them more convenient to the users,” he says.
Learn Kernel is partnering with Social Innovation Africa, a leading economic, social, cultural, and governance think tank. The duo is poised to have a transformative impact toward a more inclusive and digitally empowered Kenya. The collaboration also aims to close the digital divide while expanding access to education, promising a bright future for learners, particularly those previously digitally excluded.
“Part of the pilot program is that participating institutions will assess and see whether there is an improvement in the performance after a given period of time with the Learn Kernel and without it, “says the Social Innovation Africa, Regional Director Kenneth Baraza Mpyisi.
Apart from Kenya, the Learn Kernel device is used in Tanzania, Honduras, the Philippines, and Venezuela, with the founders claiming that the tool was the first digital device with which learners in most rural areas interacted in less than three years of its implementation in other African countries.
According to them, the tool has demonstrated efficiency, efficacy, functionality, usability, and feasibility. Learn Kernel, in collaboration with its partners, is running the "EducaVie" project in Africa this year to raise awareness and create projects that enable new learning opportunities throughout Africa to improve learners' educational roadmap.
By the Gender Equity and Protection Department and Alumni Relations Department
A collaborative effort between the USIU-Africa Alumni Relations Department, the Gender Equity and Protection Office, and the SheLeads project culminated in an impactful webinar titled "Bridging the Leadership Gaps: The Role of Women Leaders." Held on February 22, the webinar sparked enlightening discussions and empowered participants to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by women in leadership positions. Moderated by Ms. Hannah Moturi, a Gender and Development Specialist, the session featured esteemed panelists including Ms. Lucy Wairimu-Founder and CEO, True North Kenya, Ms. Hannah Gichuki- Corporate Business Trainer, Coach and Speaker, Ms. Sharon Cheramboss- Director of Policy and Partnerships, Bridge International Academics, Dr. Caroline Wanjiku Munene-Maxwell Certified Leadership trainer, Coach and Speaker, and Ms. Elizabeth Wassuna- Certified Career Coach, International Coaching Federation.
Throughout the session, attendees from diverse backgrounds engaged in insightful presentations and interactive panel discussions. Keynote speakers emphasized the significance of empowering women to assume leadership roles, highlighting their potential to drive positive change and foster inclusive growth. Panelists shared personal experiences and success stories, inspiring participants to advocate for gender equality and create supportive environments for women leaders.
Furthermore, the webinar provided a valuable platform for networking and collaboration, enabling participants to connect with like-minded individuals passionate about promoting gender equity in leadership. Attendees expressed gratitude for the opportunity to exchange ideas, share resources, and form alliances to advance women's leadership initiatives.
In conclusion, the webinar served as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and action towards achieving gender parity in leadership. As participants continue to reflect on the insights gained and implement actionable strategies in their respective spheres, it is expected that the ripple effects of the session are poised to make a lasting impact across communities and organizations while enhancing thoughts on involvement, challenging stereotypes related.
By John Sande
Many teenagers and young people today have an active presence on social media. Irrespective of the platform used, social communication with friends and family and curation of public images is particularly popular among people of all age groups. Question is, would your social-media footprint put you in good stead or would it stand in the way of your future success?
Justine Sacco, a high-flying Communications Director with the New York-based internet empire InterActive Corporation was sacked mid-air while enroute to South Africa for vacation, following an insensitive tweet about HIV/AIDS on the continent.
In a related incident, a young woman lost her internship job position at NASA after using profanity-laced language on Twitter, and swearing at a National Space Council Member.
Regionally, Zambia President Edgar Lungu sacked his Cabinet Education Minister for appearing in a leaked nude video that went viral on social media via WhatsApp.
Locally, in a much-publicized occurrence, Tourism Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Najib Balala revoked the appointment of Ms. Pauline Njoroge to the Tourism Regulatory Authority after one of her earlier tweets termed the Nairobi National Park useless. The CS went ahead to say they did not want to be associated with such people.
On the academic scene, a report from the Harvard Crimson indicated the renowned Harvard University revoked admissions offers to a number of students after reports indicated they had used inflammatory and racist language on some ethnic groups, and included jokes about abusing children in some of their social media posts.
A quick search on the Internet reveals numerous students from several colleges and universities in the US have had their admission and scholarship offers revoked after posting sentiments on social media that were considered offensive, inappropriate and against the institution’s beliefs. Besides academic qualifications, universities are looking for well-rounded students who will bring a lot to their campus community including experiences in leadership, community service and/or extracurricular activities.
The crucial question is: would your social media posts propel you to higher ground, or would they sink you?
It is prudent to note that in this virtual age, whilst social media posts can ricochet throughout the net at warp speed, the message from these institutions to potential scholars and or employees is social media is a public forum, and while you may have freedom of speech, that does not mean freedom from consequence!
It is everyone’s fundamental human right to freely express themselves whether verbally or visually. However, many Kenyans assume that their right to freedom of expression is protected absolutely in the new constitution. This is far from the truth. It would be prudent to be aware of the limitations to these rights. For instance, the right is expressly limited to exclude advocacy for hatred and incitement to violence. As such, the organization or university may choose to hold you accountable.
If an employee or potential student knowingly violates the social media policy provided by the organization and consequently jeopardizes business operations of the organization, then it is also the right of whatever institution, university or government body to exercise judgment in deciding whom to admit to its educational community, or select to form part of their workforce.
Every day, the media covers stories of real-world consequences resulting from social media posts. Because the Internet never forgets, be smart about what you post on social media; you never know who might be listening. Your post might just be the thing that either launches, or sinks your career.
By Diana Meso
On Thursday, January 31, USIU-Africa and Capital Group Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding to assist people with their mental well-being through the Bonga Initiative (a platform created by Capital Group Ltd). The event held at the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom was attended by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza, DVC Academic and Student Affairs Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono, Capital Group Ltd Managing Director Omoina Kimojino, members of faculty from the Department of Psychology and other members from Capital Group.
Bonga is an initiative to encourage people to open up and be more honest about their mental well-being. It is a safe space where people can share their feelings anonymously without fear of judgement, and empathize with others going through stress and mental conditions like depression, anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder. Through this partnership, USIU-Africa students, faculty and established alumni will be able to offer expert counsel to Bonga platform users while Capital Group Ltd. will offer brand awareness and association especially to the Psychology Department, extend branding on the web platform Bonga for USIU-Africa counselors as certified professionals affiliated with USIU-Africa and access to various cases, highlighting new areas for research and data collection on mental illness in Kenya.
This partnership was spearheaded by Dr. Josephine Arasa (Associate Professor of Psychology & Ag. Chair, Psychology Department) and Ms. Ivy Mangeli (a psychology Alumni and Bonga/Capital group staff). This comes months after USIU-Africa in partnership with Blaze and DW communications held discussions on Mental illness at the auditorium. The university continues to put in place measures to ensure that mental health is observed and treated with importance.
By Minah Kaburu
We take this opportunity to welcome you all back to campus for the 2019 Spring semester. Our office is available to partner with you as a student, undergraduate or graduate, and alumni to offer advice for choosing your major, exploring career options, connecting students with inspiring career related experiences. Our advisors are on hand to assist you whether you are just beginning to discover your skills, interests and values or if you are transitioning into your first job or developing your career.
As we start the year, we would like to encourage you to develop goals that will set you on track for your career. In order to achieve a successful and fulfilling career, defining your goals and developing a strategy to realize them is important. With this, you are able to plan out what club to join, what activities to volunteer in, what departments to assist in within the school that can get you closer to achievement of your goals in the short term or long term.
Tips on career goal setting
By Alumni Relations Department
USIU-Africa proudly celebrates the remarkable achievement of our esteemed alumnus, Professor Victor Mbarika, Class of 1995, who has been bestowed with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by US President Joe Biden. This rare honor is a testament to Professor Mbarika's outstanding contributions and unwavering commitment to service throughout his distinguished career.
Expressing his gratitude, Professor Mbarika remarked, "I am extremely honored and humbled to be presented with this distinguished award by the President. I have worked hard to devote my life and career to highlighting and supporting global initiatives that have helped to lift those in poverty. It is my continuing vision to highlight these programs and bring them into the public consciousness."
The Lifetime Achievement Award, granted by the President to individuals who contribute more than 4,000 hours of service in their lifetime, is a fitting acknowledgment of Professor Mbarika's lifelong dedication to impactful endeavors. Alongside the honor of Presidential recognition, recipients are awarded a personalized certificate, an official pin, medallion or coin, and a congratulatory letter from the President.
The upcoming award ceremony, scheduled to take place at the White House later this year, will be a momentous occasion where Professor Mbarika's extraordinary contributions will be celebrated. Notably, he was recently honored by the United Kingdom's House of Lords with the African Leadership Award, joining the esteemed ranks of African leaders Nelson Mandela, Kofi Anan, and Julius Nyerere. Professor Mbarika holds the distinction of being the only academic in North Carolina to receive both awards.
Professor Mbarika is also the visionary founder and President of the Information and Communication Technology University (ICT University), with multiple campuses in developing countries, where he has spearheaded initiatives to advance education and opportunities for underprivileged communities. His philanthropic endeavors extend beyond academia, as he has generously funded numerous ICT projects and scholarships worldwide, embodying a spirit of global citizenship and compassion. His research, focusing on technology usage in resource-poor settings, underscores his commitment to addressing pressing global challenges and driving positive change.
Professor Mbarika holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from USIU-Africa, a Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Illinois in Chicago and a PhD. in Management Information Systems from Auburn University, USA. He is the Stallings Distinguished International Scholar Professor at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. A prolific scholar, Professor Mbarika has authored over 250 academic publications and received three Lifetime Achievement Awards in higher education. His contributions to the academic community extend to mentoring scholars from developing nations through multiple Fulbright grants and serving as a founding editor-in-chief of the African Journal of Information Systems.
As an alumnus of USIU-Africa, his journey exemplifies the university's commitment to excellence and service. His achievements reflect the values of our institution, and we take great pride in his accomplishments. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Mbarika on this well-deserved honor and celebrate his legacy as an outstanding representative of USIU-Africa.
By Diana Meso and School of Graduate Studies, Research & Extension (SGSRE)
In line with their mandate to provide a one stop shop for all graduate students, expand revenue resources, as well as support research activities that lead to a more diverse and inclusive scholarly community, in Fall 2021, the SGRSE in collaboration with various department, divisions and schools, won several grants, conducted various trainings and webinars, carried out various consultancies among other things.
Through the School, USIU-Africa was accredited by the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) to conduct ethical reviews of research in social science. The university was audited by NACOSTI and received an “expansion of scope” to conduct ethics review of research protocols to include Social, Environmental and Biomedical research.
Additionally, the university was awarded two research grants worth USD 2,742,160. The grants include: USAID Empowered Youth Project, where USIU-Africa will collaborate with Michigan State University, Egerton University and NCBA CLUSA to increase youth economic prospects, build Kenyan Higher Education Institution’s and strengthen Youth-Serving systems, Demand Driven Research Initiative (DDRI) aimed to champion, and conduct applied and policy research through the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA).
A total of 35 publications were done by faculty, where 5 were book chapters and 29 were articles appearing in peer reviewed journals. Chandaria School of Business had the highest number of publications (13) followed by School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with 12, School of Science and Technology with 7, School of Humanities and Social Sciences with 2 and School of Communication, Cinematics and Creative Arts with 1.
The school further organized various workshops and trainings on proposal and grant writing, data analysis, “Publishing in High Impact journals”, Basics of Research for undergraduate students and “the Role and Responsibility of Graduate Students” for graduate and post graduate students.
Moreover, SGSRE hosted two webinars, the first webinar was on “The role of Evidence in COVID-19 vaccine distribution” held in November which was attended by participants from Kenya, Cameroon, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Zambia, Burkina Faso, and Ghana. The webinar featured speakers from Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), Amref Health Africa, USIU-Africa and IDinsight, Lexlink Consulting.
The second webinar held in December was on “Equity and Justice in Tax Administration in the context of Social Development” and featured speakers from Tax Justice Network Africa, International Centre for Tax and Development, IDinsight, Lexlink Consulting and USIU-Africa. Six countries from across Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria and Senegal were present in the webinar.
Furthermore, the School won three consultancies where they partnered with the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP) in Nyandarua County to conduct life skills training program, engaged with NCBA Bank to develop online content (blogs, personal videos, animated videos lecturettes, self-test exercises and Do IT Yourself kits) for use by the youth aged 18-29 years to improve financial literacy, build entrepreneurship skills and help them prepare for the job market and worked with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to assess the potential for growth, profitability and employment of local economic sectors that enhance sustainable livelihoods for refugees living in Nairobi and surrounding counties.
SGSRE under the leadership of the Dean, Prof. Amos Njuguna has interesting activities, conferences and webinars planned out for this year as they carry our high-impact research flag higher. They will also continue offering their short courses: Lean Launch Pad and ACCA.
By Diana Bironga
On Friday, October 13, the Bachelor of Pharmacy Class of 2023 at USIU-Africa officially entered the pharmacy profession by taking an oath which symbolized the graduands commitment to the pharmacy profession.
Speaking during the event, Dr. Omolola E. Omole-Odubekun, Interim Vice Chancellor, reiterated the commitment of the university to the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHH) through investing and supporting the growth of the school by introducing more programs that address healthcare needs like Bachelor of Nursing.
Prof. Amos Njuguna, DVC Academics - Transformational Teaching, Learning and Research (TTLR) encouraged the students to go out and perform their duties diligently and ethically. Concurring with Prof. Njuguna, Dr. Evans Sagwa, Regional Director of the United States Pharmacopeia Convention stressed the importance of diligence, hard work, and punctuality in their profession.
Dr. Diana Bironga, graduating with a Cum Laude, recounted the collective journey of the graduating class, emphasizing the importance of commitment, hard work, and the friendships formed over the years.
Administered by Prof. Jenifer Orwa, Chief Research Officer, KEMRI, the oathing ceremony was a testament to the dedication and success of these future pharmacists. Their journey stands as an inspiration for aspiring pharmacists and a source of pride for those who supported their growth.
The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Wilfred Ochieng, Head of Training, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, representatives from MEDs, Insupply Health, and the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, as well as parents, faculty, and staff.
February 13 was marked globally as World Radio Day, and what better way to mark it than to look at the beginnings and progress of USIU Radio, which started in the Spring semester of 2010, after being granted the broadcasting license by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), in 2009. It falls under the Media and Communications department, providing an opportunity for students to hone their skills in radio broadcasting and training on media techniques and technologies.
USIU Radio airs on the frequency 99.9 FM, which is typically allocated to community radio stations and transmits over a radius of 5 kilometers from the USIU-Africa campus.
All day-to-day functions in USIU Radio are student-run and led by a student team called Radio Management. The Broadcast Technologist oversees operations, while the Patron (Journalism Faculty) is a mentor who champions our cause in higher places.
The university’s campus is home to two studios, the recording studio and the on-air studio, which serve USIU Radio both passively and actively. The recording studio, located in the Cinematics Centre, opened its doors in the year 2007 and is used exclusively by the BA Journalism students to develop their skills. The recording studio is also used for the training of incoming presenters in addition to the production of station ID’s, programs, promos, drops and jingles, and drops.
The on-air studio, located on the first floor of Lillian K Beam currently houses the USIU Radio station. Shows are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with 24-hour coverage.
Since its establishment in 2010, USIU Radio has had a number of radio presenters joining mainstream media, including Andy Young (Homeboyz Radio), Rae Kiragu (Homeboyz Radio) and Darya Kish (NRG Radio). As the station continues with efforts to renew and adapt, USIU Radio carries on nurturing and growing talent not only in the radio presenters, but the talent of the in-house producers and deejays.
Current shows
USIU Radio boasts of a diverse range of shows which play a vast spectrum of music and tackle a wide variety of topics geared towards the USIU-Africa community and its environs. Presently, the station runs 8 shows:
1. The Afterskool ShowDay: Mondays & Wednesdays
2. The Brief Show
3. The Hotspot Show
4. The Connect
5. The Unspoken Show
6. The Rebels Show
7. The Mid-Morning Show
8. Ungo
By Jemima Oloo
The Centre for Executive Education in partnership with the Alumni Relations Department held a workshop on Friday 16 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel. The workshop brought together Alumni from different Global Executive Master of Business Administration (GEMBA) cohorts.
The networking event was packed with insightful conversations spearheaded by the event speaker Hannah Karanja who emphasized on the need for individuals to self-promote their achievements. Self-promotion according to Hannah is vital for one’s confidence.
According to Hannah, it is important to acknowledge achievements made for career growth.
“It is up to me to blow my own whistle. However, one has to be careful to back their praise of self with facts. Think of all the ways either big or small that you are remarkable and exercise the muscle of appreciating yourself,” she said.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Transformational Teaching and Learning, Professor Amos Njuguna expressed his gratitude to the alumni as he recounted the GEMBA journey that initially started at a hall in Sarova Panafric Hotel, a testament of the hard work put in by every GEMBA Alumni. Prof. Amos shared on the institutions commitment to create a respectful, supportive culture that offers a robust engagement with communities and the industry.
“We educate for complex global challenges,” reiterated Prof. Amos, our dedication to educate the next generation of problem solvers who focus on impactful research that touches on global challenges especially with a focus on the creative arts sector. He called on the Alumni present to keep engaging and offering insights that will propel the university to a global stage as it carries out its mandate.
The host of the event, Edward Mutuku, Business Development Manager, Centre for Executive Education, and Professor of Marketing at USIU-Africa, Peter Kiriri encouraged the Alumni to continue to be part of the change through enrolling for the Customer Service Mastery Course.
The Customer Service Mastery Course that kicks of next month offers insights on how to bridge the gap between management and service delivery as a way to win the hearts, heads and hands of customers regardless of the industry. The Centre for Executive Education is committed to offering interactive learning techniques for global executives.
For more information on the course kindly contact: Tel: +254-710 893 092 | Email: enmutuku@usiu.ac.ke
By John Sande
Students in university face a variety of obstacles in their pursuit of academic success. While many students are able to surmount these barriers, others find it difficult to navigate and overcome the demands of university life. My recent interaction with a group of students highlighted some of the typical obstacles they face as students in USIU-Africa, and generally in higher learning institutions:
1. Time Management was cited as one of the biggest obstacles to success. Transitioning from a setup that was governed by timed alarms and teacher follow-ups, to one that is self-paced proves a major challenge for many.
“I struggle to wake up to attend my 7.00am class. There is no bell, and no house captain to shout us out of bed. This was the norm in high school. Right now, I am no my own, and have to adjust to pace myself,” said Mitchelle, a freshman, who is fraught on time management.
At the university, students are faced with a wide range of responsibilities, including coursework, that often have extensive reading lists, numerous assignments, and exams that require significant preparation. In addition, students may need to balance their academic workload with part-time jobs, internships, or extracurricular activities.
“As a single mum, I have to juggle between office, taking care of my 3-year old daughter and my classwork. It’s really hectic and this drives me to the edge sometimes,” added Chrystal, a junior IT major.
All of these demands require effective time management skills to ensure that students are able to meet their obligations without sacrificing their well-being. With so much on their plate, prioritizing work and meeting deadlines can be challenging. Without effective time management skills, many students find themselves falling behind in their coursework and struggling to keep up with their academic responsibilities.
2. Financial Challenges was cited as another major barrier to success by many students. These challenges have a significant impact on a student's academic performance and overall well-being. The cost of tuition, textbooks, study materials and other expenditures can be overwhelming, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds.
“As much as I desire and wish to, I cannot afford some of the food items sold in the outlets here, nor can I join my classmates on the various (club) trips or excursions that require additional payments. I just don’t have the finances,” a dejected Troy confessed. His sentiments were echoed by a number of the students in the discussion.
Students who are worried about their finances may find it difficult to concentrate in class or on their assignments, and may also have to engage in hustling activities in order to make ends meet, leaving them with even less time to study and prepare for exams, thus making it more difficult for them to succeed academically.
“I sleep quite late trying to prepare these roasted peanuts which I sell to make a slight margin in order to make ends meet for me. Sometimes I find myself snoozing off in class, which in the end affects my studies. But I have to soldier on,” said Beth showcasing a couple of peanut bowls yet to be sold. Many other students admitted to hustling part-time to make some extra monies for ‘survival’ purposes.
Students who are struggling financially may be more likely to drop out or take longer to complete their degree program. They may also be more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression, which can further impact their academic performance.
“My dad passed on in 2020, and with him went all the financial support that I had depended on. I was forced to drop out for a couple of semesters since we could not afford to pay the tuition fee. I am however grateful that the Financial Aid Scholarship gave me another chance, and I will be graduating this year,” shared Prisca, a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems & Technology finalist.
“It’s been 3 years out of campus, many of my friends we joined with have graduated, the program has morphed, but I am just glad to be back, and I am determined to finish, hopefully. The County Development Fund (CDF) came in handy,” added Amina, a senior student in the International Relations program. Amina’s sentiments resonated with many other students in the discussion, particularly those from the marginalized and under-represented regions of the country.
3. Mental Health Issues refer to a range of conditions that affect an individual's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. These conditions can manifest in a variety of ways, including anxiety, depression, eating disorder, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and other mental health difficulties (including stigma associated with seeking help) can impact students' ability to concentrate, manage their time effectively, and perform academically, which can further exacerbate their mental health issues.
For instance, the transition from High School to University can be stressful, as students often leave their familiar support networks behind and face new academic and social pressures. The pressure to perform academically, combined with the daily life stresses, can take a toll on students' mental health.
Mental health issues are widespread and affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Seeking help from mental health professionals, such as therapists or psychiatrists, can be essential in managing mental health issues and improving overall well-being.
4. Lack of access to resources and support systems often results in students feeling isolated and struggling to navigate their academic journey thereby making it harder to succeed academically. Students often face challenges such as financial constraints, lack of academic support, inadequate technology and limited access to resources such as textbooks, libraries, laboratories and academic counseling. The absence of a supportive environment can result in students feeling overwhelmed and disengaged, leading to lower academic achievement as they find it challenging to keep up with their coursework, which can lead to a decline in grades and performance, increased stress, and decreased mental health status.
For example, students who attend universities in rural or remote areas may not have access to the same resources (for instance critical laboratory facilities and attachment or internship opportunities) as students who attend universities in more affluent urban areas.
5. Faculty Teaching Styles & Unclear Expectations also creates a barrier to students’ academic success. Faculty members are responsible for designing and implementing courses, creating assignments, and evaluating students' performance. However, some faculty members' teaching styles, and communication skills (including first language influence) can make it challenging for students to succeed in their academic pursuits. For example, some faculty members rely heavily on lectures as their primary teaching method, which can be challenging for students who learn better through hands-on activities, discussions, or visual aids. Similarly, some faculty members use jargon and technical language that may be difficult for students to understand, particularly those who are not familiar with the subject matter.
Unrealistic expectations of the faculty on their students' abilities can also create a significant amount of stress and pressure on students, particularly those who are struggling to keep up with their coursework. Faculty members who are dismissive of their students' questions or who provide inadequate feedback can also make it challenging for students to succeed, as they may not know how to improve their performance. Additionally, some faculty members may not provide enough support or resources to help their students succeed. For example, they may not offer enough office hours, provide inadequate or outdated course materials, or fail to communicate clearly about course requirements and expectations.
Furthermore, faculty members who are biased or discriminatory can create additional barriers to success for some students. This may include discrimination based on race, gender, religion, sexuality, or other factors. Students who experience discrimination may feel unwelcome or unsupported in their academic environment, which can impact their ability to succeed.
“My lecturer is determined to fail me. I have put in so much effort, but he’s uncooperative. Just yesterday, we had a group presentation, and one of the members was running late. We requested the lecturer for more time by swapping groups, but he refused. When the member arrived, the lecturer again did not allow our group to present citing we were time barred. And worse is, he kept interjecting when the groups were presenting. Honestly, it’s very frustrating and I feel discriminated upon,” said Sagal, an International Relations major.
In a recent survey conducted (Colleen Flaherty, Collen (2023). "Survey: Students Cite Barriers to Success, Seek Flexibility", Inside Higher Education) and published by Inside Higher Ed’s magazine, students also cited faculty teaching styles, Professors’ unclear expectations, overly difficult coursework and balancing schoolwork and other obligations as the top barriers to their academic success.
How to overcome these barriers to success
Many universities including USIU-Africa have provided resources such as tutoring services, mental health support, and financial aid to help students succeed. Students can also take steps to improve their time management skills, seek support when they need it, and prioritize their academic responsibilities. With the right resources and support, university students can overcome these barriers and achieve academic success. Some of the measures available for students include:
1. Time Management
It is important for university students to prioritize effective time management. This may involve setting realistic goals, creating a schedule or to-do list, and setting aside dedicated time for studying and completing assignments in order to avoid burnout. It may also be helpful for students to limit distractions, such as social media or entertainment, during designated study times. Finally, seeking out support from a tutor, academic advisor, or counselor can be beneficial for students who are struggling with time management or other academic challenges. By prioritizing time management and seeking out support when needed, students can improve their chances of success and achieve their academic and career goals.
2. Mental Health Issues
Many universities have recognized the importance of mental health support for their students, and have implemented counseling and other support services to assist students who are struggling. At USIU-Africa, the Counseling Center is fully equipped to handle all student requests. Through counseling and therapy, and other wellness programs, students can develop healthy coping mechanisms, reduce stress levels, and manage their emotions better, leading to improved academic performance.
In addition to seeking help from mental health professionals, students can also take steps to manage their mental health and improve their chances of academic success by prioritizing self-care, such as getting enough sleep, exercise, and healthy food.
Recently, the university released health emergency numbers that can be used for any urgent medical situation or occurrence while on campus. They include: +254 730 116 760 /761 /762 or 0798 294 538 or +254 730 116 271.
The Counseling Center also shared the following numbers +254 730 116 748 /797 /746 /791 /750 should anyone need services of a professional Psychological Counselor or a Peer Counselor. They are willing to listen to you, explore and come up with ways to help you improve/overcome your current situation.
3. Lack of resources
In order to address these challenges, many universities offer financial aid and scholarships, providing access to affordable housing and transportation, and offering resources and support services to help students manage their finances and succeed academically. The Financial Aid Office located on the 2nd Floor, Freida Brown Student Center has a budget of KES.102 million designed to provide students with full access to all available sources of both internal and external financial assistance in order to meet their educational costs while pursuing their studies at USIU-Africa. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa also provides full-cost scholarships to young Africans who are first-time undergraduate degree-seeking applicants. By addressing these challenges, universities can help ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed at the university level.
For more information on Financial Aid, please contact the Financial Aid Office, on +254 730 116 745 /776 or email: finaid@usiu.ac.ke
4. Faculty Teaching Styles
Universities must prioritize the creation of an inclusive and supportive academic environment that values diverse perspectives and provides the necessary resources to help all students succeed. Effective teaching styles that prioritize active learning and student engagement can help students better understand and retain course material. Active class participation, group work, discussions, and hands-on activities, adequate consultation hours, moderation of, and later review of test/exam papers coupled with use of teaching styles that are compatible with students' learning styles, play a significant role in promoting critical thinking and collaboration, which are critical in helping students achieve their academic goals and succeed at the university level.
By Mary Mutisya
On November 26 and 27, the Chandaria School of Business hosted the 2020 edition of the IFITTtalk@Nairobi, which focused on building a resilient tourism destination through ICTs post-COVID-19. The two-day event also included a Postgraduate Colloquium on Thursday, November 26, as a precursor to the workshop. The event was jointly organized by IFITT, Karatina University, Kenyatta University, United States International University-Africa and Mount Kenya University, and attracted 386 participants on the Zoom platform and had 4,100 views on Facebook live over the course of the two days, from participants in over 20 countries.
IFITTtalk@Nairobi 2020 was a platform for various stakeholders to engage in conversations about the survival of the industry, and recovery strategies post-pandemic. It sought to present participants with the status of the industry, with a focus on analytics of travelers’ behavior online and how the industry players were reacting to the shift. Experts from various African destinations discussed the trends that have emerged amid the pandemic and how tourism is shifting as a result.
The workshop was opened by Cabinet Administrative Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife in Kenya, Mr. Joseph Boinnet, who spoke at length on the status of tourism activities in Kenya amid the pandemic and the strategies that the Ministry was putting into place to ensure the resumption of safe and profitable economic activities.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has really affected the Kenyan tourism industry. The Ministry of Tourism is working towards putting in place strategies that will be driven by innovation, adoption of technology, product development and up skilling of personnel, to ensure that the local tourism industry is able to recover post COVID-19,” he said.
These sentiments featured prominently in the presentation by the Team Leader, Travelport Helpdesk, Ms. Rehema Adam Issa, whose presentation was on the global and personal trends of travelers over the past few months in comparison to previous years. She also shared on the metrics that contribute to the confidence index of a destination, and was able to demonstrate to participants the growing confidence in African destinations, specifically Kenya.
The CEO of Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA), Ms. Agnes Mucuha provided an overview of the resilience of the destination throughout the pandemic. She illustrated the imaginative and innovative methods industry partners were using to ensure travellers were safe and businesses stayed afloat.
“COVID-19 has made tourists rethink how they travel. With many countries yet to lift their no-fly rules, domestic tourism has seen a surging demand. If the trend with closed international borders continues, it is possible that people will simply have no other choice. Service providers must therefore focus on listening to their customers, and observing their behaviours keenly, for this is how they will be able to capitalize on the opportunity presented,” she said.
The postgraduate colloquium held on November 26 gave a platform for Masters and Doctoral students pursing Tourism and Hospitality programs to interactively present and discuss their research with peers and mentors in a supportive and relatively informal setting. It also allowed postgraduate students to receive mentorship sessions from tourism and hospitality scholars on various facets of their postgraduate journey. The colloquium featured presentations from 2 postgraduate students and mentorship sessions from 5 scholars.
The International Federation for Information Technologies and Travel and Tourism (IFITT) is a global community for the discussion, exchange and development of knowledge about the use and impact of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the travel and tourism industry and experience. Every year, in addition to its main eTourism annual conference, IFITT encourages the organization of local workshops in chapters around the world where its members are represented. Nairobi hosted its first IFITTtalk workshop in 2017.
By Fresher Diana
Chantelle Mukabi, Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS Chair) was recently named as the winner of the annual African Nations Debate League, where she and Kagia Samuel (SADS Vice Chair) were representatives of Team Kenya, beating all other teams from the continent. In addition to the win, Chantelle scooped the award for second best speaker while Kagia was named as the sixth best speaker at the tournament.
Last weekend, Chantelle and Kagia were also selected to be adjudicators at a Canadian tournament known as the Linked Key Debate Tournament hosted in Toronto. The pair adjudicated the open semi-finals and were also selected to chair the tournament’s grand finale, serving alongside an adjudication panel made up of the top 5 judges in the tournament.
Whilst the African Nations Debate League was taking place over the weekend, SADS was also participating in The Ivory Tower Debate (TITD). Representing SADS was Public Relations Officer James Wandui and Executive Secretary Fresher Diana. It was a virtual tournament organized by the Makerere Debate Union with over 20 teams participating from all over Africa.
The society has more upcoming events during the semester, with the team planning to participate in the Korea World Debate Championship, set to take place from July 7-14, 2021. SADS will be represented by Chantelle Mukabi and Kagia Samuel who received a full scholarship by the Korea Worlds Committee to participate. SADS will also participate in the annual Pan African University Debate Championships scheduled to take place in Botswana between December 8 and December 16, 2021. The society will also take part in the Belgrade World Debate Championship 2022.
As a club, SADS has witnessed immense growth in this year alone and we are yet to soar higher and make interactions across the globe through our associations. Our aim to build partnerships through empowerment and strength not only in Africa but all over the world. We strongly believe that SADS is more than just a club but rather a guiding tool for university students to gain confidence and courage in order to improve the quality of life by expressing themselves.
For more information on the society and how to join, please contact us on sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke
Read about other SADS achievements here.
By Sarah L. Mwaitete
Did you know that 93% of employers check the social media profiles of potential employees during the interview process? Social Media – other than being a convenient, easy-going pastime that most of us fall victim to, can be a reckoning force for professional advancement. Not only can it build rapport with peers and influential people in both the local and international community, it also serves as a platform for sharing one's skills and interests as well as aiding in the development of an individual’s knowledge base.
All these – and more – are primarily achieved by the establishment of a personal brand. A personal brand is a consciously crafted profile of how you would want to be perceived by the public, curated by the incorporation of your values, interests, and goals.
Whether we know it or not, we all have a personal brand that is present offline and online through the imprints of our digital footprint. Portions of your brand that do not resonate with you and your goals should be discarded. Here, we will explore the 5 Ps of personal branding; an easy cheat sheet to get your personal brand in check:
Now, you may be wondering what to do about the nature of the content you share – especially with a potential employer snooping in the shadows. You could consider having two separate accounts: one for your professional output and the other for personal usage. Even then you need to be careful of what you share, comment and post as it can easily cause you to lose out on opportunities.
The simplest way to gauge the professionalism of your posts and words is by thinking about whether your grandma would approve of said content. If not, you may want to hold back the post. Maintaining professionalism with all your engagements will always uphold your reputation and marketability in the professional realm.
The Placement & Career Services department can assist you to develop a personal brand that accurately represents you and moves you closer to your goals. Visit our offices on 1st Floor, Freida Brown Student Center for more information and support.
By Wanjiku Thuku
USIU-Africa Dean’s Resident Advisory Board (DRAB) in conjunction with the USIU-Africa Housing took a detour to the Kenyan coast with fellow students for its triannual overnight trip. It was one for the books as aspect was put into consideration like accommodation, food, transportation and drinks provided by the institution. The group stayed at the Jumeirah Beach Front Apartments in Nyali, Mombasa which were quite exquisite with a great ambience, fully furnished luxurious apartment rooms and other necessities, a very interesting well-built swimming pool, great balcony ocean views, boat rides, well lawns and everything in-between.
Some of the activities they did included swimming in the ocean small islands, enjoying ‘madafu’ or rather coconut water (which is quite nutritious), seeing and touching sea creatures in their natural habitat, going on a marine park boat ride with a professional lifeguard and captain to voyager hotel plus to swim and feed the fish with expired bread crusts, going to the Go Kart Amusement arcade to play a few games like Rodeo Bull Riding, mini golf amongst many others.
The group also got to shop around at City Mall Nyali Complex, visit Fort Jesus and learn how the Portuguese warriors battled Arabs during the war with cannons and AK47 guns, plus we also got to walk through the famous Mombasa Old Town and sample some of the favorite Swahili dishes and delicacies like Swahili biryani and achari at the Camel's Joint Restaurant just across the street. It was worth the wait, and we look forward to the next USIU-Africa overnight trip and its other activities as we reminisce about the good times in Mombasa.
By Peter Kigwilu
Recently, the Commission for University Education (CUE) conducted a three-day regular quality audit of the University, an activity that happens every five years under Regulations 17 (1) (2), (3) and (4) of the Universities Regulations 2014. USIU–Africa was due for such an audit this year. The Commission carried out the audit from November 2-4, 2021 on the basis of the Self – Assessment Report (SAR) the University had submitted and the interviews with various University constituents including students, academic and administrative staff, University Senate, Alumni, University Council, Board of Trustees and the Chancellor. It also inspected the University facilities.
In particular, the audit sought to enquire into how the University policies, strategies, programs, procedures and resources are utilized for quality assurance purposes; how specific parameters in student admission, teaching, research, community engagement, human resource, and facilities are complied with; and whether the University has the capacity to implement its strategic plan and achieve its targets.
On the last day of the audit, the Commission shared with the University management, an exit report which highlighted the areas the University is doing well and areas that need improvement. The Commission commended the University for having the required governance and management organs. It also applauded the University for enhancing access to higher education for 368 employees and their dependents through the University’s Education Tuition Waiver (ETW) program. The Commission further commended the University for mobilizing enough funds to meet its prioritized financial obligations, running relevant and quality academic programs that were accredited and achieving a high-level involvement of faculty and students in various research activities. It did not escape the Commission’s eye that at USIU–Africa, feedback on quizzes, assignments and examinations was given to students and 72.4% of the academic staff have PhD qualifications, the highest reported percentage in the country.
In the words of the Commission, the physical and instructional facilities and resources at the University are unparalleled. They noted that the University had adequate and suitable lecture rooms, supported by modern ICT facilities and an ultra-modern functional library. In the research and scholarship space, the University was much-admired for attracting a large amount of research grants.
The audit also recommended areas the University should work on to improve. These included the finalization of the process of approving the Charter, the diversification of revenue streams and the development of strategies to enhance enrollment of students. In her remarks during the handing over of the exit report, the Vice Chancellor acknowledged that the University is committed to providing quality education as guided by its vision of being a premier institution of academic excellence with a global perspective. She emphasized that the University will put in place mechanisms of addressing the recommended improvement areas. She thanked the Commission for re-affirming the accreditation of USIU–Africa for another period of five years.
By Margaret Munyae, Edith Amuhaya, and Hussein Abdi
The General Education Program is truly the corner stone of the USIU-Africa Education. Predicated on the age old liberal arts tradition, it seeks to develop well-rounded individuals with general knowledge of a wide range of subjects and with mastery of a range of transferable skills. Indeed, its main goal is to produce a ‘Global citizen’, with the capacity for lifelong learning who become valuable members of their communities, irrespective of their discipline areas. Through its five signature courses, Languages, Math, IST as well as various school electives, General Education continues to impart critical knowledge and skills that help in grounding all USIU-Africa undergraduate students to ensure that they not only succeed in their studies, but also in their careers upon graduation.
A shining example is Community Service and Learning, a General Education Signature course that the university takes immense pride in. This is because this course introduces the students to community service and volunteerism and their role in development. Through the course, the students are sensitized to various social problems affecting our society, empowering them to engage in responsible and challenging actions for the common good such as coming up with sustainable solutions that help contribute to the realization of the sustainable development goals.
In the 2022/2023 academic year, for instance, 899 students undertook their community service and learning, with 809 students volunteering their services and 90 participating in community development projects, across 70 community service sites. Through the community service projects, the students raised a total of Ksh. 1,789,586, which was used to carry out renovations, buy desks, chairs, textbooks, water tanks, industrial scale sewing machines, washing machines, desktop computers, blood pressure machines, UPS machines, cookers, metallic beds and rehabilitation equipment for children with special needs. USIU-Africa students continue to raise the bar in our community through their selfless acts of service and leadership.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
On Friday, June 30, 2023, students of the Chinese Club and the Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa had a day of fun and experiential learning through a Mandarin spelling bee competition held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, LT 8 from 9.00 am to 2.00pm.
The event attracted other students of Chinese from other institutions from all levels of education, that is primary level, high school level and tertiary level whom we had a decent level of interaction regarding Chinese and student activities.
During the Mandarin spelling bee, the tertiary level students were tested on all four (4) language skills i.e. grammar, spoken, written and listening. There was also an additional section that tested Chinese culture and general knowledge about China. The questions were structured in line with the International Chinese Proficiency exam known as Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshì (HSK), to help students prepare for the said exam in future. The competition attracted students from HSK level 1 – 3 out of the possible 6 HSK levels. The primary level and high school level were tested in line with the Youth Chinese Test (YCT) level, which is also an International Chinese Proficiency exam for those levels.
USIU-Africa bagged four (4) wins in the HSK level. For HSK level 3, Cho’olle Wario bagged the first place; Esther Gichini bagged the first place for HSK level 2; while Stephanie Mwelu and Chelea Mutua bagged second and third place respectively in HSK level 1. Our students look forward to the next Mandarin spelling bee competition, as it was a fun and effective way of learning Chinese language.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival is a traditional festival celebrated in mainland China. This festival traditionally falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is in September or early October on the Gregorian calendar.
On this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn. Lanterns of all size and shapes, are carried and displayed; symbolic of beacons that light people's path to prosperity and good fortune. During the festival, mooncakes (rich pastry filled with sweet-bean, egg yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste), are traditionally eaten. The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival in China after Chinese New Year. In China, it's a reunion time for families, just like Thanksgiving.
To celebrate this festival, three (3) Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa students participated in this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival Gala (competition) at the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University held in October 2021. These students competed in three (3) different categories, martial arts, oral speech and traditional dance.
Ivy Gakuru and Simon Biar participated in the oral speech category on ‘Effective ways of studying Chinese Language’. Ivy won in that category whereas Simon bagged the second position. Simon Biar also competed in the martial arts category and came in second place. Chandni Halai performed a traditional dance and was awarded a certificate of participation.
By the GAME Centre Research Team and Wren Media
Throughout 2020 and the myriad of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting and working with young agribusiness entrepreneurs has been particularly pertinent. To this end, the United States International University-Africa, through support provided by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) through their Cultivate Africa’s Future initiative, provides young agripreneurs, aged 18-35 years, with access to business training, finance and mentor support. The program, implemented by the USIU-Africa’s Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) Center, aims to enable Kenyan youths to develop and maintain resilient, job-creating enterprises.
At a virtual roundtable event held recently, the results of a recent USIU-Africa study funded by IDRC to determine the impacts of the pandemic and its gender implications on young entrepreneurs were presented. The event was attended by 14 County Governments, with the keynote address provided by Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, Governor of the County Government of Kisumu who recounted how the nationwide curfew and cessation of international travel reignited the need to build resilient local food production systems.
According to the Kenya Agribusiness Strategy (2017-2021), youth (18-34 years) account for 29% of Kenya’s population and are significant to Kenya’s growth and transformation agenda. However, 70-80% of entrepreneurs fail within their first two years of business. With the disruption of agricultural value chains since the onset of the pandemic, USIU-Africa received additional funding from IDRC to better understand the factors that allow young people to be more resilient and to keep their agribusinesses afloat. “This rapid response initiative to document changes in real-time, is part of our efforts at IDRC to help inform recovery of policies and reorganizing of food systems during the current crisis but also to help us prepare for future shocks,” explained Kathryn Toure, IDRC Regional Director, Eastern and Southern Africa to the roundtable participants.
In total, 874 young men and women active agripreneurs from 31 Counties consented in July 2020 to be involved in the study. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, data was collected from 500 selected respondents via email, WhatsApp and phone, involving monthly monitoring and recording of resilience indicators.
While presenting the results, Prof. Francis Wambalaba stated that resilience was investigated from two angles. “The first looked at personal resilience including time spent networking, spending on promotions, confidence, and changes made to business plans,” he explained. “Business resilience included reviewing the entrepreneurs’ customer base, sales, jobs and employee welfare, product lines, outlets and technology adoption.”
Analysis of the results revealed that by November 2020, 366 (73%) were still in business but by January 2021, this had dropped to 260 (52%) with a 48% failure rate. Of those 264 men and 102 women still active in November, most had high school education and were predominantly self-employed in agribusiness. Strikingly, although perhaps understandably, over 90% were unprepared for the COVID-19 crisis. “I never thought anything like this could happen in my lifetime,” stated Kelly Kadiviria, an agripreneur from Kakamega County.
During the study, the average entrepreneur laid off two workers and reduced the money spent on wages. “I could no longer afford to keep them (employees)... I just had to let them go,” explained Jared Omondi Andego from Kisumu County. Significant numbers of respondents had to fall back on savings or seek additional support from family or business associations. The impacts of the pandemic seemed to hit female entrepreneurs particularly hard with a much higher chance of failure resulting from reduced customer bases and falling sales. “Our sales decreased sharply…I used to make an average of Ksh. 6,000 a week, now I can hardly make Ksh. 3,000,” added Benedetta Nangila, a fodder farmer from Bungoma County.
Nevertheless, more resilient entrepreneurs were shown to have spent more time networking, seeking advice and additional funds, and using social media to increase sales. Diversification was also key to sustaining agribusinesses. The USIU-Africa training has also provided many of the entrepreneurs with essential skills. “Because of the pandemic, the income is less and varies but I was able to check on my costs. I was not doing that before the training,” Samuel Thuo Irungu, a potato entrepreneur from Nairobi County explained during the roundtable.
To provide more immediate support, Professor Amos Njuguna emphasized the need for County Governments to provide stimulus packages to agribusinesses impacted by COVID-19, including business licenses, seeds and other critical inputs, and agricultural services. More broadly, he also emphasized that agribusinesses needed to be exposed to more diversified markets and marketing channels through county, national, continental and international trading blocs. Government agencies and other organizations working with youth also need to support research, networking, technology and knowledge transfer and capacity building for entrepreneurs.
Forging ahead, the GAME Center will continue support County Governments to implement county specific agribusiness strategies, upscale the training and work with private sector players to accelerate implementation of digital platforms that connect the youth to agricultural value chains.
By Lydia Winda and Ernest A. Mwanzi
The Department of Counseling Services hosted their annual Open Access Week from February 11 to 12 on campus, to provide the University community with an opportunity to interact directly with departmental staff in an outdoor setting and to demystify some of the general assumptions about counseling services, especially those associated with a certain stigma.
This year the department was able to engage more than 300 students, staff and faculty, with exciting activities that included art therapy whose purpose is to help participants express themselves and enhance their creativity through art work for instance painting, drawing, coloring and making artistic story lines.
Couples were guided through relationship tests to enhance their awareness of each other, including assess their needs and personalities. Other games such as jig-saw puzzles, scrabble, Rubik’s cubes, memory tests, hoola hoops and punching bags, focused on learning, teamwork and just plain fun.
Students and staff were also taken through personal development exercises such us the Wheel of Life and SWOT analysis to bring out the whole-life balance and awareness of personal strengths weaknesses, opportunities and threats, together with personality and life skills tests mainly for self-awareness, clarity on one’s identity and life skills areas such as time and money management, assertiveness and self-esteem.
The department also conducted mental health checks, and perception tests to help enhance and appreciate the different worldviews and perspectives that participants may hold.
Among the services offered was a voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) desk that informed clients on reproductive health matters and HIV & AIDS, through demonstrations and distribution of communication materials on HIV and AIDS, different types of cancers. The “No Glove No Love” campaign held on Valentine’s Day in partnership with Trust for Indigenous Culture & Health (TICAH), focused on conversations about sex and condom use. Conversations on safer sex were initiated through classroom, cafeteria and pathway visits in addition to distribution of condoms, candies and more than 100 roses.
By Sarah L. Mwaitete
Last week, the Counselling Centre assisted by a committee of students under the leadership of Lydia Winda hosted the first Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Week event since the onset of COVID-19. The event, which was attended by over 90 people, was hosted to create awareness about HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health issues, advocate for behavior change and modification, culminating in a conversation on the theme “Power, Sex and Safety”. Borrowing from the fact that humans are inherently social and sexual creatures, and primarily live on the expression of the same, the ongoing pandemic has undoubtedly shifted how we express ourselves in our relationships. The panelists sought to explore present challenges and how to avert them, dissect emerging issues and highlight teachable moments amidst this frenzy.
In her introduction, Mrs. Marion Mutwiri, a Marriage and Family Therapist and Lecturer at USIU-Africa gave a presentation on the restructuring models of relationships in the post-pandemic era and painted a reality of how we can actively work towards better, balanced, healthy and sustainable relationships.
She explored the new dynamics in relationships where in this era of the digital space there seems to be a confusion between love and sex. She clearly explained power plays in the relationships, particularly power imbalances in relationships that create toxic spaces (abuse, be it financial, emotional, sexual and even the increasing homicides), the need for boundaries, an understanding of self and the need for shared power and control in today’s relationships. She recommended the use of such values as respect, trust, sense of fairness, accountability, shared responsibility and negotiation in order to create better structures in mutual relationships and avoid the chaos currently being witnessed.
Ms. Sarah Mwaitete, a student representative, shared a viewpoint of the future of relationships from a youth’s perspective. She highlighted the challenges and responsibilities for young people in relationships, highlighting, peer pressure, lack of self-awareness, individuality, the struggles with changes in sexual orientation. Her focal response to this prompt was one of hope; of a generation rising beyond the patriarchy, with a tolerance for diversity, standing by their values and most importantly, one that has a deep awareness of self, an attuning to their autonomy and the power that lies in them to take calculated risks and make informed decisions about their sexual lives.
Ms. Florence Kaara, a sexual health expert, addressed some of the pressing issues young people experienced as a result of their sexual and reproductive health. In her discussion, she was able to verify the obsolescence of sexual enhancers for optimum functionality, shed light on the use and risks of contraceptives and birth control, and emphasized the need for developing sexual health seeking behaviors.
The session was closed by one of USIU-Africa’s Senior Counselors, Mr. Patrick Obel, who wrapped it up by reiterating the need for grounding in self-control and regulation, will power and exercising an assertiveness to personal values in the face of sex-related situations. This was echoed by the Principal Counselor, Lucy Kung’u, who emphasized the need for responsible navigation through the academic journey with a focus on managing distractors in their lives as a result of their sexual and reproductive health issues.
The Counselling Department encourages each of you to take periodic tests for Sexually Transmitted Infection (STIs) or Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), especially for those who are sexually active. While abstinence is the safest way through, we are reminded: “If you can’t abstain, contain”.
By Lucy Kung’u
The Counselling Centre this week concluded its Open Week, where it gave over 200 members from the student, staff and faculty body a chance to interact directly with the counseling center staff in an informal setting to demystify some of the stigma and negative assumptions about counseling services.
Participants were treated to different activities among them art therapy, interpersonal and personal development exercises, personality and perception tests, stress relief and relaxation activities and were given brochures with information on different life skills and on sexual and reproductive health.
The Counseling center also partnered with the Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH), a Non-Governmental Organization that helped peer educators and counselors reach out to fellow students in different parts of campus with messages on responsible sexual behavior, especially in this Valentine’s season.
By Patrick Obel and Lydia Winda
The annual Alcohol and Drug Awareness week 2023 campaign was scheduled to take place from March 21, 2023 to March 23, 2023. The theme for this year was, ‘Don’t be High, Just say Hi’. However, due to unavoidable circumstances we were forced to begin the events on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
The outdoor activities took place at the tents that were pitched at the parking lot B both on Wednesday and Thursday before we proceeded to the auditorium for our panel discussions. We had alcohol screening exercise at the tents using AUDIT and SMAST for those who were interested to evaluate their alcohol use. We provided numerous information and education communication (IEC) materials about different drugs and other relevant psychological information including the types of services offered at the USIU-Africa Counseling Center. The counselors were available at the tents to administer the tests and answer questions of concern to those who visited the tents.
We made available a variety of games at the tents that the participants where they were encouraged to engage and take part in. These provided healthy and productive alternative fun activities for our students instead of engaging in unhealthy and harmful activities associated with substance use and abuse.
The week culminated in a talk show in the auditorium held on Thursday, March 23 from 2.00pm to 4.30pm. The talk show took a multi-disciplinary approach where experts were invited to talk about their areas of expertise in relation to alcohol and drug abuse. Among the areas covered were; how to take charge, master our financial wellbeing with emphasis on how students can make and grow their finances. This was covered by Professor Amos Njuguna. He also talked about wasters of financial resources by young people which included, gambling, alcohol and drugs, parties among other things. He stressed the importance of university students inculcating the habit of investing or saving while still in the university.
Dr. Susan Chang’orok, a faculty member at the Psychology Department delved deeper on life skill gaps among young people that contribute to alcohol and drug abuse, alternative ways of having fun and healthier ways through which university students can cope with problems, life’s demands and challenges that they experience. She stressed the need to admit that there is a problem, get to the root cause and seek therapy should there be need to. Some of the life skills that she lay emphasis on were; being assertive, resilient, help seeking attitude and avoiding shortcuts when it comes to dealing with life’s challenges.
Ms. Trizah Mwangi- senior public education and advocacy officer -NACADA shared the trends around alcohol and drug abuse among the youth in Kenya, preventive strategies young people can use to avoid the use of drugs, steps to take to manage addiction, cost of addiction, how friends and family can support an individual who is affected and the most commonly abused drugs. These included; alcohol, tobacco in its different forms, marijuana and khat (miraa). From her presentation, it was evident that there are serious drug issues among the youth that have resulted in an increase in clients being diagnosed with drug induced psychosis. It is important for young people to know that the cost of rehabilitation could be as high as Kshs. 500,000 hence the need to focus more on preventive measures.
Ms. Josephine Odhiambo- Program Lead at Youth Changers Kenya brought about the aspect of Gender Based Violence in relation to alcohol and drug use, the need for young people to protect themselves from GBV and the role of friends in being a friend’s keeper especially among their party groups.
Lastly, Mr. Brian Sande -A senior Human Resources Officer at USIU-Africa focused on trends among young people entering the work force in relation to alcohol and drug use. From his presentation, it was apparent that a number of young people in the work force have alcohol and drug related issues and that the youth should be intentional on ensuring that their leisure activities do not interfere with their performance at work. Alcohol and drug abuse affects the productivity of those already in employment who abuse them and risk the consequences.
We from the counseling center sincerely appreciate our very able panelists and sponsors (Youth changers Kenya and Eselle Group Foundation) who supported our activities that contributed to the success of this year’s Alcohol and Drug awareness week campaign. Very many thanks also go to the USIU-Africa community for their different roles in making this event a success. Remember drugs don’t build, they destroy and prevention is better than cure.
By Lucy Kung’u
Following the closure of the University as part of the Government’s measures to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), the Counseling Department has continued to offer counselling services to students, staff, faculty and even parents through calls, text messages, WhatsApp and even through platforms like Zoom. This included the continued support of students who were in the middle of their sessions when the campus closed.
Academic issues, financial challenges and fear of not being able to sit for end of semester exams, anxiety, loneliness, fear of discrimination, frustration with resuming with normal operations taking long, loss and grief through death of parents and family members, conflict with parents, relationship issues and continuity with education after academic dismissal are some of the issues that the Counseling center has had to deal with during this period.
As you prepare for the Summer Semester, below are some tips you can employ to ensure that you safeguard your mental health during this period:
? Develop a positive mindset and take only credible sources of information. Don’t consume too much data and hold strongly on to the information from credible sources.
? Learn to relax and to convert your energy into other more valuable activities listed below:
i. Read books, listen to audio books, do assignments, do research on different topics of interest to keep your mind active and engaged.
ii. Play in-door games, such as board games. You can even create your own games.
iii. Do general cleaning, go through old clothes for donation, clean your car, take care of your compound.
iv. Gardening for those with the opportunity, trim flowers.
v. Learn a new language, or teach yourself new crafts; draw, write songs, plays, among others.
vi. Carry out simple exercises at home to keep yourself active. ensure you alternate sitting and walking up and down.
vii. Have a spa/massage day in your house (facial cleaning, scrubbing your legs, cleaning your hair, etc.)
viii. Talk to someone in case you feel terrified, empty, hopeless and worthless, or have any other negative emotions.
Should you feel overwhelmed, do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are on call to listen to any of your concerns and allay your fears. You can reach us on the contacts below:
• Patrick Obel – 0721 466526
• Noel Khayanje – 0722964832
• Lucy Kungu – 0722695414
• Lydia Winda - 0799588614
By Beryl Kamusinga
Publishing a novel is a grueling experience for any novice writer. A certain level of bravery is required in this area of work, but without the proper guidance or basic know-how, a lot of writers tend to give up along the way.
Courtney Alexander Williams, an actor, and author visited the Library on Thursday June 30, where he donated some copies of his book and gave advice to young, budding authors. Williams shared his writing journey from the moment he decided to write his books, the tiring process of finding a publisher, and the work he put in to ensure his books were published. He also explained his writing process and explained how his books were influenced by his life experiences living as an adopted son in Senegal.
He particularly talked about his new book ‘From Africa With Love’ which is the second book in a trilogy, with the first being ‘Faithful Brothers’. Set in Casamance, Senegal, the fictional tale is about three brothers navigating through life, love, and adversaries that come their way.
Williams is looking to have his book adapted into a screenplay in Kenya. He is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Actor’s Equity (AEA) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
By Taigu Muchiri
University leaders from the United States and Africa came together to discuss the extent to which COVID-19 has negatively impacted global, continental, national, and individual trends during the fourth series of the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) public dialogue. The panelists included Dr. Mame Samba Mbaye, Head of the Plant Biology Department, Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), Dr. David Tschirley, Co-Director, Food Security Group, and Director, Feed the Future Innovation Lab, Michigan State University, Godfrey Bahiigwa, Director, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission and Prof. Agnes Mwangwela, Dean and Acting Principal of Bunda Campus, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR).
Global economic meltdown
The impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt across the globe as the death toll rises and countries experience an economic meltdown. The International Monetary Fund has projected the global growth will fall to -3 percent in 2020 resulting from the health and economic crisis brought by COVID-19 and predicted to be worse than the 2008 global financial crisis. This twin crisis disproportionately affects the informal economy that employs over 2 billion individuals, 93 percent of them in developing and emerging economies. In Africa, the sector consists of over 85 percent of the labor market and is a great source of employment for women (58.5 percent). In Kenya, it has employed 15 million workers, created nine out of ten new jobs, and absorbed over 60 percent of women. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 94 percent of the workforce across the globe were experiencing closures by the end of May which have led to massive job losses. In the US alone, job losses are on the rise with over 44 million people applying for unemployment benefits by end of May. In Kenya, a study conducted in April by the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) shows that the overall average weekly income has decreased by 51.2 percent (pre-crisis Kshs. 2,380 to Kshs. 1,220 during the crisis) in the informal sector. The study further shows that workers in the Kenyan informal economy have suffered a substantial loss of income thirty days after the first COVID-19 case was announced in Kenya. The pandemic has also affected trade as more and more countries continue to restrict movement across borders. The specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) Commission indicates that African countries have been severely affected by the pandemic and have led to the closure of borders in 43 African countries and more countries are expected to close their borders as the infections continue to rise.
Threats to food security
Food security during this period has been severely affected as a result of global closures, cessation of movement orders, and curfews implemented to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This is especially the case in Sub Saharan Africa which is very food insecure and most people are already facing food shortages. Prof. Agnes Mwangwela highlighted that 45 million people in Eastern and Southern Africa are at risk of experiencing food deficit in 2020 and 2021. “The global shutdown has affected small traders, businesses, and unskilled workers who have lost their source of income. Border closures have affected food imports and processing aids, the export of commodities, and the importation of agricultural inputs. Limited operations of markets have led to low prices of agricultural produce in rural markets and in some areas led to a poor harvest,” she said.
A regional response to the crisis
Godfrey Bahiigwa said that the AU Commission is leading efforts to respond to the pandemic by mobilizing member states, the eight regional economic communities, and development partners to put together systematic and coordinated efforts towards the pandemic to build resilient food systems in Africa. Some of these measures include short term interventions for social protections, supporting farmers to plant, protecting domestic markets by keeping them open during this period, leverage on intra-Africa regional trade especially the newly created Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) and to ensure supply of agricultural farm inputs to support small-scale farmers. He noted with great concern that Africa has been facing severe food security challenges since 2018 adding that, “the invasion of Fall armyworms in 2018 and the locust invasion in 2019 and 2020 which started in the Horn Africa and has now spread to West Africa that has severely affected food production in Africa and if these issues are not addressed, the continent risks loss of lives due to hunger.” He further urged African governments to prioritize mitigation measures by providing stimulus packages especially to vulnerable groups and implement policies that will focus on agricultural outputs to boost economic growth. To do so, they need to allocate sufficient budget to the agriculture sector to meet this goal. Studies show that the allocations are still below the 2003 African Union’s Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security, which requires African states to allocate 10 percent of their annual budgets to agriculture to ease poverty.
Opportunities that lie ahead
Dr. David Tschirley noted that the virus is starting to spread to rural areas in developing countries and that these cases are on the rise. The majority of the agriculture supply chain and especially the critical part of planting and harvesting is localized in rural areas. “The growing infections will severely impact the transmission, mobility and mortality, behavioral trends such as government actions (shutdown and curfews) and impact spending power and livelihoods,” but this could prove to be an advantage by “making a case for investment in the retail and wholesale market to strengthen systems and infrastructure,” he said. In addition, MSU has put in place a group for food security to inform policy to strengthen systems, especially during this period. The Food Security Group believes that good food and nutrition policy, informed by solid empirical evidence that is generated jointly with local partners, can transform economies and lives in low-income countries.
By Mercy Tania
Criminal Justice System Week proved to be an enlightening journey into the complexities of legal practice, reforms, and professional growth. The event commenced with a thought-provoking keynote speech by the Honorable Justice William Ouko. Justice Ouko's discourse centered on the pressing need for criminal justice reforms and advancements in litigation methodologies.
His insightful address laid the foundation for a detailed exploration during the subsequent panel discussion. Distinguished legal minds engaged in a robust dialogue, delving into the nuances of proposed reforms and their potential impact on the justice system. Attendees gained a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent in reshaping the legal landscape.
The second day brought forth Ms. Yinka Kolade, Managing Partner of Penbroke Chambers, to share her expertise on peace, conflict, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Ms. Kolade's keynote speech illuminated key aspects of fostering harmony and the strategic role ADR plays in mitigating legal conflicts. Her insights resonated with the audience, emphasizing the significance of proactive resolution mechanisms in the contemporary legal milieu.
The pinnacle of the event was the keynote speech on the final day by Mr. Lone Felix, who provided invaluable insights into navigating a career within the criminal justice system. Attendees were treated to a wealth of knowledge, spanning professional development, ethical considerations, and emerging trends. Mr. Felix's extensive experience illuminated potential career trajectories, fostering a deeper understanding of the diverse paths within the legal profession.
Later in the day, participants were immersed in an engaging simulation at the crime scene house, interrogation room, and forensic lab, expertly conducted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). This hands-on experience allowed attendees to witness firsthand the intricacies of crime scene investigations and the application of forensic science. The simulation served as a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical application, offering a unique and immersive learning opportunity.
Criminal Justice System Week proved to be a holistic exploration of the multifaceted legal landscape. From discussions on reforms and litigation strategies to insights into peace, conflict, and ADR, culminating in valuable career guidance and practical simulations, the event left participants enriched and inspired. As legal professionals continue to navigate an ever-evolving landscape, the collective knowledge shared during this week serves as a compass, guiding them towards a future of justice, equity, and professional growth.
Your mind is the most powerful tool you have. Every minute, thoughts are being processed by your mind. Some are amplified and some are aborted. Whatever happens with the amplified thoughts, you find yourself making decisions and eventually acting out of what your thinking guides. Your thoughts also influence your perception and hence your interpretation of reality. This can be a make or break. Generally speaking, the mind needs to be crowned and empowered with effective thought strategies for it to flourish.
In this article, we are focusing on you making the decision to crown your mind and are using the word crown to signal the ability to empower and work with one’s mind to overcome mental and thought related obstacles for more effective results in life.
Imagine yourself:
At a time as this in the world’s history when COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic, you may be faced with fear, uncertainty, doubt, threats and negative events, all which can have an impact on your mental health. You may notice that because your mind is still working, you are:
How do you crown your mind?
Here are 7Rs that can help you manage your thoughts more effectively.
Recognize: You can catch yourself thinking positively, and you can nurture that thought through to action. You can also catch yourself thinking negatively, and question what is on your mind now. What are you thinking about now? You can actually stop these negative, unhelpful thoughts right now by focusing your attention elsewhere. You can take a stroll or take some action if required or helpful. You can actually turn the unhelpful thought into a solution!
Root: What makes you think this way? What actual consequence do you fear? Do I fear deadlines no wonder I’m struggling with this task? Am I afraid of being cross examined so I don’t want to make that presentation? Am I lacking knowledge and that makes me fear action? Are there past hurts that I am still nursing and which have become your ‘crutches’ for this type of thinking? Being aware of these things will help me focus on a solution and can engage your mind more proactively.
Record: You can put down your thoughts in a journal. You can even randomly write them as though You are talking to someone. You can set aside time to do this. If you don’t fancy writing, you can talk to someone you trust; or at least draw, sing out, dance, and put the energy into some productive physical activity and so on.
Rule it out: It is not so sometimes… Your mind is easily influenced sometimes, and it can be ‘pressured’ into thinking in certain negative unhelpful ways. You just need to stop that thinking because it may not be true. You may say this out loud, or speak yourself into an alternative, more positive, helpful thought.
Reframe: Recognize that the meanings and perspectives you attach to circumstances in your life can either make me move forward or hold me back. You can retell your story and change some of your mental narratives.
You can for instance, say ‘I am glad I have internet and can connect with my friends during this time of COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions’ instead of ‘I don’t have the freedom to move around to go see my friends.’
You can also discover powerful tools and resources that shift your thinking. For example, “I woke up to devastating news updates about the coronavirus and now I feel negative. I am grateful for being healthy and aware of my role in preventing or managing the virus.”
Resourceful: You can do something. You are a huge resource. The time that seems idle and makes you feel bored is actually a resource that can never be exchanged for anything else. You only need to put planned action into it, and you’ll be good to go! During this time, I have knowledge I can share with teenagers, for instance, instead of being too idle. I can help my younger siblings with homework and spend more time being helpful in place of worrying.
Retrain & Reclaim: Your unhelpful thoughts are historical. And your results are just the same- repetitive and unhelpful! You can build your mental power to enhance more positive and helpful thinking for instance “I went out and did not observe proper social distancing. Now that I’m experiencing some flu-like symptoms, I need to go into hospital to get checked.” This is better than “whoever brought about this coronavirus should be cursed!” This way, you reclaim your power to be more pro-active.
You could also remind yourself of achievements, moments, successful situations and times when you did well and felt more empowered. These are likely to elicit a positive response, and more important, a realization that you have succeeded before and you still hold that power within!
You can CROWN your mind!
“Don’t let anyone/thing rent a space in your head, unless they’re a good tenant”
-Author unknown.
By Daisy Atino
Every year, in the month of February, the USIU-Africa community celebrates Black History Month and engages in activities that foster unity, the appreciation of black achievements and expression of pride in Black origins and identities. This year’s theme was ‘Africans, Black Identity and the Art; celebrating black culture, arts, traditions, heritage and the diversity within Africa and the African diaspora’.
Through such celebrations, the young and old alike learn from one another and are able to reflect on the achievements of black people in America and across the world and they discuss how they can contribute to the growth of Pan-Africanism.
Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences provided welcoming remarks, setting the tone for the event followed by Dr. Dashanaba King who shared insights on African-Americans and the Arts.
A distinguished panel, moderated by Dr. Njoki Wamai, Patron USIU-Africa BHM, and panelists Ms. Cynthia Kinyua, a USIU-Africa alumni and member of Graffiti Girls Kenya, Prof. Bukenya, a poet, writer, and academic; Dr. Ann Mwiti, a visual artist and fine art academic at Kenyatta University; and Prof. Ntaragwi, a cultural anthropologist and hip-hop scholar delved into discussions about the theme.
The event also featured a speech and musical performance from chief guest, Juliani, a renowned hip-hop artist, songwriter, and urban poet, musical performances from USIU-Africa students and the Matwana Culture Campus Show with Brian Wanyama.
Celebrating Black History Month is a crucial opportunity to recognize and honor the resilience, achievements, and contributions of the black community throughout history. By fostering unity, appreciation, and pride in Black origins and identities, the celebration promotes cultural awareness and inclusivity. It also serves as a platform for dialogue, learning, and reflection on how individuals can contribute to the growth and appreciation of Pan-Africanism.
The event concluded with a cake-cutting session and gift giving session, after which all guests were treated to lunch.
Students should look out for an array of activities centered on black history happening all month.
By Campus This Week Team
Customer Service Week is an international celebration of the importance of customer service and of the people who serve and support customers on a daily basis. In 1992 the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event, celebrated annually during the first full week in October. This year, the University decided for the first time to celebrate Customer Service week, in appreciation of its internal and external stakeholders.
In a communique to staff, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza registered his appreciation to staff for the role they have played in upholding USIU-Africa’s status as a premier university.
“I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate our staff and faculty for the tireless work they have done over the years to ensure that USIU-Africa continues to be a premier institution of academic excellence, both on the continent and in the world. USIU-Africa’s excellence in research, training, and public service remains strongly dependent on the dedication of our staff and faculty, “he said.
Below are some of the selected photographs from the event.
Customer Service Week is an international celebration of the importance of customer service and of the people who serve and support customers on a daily basis. In 1992 the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event, celebrated annually during the first full week in October.
This year, the theme of the celebration was Celebrate Service, and we celebrate our frontline staff who serve and support customers in line with our Strategic Goal no. 4: "Excellence in Service and Community Engagement".
Photos by: John Sande
By Lydia Winda
Covid 19 pandemic has brought a new normal that most people are struggling to adjust to; from lockdown to curfew, wearing masks, sanitizing or washing hands, no shaking hands or hugging to social distancing among others. Everyone has been affected by covid 19 pandemic in one way or another. One of the major negative effects is loss, could be; loss of a job, a loved one and even anticipatory loss of a loved one who is either sick of covid, business, normalcy, social interactions, freedom, predictable future dealing with the loss of a loved one among other issues. This said, it is vital to acknowledge that different people deal with loss differently both individually and corporately. This article looks at Kubler Ross’s stages of dealing with loss and grief in relation to covid; denial, anger, bargaining, despair and acceptance. It is important to acknowledge that the stages are not fixed. They may or may not occur following the order above, some people may not experience all the stages while others experience all, some experience specific stages multiple times while others only once or never.
Denial
One can live in denial of emotional and even physical pain and this delays the opportunity for early intervention and the fight to survive hence preserving life.
Denial in dealing with COVID_19 manifests in the following ways;
Anger
Anger is a common feeling when people are undergoing any form of loss or grief. This is the time one asks themselves the question “why me,”they get the feeling of “life is unfair”. Instead of dealing with the issue at hand, sometimes people; put blame on others, they may become hostile, could refuse to obey rules, externalize the problem and sometimes it could go as far as experiencing power plays.
During this COVID -19 pandemic, anger looks like;
Bargaining
This occurs once one has processed denial and is in the process of accepting the reality as it is and is able to do away with the belief that they have control. Essentially in this stage, one tries to compromise to find an easier and less painful way.
During this covid pandemic bargaining looks like;
Despair
Despair and depression crop in when the truth eventually sinks in and there is no more room for denial. At this point one feels hopeless, powerless, inability to control what is going on around the person and all seems lost. At this stage, one is bound to feel sorry for themselves. There is also regret at the fact that the effort put in at the bargaining stage did not yield any fruits. Some people withdraw from life, feel numb and not want to come out of bed. The world might seem too much and devastating for an individual. Some may have suicidal ideations since they don’t see the point of soldiering on.
During this covid pandemic, despair sounds like;
Acceptance
This is the point where you make peace with the fact that you cannot change whatever is happening around you. Accept the new normal and live with it. Accept that there will be good and bad days
Acceptance during covid pandemic sounds like;
How to cope with loss and grief during this COVID -19 period;
Acknowledge and accept all your feelings. Acknowledge the pain caused by the loss then allow yourself to go feel the pain, go through the process and give yourself time to recover. Do not rush, recover at your own speed. Denying the loss does not reduce the pain, but instead lengthens the suffering.
Talk about your loss. This can help lower the burden of grief as a problem shared is half solved. You can reach out to family and friends through voice or video calls, chat, text and any other online platform.
Take stock of what is going well. Journal or write down about your strengths and good moments each day to monitor your progress. Even as you do this, be cognizant of the fact healing occurs in difference phases as described above and you move into and out of different feelings. Be aware of your triggers even as you pen down your feelings and thoughts each day. Be aware of any form of relapse.
Pay attention to the things you have control over. Like Being sad and the negative thoughts running through your head, stay at home as much as you can, washing your hands or sanitizing as often as is necessary, keeping social distance, eating healthy foods, exercise and maintaining a daily schedule
Self-Care. Get plenty of rest, eat regular meals even if you don’t feel like it, exercise regularly and allow yourself to be happy when you fee
Be aware of any helpful resources available. You can seek online counseling by sending an email to counsel@usiu.ac.ke to talk to a therapist, job advertisements online if job hunting, business ideas, spiritual support from your spiritual leaders, medical assistance in the event of health related challenges among other resources.
When to Seek Help
Feelings of grief are natural reactions to significant losses. If these feelings persist, your mood does not improve or worsens, or you feel unable to function and perform basic daily activities, reach out for help.
Adopted from psychology today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/love-and-sex-in-the-digital-age/202003/covid-19-and-the-grief-process
By Prof. Martin Njoroge
The International Mother Language Day (IMLD) falls on February 21 of every year and this year’s theme of the day was “Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society”. The event was marked by a webinar hosted by the Multilingual Education Network, the University of Nairobi, and Bible Translation and Literacy.
Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, was one of the four presenters during the webinar. In his address, titled History of International Mother Language Day – Key Highlights and Themes, traced the background and history of the day, which has its origins in 1948, when the then Government of Pakistan declared Urdu to be the sole national language of Pakistan even though Bengali or Bangla was spoken by the majority of people combining East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan (now Pakistan).
On February 21, 1952, a number of students campaigning for the recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan were killed when police fired upon them. The movement reached its climax when police killed student demonstrators on that day. Eventually, the government had to give in and Bangla was also accepted as the State Language of Pakistan alongside Urdu.
In 1998, Rafiqul Islam and Abdus Salam, Bengalis living in Vancouver, Canada, wrote to the United Nations, asking them to commemorate the 1952 killings of university students in Dhaka and mark the day to preserve languages from around the world from extinction. They wrote a letter to Kofi Annan on January 9, 1998 asking him to take a step for saving the world's languages from extinction by declaring an International Mother Language Day. They proposed the date as 21 February to commemorate the 1952 killings in Dhaka during the Language Movement. This led to UNESCO’s declaration of 21st February as International Mother Language Day (IMLD).
In his speech, Prof. Njoroge noted that the Day was important as it promoted awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism, in addition to boosting the awareness of the importance of mother tongue education.
“According to UNESCO, languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue,” he said.
“UNESCO believes education, based on the first language or mother tongue, must begin from the early years as early childhood care and education is the foundation of learning. Linguistic and cultural diversity represent universal values that strengthen the unity and cohesion of societies,” he added.
The Dean further urged those present to use international Mother Language Day to remember not only those who sacrificed their lives but also remember the importance of embracing all the world’s cultures and languages. He added that the day offers the time when we remember the power of language—to tell us where we came from, to share our story with others, to persuade, to educate, and to preserve our cultures.
“I want to urge all of us to take the opportunity offered by International Mother Language Day to reaffirm our respect for the great diversity of languages and cultures we see around the world and to work together so as to promote mutual understanding and cooperation,” he concluded.
The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), housed at USIU-Africa, will be hosting a Decision-Focused Impact Evaluation (DFE) training for media practitioners. This training will equip media practitioners with adequate knowledge and skills needed to understand Decision-Focused Impact Evaluation in their specific operations and, to interpret and apply the concepts across different levels and contexts through practical and experiential learning.
The training will be held from Wednesday, January 27 to Friday, January 29, 2021, on Zoom, for two hours per session (2pm to 5pm EAT). The training will be facilitated by Ms. Jacqueline Mogere, Media Consultant.
Follow this link to register.
The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), housed at USIU-Africa, will be hosting a series of virtual Decision-Focused Impact Evaluation (DFE) trainings for policymakers in East Africa. The training will focus on introducing participants to impact evaluation techniques that focus on addressing causality, sound communication of empirical results and how to derive policy-based recommendations. The trainings will be held from Tuesday, February 2 to Thursday, February 4, 2021 for two hours per session (3pm to 5pm EAT).
The training will be facilitated by Dr. Samuel Muhula, Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Manager, Amref Health Africa and Dr. Michael Mutiso .
Follow this link to register.
By Triza Kabue
The Department of Cinematic Arts was invited to be part of the third annual Yale African Film Festival (YAFF), which showcased films highlighting a wide range of voices from the African continent and its diaspora.
The festival was divided into three sessions, centered on different themes: “Fashioning the Self and Community,” “Community and Care” and “Black Creativity and Community Organizing”. During the first session, attendees watched films by Angolan filmmaker, Angie Epifano who screened her movie called Air Conditioners, as well as Dafe Oboro’s A Beautiful Story, which follows a young man who moves from the rural parts of Nigeria to Lagos city in pursuit of his dream to become a musician.
In the panel discussion, Dafe shared that growing up in Lagos was the inspiration behind most of his movies.
“The diversity of the people and the hardship of the city have helped my creative journey. Lagos is a noisy city and I had to find a creative way to use that positively to tell a story,” he noted.
During the second session, attendees watched films by Palesa Shongwe from South Africa and Kenya’s Njeri Karago, which showcased the issues that African women go through in different communities. In Shongwe’s Unomalanga and the witch, we see the story of a friendship between a Christian woman and an outcast who is accused by the community of having murdered her husband. Njeri’s Kiu explores the wrath one woman faces from her community when she tries to help a child she finds abandoned in a car.
The third session, titled “Lights, Camera, Activism: Black Creativity & Community Organizing,” featured a screening of Street 66, a 13-minute documentary by one of the session panelists, Ayo Akingbade. The documentary follows the story and life of Ghanaian British activist Dora Boatemah, who fought for better living conditions for people of Angel Town Estate in Brixton South London.
The panel, which also consisted of Alexandra Thomas, Thomas Allen Harris and Akingbade, noted that Street 66 was an archival documentary, meaning that most of its content was pieced together from archives of real-life events.
“One cannot afford to be lazy in their research, especially when making a documentary that is based on real-life events. You must always ensure that your documentary has depth and breadth. When making Street 66, I had to gather testimonials from residents of Angel Town Estate, in addition to getting archival footage and photos from the BBC and other sources,” said Ayo.
Thomas Allen Harris, a filmmaker and senior lecturer in African American Studies and Film and Media Studies, said that an essential part of filmmaking is giving a voice to the voiceless.
“Film, both in the production and distribution, is essential in terms of building community around a narrative, theme or group of people. For people who are a part of a diaspora, there is a real desire to see representations of themselves, the complexity of their identities and different dimensionalities of their identities,” he said.
Speaking after the festival, Ian Ndirangu, a Film Production and Directing student noted that the festival was educational and very informative, praising the inclusion of an array of international filmmakers.
“Listening to various ideas of film making and seeing the application of the skills was fulfilling as a student, as it shone a light on the path that I am about to take as a full-time film maker. I am grateful to the Department for giving us opportunities take part in such forums,” he said.
Additional reporting by Yale News.
By CTW Team
On Friday, November 26 and Saturday, November 27, the Department of Cinematic Arts, in conjunction with the Kalasha Awards will be hosting a screening of the student films that were recently nominated for the upcoming Kalasha Awards.
Among the films that will be screened include Knock (2021), directed by Kelvin Osoo and House of Secrets (2021) directed by Michelle Donde and Steph Sevani. These films made it to the top five in six award categories.
The students worked in teams to produce industry-standard films, which were partly assessed internally and partly assessed by industry filmmakers who came on campus at the end of the Summer 2021 semester to watch and give constructive feedback to the students’ work.
Kalasha is an annual international film and TV Awards ceremony, dubbed the Kenyan Oscars and showcases and awards crème de la crème of film and TV talents in Kenya and beyond. USIU-Arica has been nominated in the categories of Best Feature by a student, Best Short Film, Best Sound Designer, Best Special Effects, Best Director and Best Director of Photography.
The screening will be held at the Auditorium, and will be open to all members of the University community. Other invited guests at the screening will include potential students who have expressed interest in various programs at the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts.
To vote in support of the nominees, click on this link: https://bit.ly/3nUHqdO
By Taigu Muchiri
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs Prof. Ruthie Rono joined University leaders across the globe to discuss mental health in Higher Education in the age of COVID-19. The discussion was organized by the Alliance for African Partnership in collaboration with the Michigan State University African Studies Center, the Tanzania Partnership Program, and University World News–Africa. She was joined by Prof. Lamine Ndiaye, Professor of Anthropology, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Jonathon Novello, Health4U Consultant and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Michigan State University, Lucky Odirile, Director, Career and Counseling Centre, University of Botswana and the session was moderated by Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza.
The United Nations has raised a red flag on the increased cases of mental health and the decreased levels of mental health care. In its report, it is clear that there is high prevalence of distress during COVID-19; people in Iran, USA and China experienced 60 percent, 45 percent and 35 percent increased distress levels respectively. In addition, cases of depression and anxiety have been recorded in various countries. A study conducted in Ethiopia, in April 2020, reported an estimated 33 percent prevalence rate of symptoms consistent with depressive disorder, a 3-fold increase compared to estimates from Ethiopia before the pandemic. The report further shows that people may resort to different negative ways of coping, including use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco or spending more time on potentially addictive behaviors such as online gaming. Statistics from Canada report that 20 percent of the population aged 15-49 increased their alcohol consumption during the pandemic.
The global intergovernmental organization notes that mental health issues are likely to be ignored during the pandemic largely because all resources are being directed to fight the spread of the virus. This means that people with pre-existing mental health challenges have limited access to mental health care and substance abuse treatment. Additionally, statistics show that low and middle income countries have 76 percent and 85 percent of their population with mental health conditions and receive no treatment. Globally, there is less than 1 mental health professional for every 10,000 people, countries spend on average only 2 percent of their health budgets on mental health and international development assistance for mental health is estimated to be less than 1 percent of all development assistance for health.
Research conducted by the Michigan State University shows that the impact of the pandemic on students, faculty and staff in institutions of higher learning include anxiety (19 percent), work concerns/stress (16 percent), stress (13 percent), depression and relationship concerns (10 percent), family concerns (9 percent), grief/loss (7 percent), health anxiety, adjustment/ transition (6 percent), and work environment concerns (4 percent). This is evident that more care and support needs to be channeled to universities to raise awareness on mental health and especially in Africa because of existing norms and stigmatization.
Prof. Ruthie Rono, a Professor of Psychology shared her experience in dealing with some of issues that students are currently dealing with during the pandemic. Students mentioned that some of the challenges they were dealing with include academic issues, financial challenges and fear of not being able to sit for exams, anxiety, loneliness, fear of discrimination, frustration with resuming with normal operations taking long, loss and grief through death of parents and family members, conflict with parents, relationship issues and ability to finish their studies on time among others. She highlighted that the Counselling Centre has continued offering counselling services to students, staff and faculty. “Our counselors continue to offer support remotely through video conferencing platforms, WhatsApp and follow up phone calls, which has helped our community cope during these unprecedented times,” she said. She also highlighted that stress levels had significantly increased for faculty and University administrators who have to grapple with increased workload, increased parental care since children are not going to school, training in order to adapt to the online teaching mode among others.
In concluding the discussion, Prof. Rono mentioned that Universities need to conduct research to ascertain the levels of mental health issues among their communities, enhance mental health care, build resilient and successful coping mechanisms, and increase support hotlines.
The final dialogue series will be held on July 8 and will be discussing the impact of COVID-19 in Africa and the opportunities for partnership and engagement.
By Michelle Nyaribari
USIU Radio was started in the Spring semester of 2010, after being granted the broadcasting license by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), in 2009. In its earlier years, USIU Radio was under USIU-Africa’s journalism club, providing an opportunity for students to hone their skills in radio broadcasting and training on media techniques and technologies.
USIU Radio airs on the frequency 99.9 FM, which is typically allocated to community radio stations. The station transmits over a radius of 5 kilometers from the USIU-Africa campus.
All day-to-day functions in USIU Radio are student-led under the leadership of Head of Radio, Aruna Saidi and are assisted by radio technician, Winfred Kidula.
The university’s campus is home to two studios, the recording studio and the on-air studio, which serve USIU Radio both passively and actively. The recording studio, located in the Cinematics Centre, opened its doors in the year 2007 and is used exclusively by the BA Journalism students to develop their skills. The recording studio is also used for the training of incoming presenters in addition to the production of station ID’s, programs, promos, drops and jingles, and drops.
The on-air studio, located on the first floor of Lillian K Beam currently houses the USIU Radio station. The station operates from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with 21 shows being broadcast from this studio.
Since its establishment in 2010, USIU Radio has had a number of radio presenters joining mainstream media, including Andy Young (Homeboyz Radio), Rae Kiragu (Homeboyz Radio) and Darya Kish (NRG Radio). As the station continues with efforts to become a commercial radio station, USIU Radio carries on nurturing and growing talent not only in the radio presenters, but the talent of the in-house producers and deejays.
By Prof. Paul Zeleza
Faculty Recruitment
As part of its faculty recruitment program to reduce the fulltime/ part-time faculty ratio, faculty-student ratio and the faculty workload ratio to enhance research, as well as cater for new academic programs, the University aimed to recruit 22 faculty for the 2018-2019 academic year.
The University was able to recruit 12 faculty members (11 reported in September 2019, and 1 will report in January 2020).
Recruitment of Administrators and Managers
The university sought to recruit a total of 9 senior administrators and managers, including 3 deans, 2 directors and 4 chief managers, respectively. The recruitment for all these positions started in the 2018-2019 academic year and is continuing. Additionally, the recruitment of 4 Chairs of Departments in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, following recommendations of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, started. It is expected the successful candidates will report in January 2020.
Transfers/Promotions and Redeployment
USIU-Africa strives to increase the capacity of its employees by providing opportunities for growth and career advancement through implementation of the Schemes of Service. One employee was promoted in the month of August 2019 in the Procurement department following the retirement of a senior officer.
In January 2019, 30 employees were deployed from the departments of Finance, ICT, Admissions, Quality Assurance, Student Affairs, Placement and Career Services, Counseling, Alumni Relations, Housing, Library, the Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences, Business, Science and Technology, and the VC’s office.
Employee demographics
There were a total of 788 employees as at summer 2019, comprising 297 full time staff, 161 full time faculty, 260 adjunct faculty and 70 temporary staff.
Population of Full time Employees
The University has a diverse workforce with regards to age. In view of this, Management is keenly addressing various aspects of age distribution in consideration of succession plans for the various departments so as to avoid gaps in the future. The current full time employee population stands at 458 comprised of 35.15% females and 64.85% males.
Gender Distribution
I. Faculty: Male 98, Female 63. A total of 161.
II. Staff: Male 166, Female 131. A total of 297.
Employee Success and Support
Learning and Development
Training
Management recognizes that knowledge and skills development is vital to the well-being of all employees and the University as a whole. We live in a rapidly changing occupational world today characterized by ICT, and USIU-Africa routinely carries out staff development programmes to ensure that all employees are able to effectively deliver results.
Employee Tuition Waiver
USIU-Africa is committed to providing financial support to its employees, their spouses and/or their dependants to attain a USIU-Africa degree in either its undergraduate or graduate degree programs. University employees, their spouses and their children may be admitted to the University if they meet regular admission requirements. This training benefit is offered to employees and their dependants where the beneficiaries enjoy 100% tuition waiver for both graduate and undergraduate programs. In 2018-2019 the total number of ETW beneficiaries was 97.
The Office of Fundraising within the Division of Advancement exists primarily to generate non-tuition revenue to support the University’s priority areas. The office works closely with the University’s different divisions and governance bodies to promote the diversification of revenue streams for the University. The work of the office is complemented by the income generating efforts undertaken by the academic schools and departments through faculty research and consultancies, as well as through grants and contacts.
The main sources of non-tuition revenues for the University include the following:
Below are some key statistics on fundraising at USIU-Africa:
By Prof. Paul Zeleza
The department of Partnerships and External Linkages is charged with promoting the University’s external partnerships both locally and internationally. These partnerships include those with other universities, government and public agencies, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, international and intergovernmental organizations, and civil society organizations.
USIU- Africa has partnered with 15 universities drawn from 7 countries, five government agencies, 14 private sector organizations, 796 international and intergovernmental agencies, 8 diplomatic missions and 3 community and civic organizations.
The University also enjoys relationships with its service providers, who offer various products and services to it. Currently, USIU-Africa has 97 Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with 97 vendors, 44 executed MOU’s and 18 MOU’s pending execution.
By Prof. Paul Zeleza
As an institution, USIU-Africa is committed to ensuring that its students enjoy globally competitive education, in line with its motto, ‘Education to take you places’. Below are highlights of some of the initiatives we have put in place to strengthen our academic output:
Quality Assurance
In the 2018/19 academic year, three programs were launched in the 2018 Summer and Fall semesters, with eight new degree programs developed and submitted to the accreditors.
New Initiatives
Two major initiatives were undertaken during the year. First, the E-Learning Directorate was established to create USIU-Africa Online as a premier center to leverage the use of modern technologies to enrich the overall educational experience of students. Second, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching that had been defunct for many years was reestablished to nurture faculty professional development in learning and teaching, instructional design, sound pedagogy, technology integration and other emerging areas.
Student support and success
The University invests significant resources and effort in providing services for student support and success. These include a wide range of counselling programs given the growing range of challenges facing students, awareness raising activities, and sporting activities, in which USIU-Africa performs exceptionally well. A variety of social programs are also offered including numerous club activities.
Exchange and Study Abroad Programs
The opportunities for study abroad for USIU-Africa students and foreign exchange students to study at the University continues to grow.
Trips Abroad
Several academic programs at the University incorporate trips abroad as part of the curriculum. For example, in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences students in International Relations go to Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia as part of a field study class, while students in Criminal Justice go to The Hague where the International Criminal Court is located. There are also opportunities for students to go abroad as part of language training. In the 2018-2019 academic year, these included trips to Spain and China.
Foreign Students Enrolled at USIU-Africa
In the 2018-2019 academic year a total of 1044 international students from 73 countries were enrolled at USIU-Africa. Seven were doctoral students, 144 were graduate and 893 undergraduate students. These represented 16% of the total population of 6443.
Student Council
Successful elections were held for the Student Council under the new Student Council constitution. Among its many activities, the Council organized a series of events and participated in local and international leadership retreats.
Institutional Surveys
The implementation of previous surveys including those on student retention, employability, sexual harassment, and cafeteria services progressed. New surveys were conducted on alcohol and drug abuse, religion on campus, and institutional support for sports. The surveys are part of institutional commitment for continuous improvement in student life and wellbeing, which is critical for optimal student performance.
By Elizabeth Wanjiku
On Friday, October 6, the Disability and Inclusion Office in partnership with Light for The World and with the support of MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa, hosted a self-advocacy session for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to train and empower staff, faculty and students on the rights of PWDs as well as create awareness on the process and benefits of registration with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD).
Targeting the university community, the session was facilitated by Isaac Manyonge, Disability Mainstreaming Consultant & Performance Contracting Co-ordinator and Titus Yegoh, Chief Disability Services Officer, Head of Education Unit, from NCPWD who brought to discussion real life scenario of barriers and challenges that PWDs face while relating them to rights, empowerment and self-advocacy skills that the university community could apply to see to it that PWDs realize their full potential, access the necessary support services and engage more actively in academic and professional environments.
Mr. Manyonge highlighted that sometimes challenges that PWDs face are linked to some of them hiding and not accepting their disability, stressing that identification, self-acceptance and disclosure are important for PWDs to enable them fulfil their rights while accessing the benefits that come with their rights like exemption of taxation, accessing employment opportunities among others. Over the last few months, USIU-Africa through the Disability and Inclusion Office has been able to set up a self-disclosure process to guide on accessing accommodation for students, faculty and staff with disabilities.
“There are so many rights for persons with disabilities, but you need to work on your attitude, perception and register to be able to fully enjoy these rights,” said Mr. Manyonge.
He further said that living with disability is not an easy task, however through mentorship and institutions that create a conducive environment, PWDs can be empowered to achieve their target and become who they want to be. He also emphasized the importance of having a support system from people without disability at any given time pointing out that PWDs can help create that support system.
The session was an opportunity for staff, students and faculties with disabilities to realize their responsibility towards realizing their rights and personal duty to educate themselves and work on self-development so that their self-esteem would contribute to their overall success. Non-Kenyans were also encouraged to join hands with NCPWD and the Kenyan government to advocate for rights within their counties under the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Persons without disabilities at the session were encouraged to keep amplifying their voices for the rights of persons with disabilities, as their efforts as disability allies were important in providing the social support system that those with disabilities need in their everyday lives.
The National Council for Persons with Disabilities is a state corporation established by an Act of Parliament; the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 14 of 2003 and set up in November 2004. It has the chief mandate of promoting and protecting equalization of opportunities and realization of human rights for persons with disabilities.
By the Gender Equity and Protection Office
Introduction
Gender-based violence (GBV) refers to any harmful act or behavior that is perpetrated against an individual based on their gender or perceived gender. GBV includes physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse, as well as stalking and harassment. This type of violence disproportionately affects women and girls, although men and boys can also be victims.
GBV is a serious human rights violation that has lasting effects on the physical and psychological well-being of survivors. It also has broader social and economic implications, such as hindering gender equality.
Types of Gender Based Violence
Examples of GBV include physical violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, and economic abuse, among others. GBV can occur in both public and private spaces, and can be perpetrated by intimate partners, family members, acquaintances or strangers etc.
Issues of Gender Based Violence
How to Address GBV
Prevention of Gender based violence at home and school
Gender-based violence experienced at home and school is a serious issue that affects many individuals around the world. It is not only exclusively experienced by women and girls but also men and boys. It can be experienced by any gender. It can take many forms, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and can have long-lasting effects on the victims.
At home, gender-based violence can be perpetrated by family members or intimate partners. This can include physical violence such as hitting or slapping, sexual violence such as rape or forced sexual acts, and emotional abuse such as verbal insults or isolation. Victims may feel trapped or powerless to leave the situation due to financial dependence, fear of retaliation, or lack of support.
At school, gender-based violence can take the form of bullying, harassment, rape or sexual assault. Students may be targeted based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, or perceived gender roles. This can create a hostile learning environment that impacts academic performance and emotional well-being.
It is important to address gender-based violence at both the individual and systemic levels. Education and awareness-raising campaigns can help to change attitudes and promote respect and equality. Support services such as counseling and legal aid can provide resources for victims to seek help and break the cycle of violence. Additionally, laws and policies that criminalize gender-based violence and hold perpetrators accountable can help to create a safer society for everyone.
Scenarios or examples of how Gender Based Violence can come about
Here are some strategies of preventing and responding to Gender based Violence
Areas to report Gender Based Violence
Gender-based violence can occur in a variety of settings, including private homes, public spaces, workplaces, and institutions. Here are some areas where gender-based violence can be reported:
It's important to remember that reporting gender-based violence can be difficult and scary, and there is no "right" way to do it. It's important to reach out for help and support, and to know that you are not alone.
Should you experience any type of gender based violence including harassment or sexual harassment, kindly report to the Gender Equity and protection Office through:
Gender Office hotline number on: +254 782 539 361
Email: rngumi@usiu.ac.ke / gep@usiu.ac.ke
Visit the office located at the Freida Brown Student Center, First floor on the Academic Advisors Wing next to the Internship Office or Community Service Office.
#StandupSpeakout
By Wamucii Kabue & Helen Ambasa
On Thursday 2nd July, 2020, the Division of Legal Services held a webinar titled Leading in Uncertain Times- Governance, Legal & HR Issues That Organizations Have to Contend with. This was the final webinar in a series of webinars held over the past month with a view of ensuring that the campus community as well as USIU-Africa’s partners were apprised on topical legal and governance issues during this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar attracted a broad range of participants drawn from the legal, governance, finance and human resource sectors. The webinar was streamed live on Facebook and attracted a viewership of 1,800 participants. It was hosted and moderated by Helen Ambasa, the Director-Legal Services, and featured two esteemed facilitators, Mrs. Jackline Oyuyo Githinji the Managing Partner at Umsizi LLP and Mr. Raimond Molenje, Head of Legal, HR, and Industrial Relations at the Kenya Bankers Association.
Mrs. Githinji begun by giving a working definition of governance as the manner in which an entity utilizes the resources available to it to enable it to achieve its objectives (the resources ranging from intellectual, material, financial natural and human capital to name a few). She commended the Kenyan government for its quick response to the pandemic but emphasized that governance was not a preserve of huge corporations and that we all have an important role to play. Governance within organizations during this time consists of trying to achieve the delicate balance between life and in specific the good health of persons within the organization, and an individual’s ability to sustain oneself.
Leadership was at the forefront and acted as the lens-view within which the topic of governance was dissected by both panelists. Leaders within organizations bearing the responsibility of ensuring that any policies adopted are effectively communicated, taking into consideration the organization’s diverse target audience, and ensuring that each person within the organization understands their obligations.
Participants were informed that the Covid-19 pandemic, ministry regulations, current daily curfew as well as the cessation of movement laws have forced employers to review their policies on employees’ physical presence at the workplace or whether to shut down operations altogether. Mr. Molenje proposed that organizations could implement human resource measures such as the adoption of a hybrid system where employees take shifts between working from home and going into the office. This would also involve ensuring that the expectations of each employee working from home are well defined as well as ensuring that they have the necessary resources to enable them to achieve their given task.
Organizations that resume physical work would need to adopt return to work policies. This is because, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2007 (“OSHA”) provides that employers have an obligation to ensure the safety, health and welfare of their employees. This duty would mean that employers have a duty to protect their employees from the effects of the pandemic. The Occupational Safety and Health Advisory on Coronavirus (COVID 19) issued recommendations that employers are required to abide by, which include maintaining social distancing, offering alcohol-based sanitizers amongst others. Failure to abide by government directives and regulations could potentially lead to the organization being found liable. Further, the policies should highlight the steps that would be taken should an employee be suspected of or found to test positive for Covid-19. This is to ensure that such employees are not discriminated against once they resume work.
In answering a question from one of the participants regarding whether organizations would benefit from using redundancy as a means to terminate employment contracts, both facilitators as well as Ms. Ambasa emphasized that redundancy, as a legal principle, should be employed as a last resort. This is because an employer would be required to meet the requirements set out in Section 40 of the Employment Act, 2007 failure to which, employees whose contracts are terminated could institute suits for unfair termination of employment, notwithstanding that the termination of contracts can be linked to a decline in the organization’s financial standing as a result of Covid-19.
Subtle alternatives to redundancy that could be employed by organizations struggling to meet their financial obligations were also shared. These include negotiating with employees and thereafter implementing consensual temporary pay cuts in an aim to avoid terminating employment contracts altogether. Citing the Mediamax Limited case as an example, Mrs. Githinji noted that even though employees went to court protesting the non-consensual implementation of pay cuts and the court ruled in their favor, the same court went on to add that the organization was free to commence redundancy proceedings-the effect of which was that hundreds of employees would now be unemployed thereby resulting in what could be termed a pyrrhic victory. The facilitators reiterated the fact that employees, who for one reason or another, are unable to work from home could be asked to take advanced leave days. Any agreements entered into, however, should be well documented and should only last through the Covid-19 period.
In conclusion, as we carry out our day to day activities and redefine a new sense of normal, we would benefit from taking to heart some of the words of wisdom from the facilitators, in particular, Mrs. Githinji’s statements that “Nobody is an expert in this crisis”, “Communication must be tailored to fit the audience and in a manner that they understand”, “Leaders must be ready to communicate both good and bad news” and Mr. Molenje’s “you understand, it’s as a result of Coronavirus” as not being a justifiable excuse in a court of law should an employer take questionable measures during this time that could find them liable.
The next set of webinars are scheduled to be held on 30th July, 2020 and in August 2020.
By the CTW Team
Dr. Dorothy Njoroge, Ag. Chair of the Department of Media & Communications at the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts has been appointed to serve as the Deputy Chairperson of the Kenya Media Policy Guidelines taskforce, which has been set up by the ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru.
Dr. Njoroge, who is an Assistant Professor of Corporate & Development Communication and the current Chairperson of the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) will serve alongside 12 other media professionals.
Other members of the task-force include Information Secretary Judy Munyinyi, Victor Bwire (Director Media Training and Development at the Media Council of Kenya), Dinah Ondari (Media Council of Kenya Press Freedom, Safety and Advocacy), Wilson Ugangu, Muiru Ngugi, Christopher Maina, June Chepkemei, Ibrahim Odour, John Munyiri and Casty Micheni.
The taskforce has been put together to identify any gaps in the 2009 Kenya Media Policy Guidelines and propose changes and requirements for legislative review in response to the identified gaps and is expected to produce and submit a reviewed version of the Guidelines upon the end of its three-month term.
By Gabriel Okello
Dr. Gabriel Okello, faculty member at the School of Science and Technology has published a book titled Simplified Business Statistics Using SPSS. The book, published by Taylor & Francis Group and CRC Press provides a practical approach for better understanding of the statistical concepts that are applied in business, economics and other areas of data analytics.
The book offers a 21st century approach to learning by first introducing the through examples, then rigorously explaining the theoretical concepts with the use of formulas, and thereafter showing the application of these statistical concepts to the real world using examples with application in SPSS statistical software using different data sets.
The book will be a guide to better understanding of statistical concepts especially to Business and Management students, Economics students, Business Analytics students and other professionals with varied backgrounds who use statistics to present data and make decisions or those who want to perform data analysis.
The book can be used as a very useful reference for postgraduate and high level courses for undergraduate and other researchers who require guidance in data analysis. The book will have simplified statistical content and a step by step guide on how to apply the statistical concepts by performing analysis using SPSS together with interpretation of the statistical analysis output.
The book will offer a more practical approach to the principles of statistics. The book is organized into for parts: Part 1: Introduction to Statistical Analysis; Part 2: Probability Concepts; Part 3: Introduction to Statistical Inference Concepts and Methods; and Part 4: Special Topics in Statistical Analysis.
Some of the book’s key features include:
By CTW Team
Dr. Manu Chandaria (OBE, CBS, EBS), Chancellor USIU-Africa, was awarded the first honorary degree from USIU-Africa during the 45th Commencement Ceremony held on Saturday, October 14 on campus.
During his speech at the ceremony which saw over 1200 students graduating, Dr. Chandaria emphasized the important role that the parents and guardians of the graduating class have played to see them to this successful point through their sacrifices and hard work. He encouraged the graduating class of 2023, pointing out that commitment and hard work to family, country, community are the key to success saying that everyone has a role to play to building successful communities and environment. He urged all participants to participate in social work and uplift and help those in need in the society.
Dr. Chandaria received a Doctor of Laws in recognition of his outstanding contributions to philanthropy, business, charitable endeavors, and peacebuilding efforts in Kenya and around the world. As the Chairman of Chandaria Foundation, Dr. Chandaria was instrumental in setting up the Chandaria School of Business at USIU-Africa, Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Centre at the Kenyatta University, Chandaria Centre for Performing Arts at the University of Nairobi.
Additionally, he championed setting up of Chandaria Accident and Emergency center and Day theatres at Nairobi Hospital, Chandaria Accident and Emergency center at Pandya Hospital Mombasa, Chandaria Medical Centre at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, Chandaria MIHV Health Centre at Dagoretti Nairobi, Chandaria Mji Wa Huruma Clinic in Runda, Chandaria Bodi Health Centre, and Chandaria Bodi Maternity Wing Mabati Medical Centre at Mariakani.
He also helped set up Mabati Technical Institute at Mariakani, a dozen Chandaria Clinics in rural areas, Chandaria Cancer and Chronic Diseases Centre at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Chandaria Secondary School Scholarship for 130 students every year for the last 35 years, Chandaria University Scholarships for 30 students every year, Chandaria Bravery Awards to Police Force, Chandaria Workshop at Langata Women’s Prison, Chandaria Incubation and Business
Centre at the Kenya Methodist University, and Chandaria Jain Social Group Theatre for 800 people.
In 2022, Dr. Chandaria was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, in recognition of his innovative philanthropy and his contributions to society becoming the first Kenyan and Africa to receive the award.
Dr. Manu Chandaria support for social causes started in the 1950s and since then, he has built a legacy in philanthropy that very few wealthy Africans can match.
By Eannes G. Ongus
This Summer, EYO has awarded twelve students with scholarships from funds raised by alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends of USIU-Africa. To date, the fund has raised over Kshs. 2 million and awarded scholarships to 39 USIU-Africa students. In order to build a more sustainable scholarship program, EYO has launched a Kshs.10 million Endowment Fund, whose projected annual yield of Kshs.1 million will support at least 20 students in perpetuity. The fund will raise money through several activities such as the annual fun run, car wash project and other giving campaigns.
Since 2015, the USIU-Africa community has become part of a larger movement that is changing the narrative for students pursuing higher education at USIU-Africa. Educate Your Own (EYO) is a fundraising campaign that supports zero dropout rate among continuing students who are facing financial challenges. USIU-Africa is committed to attracting the very best students from across the globe, to study and learn at all levels, regardless of background or circumstance.
EYO congratulates the twelve awardees of the 2019 Summer scholars and wishes them the very best of luck in their studies. EYO also wishes to most sincerely thank all supporters for creating a lifelong impact in the lives of the students through giving.
Should you wish to support the on-going EYO Endowment Campaign, send an email eyo@usiu.ac.ke / or ckamala@usiu.ac.ke . You can also send your contribution through Mpesa pay bill no. 516900; Account – EYOFund.
By Christine Kamala
On Monday, February 14, The Educate your Own Volunteers under the Fundraising Department, spearheaded the donor engagement and stewardship campaign on campus. The activity of the day involved giving away a signed “Thank You Card” and a Rose Flower to the various donor constituents which include students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university.
The day is set aside to appreciate the immense support students receive from various donor segments to complete their education and pursue the career of their dreams and without financial anxiety. The volunteers also used the opportunity to inform the various constituents of the upcoming Annual Month of Giving which is slated for May 2022. In addition, it was an opportunity for freshmen and sophomores to learn about EYO and the impact of their efforts while in return, the donors appreciated the kind gesture and applauded the cause for the good work.
The number of students relying on financial aid to achieve their goal increased by 40% in the wake of COVID-19 and through the EYO initiative, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund supported 37 students which brings the total number of students supported to 100.
This semester, in the spirit of appreciation, the initiative is offering Kes. 300,000 to support continuing students facing financial challenges. Students are asked to visit the Financial aid office to access the application forms before the deadline which is slated for March 4, 2022.
By Taigu Muchiri
Governments across the globe disrupted education by closing primary, secondary, and tertiary schools to curb the spread of COVID-19 through non-medical interventions and preventive measures such as physical distancing and self-quarantine. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the closures have impacted close to 90 percent of the world’s student population. By end of April, over 1.2 billion children and youth were not attending school due to the indefinite closures in an attempt to stem the spread of COVID-19 even as the total number of infections continue to rise and currently stand at 6.48 million globally recorded by June 3.
In Kenya, the government issued a directive for all schools and institutions of higher learning to be closed, a move that brought teaching to an abrupt end, with students being released to go back home for an indefinite period. The Economic Survey Report of 2020 published by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that this has affected over 17 million enrolled learners across the country which has led to losses in learning and increased dropout rates. The situation is exacerbated by inclusion and the existing digital divide among countries and families a like and have highlighted numerous issues facing access to education, not only in Kenya but across the world.
Efforts to ensure learning continuity have forced institutions to explore other methods of teaching and learning since in-person instruction has been halted. UNESCO recommended the adoption and use of distance and open learning educational applications and platforms for remote teaching. While the online option seems viable, it is not the case for all learners. For one, lack of access to technology or fast, reliable internet is a hindrance for some students. There is also the case of students with disabilities who have challenges with access to suitable devices adapted for the online learning system.
Speaking during the third installment of the 6-part public dialogue series on the impact on COVID-19 in universities, Prof. Mpine Makoe, Director of Open Distance eLearning, University of South Africa mentioned that open access especially during the pandemic should be about accessibility, inclusivity, flexibility, equitability and lifelong learning. These are the principles employed by the University to ensure continuous teaching and learning before, during and after COVID-19. She added that gains made in the implementation of the Social Development Goals (SDGs) to provide quality education will be reversed and there will be no significant growth to achieve this goal.
One common thing that dominated the discussion are the challenges experienced as most institutions grapple with the transition to online teaching and learning. These challenges fall within seven key areas; infrastructure and access, equity, quality of teaching and learning and assessment, opportunities for collaboration, staff and faculty workload, student and faculty mobility, and preparations for the future. Other challenges include training and capacity building for lecturers to ensure that they effectively teach online; the ‘one size fits all’ mentality that has been in existence for such a long time is now more alive than ever.
These challenges present unique opportunities specifically for universities that can be explored during this period. Prof. Tawana Kupe, Vice Chancellor, University of Pretoria reiterated that the future of higher education is “hybrid that combines online learning and face to face instruction.” However, he noted that this might not work perfectly across the board and might be difficult to implement across all programs and disciplines. There are some programs that will work well with this model and others that will not such as the sciences which require extensive in person interaction. In this current period, it is imperative for Universities to change the equation where online learning becomes a key element and work with other African and International universities to create and teach courses together as well as share resources and knowledge.
On June 24, the panelists will explore the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on university faculty and students; and the final dialogue on July 8, will show the impact of COVID-19 in Africa by exploring the opportunities for partnership and engagements.
By CTW Team
On Monday, July 17, the Electoral College was formally sworn in, marking the induction of the elected candidates into their roles as representatives of the Electoral College.
The meeting was called to order by the Electoral Commission, with Cynthia Njeri, a member of the commission, warmly welcoming everyone in attendance. Njeri provided a brief overview of the program, ensuring that all participants were well-informed about the proceedings.
The highlight of the event was a speech delivered by Mrs. Ritah Asunda, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs, who began by expressing her gratitude to the Electoral Commission for their outstanding work in upholding the constitution throughout the election process. She then extended her heartfelt congratulations to the elected candidates, acknowledging their victory achieved through fair and transparent elections.
In her speech, Mrs. Asunda took the opportunity to offer valuable advice to the newly elected officials, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating integrity and encouraged them to become great leaders who lead by example.
The swearing in ceremony was conducted by the Director of Legal Services, Ms. Helen Ambasa, and witnessed by the Dean of Students Mr. Ronald Kimani, the Senior Clubs Coordinator Mr. Chris Ayuoyi, Staff Council representatives and the Electoral Commissioners, among others. After each candidate took the oath, they signed the official oath of office document, signifying their commitment to serve the university community.
The event ended with a vote of thanks from Amos Ongere, who expressed gratitude to all attendees for their presence and active participation in the event. He acknowledged the hard work of the Electoral Commission and the dedication of the candidates, highlighting the importance of their roles in fostering a democratic environment within the university.
Below is a list of the of the Electoral College representatives from each school.
By Horace Okoth
Archives serve as guardians of our cultural heritage, safeguarding historical records, documents, photographs, audiovisual materials, and more. They are repositories of knowledge that provide a window into the past, enabling us to understand and learn from our history.
Archives Week is a unique event that celebrates the invaluable role played by archives in preserving our collective heritage and promoting historical knowledge. It seeks to emphasize the critical role that archives play in preserving these invaluable resources, ensuring they are accessible for research, education, and public enjoyment. June 9 was chosen to commemorate the date the International Council on Archives (ICA) was created under the auspices of UNESCO in 1948. This was decided at the 2007 ICA Annual General Meeting, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the ICA expanded the event to an entire week.
This year marked the fifth International Archives Week (#IAW2023) as well as ICA’s 75th anniversary, which was celebrated from Monday 5 to Friday, 9 June 2023, marking 75 years of ICA’S work in promoting the importance of records and archives. This annual observance, held during the first week of June, brings together archivists, historians, educators, and the public to highlight the importance of archives in our society.
Archives Week has a profound impact on both the preservation of our cultural heritage and public engagement with history. By opening their doors and organizing events, archives encourage public participation and spark curiosity about the past. This engagement fosters a sense of collective identity and strengthens community ties as individuals connect with their local history and heritage.
Additionally, Archives Week plays a crucial role in promoting the profession of archiving by showcasing the significance of archival work, it helps garner support and recognition of the dedication to preserving an institution’s collective memory.
Archives Week encompasses a diverse range of events and activities designed to engage people of all ages and backgrounds. Here are some of the notable activities that often take place during this week-long celebration:
By participating in Archives Week, individuals can connect with the past, broaden their understanding of history, and contribute to the continued preservation and accessibility of our collective memory.
By Fredrick Adika
The start of a new year often heralds fresh beginnings, and for many, it marks the exciting venture into university life. Stepping onto the campus of USIU-Africa, new students are poised on the brink of an incredible journey, one filled with opportunities, challenges, and transformative experiences. As these eager minds embark on this academic odyssey, it's natural to feel a blend of excitement and uncertainty. Adapting to this new phase of life involves not just academic adjustments but also personal growth and adaptation. Here are some guiding principles and advice for new students to navigate and thrive in this new chapter:
As new students take their first steps onto the campus of USIU-Africa, they step into a world of endless possibilities. It's a journey where each day brings new lessons, new connections, and new discoveries. Embrace this journey, for it's not just about earning a degree; it's about transformation and personal growth. Welcome, new students, to an incredible chapter of your lives.
An Educate Your Own Car Wash exercise in progress at the bus park during the fundraising drive by the students’ initiaitive that began on Thursday, March 21 and will conclude on April 6. PHOTO:DAN MUCHAI
By Christine Kamala
In a first of its kind, University employees were given the opportunity to fundraise for various causes of their choice as part of an annual giving campaign which run from February 25 to March 15 2019. Donors were also offered the opportunity to select the recipients of their donations, such as Research, the Freida Brown Scholarship Fund, Educate Your Own, student academic tours and travel, the Alumni Endowment Fund and any other.
Counting donations and pledges, employees are expected to contribute KES 1.54 million by February 25, 2020 when the campaign officially ends. 31.4% of employees have so far donated to the campaign totaling KES 581,600 from faculty and KES 960,700 from staff.
Of note are the 95 donors who have elected to contribute to the student fundraising initiative known as Educate Your Own, which received donations totaling KES 460,800, thus pointing to the resonance the initiative has had with employees since its inception in 2016.
This campaign underlined the special connection employees feel with the university. Their choose to donate not only sent the message that they believe in USIU-Africa’s mission, but also are willing to support it above and beyond their contractual obligations to the University.
Indeed the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza in announcing the campaign’s success singled out 5 departments for have registered 100% participation: Fundraising, Institutional Research, Internal Audit, Marketing and Communications, Office of the Registrar and the Office of the Vice Chancellor.
For further information on how to make a gift through this campaign, the fundraising team is available on email (fundraising@usiu.ac.ke) or phone (0730116326/205).
By Fredrick Adika
The Emerald Knowledge Ambassadors Program (EKA) for 2023 is well underway, brimming with enthusiasm and purpose. Kicked off on June 19, 2023, the program promises a year replete with opportunities for knowledge sharing and growth. All program activities for 2023 are set to conclude by October 30, 2023, which marks the submission deadline. November 18, 2023, is the date to look forward to, as it's when the winners will be officially announced, recognizing the remarkable achievements of the Knowledge Ambassadors for 2023.
This program has a two-fold mission, aiming to empower students and academic institutions to achieve two significant objectives. First, it seeks to enhance access, awareness, and usage of Emerald's abundant research content. The overarching goal is to ensure that this invaluable treasure trove of knowledge becomes accessible to a broader audience, thereby spreading the benefits of the information it holds. Simultaneously, the program aspires to elevate Emerald Insight to the coveted status of the preferred research platform for students, researchers, and academics, providing them with a repository of top-quality research materials.
Participation in this year's program is contingent upon meeting specific criteria. Participating academic institutions must maintain Current Subscription Access to Emerald Publishing, granting students access to a wealth of research content. Additionally, each academic institution must establish a single Knowledge Ambassador group, comprising up to four students, an optimal team size for effective collaboration. These Knowledge Ambassador teams operate under the guidance of experienced librarians, ensuring that the program is meticulously structured and supported by seasoned experts. Our 2023 team is comprised of Justin Kirembeka, Joyce Shabene, Jovia Namakula, and Jaili Abdalla Kafi.
Effective communication lies at the heart of the program's success. Knowledge Ambassador groups have set up and are actively managing WhatsApp groups. These groups are jointly overseen by the institution's librarian and the Knowledge Ambassadors, providing a real-time communication channel that facilitates seamless coordination and the swift sharing of information. Moreover, the official Emerald Knowledge Ambassador Facebook page plays a pivotal role in uniting participants from various institutions. It serves as a central hub for sharing updates, resources, and nurturing a sense of community among Knowledge Ambassadors.
To ensure that Knowledge Ambassadors stay informed about program developments, a dedicated online newsletter, managed by Emerald, is regularly distributed. This newsletter serves as an indispensable source of information for all participants. Additionally, Knowledge Ambassadors have the privilege of participating in webinars tailored to meet their specific needs, providing them with valuable insights and guidance.
In line with the program's objectives, our team has taken the initiative to organize training sessions on the Emerald Insight platform. This has been achieved through collaboration with the library, equipping students, educators, and researchers with the skills necessary to maximize the use of the available resources.
Furthermore, the EKA team has been actively engaging with users through WhatsApp and Facebook, fostering meaningful connections and facilitating various community outreach efforts. These endeavors include providing career guidance talks in schools, extending support to community libraries, and serving as role models for young individuals. These activities are imbued with the spirit of enjoyment, underpinning the program's core principle that learning and sharing knowledge should be a pleasurable endeavor, ultimately encouraging active participation from both peers and the community.
For more information on EKA: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/emerald-knowledge-ambassador-programme
By Jennifer Bessy & Geoffrey Gikungu
Sexual reproductive health is a critical aspect of overall well-being, and universities play a pivotal role in educating and empowering students on this essential subject. USIU-Africa recently hosted a transformative four-day event dedicated to fostering awareness, understanding, and open dialogue around sexual reproductive health powered by the VCT week committee members and the counseling center team. The event aimed at equipping students with knowledge, resources, and a supportive community to navigate this crucial aspect of their lives. The hashtag for the four-day event was #StoptheScareBeAware.
The program ran through from the November 20-23, and was graced by our esteemed partners and sponsors Marie Stopes who were in charge of educating our students on contraceptive and STIs counseling; Fahari ya Jamii, a USAID project in charge of paying VCT counselors; Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK) were in charge of breast and cervical cancer screening services; OraQuick team were in charge of testing HIV with the oral self-test kit and giving free oral self-test kits to members of the USIU-Africa community, Kiss Condoms gave free condoms and hats; AIDS Health Care Foundation (AHF) supported the team with HIV testing tents and consumables; IPAS offered sexual and reproductive health education whose support played a pivotal role in the success of the events of the week albeit the unpredictable weather.
The VCT week’s committee members highlighted the importance of comprehensive sexual education and encouraged fellow students to actively participate on each day. Some of the areas covered were contraception methods, and the importance of regular health check-ups. These sessions were designed to dispel myths, provide accurate information, and encourage a culture of open communication through games like pop the balloon, three stick games, hula hoops and the much-participated condom games.
The event focused on advocacy and raising awareness about sexual reproductive health. Various student-led initiatives, clubs, and organizations set up information tents, distributed pamphlets, and organized engaging activities. These efforts aimed to create a more inclusive environment and break down stigmas surrounding sexual health. Interactive sessions on consent and communication skills fostered an environment that prioritized respect, understanding, and empathy within relationships.
The event concluded with a movie night which was attended by around 90 people. More than 1000 members of USIU-Africa community got tested for HIV and 100 screened for breast and cervical cancer. We had students generating hashtags such as #KnowyourHIVstatustoday, #Condomizedon’tcompromise amongst others. At the end of the program, we interviewed some organizers and this is what they had to say: “The games were very educative and a crowd puller at the same time, students enjoyed learning about stigmas, facts and myths surrounding sexual health while having fun. The event was pretty awesome,” said Maria Aguina, current VCT committee chair.
The four-day event successfully created a platform for open dialogue, education, and community building around sexual reproductive health. By addressing various aspects of this vital topic, the students were empowered with the knowledge and resources needed to make informed decisions, foster healthy relationships, and contribute to a campus culture that values and prioritizes sexual well-being. The hope is that the momentum generated during this event will continue to inspire positive change and advocacy for sexual reproductive health within the university community and beyond.
The resilience displayed by the university community in the face of adverse weather conditions was truly commendable. The commitment to learning, sharing, and participating in activities designed to improve our collective health demonstrated the keen sense of community that defines USIU-Africa.
By Luyando Theodora Mkenda
As explained in the opening speech, an endowment is a donation of money or property to a non-profit organization which uses the resulting investment income for a specific purpose. On June 24, 2022, the Student Council hosted an endowment dinner that took place at Safari Park Hotel and Casino to raise money towards financial aid, scholarships and extracurricular activities.
The night started off with the capturing of pictures, all of which portrayed the glamour of the black-tie event and the delightful atmosphere filled with entertainment and pleasantries.
Overall, the dinner was a success as it met the targeted attendance and raised a total of 3.6 million Kenyan Shillings thanks to generous donations from the Electoral College, Mr and Miss USIU committee, guest of honour Dr. Jacob Ogola and many more.
During the speeches, plenty of guests expressed admiration for the cause around such an event, but the speech that stood out was by Nicole Sulwey (third-year student majoring in International Relations, double minoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice with a concentration in Peace and Conflict) when she shared her story of how such funds help students who are not able to pay for their education.
“This semester when I came back to university, my last semester’s fees hadn’t been fully paid and it was really frustrating, and I was opting to take a semester break,” Miss Sulwey narrates. She continued to explain how support from Bendard Opondo, SC Chairperson, and Kesuma Laizer, SC Social Welfare, enabled more than half of her fee debt to be paid off in two weeks.
Listening to the impact that fundraising events have put into perspective its importance. Nicole Sulwey’s story is the epitome of every student who has been helped and now is able to continue with their education thanks to funds raised by any and every USIU-Africa event.
“After we were elected into office, we as a council realized that students’ activities are underfunded and noticed several students failed to complete their studies due to financial constraints,” Kesuma Laizer from the student council explains, “we came up with the endowment fund which will help keep financially needy students in classes and fund students’ activities.” The Student Council will hold the endowment dinner on a yearly basis; however, it is just one of the activities that will go into fundraising.
A percentage of money from ticket sales in other activities such as the upcoming VC Half Marathon taking place on July 17 will also be directed towards the endowment fund. The Endowment Fund will be managed by the Student Council. The percentage that is channelled to sponsoring students will be transferred to the financial aid office and the percentage geared towards supporting students’ activities will be channelled to the respective offices.
Photos courtesy of Oliver Njeru.
By the Environmental Society Club
The Environmental Society Club (ENSO) recently began an initiative on campus in which they placed recycling bins at the major eateries of the school, Paul's Café and Café Latta, in a bid to collect aluminium cans and plastic bottles around campus.
This initiative was started to encourage the reuse of waste and recycling on campus, one of ENSO’s major goals. The bins will be on campus for a few weeks, and the Club encourages students, staff and faculty to use them for their specified purposes. We also politely request that individuals not treat them as general trash cans, but to only toss the appropriate waste in the respective bins according to their signs.
The collection of the aluminium cans and plastic bottles on campus is for an upcycling project ENSO plans to host in the second half of the semester in which interested students design and decorate their own plant pots made from the collected plastic and aluminium.
The bins marked PET plastic are for plastic soda, juice and water bottles, and the bins marked aluminium cans are for soda and energy drink cans. The PET plastic bins are not for plastic food containers or cutlery. The Club hopes to send any excess waste collected to a recycling company.
By CTW Team
Last Saturday, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Margee Ensign joined the Environmental Society Club (ENSO) in a tree planting initiative at the Githogoro Slums in Nairobi. The tree planting initiative aimed at addressing deforestation and limited access to green spaces in the Githogoro community. By planting trees, the club hoped to enhance the environmental sustainability of the area, improve air quality, prevent soil erosion, and beautify the surroundings.
Dignitaries who were present during the event included Ms. Rosemary Mwangi, Senior Assistant County Commissioner, Mr. Charles Ngugi, Senior Chief, Mr. Barnabas Masakhalia, Chief of Githogoro, Nyumba Kumi representatives and the Runda Sports Team. USIU-Africa was represented by the Office of the Dean of Students, the Environmental Society Club Executive Team, various USIU-Africa Clubs, and the soccer team, among others.
In her comments, the Vice Chancellor noted that the Club was keen on cultivating an interest and appreciation of the environment by focusing on environmental conservation and sustainability in line with the Sustainable Development Goals on Climate Action and Life on Land.
The club has in the past been involved in similar activities around the university, provision of bins and garbage collection, and visits to several parks in the country in a bid to improve the student’s knowledge of their ecological surroundings. The event ended with a friendly match between the USIU-Africa Soccer Team and the Runda Sports Team.
By Exness Team
Multi-asset broker Exness is pleased to announce the expansion of its Fintech Scholarships program to Kenya in partnership with the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Exness Fintech Scholarships aim to empower outstanding university students to continue their studies in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
The Exness Fintech Scholarship program in Kenya seeks to support students in the third or fourth year of their undergraduate studies in Data Science & Analytics, and Software Engineering at USIU-Africa, or students who have accepted an offer for a MSc. in Information Technology at the university starting in September 2023.
The scholarship will cover the full amount of tuition fees and living expenses for the students, enabling them to focus on their studies. Interested students are encouraged to send their applications, including a CV, academic transcripts, and a motivation letter by July 28, 2023. For more information, visit: 3135/exness-scholarship
While commenting about the new sponsorship opportunity available for USIU-Africa students, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Margee Ensign noted this partnership broadens the horizons for students and presents various pathways they can explore. “As a university, we are so excited about our partnership with Exness to offer opportunities for young people from Kenya to achieve their full potential and aspirations in the technology space. We strongly believe that to truly transform society, we need to align learning with local, national and global challenges and opportunities. The selected cutting edge degree programs in Data Science & Analytics, Software Engineering and Information Security for the scholarship are indeed game changers in every aspect of 21st century life,” she said.
With the launch of the Fintech Scholarships program in Kenya, Exness further demonstrates its commitment to supporting education in the countries it operates in. Kenya is the third country to benefit from Exness Fintech Scholarships, following Cyprus where two students have already been sent to the University of Cambridge in 2022 (and applications are now open for 2023), and South Africa where three students were given the chance to pursue post-graduate studies at the country’s top university, the University of Cape Town.
“We are incredibly happy to be able to launch our Exness Fintech Scholarships program in yet another country,” Martin Thorvaldsson, Exness Head of Community, commented. “At Exness, we recognize the importance of higher education for the future of our youth and we are honored to be part of the journey of excellent students in building the STEM careers and future they dream of. We are strong believers that technology and innovation are two of the most important sectors of every economy and as a fintech company we are dedicated to supporting the minds that can contribute to their growth and development,” Mr. Thorvaldsson continued.
Exness is a global multi-asset broker which uses a unique combination of technology and ethics to create a favorable market for traders and raise the industry benchmark. Exness’ ethos and vision revolve around the concept of offering its clients a frictionless trading experience, by bringing to life the financial markets in the way they should be experienced. Exness’ identity and commitment to the two worlds of technology and ethics, as well as its loyal client base which counts over 500,000 active traders are key drivers of the global brand. Today, Exness records over $3 trillion in monthly trading volume and has set its focus on a strategic expansion to new corners of the world.
For more on the USIU-Africa scholarships, visit the Financial Aid Office
By Philip Machoka
The Director of eLearning at USIU-Africa Online, Dr. Philip Machoka, recently undertook a comprehensive benchmarking initiative during his visit to Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Houston Clearlake (UHCL). His focus was on evaluating the cutting-edge technology employed to support the development, teaching, and learning of online courses.
During his enlightening 3-day visit to ASU, hosted by the University Design Institute (UDI) alongside EdPlus, an enterprise unit for ASU focused on the design and scalable delivery of digital teaching and learning models boasting an impressive array of 297 online programs, the Director delved into the intricacies of online course development. His tour of EdPlus included visits to state-of-the-art studios, where he engaged with instructional designers and the media production team, gaining valuable insights into their processes.
Dale Johnson, Director, Digital Innovation, University Design Institute (UDI), provided an in-depth overview of the university's journey in the online space. The campus tour further exposed Dr. Machoka to ASU Library Makerspace, that offers access to 3D printing, laser cutting, sewing machines, podcast studios, a space that provides students and staff with the tools and technology to create. He also visited virtual reality labs, contemporary reading spaces, and dynamic active learning classrooms. Notably, he had the privilege of meeting the Dr. Minu Ipe, Vice Chair and Managing Director of University Design Institute, adding a strategic dimension to his experience.
At the University of Houston Clearlake (UHCL), the Director continued his exploration by recording a 30-minute micro-lecture in the cutting-edge Onebutton studio - an automated turnkey studio system for presenting, recording and livestreaming. His visit also included a tour of the active learning classrooms, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of UHCL's commitment to advanced teaching methodologies.
This benchmarking endeavor not only facilitated a cross-institutional exchange of ideas but also underscored the pivotal role technology plays in shaping the future of online education. The Director's interactions with key stakeholders and firsthand experiences with innovative spaces solidify USIU-Africa Online's commitment to staying at the forefront of eLearning excellence.
By Mercy Tania
On July 11, the Criminal Justice Club members embarked on a remarkable journey of discovery as they attended the Africa Law Tech Festival, a gathering of thought leaders, professionals, and students from over 20 African countries. The theme of the Festival, "Digital Trade in Africa: The AfCFTA and the Single Digit Market," offered a captivating insight into the evolving intersection between technology and the field of Criminal Justice.
This annual event, hosted at the Sarit Expo Center, proved to be the largest Law & Tech Conference in Africa, drawing more than 2000 delegates to explore the implications of digital trade on the continent. The festival's multifaceted approach to conferencing provided a unique platform for our club members to actively engage in meaningful conversations with experts and thought leaders. We found ourselves immersed in discussions on how technology significantly influences our daily lives and the urgent need for robust rules and regulations to govern its usage, not only in Kenya but across all African nations.
A particularly vital aspect of the Festival centered on digital policy themes, reflecting a commitment to address the rapidly evolving tech landscape in Africa. It emphasized the importance of driving new innovations and informing policy-making processes on the continent, a crucial endeavor in the age of digital transformation. Despite being a Criminal Justice Club, we were pleasantly surprised by the Festival’s multidisciplinary nature, as it provided valuable opportunities for students from various academic disciplines. Those focusing on majors such as International Business Administration, Software Engineering, International Relations, and Information Systems Technology discovered how their fields intersect with law and technology.
The event served as an eye-opener, igniting new interests in combining disciplines and broadening horizons within the Criminal Justice field. The benefits extended beyond our academic pursuits, as the Africa Law Tech Festival also provided a glimpse into potential job opportunities in different organizations. We had the privilege of interacting with representatives from the Office of the Data Protection Office, who shared valuable insights into available job opportunities within their offices. It was a valuable experience for all club members, regardless of their majors, as it highlighted the diverse career paths available in the legal and tech sectors.
The Festival's discussions delved into pivotal questions shaping Africa's digital landscape. Participants explored harmonizing legal frameworks for a single digital market while safeguarding consumer rights, balancing data governance and privacy with innovation, enforcing intellectual property rights in the digital space, strengthening cybersecurity for secure transactions, and implementing inclusive strategies to bridge the digital divide and offer equal opportunities in the digital market. These conversations highlighted the significance of the intersection between law and technology, leaving attendees with a deeper understanding of the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead in the digital era.
The event was a catalyst for new opportunities, expanding our interest in the fields of law and technology. It reinforced the significance of staying abreast of technological advancements in the criminal justice field, and we left the festival empowered to contribute meaningfully to the future of law and technology in Africa.
By Yviona Musa
On Friday, March 31, 2023, the USIU-Africa student body and selected lecturers visited the home to hand over the community service project they had undertaken that semester, led by Robi Koki. Over the past month, the group had undertaken several projects that gave the facilities a face lift, including replacing the termite-infested wooden doors that posed a security threat to the occupants.
Mji wa Huruma, a home for the abandoned elderly, is a transformative facility located in Runda and managed by Margaret Ndichu for the past decade. It provides the vulnerable elderly with basic needs and promises them a better future in their golden years.
The handover was attended by Robi Koki, Ashley Wanjiku, Julietta Nthoki, Caleb Tanui, Adim Adim, and Muhammed Maalim. The event ended smoothly within a few minutes, and it was truly a well-deserved gift to the elderly as well as to the hearts of the donors.
By Dr. Njoki Wamai
Dr. Njoki Wamai, a faculty member of the Department of International Relations at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences has been selected to join the prestigious Iso-Lomso Fellowship by the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) at the University of Stellenbosch. Iso-Lomso means ‘the eye of tomorrow’ in isiXhosa, which means seeing towards the future, laying the foundations for tomorrow.
The program targets African scholars who have obtained a doctoral degree within the preceding seven years and who hold an academic position at a university or research institution anywhere in Africa. The program selects candidates with an established research and academic career. It considers those who have completed a post-doctoral fellowship or equivalent post-PhD program from any disciplines.
Dr. Wamai was among the seven candidates awarded a three-year non-residential fellowship from 68 applicants. She is one of two Kenyans selected for her work on the Politics of the International Criminal Court in Kenya. Other selected African fellows for the 2021 cohort are from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Ghana from different disciplines. Dr. Wamai appreciates the support provided by her Dean, Prof. Martin Njoroge and fellow International Relations faculty member Dr. Fatma Ali who recommended her for this fellowship with other scholars.
The Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS) was established in 1999 to provide a creative space for the mind and it invests in leading thinkers and scholars who work across disciplinary borders to tackle issues ranging from health equity to complexity theory, the effects of race to quantum information. Modelled on similar institutes internationally, STIAS is the first of its kind in Africa. STIAS provides a uniquely supportive space for thinking, reading, debating and writing.
Dr Wamai who is on semester break has started her three-month residency at STIAS this Fall and looks forward to publish her book manuscript on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Kenya.
By Sarah Ambiyo
Recently, the Faculty Welfare members explored Sagana in Murang’a County. The group was composed of faculty members who contribute monthly for their activities with the main aim of bonding. Members have toured various places in Kenya over time, including Mt. Kenya region, Baringo/Bogoria, Tsavo, Maasai Mara, and Dubai among others. The activities are organized by the welfare committee, in consultation with the contributing members. This time it was an adventure in the thrilling region of Sagana, where they were hosted at the Sagana Getaway Resort.
Faculty enjoyed team building activities and the various facilities at the resort. All gloves were off as members indulged in their favourite activities like swimming, hiking, playing their favourite childhood games or just lazing about after a sumptuous lunch. The night was spent dancing to their favourite ‘oldies’ before retiring to their rooms.
The highlight of the weekend was the Sunday drive to Sagana Rapids Camp on the Sagana River. The real ecstasy was in rafting across the river which was very exciting. Crossing in the raft was the easy part but the return trip would later prove a Herculean- even life threatening fete at some point - as the savage current proved too tough to row against. The wind blew the rafts towards the waterfall causing some real hair-raising moments.
Apart from rafting in one of the best wild-water rafting places on earth, the faculty members had more exciting moments on the zip line. The best part of zip lining at the Rapids Camp is that the line ends up right in the middle of the Sagana River. That was indeed startling. It meant more and more electrifying moments on the raft and more and more effort to row against the current in this very disturbed waters. The only unfortunate bit is that the Rapids Camp zip line is unsafe for anyone above 90 kilograms and some of the members missed out on this rousing activity.
After a day well spent on the river, rafting, rock climbing, the members had lunch at Nokras Riverine before departing.
Sarah Ambiyo gets ready to zip line across the Sagana River
Say cheese! Faculty share a photo-op during their stay at the resort, organized by the Faculty Welfare Committee.
Faculty take on the current in the Sagana River, which was the highlight of the trip.
By Dr. Margaret Munyae, Dr. Joyce Ndegwa & Dr. Betty Mbatia
USIU-Africa has community service and outreach as a major component of its mission. As partial fulfillment of this aspect of the mission, the University offers its learners the opportunity to perform community service through the course CMS3700. The course is designed with the broad objective of giving our students an opportunity to learn about giving back to the society.
The delivery of the course takes two approaches designed as either hands-on experience or project based approach. In the hands on approach, full time students spend ten (10) weeks in a selected site and each week they spend three (3/4) days undertaking hands on activity for three (3/4) hours. This translates to a minimum of ninety (90) hours of hands on activity with the community. For part time students, the project approach is used where a group of five students identify a site, undertake a needs assessment, develop a proposal and upon approval, deliver a project that would address some of the identified needs. They also spend at least ten (10) hours of hands-on activity.
With the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, it was not feasible to proceed with the hands-on approach and thus the General education program recommended the course to be delivered as projects. The students in a given class are placed in groups of fifteen (15) and advised to use innovative and creative ways of fund raising with the aim of addressing a community need. One way is contributing a minimum of Ksh. 3,000 each to execute the agreed upon community project.
In Fall 2021, there were 33 projects for the 11 sections of CMS3700. The project handing over began in week 10 and is expected to continue until week 13.
Below are some of projects together with their impact:
By Louis Gitu and Siham Mahat
On Friday, November 11, 2022, Film Club and Fashion Club partnered organized a Fashion Photography Workshop. The aim of the workshop was to teach interested students on the basics of doing a fashion photography shoot. The workshop was held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Opening remarks were given by Louis Gitu (Film Club Chair) and Siham Mahat (Film Club Secretary and Fashion Club Vice-Chair) to start off the event. Moderated by Siham Mahat, the discussion featured three panelists: Savannah Kagiri, Franklin Rashid, and Chienjo Omondi.
Savannah Kagiri started off with giving the basic settings of a camera with regards to light i.e. how to use the ISO (International Organization for Standardization), Shutter speed and the f-stop. This was to teach the students how to set the camera to capture pictures with the best light for the shoot. Next, Franklin talked about working with human subjects. How to build rapport and best instruct them on what to do to get the best pictures out of them. Lastly, Chienjo discussed the fundamentals of fashion photography. This included how to make mood boards before the shoot and how to choose the colour palette that will best compliment and contrast each other in frame.
After the talk and Q&A session was over, cameras were distributed and the students got a chance to practice what they had learnt on each other. They took various pictures under the supervision of the 3 panelists.
Overall, the event was a success and both clubs look forward to having more informative workshops like this one.
By Dinah Mwangi
Last Friday, the Film Club showcased a breathtaking photography exhibition titled 'Juxtapose.' The event brought together talented photographers who captured the contrasting experiences of navigating one's twenties - the highs and lows, the triumphs and the struggles.
This thought-provoking exhibition featured a curated selection of submissions from aspiring and established photographers. Each artist brought their own perspectives and personal experiences, creating a diverse mix of styles and narratives.
From the stunning imagery depicting joy, success, and self-discovery to the raw captures of vulnerability and heartache, Juxtapose offered a unique visual journey through the complex and often conflicting emotions of this transformative period.
The highlight of the exhibition was the panel discussions, where attendees had the opportunity to engage with industry experts and gain valuable insights into the art of photography. The panelists included Agori Korbandy, owner of New in Town (NiT) Studios, known for her innovative approach to the business aspects of photography, providing valuable insights into converting the creative pursuit of photography into a profitable business. Gibson Kamau, a well-renowned beauty and fashion photographer and owner of ShotbyGib Studio, shared his expertise on capturing the beauty and intricacies of the fashion world.
Erik Forester, a multidisciplinary commercial photographer whose work has been featured in Forbes, provided valuable advice on navigating the photography industry. Lastly, Wanjiku Gitau, founder of AfrocanQueen Photography and an expert in beauty and editorial photography, captivated the audience with her unique perspective and artistic vision.
The panel discussions proved to be both informative and inspiring. The panelists shared personal anecdotes, tips, and tricks, and discussed the challenges and triumphs they have encountered in their respective careers. Their insights served as a guiding light for aspiring photographers, offering a roadmap to success in an ever-evolving field.
Wanjiku Gitau emphasized the power of collaboration in the creative industry, encouraging photographers to connect and collaborate with other artists to expand their horizons. "Your 20s are a time of exploration and growth. Surround yourself with diverse perspectives and immerse yourself in different experiences. It will enrich both your personal and professional journey," she shared.
As the event came to a close at 5:00 pm, attendees left with a newfound appreciation for the power of photography as a medium of expression. The 'Juxtapose' photography exhibition proved to be an enlightening and immersive experience, showcasing the power of visual storytelling as captured in the contrasting nature of navigating one's 20s. The talented panelists' discussions added depth and insight, making it a truly unforgettable event for both aspiring photographers and enthusiasts alike.
Photo: Diana Meso
The ceremony, which was attended by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign alongside Ms. Dawn Straw, Executive Director and Head of External Relations, Global Academic Initiatives and Ms. Mindy Gant, eLearning Project Director, both from Arizona State University, eight staff drawn from USIU-Africa receive their certificates.
Graduates included Mr. Ernest Andugo, Mr. Linus Oteba, Dr. Geoffrey Sikolia, Dr. Juliana Namada, Stanley Githinji, Mr. Daniel Ndirangu, Ms. Beatrice Owino, and Dr. Bernadette Kiarie.
By CTW Team
Photo: ORAC Branding
Meet Munene Githira, the Co-Founder of ORAC Branding, an Integrated Branding Company that launches, grows & re-invents businesses through Digital, Experiential & Promotional Branding. In his comments to CTW, he underscored the importance of branding to the growth of businesses.
“In Kenya alone, we have over 17 million MSMEs. 18% of these businesses close down because they don't know how to market or they can't afford marketing budgets. To solve this problem, my Co-Founder and I, Vanessa Mwaniki, decided to set up ORAC Branding to consult and train businesses on the following areas:
“We have been in operation since January 2018. Currently, we are based at the Innovation and Incubation Centre at USIU-Africa, where one of our Co-Founders, Isaac Bugeri, is an alumnus. We also receive support from Women in Business Kenya to accelerate our solutions and train entrepreneurs on integrated branding,” he added.
“We are also on an exciting mission to reach & help 1.5 million African MSMEs in eliminating marketing constraints as a reason for business closure. One way to achieve this is through knowledge & skill transfer. This led to the development the Integrated Branding Curriculum, which has four courses on how MSMEs should cost effectively grow their businesses through marketing & advertising.
We started training for free, then the demand went high, we started charging an affordable fee, but the demand for the training is still high, “he notes.
The Integrated Branding Course started in February 2020 and includes the following modules:
The company has plans to automate, customize & digitize the curriculum through an App that will be called Easy Branding, which will help entrepreneurs in Kenya & Africa to take 5-minute lessons on selling, marketing, advertising, customer experiences, analysis & much more on their phones.
Some of our clients include; Flex Money Transfer Services, Women In Business Kenya, Bunson Travel, Arope Group, Web Risk Consultants, ASIS Kenya, Educate Learning Centre, International Supply Chain Solutions, Okito Foundation (Uganda), and Global Solidarity Corporation (DRC).
Munene, who holds a degree in Animation and Media Science, also sits on the KEPSA Youth Sub-sector Board and the Women in Business Secretariat and is also a youth leader at KKREW.
Through their business solutions, the team has received a full scholarship from IU University of Applied Sciences, Germany to do a degree in International Management as a way to accelerate the business.
The team is reachable on +254 727 305 261 and on the following contacts:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram
By the Alumni Relations Office
Our alumna and former basketball player, Ms. Linda Mfuchi, donated Kshs. 70,000 and requested that it be utilized to support a needy student, preferably one who is actively involved in sports. Linda’s wishes were granted this Summer 2023 after her donation paid partial tuition fees for an MBA student who is a player in the University ladies’ basketball team.
The beneficiary of Linda’s generosity embodies the spirit of dedication and excellence in both academics and sports, making her a deserving recipient of such support. This donation will undoubtedly contribute to her educational journey and further her involvement in sports.
Linda is currently the Corporate Finance Controller at L'Oréal. She previously served as Senior Financial Controller, L’Oréal East Africa Ltd. While Linda's career achievements are impressive, her passion extends beyond the corporate realm. She actively volunteers with the Africa Cancer Foundation, where she devotes her time and efforts to raising awareness about cancer in Kenya. Linda's involvement in creating awareness initiatives reflects her compassion and commitment to making a positive impact in society.
Connect with Linda on LinkedIn to delve deeper into her professional journey and discover more about her outstanding accomplishments.
By Nalenhle Moyo
Nalenhle Moyo, a Broadcast Journalism Major who will be graduating at the upcoming Commencement ceremony recently joined The Continental Approach, where she is an Associate Editor. Her roles include developing editorial plans and research topics, scheduling and managing contributor essays and participating in content brainstorming for developing ideas with the editorial, social media and video production teams.
She credits her passion for story telling as the reason behind joining The Continental Approach, an online Media Company built to challenge the narrative of conflict, corruption and crime with stories of innovation, ideas and inspiration that are driving growth across the continent.
Since its inception in 2021, the Continental Approach has had 8 issues, 27 essays 14 around the continent explainers 16 contributors from 11 countries and 11 interview guests. The team is made up of members from Madagascar, Nigeria and Zimbabwe and has plans of expanding.
By Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa
Hannah Nyamal
Hannah Nyamal was born in South Sudan. At the age of seven, Hannah and her sister were forced to flee due to instability in the country.
Hannah's brother-in-law, arranged for a humanitarian aircraft to fly them from South Sudan to Kenya. They landed in an unfamiliar place where they stayed for a week before finding their way to Kakuma Refugee Camp in North Western Kenya. Eventually, she and her family settled in a communal home in South-C, Nairobi, where they lived for ten years.
For a while, Hannah’s life was stable. Her brother-in-law had enough income that she could attend school. But when he passed away, Hannah's family was forced to move from South-C to a more affordable two-bedroom house in Umoja, where six of them stayed. Hannah’s sister started a small businesses and managed to support Hannah through high school.
Hannah learned about the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program through a WhatsApp group. She applied for and was accepted into the Program and is now studying a Bachelor Of Arts In International Relations at USIU-Africa.
On World Refugee Day, Hannah is calling on the world to recognize the value that refugee young people bring to the communities they migrate to. Refugees, she stresses, are people who have left their homes and belongings behind to start a new life in an unfamiliar country. They have different stories and experiences, and they deserve recognition and support.
“There is hope, this is a whole new chapter in my life that I never thought I had. My future is now secure and it can happen to any refugee. I started doing my internship in January this year and it has helped me travel back to my camp (Kakuma), give back and empower other refugees especially young girls.”
Ibrahim Yussuf
Ibrahim Yussuf, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar, knows firsthand the difficulties that refugees face when seeking asylum. Born in Somalia, Ibrahim's parents fled to Kenya during the country's civil war. Life in refugee camps was difficult, he shares, as security and access to basic needs such as food and water were constant challenges. Since the camp bordered Somalia, Somali refugees faced the threat of targeted terrorist attacks.
Fortunately, Ibrahim was able to attend school, complete his high-school education, and become a Mastercard Foundation Scholar, enabling him to leave the camps for the first time. He says becoming a Mastercard Foundation Scholar has increased his eagerness and ability to give back to his community. Ibrahim believes that refugees should not be defined by their circumstances but by their potential. He wants young refugees and host communities to know that forcibly displaced young people can become doctors, lawyers, and other professionals, given the right opportunities.
“It is important that refugees are provided with an education. This can prevent them from joining extremist groups in the camps. When refugees are given the chance to learn, they become empowered and more invested in their communities.”
Rebecca Ndinayo
For Rebecca Ndinayo, a refugee from Congo living in Kwangwali refugee camp, Uganda, higher education was a dream that seemed almost impossible.
Rebecca's family initially settled in a camp near Congo but as the war continued, UNHCR resettled them in Uganda. On a daily basis, Rebecca walked four kilometers to attend school. Her family was not allowed to own any property, which constrained opportunities.
Fortunately, Rebecca excelled academically. After completing high school in 2016, she and three friends started a school for refugees, which now has 600 students. However, due to financial constraints, Rebecca’s own education came to a standstill. Rebecca heard about the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program through COBURWAS International Youth Organization to Transform Africa (CIYOTA) – an NGO that coordinates accommodation for refugee students. She applied and was thrilled to be selected for an interview and later for the scholarship.
During her time as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar, Rebecca has built a library for the school she started in the refugee camp, which now has 84 books. On World Refugee Day, Rebecca’s call to all of us is: “Refugees are ordinary people and they can excel in life once given the opportunity, regardless of their experience. We are grateful to the partners who support refugees get an education and have an opportunity to change their lives.”
Loruba Manasseh
South Sudanese national, Loruba Manasseh spent much of his life growing up in Uganda. After high school, he secured a job with World Vision International.
Eventually, Loruba was awarded a scholarship from a charity, which allowed him to further his education. Later, a schoolmate from South Sudan Leadership Academy studying at Makerere University informed him of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Loruba successfully applied to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa.
Loruba wants the world to recognize that refugees are real people who have lost everything through no fault of their own and have the same aspirations everyone does. During him time at a refugee camp, he saw a lot of young people marry early, or be lured into substance abuse due to a lack of opportunity and hope. Loruba aims to empower refugees to pursue their dreams and realize their potential. Outside the classroom, Loruba volunteers at a school during his holidays and supports his two sisters who are currently in school.
Kudos to four members of our Men’s basketball team who emerged winners at the National Finals of the Red Bull 3 on 3 Half-Court Basketball Championship, that took place last weekend at the University of Nairobi. This was the first time that Kenya was hosting the event.
The four, Mathew Kibet (Finance Major), Gab Moranga (International Business Administration Major), Larry Shavanga (Information Systems & Technology Major) and Derick Olang’ (International Business Administration Major) are set to represent the country in the world finals in Belgium next year with their expenses fully catered for.
The Red Bull Half Court tournament is held in more than 20 countries across the world and is on the lookout for the world’s best street-ballers. This year, 15,000 players participated in the competition with 300 players coming from Kenya.
By Azenath Ateka
From time to time the library negotiates trial access to resources of interest. The idea is to get a feel of the resources, experience them as well as explore and examine them for suitability in our university and for alignment to the degree programs at USIU-Africa. Currently, there are three publishers willingly offering free access to their resources on a trial basis for periods ranging from one month to three months. Below is a brief description of the resources on offer:
The Library, thus, hopes that through such trials the campus community can interact with the resources and make informed choices so that purchases and/or subscriptions are just right. These resources are accessible via the campus network or the Virtual Private Network when not in campus. Besides, the library team is available to give guidance at libraryhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke or askalibrarian@usiu.ac.ke
By Christine Kamala
On Friday, September 22, 2023, the spirit of unity and giving back to the community was alive and well as the annual Freida Brown Day unfolded on our campus. This year's event, marked a milestone with a record high registration for participation with 424 people taking part in various activities, individual contribution of items to donate and a first to engage more than one institution concurrently for more impact. The institutions visited included Friends Anduru ECD Center, Cheleta Primary School, Garden Estate Primary School.
Leading up to the day, the campus was abuzz with excitement as the "Spread the Love Campaign" gathered momentum. The USIU-Africa Community generously donated selected items, setting the stage for what would be a heartwarming day of community service.
On the D-day, enthusiastic participants donned their Freida Brown Day shirts, ready to embark on a day of service. Buses departed promptly, to four deserving institutions which presented unique opportunities for service which included mentorship and counseling, cleaning of facilities, garbage collection, tree planting and snacks sharing donation of in-kind items.
On returning to campus, participants gathered for an entertainment session featuring performances and shared experiences from their morning service activities. The Vice Chancellor's speech underscored the significance of the day, thanking participants for their dedication to community service and encouraging ongoing engagement.
The day culminated in a celebratory cake-cutting ceremony, symbolizing the unity and community spirit that define Freida Brown Day. A heartfelt vote of thanks expressed gratitude to participants, sponsors, and partners who made this event possible. Freida Brown Day 2023 will be remembered as a day when our campus community came together to make a difference, forging stronger bonds and leaving a legacy of compassion and service in our hearts.
By Nicole Wanjiku Gitau
February: A month synonymous with love, religious holidays and grand gestures, holds deeper significance for the Black community all over the world. Here at USIU-Africa, the 2024 Black History Month celebrated not just love, but also African history, culture, and identity.
Under the theme 'Africans, Black Identity, and the Arts', the month kicked off with Julius Owino, renowned as Juliani, a multi-time winner of the Groove Awards and a prominent hip hop artist. Known for his emotionally charged and socially-conscious music, Juliani brought his insights on African identity and the arts as the chief guest of the opening ceremony. Students and faculty eagerly absorbed his words of wisdom as he focused on the intersection of Black culture and the arts.
The opening event boasted a distinguished lineup of keynote speakers, including Dr. King, affectionately known as Queen Mother, along with Ms. Cynthia Kinyua, Mr. Brian, renowned as Graff Matwana, Prof. Austin Bukenya, and Prof. Mwendwa Ntaragwi. Each speaker eloquently tailored their message to resonate with the essence of African Arts, enriching the celebration with their profound insights and perspectives.
Later in the month, a pop-up market later buzzed with activity, offering a vibrant array of Black culture. For two days, vegan delicacies, Ankara fashion, and Black-owned brands adorned parking lot B, all accompanied by lively Afro beats that filled the ears of passers-by and shoppers alike.
In mid-February, just a day after the pop-up market, there was a Black History Month movie screening that took place in the Auditorium. The screening focused on the movie, ‘The Woman King’- A film that depicts the extraordinary tale of the Agojie, an unparalleled all-female warrior unit safeguarding the African Kingdom of Dahomey during the 1800s. This emotionally charged narrative traces the remarkable journey of General Nanisca (portrayed by Oscar-winner Viola Davis), who ignites the King's resolve to confront adversaries bent on dishonoring their legacy and eradicating their traditions.
Later in the month, the finale of the Black History Month festivities culminated in a memorable closing ceremony, featuring esteemed guest speakers, among them the Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, and artist, Bien Aime. Drawing a throng of students from across the campus, Bien's presence on the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) rooftop was electric, as eager listeners anticipated his insights on Black identity and the arts. His compelling performance and impassioned discourse on celebrating black history left a profound impact, evoking a palpable sense of longing for further enlightenment.
After, some members of the Radio Club seized the opportunity to interview Bien Aime, capturing his perspectives on life, music, and cultural heritage.
This February at USIU-Africa wasn't just about festivities; it was a reminder of the importance of embracing African culture and identity every day, with February serving as the pinnacle of celebration.
For more, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/blackhistorymonth2024-closing-ceremony-mbncf
By Grace Makwaza
In the dynamic landscape of social impact and leadership, Lincoln Olatunji, a first year BA in International Relations student and Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa, emerges as a catalyst for change, particularly in rewriting the narrative of people with disabilities in Africa. His journey, marked by resilience, collaboration, and a commitment to empowerment, showcases the transformative power of leadership in creating tangible and lasting impact.
Olatunji's commitment to empowering people with disabilities is not a mere slogan but a lived reality. Through strategic partnerships with various organizations, he has spearheaded initiatives that have resulted in the donation of over 500 wheelchairs and crutches. This tangible support goes beyond charity; it represents a significant step toward providing individuals with the tools they need to lead more independent and fulfilling lives.
His accolades are a testament to his dedication to making a positive difference in the world. As the Founder and Executive Director of the Poverty and Disability Initiative in Nigeria, he has created a platform for sustainable change. His roles as a Resolution Project Fellow (after his initiative was selected as one of the winners of the 2023 Social Venture Challenge), Global Peace Ambassador, and Rotary Youth Leadership Ambassador, among others, underscore his global outlook and commitment to fostering positive change on an international scale.
For Olatunji, empowerment is not a buzzword but a comprehensive strategy. He believes in providing both knowledge and tangible resources to create lasting change. By emphasizing both aspects of empowerment, he recognizes the holistic nature of uplifting people. This approach reflects a profound understanding that true empowerment involves equipping individuals not only with skills and education but also with the physical resources needed to translate knowledge into tangible progress.
The Vision: Rewriting the Narrative of Persons with Disabilities
Olatunji's vision extends beyond immediate impact; he aspires to rewrite the narrative of people with disabilities in Africa. By focusing on empowerment and resource provision, he seeks to dismantle barriers and create opportunities for a demographic that has often been marginalized. Through his multifaceted approach, he aims to contribute to a narrative where people with disabilities are not defined by their challenges but empowered by their capabilities.
His academic endeavours align seamlessly with his advocacy goals. He envisions using policies as instruments to integrate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the lives of people with disabilities. By bridging academia with activism, he aims to influence systemic change that addresses the unique challenges faced by this community.
Olatunji's story is not just about rhetoric but about tangible actions that are rewriting the narrative for people with disabilities in Africa. Through his leadership, advocacy, and commitment to empowerment, he exemplifies a new breed of leaders who bring about meaningful change in their communities. As he continues his academic and advocacy journey, he stands as a beacon of hope for a more inclusive and empowered future for all.
For those inspired by his vision and seeking collaboration, Olatunji is accessible on LinkedIn. His profile provides a glimpse into his journey, achievements, and ongoing initiatives.
By Brenda Odhiambo
The USIU-Africa Fundraising Department has launched an Annual Month of Giving designed to benefit students affected by the ongoing pandemic. The fund hopes to raise Kes 10 million that will go towards the support of needy students and keeping them in class.
In his comments following the launch of the initiative, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza noted that the initiative was part of USIU-Africa’s commitment to supporting its students in the access of quality education.
“As we adapt to these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to keep our students in class and pursue their education uninterrupted. The University’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund was set up to help students experiencing financial constraints during this challenging times to continue with their classes in Summer 2020 and beyond. We have over 215 students who can no-longer access work study opportunity and over 800 students who are on semester break majorly as a result of financial constraints arising from covid-19 global pandemic. Even those in session are not finding it easy and we would want to come together as a community to assist our very own to cope with this crisis while continuing with their education uninterrupted, “he said.
“Like every other institution in the world, USIU-Africa has been affected by COVID-19, and despite this, we want all our students to achieve their educational goals. Over the years, our staff, students, parents, alumni, faculty and partners have lent us their unconditional support that has ensured the success of the overall USIU-Africa community. While this challenge affects us in different ways, USIU-Africa has set its focus on ensuring that no student abandons their dreams of achieving their dreams,” he added.
Participation in the initiative can be done through the following ways:
a. MPESA Paybill (Business no: 516900, Account no: Giving2020) or
b. Visit us at: www.usiu.ac.ke/giving
For any inquiries, contact the campaign team on devt@usiu.ac.ke or call them on +254730116640/ +254730116326/ +254730116205.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa’s Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) Centre’s Metro Agri-Food Living Lab project was featured on MKTV on its Agribusiness segment. The feature highlighted GAME Centre’s work in the Metro Agri-Food Living Lab for Gender Inclusive Youth Entrepreneurship Development, which the Centre is currently implementing through Cultivate Africa’s Future (CultiAF), a joint program of the International Development Research Center of Canada (IDRC) and the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
Anne Lusweti, a poultry farmer, said that she had struggled with diseases, poultry vaccinations and low sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After attending the training, Ms. Lusweti noted that she was now able to improve her business significantly, a sentiment echoed by Mr. Peter Matolo, a horticultural farmer.
“As a horticultural farmer, some of the problems I faced included rotting produce, due to lack of adequate storage, which was worsened by lack of transport. By attending this training, I have been able to learn how to minimize these losses, in addition to strengthening my growing poultry farming business by learning how to make chicken feed in a cost-effective way,” he says.
Speaking to CTW on the trainings, Prof. Amos Njuguna noted that the trainings were critical to small farmers, as they helped them visualize new ways in which they could add to and enrich their existing enterprises.
“Our aim for this project is to reach agricultural value chain actors and train them on governance, leadership and management, business development and financial literacy, risk management and insurance, value addition and market development activities and collective bargaining, all of which play a part in ensuring that they get higher returns from their businesses” he said.
“By the end of these trainings, we hope to have gotten each person to a stage where they become self-reliant, in addition to ensuring the sustainability of their enterprises,” he added.
Geoffrey Oyondi, a dairy farmer from Ikolomani thanked the University for conducting the trainings, noting that he had gained new insights into running his business.
“I have enjoyed attending these seminars as they have given me insights on networking, which I will apply in making my business more visible, in addition to opening up my business to more people. From the trainings, I have also been able to revise my business plan, and identified the areas that I can change to make it more competitive,” he said.
The Metro-Agrifood Living Lab model brings together a unique set of activities and services that create the needed synergy to support not only learning, but also innovation, business development and the co-creation of new knowledge. The project exposes trainees to business concept evaluation and development, business planning, marketing and feasibility studies, linkages to finance and marketing channels, strategic advice and legal assistance, specialized technical assistance and development of business plans to be presented to potential financiers.
To watch the video, click here.
By Racheal Ngumi
The Gender Equity and Protection Office recently conducted a crucial bystander training session on the 28 & 29 September 2023. This enlightening event witnessed the presence of esteemed individuals including Mr. Victor Odera, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) -GBV Section, Mr. Marvin Jotham from the Gender Violence Recovery Center (GVRC) as a Psychologist, and Mrs. Lucy Kungu, Head of Counseling at USIU-Africa.
The primary objective of these training sessions was to raise awareness and sensitize participants to the prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV). During the sessions, attendees gained a deep understanding of GBV, encompassing its various forms and the significance of effective prevention and response strategies. The emphasis was on how individuals can actively contribute to the eradication of GBV within their communities.
Furthermore, the sessions delved into the severe psychological and emotional consequences/effects experienced by GBV survivors, highlighting the crucial role of support and empathy in their recovery journey. Participants were equipped with the knowledge of identifying GBV symptoms, even in their subtle or covert forms. Survivor coping strategies were discussed, underscoring the importance of providing support and care to victims.
A significant topic of discussion revolved around sexual harassment within educational institutions. The participants engaged in conversations on addressing and preventing such issues, with a strong emphasis on the importance of cultivating safe learning and working environment.
Additionally, participants were enlightened about the relevant local, national, and international laws and policies designed to prevent and address GBV which includes the Sexual Offences Act, the Penal Code, the Prevention of domestic violence Act, HIV/AIDS Act.
Key takeaways from the sessions emphasized the responsibility of all attendees to actively promote the awareness and information gained. It was stressed that they could contribute significantly to the establishment of a network of knowledgeable individuals dedicated to preventing GBV and ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of community members through the dissemination of this knowledge, thus making a meaningful impact.
The Gender Equity and Protection Office expressed its commitment to providing further information sessions on GBV, with the goal of fostering a community of practice dedicated to raising awareness and sensitization regarding GBV prevention and response. The university community was encouraged to work collectively towards creating, strengthening, and maintaining a community that fosters a safe and secure learning and working environment.
For more information, inquiries and reporting of Gender based violence including sexual harassment, please contact the Gender Equity and Protection office undersigned:
You can also reach us using the confidential advisor at +254 782 539 361, office telephone: +254 730 116 210, or physically visit the Freida Brown Student Center located on the First Floor.
By Salome Asena
In Sub-Saharan Africa, women represent 40% of the agriculture labor force, yet hunger and food security remain bigger challenges for women and girls. A woman spends 16 hours of her time in a day to cater for her family needs, roles, and responsibilities and therefore she is left with 8 hours to use for other opportunities such as training, meet with friends, just to mention but a few. The Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) conducted a baseline and verification exercise in 2019 of 492 entrepreneurs in 9 counties and results showed that women are less likely (36.1%) to have received training in financial literacy than males (63.9%). The major hindrances to attending trainings include; physical distance to the training venues (35.8%), lack of awareness of training opportunities (32%), and fees requirements (21.7%). Female agripreneurs cited family demands and lower education as hindrances to their ability to attend training. Data on hindrance to finance disclose significant gender disparity in that, women are more likely to lack security (64.9%) and business records (57.8%) and also lack awareness on sources of funding (57.3%).
The School of Graduate Studies Research and Extension has worked with Signifide Group International to sensitize USIU-Africa faculty and staff on the gender agenda. Through this initiative, teaching aids, training materials, and posters are designed to encourage women to overcome the challenges brought about by gender norms. Moreover, experiential learning, which includes transformational life skills, entrepreneurship education, negotiation, and networking is offered at the county-level – currently taking place in nine counties in Kenya namely: (Kitui, Machakos, Nakuru, Nairobi, Kiambu, Nyandarua, Kericho, Kisumu, Siaya, Kakamega and Bungoma).
The young women are encouraged to bring their children to the training sessions as there are designated daycare rooms with child care professionals who look after the children while the young mothers concentrate on learning. Additionally, the training sessions include citizen responsibility and therefore adapt the Ungwana & Ushenzi concepts.
Working with the School of Science and Technology, the School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Extension has assisted young men and women entrepreneurs to digitize their business operations and embed resilience in their business models. Currently, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension is conducting a market assessment and value chain analysis for refugee’s livelihoods in Nairobi and its environs to promote livelihoods for refugees especially women.
By Aquillah Onchana
Recently, the Development Office, represented by Solomon Mainye, Esther Kairungu and Aquillah Onchana and Pamela Mukami from the Gender, Equity and Protection Office presented the first batch of donations from the Giving Fridays Initiative to three institutions located in Marurui. These institutions included:
The In-Kind Giving Program is a project by USIU-Africa where students, alumni, staff and faculty donate clothes, shoes, bags and books that are then given to the less fortunate in the surrounding community. The items are collected outside the cafeteria through the Giving Fridays initiative. The main collection happens every last Friday of the month.
With the help of volunteers, these donations are sorted, put into bags, tagged and stored until beneficiaries are identified and a day is set to disburse the donations. There were two collections in the month of April and May where 50 bags of clothes, shoes, books and beddings were donated.
For more, visit: www.usiu.ac.ke/giving
To partner, and for RSVP:
Contact: Aquillah Onchana
Email: aonchana@usiu.ac.ke / devt@usiu.ac.ke
Phone: +254 730 116 440
By Brenda Odhiambo
Three Bachelor of Pharmacy graduates from the Class of 2021 presented their research papers at the 41st Annual Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) Scientific Conference held from October 27-29, 2021. The students, Dr. Brigit Mulwa, Dr. Dharti Patel and Dr. Andiva Laura Betty, presented papers on Ethnopharmacological study on medicinal plants used for skin conditions in Mwala Sub-county, Kenya, Assessment of prescribing practice at Thika level 5 Hospital and Antibacterial activity of solvent fractions of Croton dichogamus against Vibro cholera and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively.
Dr. Andiva’s paper investigated the in vitro bactericidal activity of Croton dichogamous aerial part extracts against Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio cholerae. In her paper, she notes that in many parts of the world bacterial infections continue to undermine health of individuals and communities due to continued resistance of bacteria to existing antibiotics. This occurrence has threatened our ability to treat common infectious diseases therefore necessitating the search for new antibiotics.
The study analyzed hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the aerial parts of Croton dichogamus were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against S. aureus and V. Cholera. The paper concluded that the methanol extract exhibited the most significant inhibition of the test bacteria as compared to the other extracts. In all tested extracts the highest inhibition was observed against V. cholerae, which shows that V. cholerae was more susceptible to the antibiotic effect of the plant. This could justify the traditional use of this plant in stomach ailments, abdominal pains, fever and other infections.
Dr. Mulwa’s paper looked at the medicinal plants used for skin conditions in Mwala Sub-county, Kenya, where she investigated the use of medicinal plants by patients with skin conditions who could not afford more conventional treatments. In her findings, she noted that traditional medicine practitioners in the Kamba community mostly use leaves of medicinal plants to majorly treat wounds, abscess, rashes, burns, ringworms and boils. Some of the commonly used plants documented in the study include Acacia seyal, Commiphora habessinica, Euphorbia tuncelli, Dovyalis caffra and Acacia Nilotica, among others.
In her paper, Dr. Patel looked at the assessment of prescribing practice at Thika level 5 Hospital, where she assessed the prescribing practices of Thika level V hospital using the WHO core prescribing indicators. Her study showed that irrational prescribing practices were common in the hospital. Prescribers were not compliant with the WHO prescribing indicators. There was the practice of polypharmacy, irrational prescribing of antibiotics, and increased prescription of drugs using the brand name instead of the generic name in the hospital. The results indicated that there is scope for improvement and the hospital can offer better healthcare services with compliance to the national guidelines and consistent monitoring of the prescribing practices in the hospital.
The Conference brought together delegates from across the country from various sectors in Pharmacy who came together to share their knowledge and vast experience with fellow pharmacists at the Conference.
By Jemima Oloo
Last Friday evening, USIU-Africa celebrated the graduating Doctoral class of 2023 to honor their remarkable achievement. The 23 Doctoral students shared their wonderful experiences about their journeys, challenges and areas of growth. They were particularly grateful to their supervisors for not just instructing them but holding their hands.
The occasion was graced by the chair of the University Council, Mr Kris Senanu, the Interim Vice chancellor Dr. Omolola Omole-Odubekun, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics- Transformational, Teaching, Learning and Research, Prof, Amos Njuguna, Director, Strategic Marketing and Communications, Irene Onacha, Director, Finance, Dr. Judith Obura, Director, Legal Service, Ms. Helen Ambasa, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean, Chandaria School of Business, Dr. Timothy Oketch and other guests.
In her address, the Interim Vice Chancellor encouraged the graduands to continue in their pursuit of knowledge. “You are leading the way, you are a lodestar, continue to be a lodestar, continue to be the light that others will see and follow. As African intellectuals we have a mission to ensure young ones behind us are inspired-you are inspiring, encourage others to pursue their postgraduate studies,” she said.
The Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Martin Njoroge encouraged them to do more with their education and called on the graduands to go forth and use their knowledge to impact decision making on a global scale. “Do not let your dissertation gather dust, we want you to inform policy, turn your dissertations to books and journal articles so that you can disseminate the findings,” he emphasized.
The Doctoral graduands of USIU-Africa Class of 2023 are poised to make an impact in the world, fed with knowledge, determination, quality education and unwavering commitment to do more for the society.
The USIU Africa community is proud of the graduating class of 2023- Go forth and be a lodestar, shinning bright for everyone to see.
By Nelida Joseph
Nelida Joseph Hassan Daniel is an Applied Computer Technology student at USIU-Africa. She is currently taking part in the Hult Prize Competition to showcase her business venture, Guardian Wings.
Guardian Wings is a revolutionary accessory device designed to provide a lifeline for girls in distress, and enables them to send an SOS signal quickly and discreetly. She developed this innovative solution due to her personal experience and the current situation in today's world, specifically in Kenya. As a victim of kidnapping, she knows how it feels to fight and feel safe again.
By Namusia Weku
I was once walking in town when I noticed something in front of me. There were two friends walking together when one of them noticed his ally from the opposite direction and he went to greet his mutual friend. What struck me is that he was only friends with one of them making the other friend stand awkwardly with them as he waited for his friend to finish exchanging greetings so that they could continue with their journey to their desired destination.
It’s not uncommon to see this in many streets in our country especially. No introduction and no courtesy to regard the third party or third wheeler if you may. Etiquette is then referred to as the conventional rules of personal behaviour in a polite society, usually in ethical codes that delineate the expected and accepted social behaviours that accord with the norms observed in the society. Etiquette varies with different cultures and societies all over the world. In our country Kenya, we have a set of rules that govern the citizens to conduct themselves in a certain way that is acceptable in the society.
Over time, the new generation has borrowed a lot of western cultures and abandoned some of the traditions that were termed good and decent and in so doing etiquette has either been borrowed or disregarded completely.
What if we’ve lost our etiquette as a society? What’s next for us? There is not much to gain when one lacks etiquette. The little things matter and it is those things that make an individual. We must go back to our roots and look into the things we’re missing.
The aspect of respect and good demeanour is a very important in the society we live in that’s why today’s generation is termed rude and ignorant. Take care of your etiquette and situations around you will take care of themselves.
Representatives from My Dawa assist employees of USIU-Africa during the week-long medical camp. PHOTO: Taigu Muchiri
By Ernest Mwanzi
In efforts to foster better health for university employees, the Health Services department in partnership with our medical service provider First Assurance Company Limited, launched a wellness program to help students, staff and faculty members increase their knowledge about health matters, explore fun ways to encourage a healthier lifestyle and improve levels of physical fitness.
During the camp, employees had the option to choose from three packages to suit their individual needs and had a choice of sharing the package with their spouses.
In an interview the Principal Medical Officer Dr. Tasneem Yamani explained that inculcating healthy habits and lifestyles are paramount in leading healthy lifestyles but the benefits and importance of wellness checks must not be under emphasized. Routine wellness checks and tests help detect high risk and existence of disease in its early stages and it is recommended to have a wellness check done annually.
She added that the right type of health check-up is important and factors like age, lifestyle, family history and high risk are parameters that are taken into consideration when choosing the right wellness package for each individual. Opting for a right health check-up, screenings, and treatments means one is taking steps to help one live longer and healthier life.
“A wellness screening provides information for necessary lifestyle adjustments to be made to improve on disease outcomes”, said Dr. Yamani
The wellness camp took place from Monday, May 20, 2019 all through to Friday, May 24. However, due to employees demand the camp was extended by an additional day to end on Monday, May 27. Employees together with their spouses got the opportunity to get expert opinions on topical issues touching on matters fitness, nutrition and stress management, talks on the practical aspects of setting and meeting new health improvement goals and finally got medical checkups that included general physical examination.
The checks assed the eyes and teeth, functioning of the heart, lungs, digestive system, liver, kidneys and immune system status, specific tests like Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) for men and mammography and some gynecological examinations for women.
In conclusion Dr. Yamani stated that in an era where non-communicable diseases are on high rampage, the focus for the Health Center has been shifted to preventive care.
By Zia Stocker
The HeForShe Club, supported by the Gender Equity and Protection Office, hosted a webinar on “Breaking the Glass Ceiling: The Advancement of Women in Professional Work” on the September 27, 2023 as part of a series of activities organized this week to promote gender equality on campus. The session was moderated by Imani Naitore and Zia Stocker, the HeForShe Chair and Vice Chair. The event attracted a diverse group of stakeholders, including students, members of faculty, and members of the Gender Equity and Protection Office at USIU-Africa.
The panelists for this session were Dr. Susan Mwangi, a security and governance expert; Professor Pauline Otieno, a Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies; and Ms. Mercy Mukami, the brand champion for youth products at Postbank Kenya. They engaged in a high-level, meaningful discussion on breaking down the oppressive systems that perpetuate gender inequality in the workplace. Ms. Mercy Mukami provided an in-depth exhibition of the importance of financial education and literacy in the empowerment of young women, and highlighted the ways in which major financial institutions can make their services more accessible and inclusive for this vulnerable demographic. Drawing from her area of expertise, Professor Pauline Otieno was able to comprehensively explain the role religion plays in the power dynamics between different genders that we see in the workplace, while Dr. Susan Mwangi focused on how our past and present governance has shaped ability of women to advance in professional work in Kenya. A key idea shared among all the panelists was that gender equality has not yet been achieved in the professional landscape, and although significant improvements have been made, there is still some way to go before one can confidently agree with the statement “gender equality has been achieved in the workplace”.
Following the key points highlighted during the discussion, the HeForShe Club is eager to continue actively engaging and educating the USIU-Africa student population on the lack of balance that exists between genders in certain professional industries, specifically within leadership spheres. Understanding the attitudes and sentiments towards this gap among fellow students, and bringing their voices and concerns to light, is a key area that the club hopes to focus on in future projects.
By Zia Stocker
The HeForShe Club, in collaboration with Speak Up and Film Club, invited a group of panelists to have a discussion on the “Portrayals of female sexuality in the media and its Effect on Real Life”. The discussion was prompted by the need to have more contemporary discussions on gender issues.
Among the distinguished panelists were Professor Catherine Ndungo, an Associate Professor in the Department of Kiswahili at Kenyatta University; Hillary Ongili, a wellness advocate and founder of THE UNSPOKEN platform for advocacy; Dr. Josephine Gitome, a professor at Kenyatta University specializing in Church History and World Religions; and Ms. Wairimu Munyinyi-Wahome, the Executive Director of the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW).
The discussion yielded great insight into how portrayals of women and their sexuality in all forms of media - including movies, literary works, and social media - detrimentally affects their mental and physical health, their emotional wellbeing, and their perceptions of self-worth.
By Taigu Muchiri
United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) has made history in the local higher education space with the graduation of its first cohort of students who pursued their Masters of Business Administration (MBA) that was delivered fully online.
The class comprising twelve Graduands, was part of more than 1,339 graduates who received their degrees in various Undergraduate and Postgraduate and Doctorate disciplines at the University's 44th Commencement (graduation) ceremony.
At the colorful ceremony presided over by outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof. Freida Brown and newly appointed Vice Chancellor Prof. Margee Ensign, the University leadership confirmed plans to enhance its e-learning learning programs to meet growing market demand.
A representative from the State Department of University Education and Research, Mr. Evans Atambo, who graced the Commencement Ceremony, lauded USIU-Africa for taking the lead in developing e-learning solutions to complement traditional higher education delivery options.
“The graduation of this first cohort of Postgraduate students who have undertaken their studies online from start to finish is encouraging and provides a good proof point that the delivery of quality e-learning at the higher education level is possible in Kenya,” Mr. Atambo said.
USIU-Africa received regulatory approval to deliver the fully online MBA program from the Commission for University Education (CUE) in 2020. The program is designed for online delivery and virtual examination within five semesters (approximately 18 months) and is powered by a range of learning resources, including e-books, e-journals and other e-resources from the University's online library.
Speaking at the commencement ceremony, outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof. Freida Brown said that this graduating class also featured the first cohort of Bachelor of Arts in Animation and the Bachelor of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
“Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2022. You are the future global leaders not only here in Kenya but across the entire continent and beyond. We are so proud of you and look forward to hear the impact that you will create in your life journey,” said Prof. Ensign who brings to her new position a distinguished scholarly and administrative reputation from both the United States and Africa.
In its recently launched 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, the University outlined plans to strengthen its enrolment rates by more than 32% while diversifying the range of market-driven courses delivered as part of its institutional growth plans. The Strategic Plan also highlights a blueprint to secure and intensify the University's revenue mobilization efforts to finance its academic delivery programs while leveraging its robust Information Technology Systems.
The University also aims to transition 85% of its students into the labor market through market-driven programs that meet the 21st-century industry needs. As part of its strategic plan, the institution will triple external research funding and productivity by 2026.
By Maina Muchara
On March 14, USIU-Africa hosted the former Minister for ICT in Mwai Kibaki government and Cabinet Secretary for Health in Uhuru Kenyatta government, Hon Mutahi Kagwe, EGH in the first public lecture under Chandaria School of Business. The tittle of the lecture was ICT, Healthcare, and Business Revolution in the new World. For two hours, the Minister lectured, engaged, and entertained the audience with his insightful and witty knowledge of the subject matter. He seamlessly weaved between ICT, Healthcare and Business to show interconnectedness of the issues at hand.
His commitment to see communication infrastructure as a tool for development brought new understanding in the audience as to the explosion of e-commerce in Kenya and East Africa in general after investment in the fiber optic cable TEAMS. Further, Kenya leadership world in mobile money transfer fitted perfectly with his next major engagement he believes Kenyans should be preoccupied with, Artificial Intelligence. This is a subject he delved in for long and showed with graphic examples the connection to healthcare and business.
His investment in ICT came in handy as a Cabinet Secretary for Health during the COVID-19 pandemic as he was able to hold Zoom/Teams/Online meetings with various health officers, governors and other players to quickly tackle the menace. Indeed, the same investment made it possible for players in the education sector to hold classes online as costs of calling dropped by 99% after the fiber optic. While he was clear that public healthcare should be driven first by hygiene and second by government investing facilities and modern equipment/machinery across the country, ICT will play a crucial role in making universal healthcare affordable and all doctors should be exposed to computers during their trainings.
As for business, ICT is an indispensable tool and should be incorporated in every day transactions. Finally, he advised that AI is an inevitability. We either embrace it as an opportunity, or it will destroy us as a threat. We should therefore be hearing discussions in parliament on how to harness AI and become leaders in Africa. Fortunately for those engaging with USIU-Africa, the Deputy Vice Chancellor-Academics, Transformational Teaching, Learning and Research, Professor Amos Njuguna confirmed that the university will launch BSc Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Fall 2024 offering concentrations and minors to all those interested.
All smiles: Students during their day trip to the Aberdares National Park.
By Bonface Inganga
The hostel day trip is one of the key events in the housing activity calendar, which gives the residents a chance to bond with each other and get to know each other well. This semester, a group of 20 students accompanied by 4 members of faculty had a chance to visit the Aberdare National Park, where they took part in a game drive and interacted with the flora and fauna at the park.
They enjoyed a game drive at the Treetops Aberdare Gate, where they were able to see various wild animals including hyenas, buffalos, and antelopes, among others. The entire drive took about 4 hours and culminated in an open-air meal prepared at a campsite.
The trip is the third event carried out this semester by the Department of Housing, organized by the DRAB members, Entertainment Committee and the Residents Assistants.
Bonface Inganga addresses the hostel residents during the Spring 2020 Hostel Opening meeting.
By Nalenhle T Moyo
The Housing Department in collaboration with the Counselling Centre recently hosted the spring 2020 Hostel Opening meeting for residents. In attendance were Geoffrey Owino and Bonface Inganga from the Housing Department, Lydia Winda from the Counselling Centre and 55 hostel residents.
Mr. Inganga welcomed the first-time residents by giving them a chance to introduce themselves and share their expectations. The room was filled with excitement and curiosity as returning residents could not wait to know more about the new additions in the hostel.
The DRAB and entertainment committee then gave their presentation on the upcoming activities which included a day trip to Aberdare National Park, an overnight trip to Kilifi and barbeque. The presentation was made by DRAB members and a number of residents promised that they will be taking part in activities. The Resident Assistants were given a chance to introduce themselves and state the expectations of the students. Residents were also given updates on the recent developments including the Wi-Fi that had been installed in the rooms, new landscaping and the repainting of the old block.
Lydia Winda from the counselling Centre made a presentation on drugs, sex and alcohol which are issues that tend to affect university students. She emphasized the importance of staying true to one's self and choosing one’s company wisely. She brought to light the alarming rate of academic dismissals in the last year stating that most of these are caused by students losing track of their goals. She encouraged students to find activities that can keep them occupied and to get involved in what goes on around campus and to never fear seeking help from the counsellors.
By Brenda Odhiambo
In the bustling city of Juba, a critical issue hampers the pursuit of education for secondary school students—lack of reliable transportation. Inspired by the pressing need for a solution, Dudi Nyok Luat, a second year International Business Administration student and a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa embarked on an entrepreneurial journey that led to the creation of the Unitymovers Initiative.
The Unitymovers Initiative was established based on the realization that most high schools in Juba heavily rely on inconsistent and unsafe public transportation, hindering students' access to education. This not only poses safety concerns but also acts as a barrier to quality education, especially for those from low-income backgrounds.
The Initiative aims to bridge this gap by providing a fast, reliable, exclusive, and sustainable transportation solution tailored to the unique needs of high school students. Unitymovers’ mission, encapsulated in the tagline "Ride to Knowledge with Ease," focuses on facilitating safe and convenient transportation options, ensuring students can access educational opportunities without hindrances. Additionally, by offering reliable and sustainable transportation, Unitymovers contributes to reduced traffic congestion and environmental benefits.
Luat notes that Unitymovers’ journey reached a significant milestone when he applied to the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship, where he was one of the finalists who took part in the final Pitch Competition held on Thursday, August 24, 2023.
“My passion for making a positive impact in my community and beyond drove me to apply for the Fellowship. Witnessing the challenges faced by students in Juba due to inadequate transportation fueled my commitment to finding a solution. The Fellowship provided an ideal platform to transform my concept into a viable venture,” he says.
“This experience was not just about seeking funding but a transformative learning opportunity. It equipped me with the skills and knowledge necessary to turn Unitymovers into a practical, impactful venture. Participating in the Fellowship refined my entrepreneurial skills and expanded my perspective on project development, funding, and the importance of networking and mentorship. I emerged from the experience as a more resilient, knowledgeable, and effective entrepreneur,” he adds.
Luat is committed to making use of the knowledge and skills gained through the Fellowship to address real-world challenges and make a positive impact on society through the continued development and growth of the Unitymovers Initiative. He hopes to be a catalyst for change in his community, contributing to education, sustainability, and community development.
As a testament to the impactful experience he had during his time in the Fellowship, Luat has been selected as one of the mentors for the 2024 Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship.
“This opportunity allows me to pay it forward, becoming a catalyst for change by nurturing and guiding young entrepreneurs, just as I have been supported and guided on my own journey. Unitymovers represents not only a solution to a pressing issue but a commitment to creating a more educated and empowered generation that will positively impact communities and society at large,” he notes.
The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship is an 8-month program designed to cultivate exceptional entrepreneurial skillsets and mindsets. It empowers emerging leaders to drive both social and financial impact through their ventures. The Fellowship is committed to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in African students and recent graduates, fostering innovation, and creating a positive change in the world.
By Brenda Odhiambo
With a vision to empower local youth through sustainable poultry farming, Lydia Okwir, a Ugandan Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa and a third-year student in the Bachelor of Pharmacy program, set out to implement the Atomoro Youth Network and Development Project in Amolatar District in Northern Uganda.
The project, which was initiated in 2019, aims to empower 25 youth (13 women and 12 men), by providing essential training and resources for sustainable poultry farming. The community faces economic challenges and adherence to traditional gender roles that hinder growth, especially for women. With the majority of young people unable to access higher education opportunities, Lydia's project seeks to create a platform for inclusive poultry farming, providing an avenue for self-reliance and socio-economic growth.
“In Northern Uganda, particularly in my community, 95% of the young men and women have not attended higher institutions of learning. Most of them only managed to go to primary schools, because Amolatar's fishing culture diverted the focus of local youth and their parents, leaving them unconcerned about their future prospects. Many youth in the area have abandoned their studies due to financial constraints, with many girls also dropping out of school due to teenage pregnancies. With the recent government restrictions on fishing in Uganda, many have been left facing dire economic situations,” Lydia explains.
The project addressed these challenges by providing a platform for the community and the identified beneficiaries to learn more about poultry farming, which in turn will help them establish a sustainable, thriving enterprise that will change their economic fortunes,” she adds.
Through the project, Lydia was able to secure essential equipment, including feeders, egg incubators, and a solar panel. The equipment supported the transition from one-day-old chicks to one-month-old chicks, a shift that will strengthen the project’s production and sustainability, as the chicks will mature to eventually support the production of both eggs and meat for sale.
Acen Racheal, a beneficiary of the project, attests to the transformative impact during the project implementation. As a young single mother and orphan raising her three-year-old daughter, she faced immense challenges. Racheal recalls a period of hopelessness when she worked on others' farms to secure food for herself and her child, often going to bed on an empty stomach during periods without farm work.
“Joining the youth group marked a turning point in our lives. The various agricultural training sessions provided by the group not only equipped me with valuable skills but also enabled me to diversify my income streams. I now cultivate tomatoes for sale, which ensures that my daughter can go to school,” she says.
The project impact has been felt on both the individual and communal levels. At the individual level, beneficiaries experienced improved livelihoods and increased confidence. The newfound financial independence positively influenced the entire community's economic dynamics. At the community level, poultry-related income-generating activities created a more resilient local economy. Knowledge sharing and collaboration have flourished, contributing to a more knowledgeable and interconnected community. Food security has also improved through the availability of poultry products, enhancing the community’s overall health and well-being.
By Brenda Odhiambo
For International Women’s Day, we spoke to Marie-Paule Wauters, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa and a third-year student pursuing a degree in International Business Administration. She shares more about her journey and the impactful initiatives she has spearheaded to uplift women in her community.
Marie-Paule was born and raised in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Her journey towards impactful entrepreneurship began at Shaumba Girls’ High School, where she discovered a passion for education and entrepreneurship, despite pursuing science subjects. During this time, she actively participated in various training courses on leadership, entrepreneurship, education, empowerment, and social change, while also volunteering in several NGO initiatives.
After graduating from high school in 2017, Marie-Paule was awarded a scholarship to the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she studied entrepreneurial leadership. This experience further fueled her desire for education, entrepreneurship, and women's empowerment. Following her graduation in 2019, she dedicated her gap year to training her community, high school students (including those from her prior school), and young women in a village high school on entrepreneurship. This hands-on experience solidified her commitment to creating meaningful change.
In 2021, she joined USIU-Africa as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar, where she is currently in her third year. She notes that the program has further expanded her knowledge through intensive training in transformational leadership and entrepreneurship.
Marie-Paule's dedication to empowering women in the DRC is deeply personal, shaped by her mother's resilience and the struggles of women in her community. Raised by a widowed mother who supported their family through an informal business, Marie-Paule witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by women in similar circumstances.
“I watched my mother work tirelessly to raise my siblings and I by selling cleaning products. Despite being in a resource-limited environment and lacking knowledge of entrepreneurship and business management, she ran her business as best as she could. Initially, her business thrived, and she always strived to provide us with the best. However, it eventually started declining due to various reasons, such as a lack of legal documents, limited information on business processes, failure to fully meet the population's needs, and not using the correct tools. These challenges had significant financial implications for our family,” she says.
"My mother's experience became the cornerstone of my inspiration, fueling my desire to create meaningful change by bridging the gap between knowledge and informal jobs in my community. Countless women in our community face similar challenges, and even more, which leaves them financially insecure, given that in many cases, they also have the burden of sole responsibility for their families,” she adds.
Addressing key challenges faced by women in informal businesses
Marie-Paule identifies several challenges faced by women engaged in informal businesses in the DRC, including limited access to resources, gender-based discrimination, lack of education and skills, social and cultural barriers, and financial insecurity. To tackle these challenges, she initiated the SHUJA program, focusing on comprehensive business training, access to financial resources, and building confidence among women entrepreneurs.
"Through SHUJA, we provided women with tailored business training programs in Lingala, our local language, equipping them with essential skills in business planning, financial management, marketing, and product development,” she says. “Additionally, the program facilitated access to microfinance services and savings programs, empowering women to start and grow their businesses,” she adds.
Marie-Paule's community-driven initiatives have yielded remarkable success stories, demonstrating the transformative impact of empowerment.
“We have witnessed remarkable transformations among the women who took part in the program. One of the participants, Mama Yvette, was able to launch a small-scale catering business after completing the business training program. Despite the initial challenges, she persevered and was able to gradually expand her clientele. Another participant, Mama Bibi, who initially worked alone was able to employ someone to make donuts for her business, which has greatly improved her sales per day. These success stories have inspired other women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams,” she notes.
Empowering women in informal businesses not only stimulates economic growth but also fosters greater gender equality and social cohesion within communities. Marie-Paule emphasizes, "By providing women with tools and resources to succeed, we create engines of local commerce, generating income and improving living standards."
For Marie-Paule, empowering women in informal businesses has a multifaceted impact on the broader community and economy in DRC. More than 70% of women in the DRC are in informal sector and less are educated or have access to education.
“By providing women with tools and resources to start and grow their businesses, we stimulate economic growth at the grassroots level. These women become engines of local commerce, creating jobs, generating income, and contributing to the overall prosperity of their communities. Moreover, empowered women often invest a significant portion of their earnings in their families' well-being, leading to improved healthcare, education, and living standards. This effect of empowerment not only fosters socio-economic development but also fosters greater gender equality and social cohesion within communities,” she says.
In resource-constrained settings like the DRC, Marie-Paule advocates for a combination of education, skills training, access to resources, and advocacy for policy reforms to promote gender equality and women's empowerment. She emphasizes the importance of economic empowerment and targeted interventions to address cultural and social barriers.
As we celebrate International Women's Day, Marie-Paule shares a message of resilience, solidarity, and hope to women around the world facing similar challenges. She encourages women to persevere, support one another, and seize opportunities for education and empowerment, envisioning a more just and inclusive world where every woman has the opportunity to thrive.
Looking ahead, Marie-Paule's aspirations for the future of women's empowerment in the DRC include expanding SHUJA’s initiatives to reach more women in rural and marginalized communities, investing in education, and creating opportunities for women to participate in decision-making processes. Her vision is to create a society where every woman has the power and agency to shape her own destiny and contribute to the collective prosperity of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
By Brenda Odhiambo
In #Rwanda's Nyamasheke District, located in Bushekeri Sector, a project led by Esther Mukabyiringiro, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar in her second year in the Bachelor of Pharmacy Program at USIU-Africa, has made a significant impact empowering 20 single mothers facing social and economic barriers.
The project, which ran from December 19, 2023 to January 3, 2024 was designed to address nutritional challenges and limited crop yield faced by these single mothers through the provision of 10 dairy goats to provide a sustainable source of essential nutrients. This was complemented by comprehensive agricultural training to combat crop yield issues by providing knowledge on enhanced farming practices, contributing to food security and economic stability.
Beyond its immediate benefits, the project also aimed to empower these mothers with the skills and resources necessary for their long-term economic independence, aligned with key Sustainable Development Goals, namely No Poverty (Goal 1), Zero Hunger (Goal 2), and Good Health and Well-being (Goal 3).
The project yielded significant milestones, directly benefiting a cooperative of 20 single mothers, who received 10 vaccinated dairy goats, addressing both their nutritional needs and income generation. Training sessions on preparation of a balanced diet and crop cultivation extended the project's impact to families, including children and dependents, creating a positive ripple effect in the broader community.
Partnerships were pivotal in ensuring the project’s success. In collaboration with the local cooperative and Bushekeri Sector leaders, Esther facilitated a needs assessment, guaranteeing community involvement and ownership. Local agricultural experts and trainers were also consulted to impart valuable knowledge during the agricultural training sessions.
“The project partner, Bushekeri Sector, played a crucial role in providing a training venue, emphasizing their commitment to community development. They noted the positive impact of the project on the skills and knowledge acquisition of the beneficiaries. The collaboration between the project and the Sector set a successful model for future partnerships in addressing community challenges,” Esther notes.
Despite the project’s success, Esther encountered challenges during implementation. Some beneficiaries faced literacy issues, which posed communication barriers during training. Other beneficiaries had no access to phones, which meant that Esther had to withdraw money to provide transport funds for them to attend the training in person, as the lack of phones meant no access to mobile money services. Budgetary adjustments were also made to ensure the availability of adequate funds for transportation.
To ensure sustained impact, the project will continue to provide continuous skill enhancement programs, ongoing community engagement, and a robust monitoring and evaluation system. Esther envisions that the project could be replicated in similar areas to address literacy challenges through dedicated programs that can further enhance its long-term impact.
“Through the implementation of the project, I have learned the importance of communication, flexibility, collaboration, negotiation, and patience. These skills emerged as crucial factors for the success of any activity, underscoring the dynamic nature of community projects,” she says.
By the ICT Department
Documents on various University policies can be accessed through the following steps:
1. Go to URL: webapp/ . Click on MY WEBAPP. On the drop-down menu select Organization Policies.
2. Log in using your USIU-Africa email and password.
3. Once logged in, you will be able to see all polices and SOPs under their respective divisions.
By Counseling Department
In order to make progress in life and move forward you need to understand your own beliefs and which beliefs are limiting. When you believe your life will be hard, your mind will concentrate on this belief and will search for evidence to back up this belief. This happens all the time, have you ever been searching for a book saying to yourself “I can’t find the book” you look everywhere without being able to locate the book, this leads you to becoming angry and frustrated. Your friend comes in and tells you that there on the table in front of you – the place you checked three times! By telling yourself you can’t find the book, stops you from finding it.
Another example is when you meet someone you fancy for the first time, as you tell yourself that you are attracted to this person, you look for the things you like about them; a nice smile, funny and interesting. With some relationships, after a couple of dates you change your belief from “I really fancy this person” to “I don’t think this relationship will work out” after changing your belief you start to look for new evidence to back up this new belief; hairy ears, overweight, always late and uses bad perfume.
As you will agree, the same happens with our own limiting beliefs we tell ourselves something negative about ourselves and then look for evidence to back this up. To challenge your beliefs, question the evidence that backs up your limiting belief, look for the generalizations, check to see what is missing-essentially create doubt in your belief.
As you can see, once you start questioning your limiting beliefs you will start to create doubt which will lead to you changing your beliefs.
You need to ask yourself “what is my limiting belief stopping me from doing?” Is my limiting belief doing more harm than good? If I had a new belief or could change a limiting belief would this help me move forward? Would I be happier? Would I feel I have more choices?
Take your limiting beliefs and update them, giving yourself a new opportunity.
See the following examples:
Limiting Beliefs | Updated Beliefs |
‘Life is hard’ | Life is full of challenges that help me to move forward and grow |
‘I always make mistakes’ | I always learn from anything that does not go according to plan |
‘I can’t succeed’ | I will succeed when I take the right steps and do the right things required |
‘Nobody likes me’ | I have no control over what people like, but I will choose who to like |
If you are struggling with such limiting beliefs, reach out to the Counseling Center and have a discussion with our counselors, we are ready to walk with you in creating a new way of thinking and having better beliefs that will help you to make progress in your life.
By Evan Kamau
The common mistake we make when setting goals is we set a deadline, but not a schedule. We focus on the end result that we want to achieve and the deadline we want to do it by.
The problem with this is that if we don't magically hit the arbitrary timeline that we set in the beginning, then we feel like a failure even if we are better off than we were at the start. The end result, sadly, is that we often give up if we don't reach our goal by the initial deadline. However there is a more effective way. We use goal achievement systems and procedures.
The goal achievement system
A better way to achieve your goals is to set a schedule as a system to follow rather than a deadline to beat. Instead of giving yourself a deadline to accomplish a particular goal, you should choose a goal that is important to you and then set a schedule to work towards it consistently.
Focus on the process
Highly successful people practice the things that are important to them on a consistent basis. The best marathoners are on the track at the same time every week. The best writers are sitting down writing every day. And this same principle applies to the best leaders, parents, managers, musicians, and students. For top student performers, it’s not about the performance, it’s about the continual practice and process to achieve the goal.
The focus is on taking action, not on achieving a goal by a certain deadline. It's about practicing the rules, not achieving a certain deadline.
Make the schedule your best friend. You can’t predict when you’ll have a eureka moment for creativity and breakthrough idea comes, but the schedule can make sure that you’re working when that eureka creative moment happens.
If you want to be the type of person who accomplishes things on a consistent basis, then give yourself a schedule and a system to follow, not a deadline to beat.
For further insights, contact Evan on kamauevan@gmail.com
By the Counseling Department
A romance scam occurs when a criminal or a criminal gang creates a fake online profile and feigns romantic interest in another online user. They often target lonely victims looking for love and romance on dating websites, social media accounts, classified sites and other online forums. They work to develop a relationship as quickly as possible. A romance scam involves feigning romantic intentions towards a victim, gaining the victim's affection, and then using that goodwill to get the victim to send money to the scammer under false pretenses or to commit fraud against the victim. Fraudulent acts may involve access to the victim's money, bank accounts, credit cards, passports, e-mail accounts, or national identification numbers; or forcing the victims to commit financial fraud on their behalf.
These scams are often perpetrated by organized criminal gangs, who work together to take money from multiple victims at a time.
Does it happen in Nairobi or in Kenya? Yes, it does and some of our students have been victims.
5 Ways to Spot a Romance Scammer
How to Protect Yourself from Romance Scammers
What to do when scammed
Source: What to Know About Romance Scams | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov)
By Lucy Kung'u & Lydia Winda
The Coronavirus pandemic has been experienced around the world for more than a year and has had a major effect on economies of countries, families, people’s health ranging from physical to mental among other effects. Several countries put various measures in place to avert the spread of the novel virus among them; lockdown, wearing of masks, washing of hands or sanitizing, banned or controlled social gatherings, social distancing among other measures.
Online learning has become one of the new normal situations that students have had to adjust to during this period in the bid to mitigate the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus worldwide. This has been a big challenge to the learning process. Additionally, studies show that mental health related issues among them but not limited to; anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, prolonged loss and grief related issues, alcohol and substance abuse and acute stress disorder are on the rise given the already frail mental health status of many people. Besides mental health related issues, there are also other challenges like; technology, internet connectivity and family related issues among others.
What to do as a student
To avoid feeling isolated and disconnected during online courses, you can:
As a lecturer for effective online learning, take note of the changing roles occasioned by online learning that require adaptation:
It is important to be cognizant that times are tough for everyone including the lecturers. Both students and lecturers should try their best to make class sessions manageable for both parties that way, you make online class sessions bearable. Online classes are tough, may involve a heavy workload, technology issues, and changing student–teacher interactions but doable with the support and collaboration of both students and lecturers.
Feel free to contact the Counseling Center through counsel@usiu.ac.ke or 0730116748/750/797 for psychosocial support.
References:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0047239516661713
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/81119765.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214139118300398
By the Counselling Centre
“The greatest disease in the World today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is LOVE - Mother Theresa.
It is okay to experience loneliness, loneliness is a human experience, a consequence of being a social being in a complicated world. Naturally, humans are relational beings and they love the connection especially that of being around other people, feeling accepted, getting encouraged, having conversations etc. This is very normal, don’t be afraid to embrace the feeling.
If you are feeling lonely because of isolation due to COVID-19, understand that you are not alone in this situation. Several other people are holed up in family homes/rooms, hospital isolation rooms and/or other spaces they did not choose to be in. Some people have even found themselves in other countries, cities, towns and places they were only meant to be in temporarily. This awareness and understanding will help you to stop blaming themselves and take it as a health requirement which, however uncomfortable, is emphasized for a good reason. It is important to protect oneself and loved ones; and the community/country at large. Each person's actions make the difference. Loneliness should encourage solidarity, being kinder and being attuned to people and appreciative of what we have.
Loneliness does not always mean absence of a person or people; it means absence of connection. Some people are lonely because they have low self- esteem or poor social skills and have difficulties connecting with other people; or they feel their company is not valuable to others. Some people feel unwanted and unattractive or ‘boring' hence feelings may be heightened during this period. Whatever the cause, find some counsel online, use positive thought strategies, pray regardless of your faith or religion, do some positive self - talk, smile, dance, and be tenderer with yourself.
What you can do to manage loneliness
It is important to acknowledge that different activities work for different people hence it is important for you to identify what works for you.
Stay active by;
Staying connected with your family members and friends either virtually or physically. Ensure you observe government directives during physical meetings.
Doing something meaningful that will make you experience a form of satisfaction e.g. volunteer work.
Read on areas that interest you. You can also watch programs, TED talks, shows that excite you.
Online engagement in groups that discuss topics that are of interest to you e.g. DIYs, music
Listen and create music if you are a music lover.
You can practice artwork if you love art i.e. painting, crocheting, knitting drawing or origami.
Take up online classes to keep you busy on areas that interest you.
Engage in soothing activities like steamy shower, hot chocolate as they comfort from loneliness.
Engage in outdoor activities like going for nature walks, picnic, cycling, hikes among other fun outdoor activities. Ensure you observe government directives if going with friends.
Have a friend or family member you can confide in about how you feel. Having a strong support system comes handy while dealing with such.
Things to note
Use your time wisely during this period, as solitude enriches creative work. Many people, especially teenagers and adults, have not created or afforded such a “free" period of time for many years. One could feel uncomfortable and disoriented, but it’s best to use this time to plan, set goals, review goals and progress. So while it lasts, a lot of positive and productive stuff can come out of such a time which will lessen feelings of loneliness. One can literally take it as their reflection period or ‘quiet time’ and if used wisely, it can compensate for what has been lost in many years. If anyone is in isolation and feels lonely, take this time to plan to come out better, more organized and focused.
Find things to be grateful for. In this time of uncertainty, there are complaints and negative events around the world. Some people may have lost loved ones, lost jobs, forced to take salary cuts etc. For someone who is in isolation, it would reduce their feelings of loneliness if they proactively chose to be more grateful. Make gratitude your friend. Journal about the things you’re grateful for. Better still, one can speak them out. Be grateful for who you are. Grateful for your health. For your loved ones. Grateful that you are still employed. Grateful that your symptoms are manageable and there is hope. Grateful that this too shall pass. Grateful that you are alive!
Work with a structure. Periods of lack of activity can easily attract feelings of loneliness. One can make a plan for each day and ensure they have at least two or three goals to accomplish in any given day. For instance, wake up, pray, exercise, take a shower, video call family/friends, read up a favorite book/chapter, listen to a podcast etc. The structure can change each day but at least do something productive. Occupy the mind and body productively. Loneliness, if not well managed can lead to depression, a form of anxiety, alcohol and substance abuse, stress, powerlessness, physical illnesses due low immunity and suicidal behavior.
If you feel overwhelmed and need help, contact a counselor. You can call 0730116748/750 or email: counsel@usiu.ac.ke
By Catherine Kasela
Time is a very important factor in the life of a human being. But for a student time is a factor that cannot be wasted because it is extremely important. From attending classes, meeting assignment deadlines and partying students juggle with a lot and time is limited. So, to ensure that a student gets all these work done good time management is the key. Managing time can be done in different ways:
Students should learn how to plan and manage their time wisely because time wasted is never recovered.
By Lydia Winda
Mid- Semester Exams are around the corner and probably you are experiencing exam fever especially for those doing online exams for the first time. Below is a guide on how to prepare for USIU-Africa’s online exams;
All the best in your exams!
Best Wishes
By Njoroge Chege
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, they say. A lot of labor is involved in being a student at USIU-Africa. Assignments, projects, presentations, quizzes, exams, and much more must all be completed with strict deadlines.
A full-time university student attends classes for about 12-16 hours weekly. A student may have minor, or no time left to think of any new activity to consider if they are focused on maintaining a good GPA at the end of the semester.
In this day and age, instead of enjoying the learning process, education and information acquisition have more recently become competitive endeavors that are all about the GPA and not about understanding and application of the knowledge acquired.
There is always pressure from parents, lecturers, and classmates to support this problem. Instead of students striking a balancing act between their academics and talents, they are more focused and concerned about winning the academic race, AKA good grades.
Unfortunately, this ends up causing an imbalance since there is a life beyond academics. On the other side, we have other students -those who are heavily immersed in extracurricular activities that they fail to understand the value of academics, and the fact that a balance must be struck between academic and extracurricular activities.
For those struggling to strike this crucial balance, read the interview with Ms. Mkenda, a USIU-Africa student who has been on the Dean’s List for the past two years for some practical tips you can apply for yourself.
Chege: How are you able to balance your extracurricular activities and still maintain a 3.5 GPA or above?
Ms. Mkenda: I have to say that time management is the best-kept secret of high achievers. I rarely procrastinate since I just have a well-defined timetable for my studies and my yoga/kickboxing workout. Also, I’m very clear about where I’ve come from, why I am here in Kenya, and my parent's expectations of me.
Chege: Whoa! Interesting. What would you say is your best time to study and your best time to work out?
Ms. Mkenda: I love studying at night when it's completely quiet at the Qwetu Hostel. If the place is too noisy, I can easily study with my earphones on with “slow” background music, especially when all I need to do is review my work.
When I need a deep understanding of a topic, I prefer studying at the library since I can easily zone out without any disruption. I love to use my weekends to catch up or get ahead with my studies. When it comes to my working out, I just get started as soon as I get to the gym. I rarely chitchat, and if I do, I keep it as brief as I can.
Chege: Do you have a workout partner, or do you prefer working out by yourself?
Ms. Mkenda: I prefer to work out by myself.
Chege: How about studying? Do you like to study by yourself, or do you have a study partner?
Ms. Mkenda: I love having a combination of both- personal study and group study. I like group study for the course text material and course outline review since I tend to get a broad overview of the content and my expectations at the end of the semester, but I like studying the Blackboard content (lecturers’ notes) by myself.
Chege: What are the barriers to striking a balance between extracurricular activities and academics among university students?
Ms. Mkenda: Lack of an understanding that extracurricular activities require your interest while academics call for a different level of dedication. Understand that they are called “extra” curricular activities since they are activities you add to your main agenda while keeping in mind that they should come after your studies.
Explore your interests, but be cautious that they do not interfere with the regular academic tasks that you have to complete. Make a strict schedule and stick to it, and everything will work out.
By Evan Kamau
We have situations in our lives that keep coming up repeatedly. If you've changed your behaviour, then you've learned and you're doing something different. The "meta" level is when you learn how to learn. You step outside yourself and see your own patterns and process. Meta-meta is learning how you learn differently in different situations.
To train the unconscious mind, you need to have an immediate source of feedback. How can you put conditions in your life where learning is inevitable? Second position wisdom comes from multiple perspectives, and seeing someone else's model of the world. What do you look like from their perspective?
Controlled observer: imagine you are a third observer looking in at the interaction between you and another. What does your interaction look like to an unbiased observer?
Some of the ways that we sort information include:
For further insights, contact Evan on kamauevan@gmail.com
By Betty Wairegi
The Hult Prize Club is an inspiring movement with a vision of empowering young entrepreneurs to do business by competing in yearly challenges and taking part in impact programs. The participants not only become conscious entrepreneurs but also form part of a new generation of global leaders.
On Friday, March 11, 2022, the Hult Prize USIU-Africa Club held their first on-campus program at the auditorium. The event involved registered teams of up to 3 or 4 students, who had a viable and scalable business idea that aligned with the theme released by Hult Prize Global which is 'getting the world back to work.’ The teams presented their ideas before a qualified panel of judges who evaluated their ideas and chose 3 top teams who will proceed to the Regional Summit.
The judges were selected from a pool of influential and accomplished individuals, and they included Oliver Tambo, HR Talent Acquisition and Special Projects at L’Oréal East Africa, Olive Gachara- Founder & CEO Couture Africa Limited, Irene Githinji - Student Programs Manager at Microsoft and our very own Dr. Leah Mutanu, a faculty member at the School of Science and Technology.
A group of nine teams took the initiative to participate in the competition: AMAKA AFRIKA, OZAI, KAZINI, TYRO, JUMPSTART, PTR, MATRIX, SAYARI, ALPHA. The teams had amazing ideas that addressed various problems affecting the world such as how to end period poverty (OZAI), recycling plastic and improving the environment (MATRIX), and creating equal job opportunities for everyone (JUMPSTART).
After intense deliberation by the judges, the top 3 teams were chosen and awarded during the networking gala where students were able to interact with the invited guests and speakers and get more information in different fields.
In third place was team TYRO, whose idea focused on an innovative approach towards building construction. Their plan focuses on the creation of building materials infused with copper that will be able to supply electricity to converters that can power the buildings.
Team KASKAZINI came in 2nd place with a phenomenal idea which aims to create a platform where people can get access to help them generate revenue, especially for informal workers.
The winners of the day were Team AMAKA AFRIKA, who addressed the transportation issue in Zambia and how introduction of alternative means such as motorbikes would improve the transportation system.
The winning teams will be moving to the Regional Summit as they compete with other universities in hopes to bring the $ 1,000,000 prize back home. We wish them all the best. The event was sponsored by Coca-Cola, Kericho Gold and L’Oréal East Africa.
By Rebecca Nampiima
The Hult Prize Club recently hosted their first event this semester, "Fun Thursday." This event was not only a day filled with thrilling indoor games but also a platform to foster interaction among club members, introduce a new committee, and unveil the club's ambitious activities for the semester. The fun Thursday event saw members engage in various intellectually stimulating games, including chess, cards, UNO, and Scrabble. These games served as a unique icebreaker, allowing members to bond and form lasting connections.
Laughter and friendly competition filled the room as club members showcased their strategic prowess in chess, their quick thinking in UNO, and their wordplay skills in scrabble. Beyond the fun and games, the Hult Prize Club used this event to reveal its semester-long mission. As a club, they have set their sights on honing the crucial skill of pitching ideas, preparing their members for the prestigious Hult Prize annual challenge. This challenge is renowned for bringing together some of the brightest minds from around the world to address pressing global issues. The club intends to have semester challenges to prepare the club members for the global stage, and this semester we are focusing on the issue of the climate crisis with a theme of “Creating Solutions to Climate Change”.
This final campus challenge this semester will be graced with judges and prizes for the winners. The club members will embark on a journey to brainstorm, innovate, and develop groundbreaking ideas that can contribute to mitigating climate change. These projects will be expected to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underscoring the club's commitment to making a tangible impact on global challenges.
By focusing on the climate crisis, the Hult Prize Club aims to inspire innovative solutions that can pave the way for a more sustainable future. As the Hult Prize Club gears up for its semester challenge, the campus community eagerly anticipates the creative solutions that will emerge from this talented group of changemakers. Stay tuned for updates on the Hult Prize Club's journey as they strive to make a difference in the fight against climate change, one innovative idea at a time.
By Rebecca Nampiima
The USIU-Africa Hult Prize Club held a competition on February 8, that brought together 13 teams to showcase their innovative solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The theme for this year's competition was ‘Unlimited,’ reflecting the limitless potential of creative ideas in addressing global challenges. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from various teams, each presenting unique and groundbreaking projects. The teams demonstrated their commitment to creating sustainable and impactful solutions that contribute to the achievement of the UN SDGs.
In addition, to the on-campus teams, the competition also hosted other universities: University of Nairobi, Africa Nazarene University, the University of Embu, the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development, and Kenyatta University. This diversity added a rich dimension to the competition, fostering collaboration and networking beyond our campus boundaries.
The competition hosted a distinguished panel of judges from InnovateSphere Africa, Mr. Titus Ndeto from Taka Earth, Mr. Kelvin Earth who shared their expertise and insights. One of the highlights of the event was the commitment of the judges to support and collaborate with the participating teams. Mr. Titus Ndeto and his team, offered the Innovate Sphere hub to continue working closely with tech-related teams to further develop and implement their projects. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity for our students to turn their ideas into impactful initiatives with real-world implications.
The Hult Prize Club on-campus competition was not only a platform for showcasing talent but also a celebration of innovation and collaboration. Ecoharbor emerged as the winner, their company makes paper and stationery out of sugarcane. The judges were impressed by the structure of Ecoharbor Company, as their team is certified by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (KEBS). Raytech Game Studios was the first runner-up, they envision a fun way of learning through the Edumetaverse Virtual School. They affirmed that learning should be fun by using the metaverse to clearly demonstrate learning content for subjects such as chemistry, math, and so on. The team has worked tirelessly and has been able to create an app on Google Play Store to demonstrate their work. Ayn and Uhai Innovation Company both secured the second runners-up position. Ayn Company uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) in vehicles to enhance road safety, while Uhai Innovation Company focuses on recycling plastics and turning them into items such as garments, pillows, and so on.
The Hult Prize is immensely proud of the dedication and passion displayed by all the participants and the success of this event sets a positive tone for the future, emphasizing the role of our campus in fostering a culture of innovation and sustainability.
By Madlene Achieng
Recently, the HultPrize USIU-Africa committee sponsored by USIU-Africa hosted an Inter-University Meet and Greet event which focused on social entrepreneurship, fostering networks for mutual benefit, breaking down of the HultPrize 2023 challenge, familiarizing students with the HultPrize Foundation, internship incentives and job opportunities available.
The event was open to USIU-Africa students as well as students from other higher learning institutions such as University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Strathmore University, Daystar University, RCMRD, Technical University of Kenya, KCA, St Paul’s University and Multimedia University. Ms. Joleen Wangechi, a regional specialist from the HultPrize Africa office and Eco Bana Limited, the 2022 HultPrize global winners of the 1,000,000 USD were also in attendance.
During the event, Joleen Wangechi, discussed the role of the HultPrize Africa office as a pillar for campus directors as well as their respective committees and communities especially since the HultPrize Africa office is situated in Kenya. Attendees also shared opinions, thoughts and suggestions for consideration in regards to the HultPrize 2023 challenge, Redesigning Fashion. Additionally, they also spoke about maximizing the network of higher learning institutions in Nairobi by working together.
The session also consisted of a brainstorming session and an information exchange panel session made up of a previous HultPrize competitor, 6 Campus Directors from various schools, Eco-Bana limited and the regional specialist from the HultPrize Africa Office, where different topics, including social entrepreneurship were discussed at length.
The event ended with a keynote address from Eco-Bana Limited, who took the audience through the journey of brainstorming an idea, participating in and winning a competition. The CEO, Lennox Omondi, Chief Financial Officer, Dullah Shiltone and Chief Communication and Marketing Officer, Brian Ndung’u encouraged the audience to participate in the 2023 HultPrize challenge after breaking down the 7 facets of next year’s theme, namely sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, consumption, disposal and circularity.
By the ICT team
In order to maintain operational excellence and improve customer service, the ICT Department has expanded the use of the Helpdesk’s e-ticketing system (LAN Support) to include additional departments and units across campus. This ticketing system will be used to raise, track, resolve, close and report on service related issues in a similar way to the tickets that have previously been raised for ICT assistance. The system has been in use at the University for the last nine years by ICT, Marketing and Maintenance departments. In addition to enhancing service provision in all critical departments beyond the official working hours, the business focus shall become more customer-orientated since the spotlight will shift towards issue resolution based on each issue’s anticipated turnaround time.
Below is a list of e-mail addresses that you should use to directly contact departments or units and track issues you raise using a unique ticket number. This list is also available on the University's home page at helpdesk/ for your reference.
Department/Unit | Email address | |
1 | School of Communication, Cinematic & Creative Arts | scccahelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
2 | School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences | sphshelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
3 | School of Science & Technology | ssthelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
4 | Chandaria School of Business | csobhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
5 | School of Humanities & Social Sciences | shsshelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
6 | Registrar | registrarhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
7 | Placement and Career Services | pacshelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
8 | School of Graduate Studies, Research & Extension | gradhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
9 | Human Resource | hrhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
10 | Finance | financehelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
11 | Institutional Research | irhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
12 | Admissions | admissionshelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
13 | Partnerships and External Linkages | pelhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
14 | Student Affairs | studaffairshelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
15 | Library | libraryhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
16 | Health Services | healthhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
17 | Counseling Services | counselinghelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
18 | Security | security@usiu.ac.ke |
19 | Transport | transporthelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
20 | Deputy Vice Chancellor | dvchelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
??21 | ??ICT | ??helpdesk@usiu.ac.ke |
??22 | ??Marketing and Communications | ??marketing@usiu.ac.ke |
??23 | ??Maintenance | ??repairs@usiu.ac.ke |
Nicodemus Kilunda joins other members of the University community to develop a Disability Policy at USIU-Africa
Nicodemus Kilunda, a Sophomore in the Chandaria School of Business and a beneficiary of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa was among the selected stakeholders who took part in the development of USIU-Africa’s Disability Policy.
The Disability Policy will work towards ensuring an inclusive environment and quality provisions for Persons with Disabilities, and other Special Needs (PWD’s & SN) which will ensure the university progressively makes adjustments and accommodations for PWDs and ensure students access quality education and services across the campus setting.
The Taskforce Committee comprised 11 of members drawn from across different members of the university community including Faculty, Staff and Students and were tasked with the responsibility to propose recommendations for amendments to ensure inclusion and compliance.
Hezborn Muiru to represent USIU-Africa in the Blind Football Championships 2022 in Morocco
Hezborn Muiru recently participated in the National Trials for the visually impaired for the national football team organized by the Kenya Sports Association and was selected to join the team as a striker.
The team will represent Kenya in Rabat, Morocco from September 14-26. The event was graced by long distance runner and 5,000 & 10,000-meters champion and Paralympian, Mr. Henry Wanyoike, who supported the players during the selection.
Hezborn joined the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa in September 2021 and is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations. He expressed his joy at landing the once in a lifetime opportunity, stating: “This is a dream come true for me. I love football and I get to play my favorite sport.”
We wish Hezborn all the best as he flies the Kenyan and USIU-Africa flags high.
By Dr. Lincoln Munyendo
Last week, the inaugural class of Bachelor of Pharmacy students at USIU-Africa took their professional oath in a virtual ceremony held on Friday, 25 September, 2020. As conventional practice, before graduating, students taking medical courses are required to take the Hippocratic Oath, which is an important step in becoming a healthcare practitioner.
Speaking during the event, Prof. Francis Ndemo, Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences congratulated the students for making it to the end of their degree, which is also the first professional program at USIU-Africa.
“As you take this oath today, you are now transitioning into the professionals that USIU-Africa has trained you to become. This oath therefore should remind you that you are now a fully-fledged healthcare professional, and this must be seen in the way you act, and the way you reason,” he said.
On his end, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza offered his congratulations to the graduating class, noting that they would now be joining other professionals in the field against the fight on the Coronavirus pandemic.
“This year, you will go down in history, not only by virtue of being part of the first class in USIU-Africa’s history to graduate virtually, but also for being our first ever graduates from the Bachelor of Pharmacy program. As you go out there, I want to urge each and every one of you to apply the knowledge and the principles that you have learnt at the University, and use them to bolster your colleagues in the field, as we fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, “he said.
Also in attendance at the event were the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Ruthie Rono, the chief guest, Prof. Jennifer Orwa, Deputy Director at KEMRI, Dr. Fred Siyoi, Registrar / CEO Pharmacy & Poisons Board, and Dr. Louis Machogu, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya. Guests were entertained by Prof. Nancy Snider, the Director of the Music Program at the American University, Washington.
The Centre for Behaviour Change and Communication (CBCC), through its partnership with USIU-Africa’s Psychology Department, launched its first short course in March 2021. The Social and Behaviour Change Training and Certification Programme for Practitioners was conducted virtually for five days between March 22 and March 26 2021.
This inaugural class was officially opened by Professor Munyae Mulinge, acting DVC Academic and Student Affairs, USIU-Africa. The official launch was graced by over 40 participants and had the presence of key management staff including Head of Psychology Department, Prof. Josephine Arasa and CBCC Managing Director, Mr. Peter Lengewa. The five-day course had over 20 learners, who through sheer dedication and commitment successfully completed the certificate course.
Social Behaviour Change (SBC) is an approach that helps to address complex and dynamic behaviour-linked issues at individual, organizational and societal levels. This approach supports people-centred development and has been shown to influence lasting and sustainable behaviour change.
CBCC through its facilitation was able to take the SBC learners through an intense programme that included an initial rigorous individual capacity assessment that enabled the lessons to be adapted to suit the needs of the learners. The course was structured in key modules that were aligned to SBC systematic processes and key SBC principles. The learners were not only exposed to SBC theories but also practical examples and case studies of various SBC projects. From the course evaluation and personal testimonials, the learners expressed their satisfaction with both the quality of facilitation and their heightened level of SBC knowledge and skill related to SBC design, execution and evaluation processes.
In her comments, Dr. Elsie Newa noted that the training was eye-opening session.
“The timeliness, rigor and professionalism that the team showed in the presentation of each session is commendable. As a counseling psychologist and lecturer in Psychology, the training has given me tools that I will endeavor to apply particularly in the ecological model in my counselling sessions and in class,” she said.
“This will help me to get an understanding on how culture and deep-rooted norms influence behaviour including intrinsic reasons why some people change while others may not. I will put all the factors in consideration,” she added.
Her comments were echoed by Elsie Wandera, CEO of Heroes of Change, who noted that the program was very informative, adding that the lessons and principles that she had learned would be employed at an organizational level to ensure the development of impactful and concrete SBC programs and interventions.
The learning did not stop after the five-day course period, as the learners were given practical assignments to test the Social Behaviour Change theories within their actual work settings. This will enable them to successfully kick-start various SBC initiatives with acquired concepts.
Having successfully undertaken this initial SBC course for practitioners, CBCC and USIU-Africa will offer the second class from July 19-23, 2021.
By Scott Bellows
The Incubation and Innovation Center will be hosting a free IN-PERSON training on Saturday, November 20 from 9:30am to 12:30pm on the third floor of the Freida Brown Student Center. Prof. Scott will be training the Center’s entrepreneurs on “Unconscious Bias: Boosting Your Business Using Entrepreneurship Psychological Tools”. The training is part of the Incubation and Innovation Center’s Fall semester program dedicated to trainings and partnership building.
The Incubation and Innovation Center supports USIU-Africa affiliated entrepreneurs to launch a new business or grow their startup ventures. The incubation program is free of charge for current students and alumni. We offer free entrepreneurship coaching, mentoring, training, guest speakers, focus groups, investor pitching, networking, and office space.
During the semester, the Center developed a new five-year partnership with USAID and Michigan State University to introduce a "Human Centered Design" program into our incubation program. It will compete with Egerton University in Nakuru, SwahiliPot in Mombasa, and the National Youth Bunge Association in Kisumu, Kakamega, Nakuru, Mombasa, and Kiambu. The Incubation Center also has six county governments onboard to support the initiative.
Additionally, the Center will host business plan competitions, investor pitching, agricultural business, creative artistic business, and technology business competitions and expos. This will go hand in hand with hosting a nationwide youth entrepreneurship, employment, and empowerment think tank at the Incubation and Innovation Center.
If you would like to enter the USIU-Africa incubation program, please fill out the registration form: https://forms.gle/ELhrJv9gyQFaJdqH7
By Fredrick Adika
Definitions
Information Literacy (IL) is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" (Association of College and Research Libraries [ACRL], 2000).
Life-long learning refers to a learning course that endures through life and everywhere in order to adapt to ever-changing conditions in contrast with education and learning skills compressed to a particular period of life.
Lifelong learning refers to learning activities carried out throughout life leading to improvement in knowledge, skills and competences within individual, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective. It is the intentional learning that people engage in throughout their lives, for a personal and professional fulfillment, and to enhance the quality of their lives. (European Commission, 2001)
Its value
Educational systems are expected to raise individuals who are undertaking lifelong learning, and besides the educational system, businesses and industry require lifelong learners, and that the individuals should actualize self-learning to transform the concept of life-long learning into philosophy of life. Lifelong learning helps individuals to deal with changes in areas such as science and technology.
Information literate individuals are people:
The 21st century has been christened the information era, owing to the explosion of information and information sources. As such, it has become increasingly clear that students/scholars need to acquire skills and competencies to be able to:
It is an important educational goal to raise individuals who are able to enact lifelong learning independently in today’s information society. To reach this goal, the indispensable means is information literacy.
Acquiring Information Literacy Skills
It is in evidence that various models should be used, a number of activities should be enacted, and the effectiveness of these should be investigated for the purpose of providing these skills at all educational levels. Faculty play important roles in upbringing individuals who are life-long learners and who improve themselves persistently. Necessitating the use of library resources for assignments is a dominant tool that faculty can use to improve information literacy skills of their students. Adequate preparation of students to be information literate is a concern not only for teaching faculty but also for academic librarians who work with faculty and students.
At USIU-Africa, librarians are instructors and guides in the process of IL literacy acquisitions. Every semester we have librarians:
Every semester we have a schedule of training sessions going round for individuals to register and attend. The areas covered include:
To get register and attend this Fall, please click on this link.
By Shyat M. Lemoshira
Fresher Diana Awuor, was awarded the Community Service Award 2023 for being an all-rounded student who exemplified the university’s core values within the community during the 45th Commencement ceremony which took place on Saturday, October 14.
“I am truly honored to receive this community service award from the university. It's been a privilege to contribute to our community, and I'm grateful for the recognition, thank you for this meaningful acknowledgment of my efforts,” said Fresher Awuor.
Graduating with a B.A in International Relations, Fresher Awuor served under various capacities in the Spoken Arts and Debate Society (SADS) during her time in USIU-Africa. She led SADS to compete in the Africa Top Universities Debate 2022 in which they were awarded the Sportsmanship Awards in Africa. She has also been instrumental in other debate events such as the Accra Open Championship in Ghana 2022, the Elle Parle Women’s Championship 2023, Nairobi Schools Open Debate 1st and 2nd Edition and many more.
Additionally, during her tenure, SADS raised Ksh. 300,000 and secured approved sponsors to fund their activities outside of Kenya which portrayed USIU-Africa as a remarkable university offering high-quality academic programs and co-curricular activities.
Fresher Awuor also served as a representative of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) in the USIU-Africa Electoral College 2022/23 as well as greatly contributed in planning the International Mother Language Day conference, hosted by the Department of Languages and Literature under SHSS.
Moreover, she was an active member and supporter of the USIU-Africa Sign Language Club where she contributed to the University’s effort to embrace Persons with Disabilities and their interaction with fellow students, faculty, and staff in partnership with the USIU-Africa Persons with Disabilities Office and Students Affairs department.
Her selflessness and hard work has left an indelible mark in this beloved institution and community. Ms. Awuor has proven to be a vivid USIU-Africa ambassador and hallmark of encouragement to other students to exemplify the spirit of service and explore opportunities to volunteer and serve the university whether through sports, clubs, the Student Association Cabinet (SAC) event committees, various departments and divisions.
By Shyat Lemoshira
An adoring friend, a jack of traits and a source of inspiration, Michelle Kimani’s tale on acts of service is one to be applauded.
Michelle Kimani graduated with B.A in International Relations (Magna Cum Laude) in 2023. She currently works as a Business Analyst at Open Capital. Looking through her contributions in USIU-Africa, she has embraced a variety of roles, with some of her most cherished ones including:
Given the above, Michelle Kimani has most likely participated in most USIU-Africa's student events since 2018. She asserts “I fell in love with the vibrant spirit of USIU-Africa from the moment I joined, discovering not only more about myself but also acquiring invaluable lifelong skills along the way.”
Michelle Kimani honed her public speaking and presenting skills by successfully hosting events like the Kotex She CAN and EYO pitches. Aside from being a versatile and creative leader and volunteer in student activities, she is also proficient academically. She demonstrated her dedication to academic excellence by regularly being on the Dean's List throughout her time at university. Furthermore, Michelle Kimani embraced a fearless mindset because she believes in taking on challenges without overthinking qualifications or requirements. Working with people can be challenging; however, she realized that the more she engaged, the more she learned about others and herself, as well as the value of togetherness. Recalling her achievements and lessons learnt, she provides this encouraging statement “Just go for it and discover your capabilities.”
Amidst the challenges brought by COVID-19 when education faced unprecedented interruptions, Michelle Kimani found solace in the supportive community at USIU-Africa. She recounts how the USIU-Africa Counselling Center became a guiding light through her darkest times. She also appreciates her friends and family who kept her joy and hope alive. Michelle Kimani’s lecturers played a pivotal role in her academic growth by challenging her daily in taking further initiative in her academic and co-curricular activities.
“Embarking on her journey in the university was anything but a walk in the park,” Michelle Kimani states. She had a clear goal in mind to embrace a well-rounded and fulfilled existence by excelling in academics while cultivating a vibrant extra-curricular and social life. She advises those who are beginning or navigating the university experience to cherish their time not only through the lens of academics but also by challenging themselves to explore new horizons. She reiterates “Join a club, audition for something you’ve never tried before, prepare for exams in advance, participate in sports and make sure your presence is felt and take advantage of every opportunity. Trust me, if you approach with a mindset of balance and growth, the world will open to you like an oyster. Enjoy the journey!”
Michelle Kimani is open to the ongoing process of learning and unlearning as she continues to grow as a change-maker with endless potential. As a former student leader in sports, clubs and in the USIU-Africa hostels, I am a witness to her unwavering drive to ameliorate herself and those around her environment and working with others.
With her sheer determination and creative innovation, she is poised to continue her story of impact on the world.
USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Zeleza, presents a token of appreciation to keynote speaker, Prof. Peter Ngure of St. Paul’s University. Photo: Courtesy of SGSRE
By Elvis Odera
The Institute of Higher Education Leadership through the School of Graduate Studies Research and Extension held its first 2 day workshop on strengthening post- graduate supervision .The event was held at the Chandaria School of Business presided over by the Dean of School Science, Professor Valerie Adema.
The workshop sought to address the teething issues facing graduate supervision in Kenyan universities. During the opening remarks, the Vice-chancellor of USIU-Africa, Professor Zeleza, noted that around 73% of faculty in USIU-Africa had obtained a Ph.D., more than the national average which is below 50%. He highlighted the need for mentorship in graduate supervision to break the formal and academic barriers that make supervision challenging.
Prof. Jackson Too of the Commission for University Education noted that there was an alarming student to faculty ratio in universities in Kenya, which made graduate supervision challenging. He proposed that universities ought to review their program intakes to avoid admitting more students than they can handle. Of concern was the need to guide graduate students to start publishing academic papers as soon as they reached the methodology stage. This would eliminate the rush to publish papers months to completion of the degree which may tempt students to publish in predatory journals. The event is a first of a series of workshops/events organized by IHERLD to strengthen higher education and leadership in universities.
United States International University -Africa, through its Division of Legal Services, will be hosting a series of webinars on Zoom addressing various topical legal and governance issues. Stay tuned and follow the conversation using #USIULAW2020
Interim officials of the Uganda Alumni Chapter together with Ms. Faith Mugambi (second left), Mr. Michael Kisilu (third left), Ms. Jane Muriithi-Thomas (center), Ms.Rael Otieno (center right) and Mr Uvyu Mbole (third right), following the meeting held on PHOTO: COURTESY
By Beatrice Ndinda
The Principal Alumni Relations Officer Mr. Michael Kisilu and Chief Manager Jane Muriithi-Thomas undertook a trip to Uganda on March 20-23, as a follow up since the launch of the Alumni Chapter at a Ugandan alumni dinner in March 2018.
While in Uganda, Mr. Kisilu held two meetings with those Ugandan alumni who assisted the Alumni Relations office in organizing the 2018 Uganda Alumni Dinner.
Here, the new Principal Alumni Relations Officer Mr. Michael Kisilu was introduced to the Ugandan team which comprised of Herbert Mugisa (Class of 1999), Ian Sekaggya (Class of 1999), Eriki Peter (Class of 2001), Dennis Muganwa (Class of 2007), Denis Kiggundo, Monalisa Aman (Class of 2007), Nancy Akite Opiokello (Class of 1999), Kanziga Leah Musabe (Class of 2016) and Gwokyalya, Agatha Loyce (Class of 2018).
Following the meetings, it was resolved that the Ugandan alumni team would commence planning for an alumni fundraising dinner to be held in July 2019.
To facilitate this, interim officials were chosen: Mr. Mugisa will be the new Chairperson, while his deputy will be Mr. Sekaggya. Ms. Opiokello will be the new Secretary, while Ms. Aman will be the Vice-Secretary. The Treasurer’s position will be filled by Mr. Kiggundo.
Mr. Kisilu also accompanied Chief Manager, Marketing and Communications Ms. Jane Muriithi-Thomas, to XFM, where they both explained program recruitment information including Alumni Relations programs and activities.
As part of enhancing engagement with alumni, the Office of Alumni Relations is also planning to launch more chapters in other regions in the near future. This year will see the launch of the Tanzanian chapter in the summer semester.
The chapters are expected to provide forums for alumni to network and reconnect with each other, serve as ambassadors for their alma mater, organize events and activities that meet their shared interests, stay connected with their alma mater.
By Taigu Muchiri and Tonya Reid
Globally, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed on December 3 to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at all levels in society. This year’s theme ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post-COVID-19 world’ ensures that no person living with disability is left behind. With the disruption brought about the by the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed several gains in healthcare, education lost as a result of restricted movement in order to contain the spread of the virus and this has especially been the case for persons with disabilities and they face several challenges as they access these critical services.
The United Nations estimates that in Africa, 80 to 90 percent of persons with disabilities of working age are unemployed, and school enrollment for young people with disabilities in Africa is estimated to be only 5-10% (African Studies Centre, 2018).
Inclusive education is a key contributor to a country’s productivity and economic growth. Creating prosperity across the continent will require leaders of all backgrounds and experiences who will work to ensure that the emerging economic and social benefits are available to all.
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is focused on developing the next generation of ethical leaders, so it is essential that we intentionally focus on youth for which barriers to education are especially difficult.
Since the inception of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa in July 2020, we are on track to recruit a diverse and inclusive student body, which includes 5 percent of young men and women with disabilities and our goal is to recruit 7 percent (70 students) over 10 years. In September 2021, the first student with visual impairment enrolled into the program.
We interviewed two Mastercard Foundation Scholars, Faith Mwikali Musyoki pursing a Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Technology and Hezborn Muiru Wangari pursing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations who have embarked on their leadership journey here at USIU-Africa and are transforming the leadership narrative for persons living with disabilities.
Watch their journey here.
Peres Odumo is crowned as Miss University Kenya 2019. She will represent Kenya at the World Miss University Africa Competition in South Korea, December 2019.Photo: Courtesy.
By Peres Odumo and Brenda Odhiambo
Peres Odumo, the 2019 Ms. USIU-Africa 1st Runners’ up has been crowned as the 2019 Miss University Kenya.
The Mr. & Miss University pageant is a competition that brings together contestants from various universities in Kenya, who are judged on their physical attributes, personality traits, intelligence and talent.
This year’s contest was held in Kisumu, where contestants were taken though a boot camp designed to improve their physical fitness, verbal presentation and etiquette. In the ladies’ category, Miss Cooperative University was the first runners up, with Miss KEMU and Miss St. Paul’s University picking up the second runners up and Miss congeniality crowns respectively.
Speaking following her crowning, Peres praised the role that USIU-Africa had played in her victory, noting that it was where she gained her confidence from.“Having successfully participated in the Mr and Ms. USIU pageant, I had the confidence, initiative and drive required to win the competition. I also credit the International Relations course that I am currently undertaking as the source of my confidence for my responses to questions related to contemporary issues.”Peres’ victory at the pageant makes her Kenya’s representative to the World Miss University competition in South Korea from December 7 - 20, 2019.
By the Gender Equity and Protection Office
International Youth Day, observed annually on August 12, unites people from all over the world to recognize the value of youth and their contributions to society. This international event was first commemorated by the United Nations in 2000, strives to promote youth rights and aspirations while bringing attention to the opportunities and difficulties that young people confront.
Youth, generally referred to as people between the ages of 15 and 24, make up a sizeable share of the global population. There are more than 1.8 billion young people on the earth, and they are crucial in determining the course of the future. The United Nations established this day to address issues that directly affect young people, such as education, employment, mental health, climate change, and social inclusion. This was done in recognition of the potential of this group.
International Youth Day strives to draw attention to unique difficulties and potential areas of development. The year 2023 will have the theme "Youth for Global Restoration." The importance of young people in environmental preservation, conservation, and sustainable development is highlighted by this theme. It recognizes their participation in campaigns to reverse climate change, revive ecosystems, and advance a sustainable, green future for all.
Addressing Youth Unemployment
Youth unemployment remains a major problem around the world. Young adults may experience disappointment and disillusionment when they attempt to make the difficult transition from school to the workforce and as a result of the scarcity of career prospects. On this day, programs are started to support the creation of jobs for young people, urge the business sector to hire young talent, and promote youth entrepreneurship.
Youth Participation in Politics and Governance
In order to create a society that is more inclusive and democratic, young people must be actively encouraged to participate in politics and governance. Countries can gain new perspectives and creative ideas by developing an environment that encourages youth participation. On this day, youth-led movements are honored and emphasized since they have proven they can effect constructive change.
Promoting Education and Skills Development
Education is a fundamental right and an effective tool for individual development and society advancement, education. However, access to high-quality education is still a problem for millions of young people worldwide. More should be done to promote equitable and inclusive educational systems that serve all students, regardless of background. Additionally, encouraging vocational education and skill development gives young people the tools they need to succeed in a labor market that is always changing.
Mental Health and Well-being
Beyond physical health, mental health is as crucial to young people's wellbeing. Their mental health may suffer as a result of the pressures of academic success, social dynamics, and uncertain futures. International Youth Day provides a forum for eradicating stigma associated with mental health conditions, increasing knowledge of available resources, and promoting easily accessible mental health care.
International Youth Day acts as a reminder that supporting young people now will ensure a better future for all. We can build a more just, economic, and sustainable society by empowering young people, addressing their concerns, and valuing their potential as change agents. On this day, let's band together to honor the youthful spirit, inventiveness, and resilience and commit to cooperate to build a better future.
#Empowering the Youth, is Empowering the Leaders for Tomorrow
#Stand up, Stand out
By Janet Adongo
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), is working with hundreds of students in East Africa to raise awareness and understanding of labour migration in the region. Over 200 students from the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), the University of Nairobi, Daystar University, Mount Kenya University, Technical University of Kenya, and Strathmore University had the opportunity to participate in an event titled "East and Horn of Africa Migration Dialogues for Understanding and Shaping the Future".
During the event, IOM representatives and students, along with migration experts and policymakers discussed the positive impact and benefits of regular and safe labor migration, and challenge myths about the economic impact of migration, highlighting its benefits. Participants also discussed how to advocate for the rights of migrants, and promote policies that protect migrants. And the social, economic, and political challenges faced by migrants, with attention to gender and labor migration.
According to IOM's State of Migration in the East and Horn of Africa report released in May 2023, the region is estimated to be home to approximately 464 million people. Within this population, there are 22.3 million displaced persons and 8.5 million international migrants. Migrants play a substantial role in the East and Horn of Africa region, both economically and socially. They fill critical labor gaps drive economic activity and play vital roles in key economic sectors. Migrants further send billions of dollars in remittances back to their home countries, supporting families and local economies.
Well managed migration can lead to reduced poverty and inequality both for migrants and their communities. This contributes to achieving global development goals and reducing inequalities. When migrants can work safely and legally, they are more likely to send remittances back to their home countries, boosting economic and development efforts. Despite these, migrants in the East and Horn of Africa region continue to face a range of negative experiences, impacting their safety, well-being, and rights including exploitation, trafficking and smuggling, discrimination, poor access to health and justice, and more.
Speaking during the event, the Interim Vice Chancellor Dr. Omolola E. Omole-Odubekun reaffirmed the university’s goal towards providing a holistic education, giving students practical solutions to an ever-evolving world. “USIU-Africa is committed to providing our students with opportunities to learn about and engage with pressing global issues. East and Horn of Africa Migration Dialogues are a perfect example of this commitment, and we are proud to partner with IOM to launch this important initiative,” she said.
Justin MacDermott, IOM Deputy Regional Director for East, and Horn of Africa noted that partnering with universities in the country is geared towards achieving set milestones as an organization.
“Students and the youth have a role to play in the future of migration. Events such as these enable us to achieve the goals in our youth strategy which include promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration for young people, increasing youth participation in migration policy and decision-making, building the capacity of young people to address migration challenges and opportunities and combatting negative attitudes towards migrants and promote tolerance and inclusion,” he said.
Mariam Rajab, an International Relations student at USIU-Africa spoke passionately about issues facing the youth today and the importance of including them in policy dialogues.
“We are future decision-makers on migration issues. By providing a platform to learn, discuss, and engage with experts and policymakers, IOM is fostering a deeper understanding of migration dynamics in the region, encouraging critical thinking and informed decision-making, and empowering us to advocate for positive change,” she said.
A number of similar dialogues are envisaged to take place in universities and institutions of higher learning across the region with the hope of encouraging students to take an active role in advocating for the rights of migrants, the regularization of migration, and promotion of policies that protect migrant workers’ rights.
The event is supported through IOM’s “Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM)” program which aims to enhance labor migration governance and protection of migrant workers and their family members’ human, social and labor rights and intra and inter-regional cooperation on a whole of government and whole of society approach.
By IPPIA and Diana Meso
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) through the Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs (IPPIA) in partnership with The University of Warwick, Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) and the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC), held a blended workshop to discuss the “Socioecological Changes and Conflicting Visions at Frontiers of Development in East Africa” on Thursday, November 18.
The workshop which was physically held at the LT7 in the SHSS building and virtually through zoom, provided an avenue for experts and opinion leaders to debate and present their research on various conflicting and converging issues brought about by mega-projects.
In the opening session, Dr. Moses Onyango, IPPIA Director and Lecturer, International Relations thanked the participants and welcomed them to the workshop. Meanwhile, Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs, emphasized on the integration of research as part of USIU-Africa’s vision and commended IPPIA establishment as a research center in the university.
Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, lauded the continued collaboration between USIU-Africa, The University of Warwick, Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), National Crime Research Centre and the Collaborative Research Centre.
Moving to the discussions of the day, Mr. Daisuke Mizoguchi, Director JSPS, spoke on how the discourse of the Mega-projects can be intensified and the effects it brings. He further said that JSPS is ready to support Kenyan researchers, universities as well as other institutions.
Mr. Gerard Wandera, Director NCRC, expressed the fear of indigenous communities missing out on the mega projects and the international organizations having their main objective as making profits. He also stated that NCRC is involved in policy making to solve the sociological changes that might bring about conflict.
Prof. Kennedy Mkutu, Professor, International Relations, unpacked the topic Understanding the Dynamics of Water Security and Conflict in Kenya, where he discussed how the project is exploring how communities cope with water scarcity during Mega- projects. He further stated that water security is an important issue to look into because Mega- projects are part of the competitors.
Prof. Conrad Schetter, Director BICC also highlighted the fact that Africa was a continent of the future and that, the future was made by socioecological transformation. Debatably, Dr. Erick Kioko, a representative of CRC, questioned on how the future of Africa was made and by whom? For whom?
The workshop further involved two panel discussions; the first panel discussion saw Prof. John C. Onyango, Educationist and Plant / Crop Physiologist, Maseno University, present a paper on Ecosystem Services and Infrastructural Development in a Changing Society as well as Dr. Charis Enns, Presidential Fellow in Socio-Environmental Systems- Global Development Institute present a paper on Mobility as struggle: Environment, Development, and the politics of Movement in Northern Kenya.
Additionally, Elisabeth Schubiger, a PHD researcher in Anthropology and Sociology presented a paper on Maneuvering Enchantment of Megaprojects in Northern Kenya: LAPSSET and the crude Oil in Turkana County, while Sylvia Kiamba, PHD Candidate-USIU-Africa and Dr. John Mwangi, Research Team Leader- The Global Centre for Policy and Strategy, gave insights on the papers titled Contested Development and shifting Realities in Northern Kenya and Revisiting the politics of indigenous land and infrastructure boom in Lamu: some reflections for peace building respectively. Dr. Onyango summarized the panel discussion and thanked the presenters for their effort and knowledge contribution to the field.
Six research papers were presented in the second panel discussion, Prof. Kennedy Mkutu, Dr. Klerkson Lugusa, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of International Relations-USIU-Africa and Ms. Evelyne Owino, Research Fellow-Department of Development Studies- University of Bonn (from 2022) presented a paper on Trends in Water Conflicts in the rangeland Ecosystem of Narok County. On the other hand, Mr. Guyo Haro, Researcher, presented a paper on Redress for exclusion or pastoralist land grab: development constrains in Northern Kenya while Ms. Elizabeth Ndinda, Ph.D. Candidate-Development Studies- University of Bonn presented on Grass root Institution and collective action: Conflict Management among Pastoral Communities in Northern Kenya.
Moreover, Prof. Fredrick Ogenga, Associate Professor of Media and Security Studies, Rongo University, presented a paper on Megaprojects, Conflicts and the Arts, Mr. Kepha Marube Deputy County Commissioner-Isiolo, presented on Community perspective of Government Involvement in Peacebuilding. Finally, Jaynisha Patel Project Leader for Inclusive Economies- Institute for Justice and Reconciliation presented a paper on Human Development as a pathway to Transformed and peaceful societies Trends from Kenya’s Ungoverned Spaces.
To sum up the second panel discussion Dr. Erick Kioko, Lecturer from Kenyatta University, stated that mega-projects were a source of conflict and therefore communities need to play an active role in ensuring that peace prevails. He further said that there are many cases of water conflict thus proper water management plays a key role in ensuring there is peace. Lastly, he pointed out that using youth, media, technology and culture is a perfect way to transform attitudes across the country.
Dr. Kennedy Mkutu in his closing remarks, thanked the participants and the partners for their immense contribution to making the workshop a success.
By Dr. Kioko Ireri
Kioko Ireri, Associate Professor of Journalism & Mass Communication and two graduate students have published a research on knowledge gap in public affairs among Kenyans. The two students are Jimmy Ochieng and Alex Roberts – both pursuing MA in Communication Studies.
Published in the current issue of African Journalism Studies, the exploratory study examines the knowledge gap hypothesis in the Kenyan context. Specifically, using education as an indicator of socioeconomic status (SES), the study explores the overall knowledge on public affairs among people in Nairobi. Also, in line with the knowledge gap hypothesis, the study investigates whether Kenyans of high SES are more knowledgeable about public affairs than those of low SES. Relatedly, the research examines the variance on public affairs knowledge when compared by gender and local public affairs vs. international topics.
The findings confirm the knowledge gap theory hypothesis which stipulates that people of high SES in society are more knowledgeable in public affairs than their counterparts of low SES. Specifically, doctorate degree graduates were found to know more in public affairs (64%) than other education levels. They are followed by undergraduate degree holders with 54% and high school graduates 53%. MA degree holders had an average knowledge score of 52%, and those with primary school education 48%. When analyzed by demographics, male Kenyans are more knowledgeable about public affairs (72%) than their female colleagues (64%). In terms of marital status, married Kenyans appear more knowledgeable, while Protestants and Roman Catholic members recorded higher scores in public affairs than other religious groupings. By topics, Kenyans are more highly conversant with local public affairs (75%) compared to international topics (56%).
The survey was used to collect the data from a convenience sample of 1,000 respondents in 10 neighborhoods of Nairobi. The 10 locations are Zimmerman, Kahawa Sukari, Nairobi West, South B, Parklands, Westlands, Garden City, Kasarani, Thome, and the Central Business District (CBD).
Students taking MAC6020: Communication Theories instructed by Ireri in Spring 2016 collected the survey data. A previous version of the paper was presented at the International Communication Association-Africa conference held in Nairobi from October 19 - 21, 2016.
Ghana experienced the Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) in June! Sponsored by Isuzu East Africa, SADS represented East Africa in the most prestigious West African tournament: the annual Accra Open Debate Championship. This being SADS's first travel outside of the East African region, having taken part in the Olympia Invitational in Kampala, Uganda and Zanzibar Open in Tanzania for two consecutive years, USIU-Africa was one of the two universities in Kenya and East Africa to compete in this prestigious West African Debate tournament.
SADS has established a reputation as East Africa’s debate champion that continues to gain local and International accolades. This has been nurtured through online and physical debate tournaments. USIU-Africa was one of the two institutions selected to represent Kenya and East Africa at large at the prestigious West African Tournament. The beneficiaries of the Isuzu East Africa sponsorship were Kagia Samuel, Chantelle Mukabi and Fresher Diana.
Hosting universities from 4 countries around Africa, SADS had the honor of being chosen to participate in competing among Africa’s top debaters. Held at the University of Ghana- Legon, from June 15-20, 2022. The exposure to a new culture and an environment rich with knowledge sharing and competition fostered long-term friendships and connections succeeding previous interactions through online debate platforms such as Discord and Zoom.
SADS was not short of awards either! All 3 students broke to the Semi-Finals, with Fresher Awuor and her Ghanaian partner advancing in the Novice Category, and Chantelle & Kagia advancing to the Open (advanced) Category Grand Finale. Among the recognized was Chantelle Mukabi, garnering an award among the top 10 Best Speakers in the Open Category. The tournament was a highly anticipated event with distinguished guests, the Guest of Honor being Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information in the Ghanian government.
As SADS, we would like to thank the USIU-Africa through the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs for their unwavering support. We also would like to acknowledge the tutelage and leadership of our club patron Dr. Quin Awuor for the tremendous support and patronage throughout our debate journey.
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home” – James Michener
By Dancan Muhindi
Isuzu East Africa (Isuzu EA) has sponsored one team from the USIU-Africa Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) to pioneer USIU-Africa’s debut in the Pan African Universities Debate Championships (PAUDC) in Gaborone, Botswana this December.
Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Chair, and Junior BSc. Applied Computer Technology student), and Kagia Samuel (SADS Vice Chair, and Senior BSc. Finance student) are the beneficiaries of the sponsorship. Isuzu has invested a total of Kshs 410,000 to support the two to attend PAUDC 2021 to pave way for their further growth as global leaders.
The sponsorship is part of Isuzu EA’s efforts to ensure the success of its business by including social and environmental matters into its company’s operations. As a market leader offering diverse transport solutions and earning customers for life, Isuzu EA is committed to improving the welfare of communities around its operations. The company has invested in various corporate social initiatives in Road safety, Education, Environment and Healthcare.
The SADS team has shown immense growth and continued success on both the regional and international stage, winning titles like Best East African Speakers in PAUDC 2020, African Champions in the Annual African Nations Debate League, World Champions of the Uhuru Worlds Debate Championship.
The Society has also won accolades at the USA Vanderbilt Debate Championship 2021, Global ESL Round Robin 2021, Kingsman Debate Championship 2021, and many other international debates. In addition to these wins, both Chantelle and Kagia have been selected to participate as adjudicators in several competitions, including the Estonia Open Debate Championships, North American Women and Gender Minorities Debate Championships, Groningen (Netherlands) InterVarsity Debate Championships, LinkedKey 2021 (Canada) among others. This has led them to become revered debaters and adjudicators, as well as sought out coaches in the international debate community, and continue to coach and mentor debaters from around the world.
Isuzu aims to empower the future generation by improving access to quality education with opportunities for learning and growth. The company has been working with various partners to achieve this, and USIU-Africa is now one of them.
By IT Club
Recently, the IT club hosted an inter-university innovation hackathon. It involved teams from various Kenyan Universities competing for top positions in coming up with innovative ideas that revolved around these four SDGs:
There was a total of 10 teams participating from various universities including Kenyatta University, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Catholic University of East Africa, Kabarak University, University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, KCA University, Moringa School and Chuka University.
The hackathon was a 6-hour long competition which gave the 39 participants ample time to come up with innovative tech ideas and implement them.
The hackathon was sponsored by Postman, Github and Coca Cola.
The IT Club during their visit to the IBM Kenya office, where they learnt about best practice in the technology industry.
By Eric Musangi
The IT Club recently visited IBM Kenya offices where they underwent training on various facets of the ICT sector. The group, which consisted of students from the IST, APT and Accounting disciplines walked away with valuable information on topics such as quantum computing and neural networks, cloud computing, data mining and data science, security, blockchain and emerging trends in the market. This was in addition to the talks given by various sector heads at IBM, who shared impactful information relating to the various sectors in the IT industry and giving insight and motivation to the aspiring tech trailblazers.
The IT Club was also privileged to be part of the Women in Technology (WIT) program, which ran for eight weeks, beginning September 18 to November 8 on campus. The program, which was run in collaboration with Olive International combines practical career advice and personal stories from female entrepreneurs and tech professionals in an effort to motivate, inspire, and show female students at USIU-Africa what a career in the field is like and how to succeed in it.
The goal of the program is to be able to mentor young women in technology related courses, using this program as a tool to build self- confidence and resilience in their areas of interest and hopefully to make concrete their resolve to complete the journey of pursuing a career in technology, to build a community of women in technology in the institution by inspiring, supporting each other in the field of technology with values, integrity and determination.
The Women in Technology cohort members following the end of their 8 week program, designed to offer mentorship and career advice to female students aspiring to careers in the technology field.
By Winnie Tewendi
Itanya Youth Network, founded by USIU-Africa alumna Daphne Kimani recently hosted an empowering session on effective communication, featuring Patricia Odede, a distinguished USIU-Africa alumna and communication expert. With over 18 years of experience as a media consultant, Patricia has excelled in handling diverse local and international brands, creating publicity, and formulating communication strategies.
The event, held in Githogoro Slum, exemplified Itanya Youth Network's commitment to offering transformative opportunities to marginalized communities. By focusing on communication skills, the organization aims to empower individuals for personal growth and community development. Participants were equipped with valuable insights and practical strategies to express themselves effectively.
Patricia's exceptional delivery showcased her expertise and unwavering dedication to making a positive impact. Her session enlightened and inspired attendees, encouraging them to harness the power of effective communication in their daily lives.
Itanya Youth Network continues to prioritize initiatives that empower individuals and foster positive change throughout the region.
By Joy Macharia
The Mr. and Ms. USIU-Africa finals transpired in a splendor of beauty and excitement, making it an enthralling and compelling occasion. The university community came together to watch the next generation of elegant and charismatic ambassadors crowned, and the air was thick with anticipation. The location, with its eye-catching lighting and chic furnishings, created the perfect atmosphere for a memorable evening. It was a comprehensive celebration of the various attributes that make each competitor distinct as contestants displayed not only their outward beauty but also their skills and intelligence. A procession of self-assured people, each competing for the coveted titles with grace and charm, brought the runway to life. Talent, grace, and charisma were on full display for the crowd, fostering a festive mood.
Held on November 9 at the Broad walk Mall in Parklands, the final was an incredible show that expertly merged skill and glitz. The elegant atmosphere of the location gave the celebration an air of sophistication and made the perfect background for the drama that was building throughout the evening. The organizing committee's Annabel Nyambura and Prosper Mandy in particular should be commended for their masterful orchestration of an evening that highlighted the wide range of abilities exhibited by university students. Adding to the enchantment of the event was a captivating musical performance by the talented Nviiri the Storyteller. His soulful melodies resonated with the audience, creating a magical ambiance that complemented the elegance and excitement of the evening. Nviiri's artistry brought an additional layer of entertainment and cultural richness, captivating the audience and enhancing the overall experience. His performance added a musical interlude to the night, seamlessly weaving together the diverse elements of talent, culture, and beauty that were celebrated throughout the evening. Nviiri the Storyteller's contribution undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the memories of all those in attendance, making the event a truly unforgettable celebration of talent and beauty.
The evening's schedule included a number of intriguing acts; couple walks, talent shows, and cultural performances gave the event more entertainment value and cultural depth. I found two particularly memorable moments in Zion's captivating Rwandese performance, which took the audience to a lively world of traditions, and Jairus' culturally rich presentation, which demonstrated the diversity of the USIU-Africa community. These performances honored the university's dedication to inclusiveness and cultural diversity while also showcasing the candidates' breadth of skill. With its remarkable lineup of performances and careful preparation, the event was certainly a highlight of the university's social calendar.
As worthy competitors accepted their well-deserved titles, there was much excitement and cheering at the culminating moments of the event. The 2023 title was awarded to Jairus Musa, Bsc. Finance student, Kenyan and Zion Mugisha, Bsc. IST student, Rwandese who proved to be the embodiment of charm and charisma. Primrose Magutshwa and Nixon Magembe were honored as Mr. and Ms. Congeniality respectively for their kind dispositions and valuable contributions to the occasion. Thuony Akot and Dominic Tuong earned the prestigious title of first runners-up after putting on outstanding performances all evening. The Mr. and Ms. Culture title was awarded to Anthony Maina and Kantu Michello, representing the rich legacy and variety of the USIU-Africa community.
Ray Mtoni and Loraina Karineza were crowned Mr. and Ms. Talent respectively in recognition of their exceptional abilities and riveting performances. Marvel Hadasa was given a special needs category award, which was a unique moment of acknowledgment that emphasized the inclusive nature of the occasion. With each title-holder embodying the spirit of their respective categories and making a lasting impression on the Mr & Miss USIU-Africa event, the evening ended with a feeling of accomplishment and unity
By Jane Gitiche
Author Jane Gitiche, an MBA student specializing in Finance is set to release her debut book, "The Art to Master Your Finances," on 3 November, 2023. With a mission to demystify the complex realm of finance for the average individual, Gitiche's book is generating excitement among readers and financial experts alike.
Jane Gitiche, a seasoned financial analyst and educator, has poured her extensive knowledge and experience into this comprehensive guide. Her book promises to offer readers a meticulously structured and easy-to-follow format that caters to a myriad of financial aspirations and life stages. Whether the goal is to eliminate debt, build an emergency fund, or strategize for retirement, "The Art to Master Your Finances" offers a treasure trove of wisdom.
One of the most anticipated aspects of the book launch is the opportunity for readers to gain firsthand insights from the author herself. Jane Gitiche plans to delve into pivotal financial concepts and address questions from the audience, making the event a must-attend for anyone seeking financial enlightenment.
Moreover, the launch event will feature a panel of renowned financial experts who will provide their expertise and insights. The panel includes Dan Thiong’o, Vivian Kamula, and Isaiah Okoth. These experts will join Jane Gitiche in discussing the book's key principles and answering audience queries.
"The Art to Master Your Finances" is poised to be a game-changer in the world of personal finance literature. It promises to empower readers with the knowledge and tools necessary to take control of their financial destinies. Jane Gitiche's mission to demystify finance for all is set to make a lasting impact on the way individuals manage their money and plan for their financial future.
For those looking to gain valuable financial insights and expertise, mark your calendars for 3 November, 2023, and make sure to attend the launch event.
For more information about the book and the launch event, contact Jane Gitiche's email info@japesh.co.ke or contact her team at +254 743 000 222.
By Dr. Scott Bellows
Every four years in honor of our American and African heritage as an institution, USIU-Africa hosts an open colloquium that coincides with the United States presidential election. In this American election cycle, the colloquium was held on October 29th. Over 100 undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and community members participated in the live Zoom session. Topics covered included the American presidential electoral process including the electoral college by Mr. Devin Glick (US Embassy in Nairobi), history of black citizens in American elections by Professor Cassandra Veney (an American citizen and Chair of the International Relations Department at USIU-Africa), and Observations on the US Election by a member of the New African Diaspora by Professor Paul Zeleza (a Malawi and American citizen and Vice Chancellor of USIU-Africa).
Following the three panelists' lectures, USIU-Africa's Scott Bellows took participants through his own American absentee ballot highlighting various features and issues to be voten on. Students found it particularly humorous that celebrity singer Kanye West was listed vying on the ballot and had chosen his political affiliation as the "Birthday Party". In the mock vote through Zoom's polling feature, Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris won 76% of the USIU-Africa vote with Republican Party presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate vice presidential candidate Mike Pence garnering the remaining 24%.
The absentee ballot contained a variety of other elected official choices for the Senate, House of Representatives, state officials, county officials, city officials including police officials, tax measures as to whether citizens accepted to raise their local tax rates, as well as constitutional changes to their state's constitution, and various county and city propositions to change local laws or practices. One constitutional change included whether to remove abortion language from the state's constitution as an anti-abortion statement. The USIU-Africa community mock voted 54% to 46% in favor of siding with the anti-abortion movement and removing the abortion constitutional language. A local city proposition would allow that particular city to allow gambling as a way to generate tax revenue for the city. The USIU-Africa community mock voted in an even tie of 50% on both sides as to whether to allow the city to license local gambling.
Previous winners of campus US presidential mock balloting at USIU-Africa include President Barack Obama over Governor Mitt Romney in 2012 and Secretary Hillary Clinton over President Donald Trump in 2016. The next scheduled US presidential election colloquium and mock vote will take place at USIU-Africa in October 2024. The Business Daily newspaper was the media partner for the colloquium.
By Christine Kamala
In the heart of USIU-Africa, there beats a powerful student led initiative that is transforming lives and fostering a sense of community like no other. Meet Educate Your Own (EYO), an endeavor that is rewriting the narrative for fellow students facing financial constraints, ensuring that no dream goes unfulfilled. It is a reality that hits close to home for countless USIU-Africa students, whose journey to pursue higher education is fraught with challenges; citing the burden of tuition fees. EYO, however, emerged as a symbol of hope.
Founded by a group of passionate and empathetic students in 2015, the initiative's core mission is distinct: to ensure that every USIU-Africa student realizes their full potential through uninterrupted education and is not limited due to financial constraints. EYO is truly special following its origin—it's "by the students, for the students." This brings out the two-fold benefit of emphasizing the power of youth-led initiatives and reinforces the importance of giving back and supporting one another within the academic community.
Through a combination of fundraising initiatives, EYO has been able to make a remarkable impact. Every shilling that has been collected by EYO volunteers has been directed towards supporting their fellow peers by awarding 25-50% tuition grants. Contributions are welcome through the Finance Office (MPESA Paybill No: 516900, A/C Name: EYO). Since inception, EYO has raised over Kshs. 2M and supported 42 students. This has not only prevented dropouts by lifting the students from the depths of uncertainty but also created an atmosphere of solidarity and support within the campus.
EYO's mission is far from complete. Their story is an ongoing narrative of hope and resilience, and continues to seek support from the wider community to ensure realization of its goal. As we celebrate the remarkable impact of EYO, we invite you to play an active role in joining hands with these dedicated students. Together, we can make education not just a dream but a reality for all, because when we educate our own, we empower the future. Your participation, whether through donations, volunteering, or engagement with our resources, is a testament to the spirit of unity and compassion that defines the USIU-Africa community.
Join us in making a lasting impact today!
For more information, contact;
Email: eyo@usiu.ac.ke
Attn: Ms. Esther Kairungu (EYO President),
Mobile: +254 715 476 619
Participants take a group photo during the ICC intervention workshop
By Dr. Njoki Wamai
USIU-Africa and Kent Law School co-hosted a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya titled ‘After the ICC Intervention in Kenya: Reflections and Alternatives’. The interdisciplinary workshop was supported by USIU-Africa’s departments of International Relations, Sociology and Criminal Justice, and co-facilitated by Dr. Sara Kendall (Kent Law School) and Dr. Njoki Wamai (USIU-Africa, International Relations Department). The workshop was funded through Kent’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) ‘Fortuity Fund’, which supports joint projects. Terry Odhiambo from the Sociology and Criminal Justice Departments was also actively involved in organizing this one day workshop.
The workshop discussed the aftermath of the International Criminal Court (ICC) intervention in Kenya, which was meant to address crimes against humanity that occurred in the wake of the 2007 elections. The ICC’s accountability efforts generated high hopes, political tensions and grave disappointments before it withdrew from the country in 2016. Although many Kenyans have moved on, whether politically or professionally, the victims of the violence in 2007 have continued to deal with the aftermath of the ICC’s dramatic appearance and rapid departure from the country. The court brought with it a particular vision of accountability and promises to reconcile affected communities while also changing the Kenyan political landscape. The workshop brought together academics who focus on the ICC, advocates, human rights activists, journalists, and victim activists from Nairobi, Eldoret and Nakuru. USIU-Africa faculty Prof Simeon Sungi, Dr. Duncan Ojwang and Dr. Njoki Wamai presented their research work on the ICC in Kenya among other scholars and activists.
The objective of the meeting was to reflect upon the ICC’s work in Kenya and its legacy, moving beyond the court to consider other avenues for accountability and redress. Sessions included discussions of the ICC’s work in Kenya and eventual withdrawal; domestic criminal justice initiatives (cases on sexual and gender-based violence and police violence); local reconciliation initiatives beyond criminal justice; and current priorities for accountability and redress in Kenya. Participants brought a range of experiences with accountability projects, including grassroots advocacy for internally displaced communities and victims of sexual and gender based violence, assistance to victim representatives before the ICC, and bringing cases in the domestic court system. The organizers will publish a report of discussions and findings that may be used for future academic work and advocacy efforts in Kenya.
By Daisy Atino
10 students representing the Journalism and Radio Club were invited by Baraza Media Lab as attendees at the inaugural Africa Media Festival that was held from February 14-15, 2023 at the Radisson Blu hotel, in Upper Hill.
The festival’s main goal was to bring together thought leaders in the media industry from across the continent to deliberate on how to produce, distribute and monetize content. The conference targeted investors, grant makers, media owners, social media platforms, journalists, creatives and governments with the overall theme being a celebration of the power and diversity of African storytelling.
“The festival will offer participants an opportunity to exchange ideas, strategies and discuss innovation in journalism, education and business across a range of sectors including print, broadcasting, entertainment, music, technology and film.” said Executive Director of Baraza Media Lab, Maurice Otieno.
The forum featured speakers from South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Sierra Leone and brands from across the continent like Nation Media Group, Sema Box, The Conversation Africa and organizations like Journalists for Human Rights and The Ford foundation.
The event blended an exhibition style setup with collaborative spaces to allow for more than one session to take place which helped those interested in niche conversations to be catered to.
“Africa Media Festival is keen on creating a space for discussions on innovation and forward-thinking initiatives within different facets of media play,” Otieno added.
It is important for journalism students to attend such events because it gives them exposure to the industry and allows them to meet media personalities they look up too. It also stimulates the students to be able to think outside the box concerning their career path and strive for better.
Some of the key takeaways from the event were the opportunity to learn from those in the industry, to be a part of necessary conversations surrounding the media landscape and network with individuals from various backgrounds.
On Friday, February 3, 2023, Jubilee Insurance announced a partnership with the United States International University–Africa (USIU-Africa) to launch a regional mentorship program that will help students better prepare for the workplace. The program is expected to impact 100 students from various disciplines this year with a targeted number of 300 students over the next three years.
The program will be implemented by the USIU-Africa Placement & Career Services team who will train 50 Jubilee Insurance staff members from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania on mentoring skills to support their engagement as mentors to USIU-Africa students. The trained staff will be on-boarded into a formal and structured program that will run for one year.
For years, the job market has relied on tertiary and university institutions to produce ready-to-work graduates for the job market. However, only 40 per cent of the students who complete technical training find employment. The high unemployment rate is largely attributed to lack of employability skills among graduates.
Many companies find that most young professionals lack basic soft skills required alongside technical competencies to succeed in the workplace. The World Economic Forum indicates that critical thinking and problem-solving top the list of skills employers believe will grow in prominence for the next five years.
There is an urgent need for graduates to develop social and emotional capabilities to close the current workforce gap and add value where machines fall short. Mentorship will equip students with soft skills and ethical etiquette required at work and life in general.
While commenting about the partnership launch, Jubilee Insurance Group CEO Dr. Julius Kipng’etich noted that preparing graduates for the workplace requires joint responsibility between companies and learning institutions.
“Institutions of higher learning and corporates have a shared responsibility to ensure graduates and young professionals have the requisite skills for the workplace. Our partnership with USIU-Africa will provide one-on-one opportunities for students to get guidance on personal and career development from a pool of seasoned professionals and mentors,” said Dr. Kipng’etich.
Speaking during the partnership launch, the Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa, Professor Margee Ensign said that the mentorship program will be highly beneficial to students as they transition to the corporate world.
“Workplace preparation will require partnerships between academia and industry players. Our university is always seeking for strategic linkages to prepare our students for the competitive job market. Our partnership with Jubilee Insurance will bridge the employability gaps across the region and enable our students to learn from the best,” said Professor Ensign.
Jubilee Insurance Head of HR Ann Karanu noted that the company is committed to proactively support students and young professionals better understand and prepare for the workplace.
“For the past few years, we have been mentoring students from different universities. We believe that mentorship and job shadowing will enable young professionals hone their skills and improve their career trajectory. Our partnership with USIU-Africa will ensure students get an advance understanding of what is required of them as they transition from university,” said Ann.
The year-long mentorship program will target USIU-Africa students in both junior and senior years. The program will also create interactive opportunities for mentors and students to work through career development plans and create forums that expose students to workplace dynamics.
Jubilee Insurance has actively taken up mentorship for university students and young professionals. The company recently launched a monthly regional virtual mentorship program to enable students identify opportunities in the job market. In addition to the mentorship program, Jubilee Insurance will every month give a top student free annual access to the Jubilee Group Digital Academy.
The platform provides over 3,000 digital courses, videos, books, and other e-learning material to enhance competencies and skills for greater personal effectiveness ad improvement.
By the CTW team
Kevin Mwangi and Rejoice Decker are Mr and Miss USIU 2019/2020!
The pair was crowned at a glamorous event held at the TRM rooftop, closing out the USIU-Africa@50 celebrations. Other winners during the night included first runners up, Peter and Kendi, Mr and Miss Talent, Ephraim and Brenda Waceke, Mr and Miss Community Service, Khalid and Anindo, while Muinga and Wisdom were crowned Mr and Miss Culture.
The event attracted various sponsors, including Nivea, Sistar Braids, Garang Photography, Canvas Cosmetics, Maxland Hotel and Essenes Barbers. All proceeds from the event will go to the Educate Your Own (EYO) initiative, designed to help students facing financial difficulties complete their education.
Below are some of the highlights from the event:
The drive to grow the base of Kenya’s cyber security expertise received a major boost today when, for the first time, an industry-led training program to add 2,000 professionals was unveiled by USIU-Africa, Kenya Bankers Association and Serianu.
Known as Cyber Shujaa, the training program’s novelty is illustrated in the development and implementation of a harmonized cybersecurity employment framework linking the industry and the training institutions. It targets to bring 1,000 women on board as cybersecurity professionals and to support at least 30 young people as cybersecurity entrepreneurs.
Speaking during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the consortium members, the Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa, Professor Freida Brown reiterated the University’s commitment to action research which calls for interventions and co-creation of knowledge with stakeholders.
“This project enhances our university-industry-government-civil society linkages to promote similar future partnerships. This project will brand itself to become a cybersecurity institute to offer a nationally recognized certification in the area of cybersecurity. Our Center Informatics Research and Innovation (CIRI) is striving to be a regional leader and a major player in cybersecurity issues on the continent in the next five years,” said Prof. Brown.
While the dearth of skilled cyber security experts is a global challenge that experts say requires 2 million new practitioners, at the local level it is equally severe, with Serianu research showing that Kenya needs to hire at least 1,000 new experts annually.
“The shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals has become alarming. We recognized that a multi-agency approach to creating a pathway for learners to transition into the industry as practicing cybersecurity executives is key to bridging the local skills gap,” said William Makatiani, the Chief Executive Officer of Serianu.
Makatiani pointed out that the firm’s research had established that Kenya’s burden of burgeoning cybercrime, estimated at Kshs 10 billion in annual losses, was exacerbated by a severe lack of sufficient well-trained cybersecurity executives.
“With more women taking up ICT courses at the tertiary learning institutions, we are convinced that the partnership we have founded with USIU-Africa and Kenya Bankers Association will accelerate the growth of our national cyber professional expert base,” added Makatiani. The firm found in its 2019 cybersecurity survey that only 10 per cent of practicing cyber security professionals are women, yet they are immensely interest in pursuing the career.
Through the consortium, Kenya Bankers Association will provide the market intelligence that informs the curriculum development, USIU-Africa will design the curriculum and ensure the youth are at the heart of the program while Serianu will provide the technical training and practical immersion.
Outlining the industry practical fit for the program, Kenya Bankers Chief Executive Officer Dr. Habil Olaka said that the financial services sector was a key interested party in its success owing to the nature of their business and the fact that it touches every sphere of the economy.
“While the uptake of these platforms continues to support financial inclusion across demographics, cases of digital fraud have also increased.
Increasingly, fraudsters continue to target vulnerable users through identity theft, social engineering, and phishing emails, among other forms of fraud that exploit low levels of awareness on the part of consumers. The evolving fraud trends threaten gains that have been achieved in the economy over the past decades, making it necessary for stakeholders to work together towards containing it,” said Dr. Olaka.
This partnership provides a unique approach to capacity building and skills development where there is a direct relationship between the content that the students are taught and where the financial sector’s present and future needs lie,” added Dr. Olaka. He noted that as technology evolves rapidly, a tripartite education and training approach for speedy skilling and placement will reduce the economy’s exposure to marauding cybercriminals who are undeterred by geographical boundaries.
“As the umbrella body of commercial banks, the Kenya Bankers Association remains committed to applying innovative solutions to security challenges and will continue to engage on partnerships that seek to deliver value to our stakeholders, the banking public and the economy at large,” added Dr. Olaka.
Media Contacts
United States International University-Africa
Paula Musuva, Lecturer, Forensic Information Technology
Phone: +254 730 116 152
Email: pmusuva@usiu.ac.ke
Kenya Bankers Association
Dr. Habil Olaka, CEO
Phone: +254 20 222 1704 /222 4014 /222 4015 /221 7757
Email: HOlaka@Kba.co.ke
Serianu Limited
Brencil Kaimba
Phone: +254 716 137 017
Email: brencil.kaimba@serianu.com
By Diana Meso
Koshesayi Kachambwa, (BSc. Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Junior) and Samantha Nyamu (BA. Journalism, Senior) are the newly crowned Mr. and Miss USIU-Africa respectively.
They were declared winners on Friday, November 26, during the final Mr. and Miss USIU-Africa beauty pageant that took place at Two Rivers Mall. Present at the event was Prof. Freida Brown, Vice Chancellor, who officially launched the event and Mrs. Rita Asunda, Interim Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs.
Other crowned winners include;
Famous Kenyan Genge tone musician Major Nameye Khadija alias Mejja performed at the event that had over 700 participants. Additionally, Dr. King’ori (Felix Omondi), a media personality, comedian and a TV host for NTV Kenya's show 'The Wicked Edition’ was the emcee.
The event was planned and organized by the organizing committee that was made up of Allan Musila (BA. Journalism, Major) - Chairman, Nirali Patel (BSc. Applied Computer Technology, Major) - Communications Officer, Dawn Linda Mbazazi (BSc. Finance, Major) - Public Relations Officer and Kelvin Katana (BSc. Accounting, Major) - Finance Officer through the Student Affairs Department and the Student Affairs Council.
USIU-Africa, with funding from the United States Embassy in Nairobi, launched a nationwide civic education initiative dubbed 'Kura Yako, Sauti Yako'! with technology implementers JIWE Studies and Africa’s Talking and youth partners National Youth Bunge Association, YALI East Africa, Africa Youth Trust, and PEMA Kenya.
The project fosters robust youth-led and youth-managed civic and voter education, dynamically encourages youth participation in the Kenyan electoral process, solidifies and strengthens youth resilience against external shocks that empowers them to resist incitement and manipulation, and provides greater understanding of the deep value of their democratic vote. It targets Kenyan youth aged between 17 and 30 living in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Machakos, and Kitui.
The launch showcased the various components of the project that support young voters and youth organizations including the gamification of civic education competitions on social media and USSD code, withstanding fake news and online tools to uncover mistruths, social media campaigns, and civic education virtual and in-person training.
Throughout the multi-month project, youth may take part in various contests to compete on their knowledge about the Kenyan constitution, civic education, and peaceful elections with chances to win airtime and free access to youth entrepreneurship training leading to participation certificates from the United States International University-Africa. A diverse team of faculty, students, alumni, and staff will work on the project housed in the Incubation and Innovation Center of the School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Extension.
The launch announced the first contest of the project: a meme contest in three different categories of Kenyan constitutional knowledge, peaceful Kenyan elections, and Kenya ubuntu. Youth desirous to participate in the meme contest may post their entries through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #CivicMeme. The project will use a virtual currency, ‘Chapaa’ and users can redeem the virtual currency for airtime.
Participants can keep up to date with the myriad of new activities through www.KuraYako.co.ke, follow #KuraYako2022 on social media or reach out to demokrasia@kurayako.com.
By Patricia Gichuki
On November 14, the L'Oréal East Africa Managing Director Yassine Bakkari and Talent Acquisition Manager Jemima Karuri visited USIU-Africa, to engage with students and alumni seeking career opportunities at the multinational company in an event organized by the Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department.
USIU-Africa's Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. Omolola Omole-Odubekun, warmly welcomed Yassine Bakkari and Jemima Karuri, reaffirming the university's dedication to strengthening the ongoing partnership between USIU-Africa and L'Oréal East Africa. Dr. Victor Boiyo, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Student Life, Prof. Amos Njuguna, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics, Transformational Teaching, Learning and Research, and other members of the management board were also present in the meeting.
During an engaging and insightful presentation, Yassine Bakkari introduced the students to L'Oréal and its diverse range of programs designed for both aspiring and experienced professionals, including L'Oréal for Youth (L4Y), L'Oréal Boost, and L'Oréal Brandstorm.
The L'Oréal For Youth (L4Y) global program equips students with valuable opportunities such as masterclasses, internships, apprenticeships, and other work-learning experiences. Since July 2023, over 100 USIU-Africa students have enrolled in fully funded online L'Oréal Boost programs, earning certificates from renowned global universities and organizations through Coursera.
Mr. Bakkari further highlighted L'Oréal's unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) fields through the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Programme. This multifaceted initiative empowers female scientists throughout their careers by providing recognition, mentorship, training, support, and advancement opportunities.
Each year, the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards recognize five exceptional women scientists from across the globe, while fellowships are granted to 15 promising young female scientists. These programs are spearheaded by L'Oréal's national and regional subsidiaries in collaboration with UNESCO's national commissions and other partners.
In a candid discussion with students, Yassine debunked the misconception that the beauty industry is exclusively reserved for a particular demographic or educational background. Yassine shared his own career journey that started in engineering, demonstrating the diverse career opportunities available to STEM, business, communication, and social science majors in this ever-evolving field. He asserted that "Health is the new Beauty," highlighting the industry's evolving definition of beauty to include holistic well-being.
Jemima Karuri, Talent Acquisition Manager at L'Oréal, introduced students to the Brandstorm 2024 competition challenge, themed "Reinventing the future of professional beauty through technology." She encouraged students and alumni from all educational backgrounds to participate in the innovation competition, highlighting the numerous benefits of joining the program. Interested candidates can register using this link: L'Oréal Brandstorm (loreal.com).
The event was a great opportunity for students and alumni to learn more about L'Oréal, its youth programs and potential career opportunities. It was also a valuable opportunity for students to network with L'Oréal East Africa Managing Director, Talent Acquisition & Brandstorm team. Students were also gifted products from the expansive L'Oréal product line during the career talk and throughout the day at the Brandstorm activation tent.
By John Sande
Last week, the Innovation and Incubation Center (I2C) launched the Design Thinking, Human Centered Design, and Innovation Training. Design thinking is a process for creative problem solving that encourages organizations to focus on the people they are creating for, leading to better products, services, and internal processes. The training will happen weekly for the next 10 weeks at the Center.
Join us on Thursday, July 2, 2020, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EAT) for a contemporary discussion on 'Leading in Uncertain Times - Governance, Legal & HR issues that organizations have to contend with'. To register please visit https://bit.ly/316wFen #USIULAW2020
By Diana Meso
The Division of Legal Services partnered with Lensiko, Njoroge and Gathogo Advocates to hold two webinars on Monday March 28 and Wednesday March 31 respectively, aimed at training staff on legal matters including data protection, investigation and report writing, complaint handling mechanisms, legal obligations of USIU-Africa to employees of outsourced service providers as well as Human Resource & Labor law matters of interest.
Both webinars were moderated by Ms. Helen Ambasa, Director, Legal Services and facilitated by Dr. Tom Kabau, Partner, Lensiko, Njoroge & Gathogo Advocates and Chege Njoroge, Managing Partner, Lensiko, Njoroge & Gathogo Advocates. It attracted staff from various departments and divisions across the university including Human Resource, Finance, Security, Admissions Office as well as School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension.
Speaking on Data Protection, Dr. Kabau pointed out that as an education institution, USIU-Africa handles a lot of sensitive data including a person’s race, health status, marital status, family details, sex among other things from staff, students, parents and even suppliers. He went on to appreciate the efforts that the university is undertaking to ensure that they comply with the requirements under the Data Protection Act of 2019.
Dr. Kabau cautioned the participants about the salient features under the Data Protection Act and mentioned the following points as crucial to the university:
Additionally, Dr. Kabau said that the university can comply with the salient principles under the Data Protection Act through developing policy statement through which data subjects can be informed on how the data is being used, issuance and signing of consent forms, development of compliance manuals and checklist to guide staff in obtaining and dealing with personal data as well as training for staff.
On the other hand, Mr. Chege Njoroge stated that for the university to efficiently and effectively implement and comply with the Data Protection Act, there is need to develop a data strategy at the highest management level, invest in digital infrastructure that include encryption of data and frequent auditing of the digital infrastructure for compliance. He further said that the university should also consider other laws like the 2017 Health Act, 2006 HIV and Aids Act as well as the Consumer Protection Act which are also intertwined with the Data Protection Act.
Digging deep into the issue of how long can the university hold a student/staff/parent/supplier data, Dr. Kabau said that the university should hold data in good faith and reasonableness. He said that universities are expected to hold data about their graduands to enable them deal with future issues like validating certificates. He however cautioned the university about holding on to data of parents or visitors who just come to visit adding that there are different categories of data that should be stored or deleted.
In the same vein, Mr. Njoroge said that when it comes to data storage, the principles of lawfulness, fairness and transparency should apply. He also said that the university should minimize the data they store or ensure that the data they have is anonymous at certain levels.
In responding to Ms. Ambasa’s questions on whether it is okay for banks to email a staff on the salary income through work email, Mr. Chege said that employees should be given leeway to agree or not to agree or provide alternative personal emails for that purpose adding that it is wrong to collect data for a specific reason and use it for another reason without consent of the data subject.
On work place investigations, Mr. Chege and Dr. Kabau stated that it is important for the investigation to adhere to the Employee Act of 2007. They highlighted the key considerations when carrying out an investigation as follows:
On addressing one of the most common scenarios in organizations when it comes to employees resigning while facing disciplinary actions with an aim of keeping a clean record for their next employer, Mr. Chege and Dr. Tom agreed that once an employee has resigned, he or she is under no law to continue with the disciplinary process and the only way to maybe deal with that is to deny them some benefits, which again should be clearly stated in the Human Resource handbook. However, Ms. Ambasa pointed out that in her research, countries like South Africa have adopted a system where a note about a disciplinary action of a certain employee can be attached to their file for future reference.
On complaints handling procedures, the university should properly document the procedures of reporting a grievance and the feedback channel. The employee holds the right to agree or disagree with the report after investigations.
Mr. Chege also noted that through the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 2007, it is the university’s responsibility to ensure that their environment is a safe place for working for independent contractors as well as put necessary measures, like developing a supplier’s handbook that will guide the third-party operations.
Participants pose for a photo, during the Library Archives Week.PHOTO: Antonio Longangi
By Charles Wanjala and Ernest A. Mwanzi
The Library and Information Center through the archives section, joined the world in celebrating the annual international archives week for the second year running. Aligned to the 2019 theme ‘Designing the Archives in the 21st Century,’ an intense discussion ensued among the participants who were eager to learn the core of preservation in the current age through a workshop at the library bookshop. The occasion aimed to elaborate a deeper understanding of the principles of managing records and enlighten participants on modern preservation practices. Key emphasis was placed on the criteria to be met by materials designated for archiving, which needed to be authentic, reliable, integral and usable.
The University archivist, Boniface Odhiambo and his team, were challenged to meet systematic, orderly and consistent creation, retention, appraisal and disposal rules for records throughout their life cycle. This was done through a walk around campus sections and guiding custodians on important records that would have a lasting value that need to be dropped at the archives for preservation. As a result, the archive section will now implement provisions to be more efficient when it comes to access of records and an unlocking of the information and knowledge they contain.
Adding to the beehive of activities to commemorate this day was the letter writing day that drew participation campus wide. Participants wrote letters to whoever they wished and advised on a day that the said letters would be opened – this activity elicited a lot of excitement as it acted as a refresher for participants to exhibit their letter writing skills.
This year’s celebration is in line with the USIU-Africa at 50 theme as the archives serves as a better place to see our past and celebrate our achievements through the years.
This year’s event was graced by Mr. Joseph Rembe, a renowned records and archives consultant, who was the chief guest.
By Azenath Ateka
It was joyous almost nostalgic to go back to 2019, the last time we held an e-resource week. We realized that we are never to underestimate the human touch, the face to face, in as much as ‘things online’ are said to collapse the world and expand it at the same time.
So, the Library and Information Center, led by the liaison team, set up a desk at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, from October 11-13. The idea was to speak to our clients about our electronic collections which are growing fast and which may not be so well known and could present challenges to users when searching. We wanted to demystify this collection and respond to any other library and information related queries.
We confirmed that USIU-Africa students are actually interested and keen to use library collections in their learning. Faculty would like to have the latest information in their disciplines for their teaching and research. Both groups want to be able to learn when on campus and while away from the campus.
Here is what we heard:
We responded to all these questions and more. We have a rich resource ranging from eBooks, eJournals, eNewspapers, eMagazines, eTheses, to eReports and reviews.
Anybody who came by the desk, left smiling and of course, more equipped. If you were not able to come by this desk, we invite you into the library. We can have a chat via Libchat, respond to your email sent to askalibrarian@usiu.ac.ke, deliver a short training via Zoom, or have an in-person consultation. Otherwise, we look forward to another e-resource week in Spring, 2023.
Mr. Charles Wanjala (Librarian) talks to interns working under the Library’s Summer 2019 Internship program. PHOTO:Antonio Longangi
By Diana Meso and Antonio Longangi
The library has absorbed over 17 interns from various universities for the Summer 2019 internship program scheduled to end in October this year.
This was marked during an induction ceremony on Monday, June 3 at the Library where the interns were introduced to the library team, procedures and various services provided by the library.
The modernity, advancement and professionalism credited to the USIU- Africa Library, attracted these aspiring professionals as they seek opportunities for hands-on learning and skill enhancement experience for career preparedness.
“My visit to USIU-Africa and the level of professionalism I experienced, left a positive impression on me which made me desire to work here,” said Ms. Jane Wambui from Kisii University, “being here is a great opportunity as I feel ready for employment just after a few weeks.”
This internship program is designed to help students familiarize themselves with world-standard resource management tools and procedures, and quality services in a multidisciplinary and multicultural institution.
“We’re glad to have the interns work and get trained here, this shows that we are the trusted regional leaders in this industry,” said Mr. Charles Wanjala (University Librarian) who coordinated the induction.
The interns are final year students pursuing Bachelor of Library and Information Science from Chuka University, Kenyatta University, Laikipia University, Kisii University, and Technical University of Kenya. Annually the library trains over 100 students through the internship program.
Fines Amnesty on Overdue Books
The USIU-Africa Library and Information Center announces its amnesty program on overdue items. The amnesty period starts IMMEDIATELY to last until Saturday, September 30, 2023. This means that if you are holding library items that are past their return date and therefore have attracted a fine, you can return them and be cleared without having to pay a fine.
Students, faculty and staff wishing to return books can drop them off at the library during library open hours as per the schedule below:
During Semester Breaks:
Please note that the amnesty only covers overdue books that have been returned in good condition. Damaged or lost books will be subjected to the library’s Lost and Damaged Items Policy.
During the amnesty period, we will be happy to receive both monetary and non-monetary donations. Monetary donations will go towards the ‘Educate Your Own’ fund while non-monetary donations will go to identified communities around campus.
For more details on the fines amnesty on overdue books, or any information, contact:
By the USIU-Africa Library Team
The library will be open every day this Fall semester 2021 to facilitate borrowing and returning of library materials and use of the spaces for study and research. Owing to the ongoing pandemic, all users are requested to adhere to the recommended safety measures as per the COVID-19 Government Regulations. Thus, you are expected to:
Any library user who fails to observe social distancing and/or disregards the use of a face mask will be asked to leave the building.
The Library opening hours will be as follows:
Various services will continue to be available online including access to eResources, scheduled training via Zoom, clearance, and response to your queries coming through askalibrarian@usiu.ac.ke, libraryhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke, WhatsApp: +254 782 620 858 and online/live chat @ https://library.usiu.ac.ke
For regular updates on the status of library services, like and follow us on our social media pages – Facebook: USIULibrary and Twitter: @UsiuLibrary and your USIU-Africa email.
By Linet Aguko
Ms. Linet Aguko, Program Director, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program was awarded the 2022 We Rise Together Award in Student Advocacy by Duolingo Inc. for her immense contribution in transforming the lives of students within the categories of Access, Innovation, Social Justice, and Student Advocacy in the field of higher education.
This comes after the Duolingo English Test put a call out to their global network for nomination last month where she was nominated among others. The award also involves a monetary donation to the charity of Ms. Aguko’s choice on behalf of Duolingo.
Duolingo Inc. develops a language-learning website and mobile app in the United States and China. The company offers courses in 40 different languages, including Spanish, English, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, and others. It also provides a digital language proficiency assessment exam. The company was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
By Beryl Kamusinga
Intellectual Property or IP law is an essential facet of the law. Unfortunately, many people, particularly creatives, don’t have much background information on the subject. Protecting your work and ensuring that you get the recognition you deserve is an important factor in every creative’s mind and yet a large number of them are unaware of the steps that need to be taken in protecting their work.
On Thursday, June 30, USIU-Africa through its Division of Legal Services held a webinar on IP Law in regards to Fashion, Animation, and Music in collaboration with Liz Lenjo Kags, Advocate of the High Court. Participants were enlightened on what on intellectual property is and what it protects.
Intellectual property law comes in two types, Copyright, and Industrial property. Liz Lenjo broadly talked about Industrial property, pointing out that it is divided into different types; Patents, Utility models, Industry designs, and Trademarks.
Patents: are granted to any expression of ideas, IP patents don’t protect ideas they protect the expression of ideas. They last 20 years and are only applicable to new and novel ideas; this means that once an individual post their idea online, they cannot patent it. This, she pointed out, was one of the ways many creatives have destroyed the novelty of their work.
Utility models (petty patents): which gives an individual the right to place a patent on an already patented work, however one cannot commercialize it as long as the original patent is still in effect. This patent lasts for ten years and one has to be honest with the fact that they are not the original owner of the work, but they are improving on the product.
Industrial designs: which protect the aesthetics of a design. These include colors, shapes, combinations of textures, and aesthetically pleasing elements. It lasts up to fifteen years, but reservations can be made to lengthen it.
Trademarks: project the names and brands of businesses. Getting your business trademarked comes with a couple of rules; the name should not be descriptive and should be uniquely used; trademarks are renewed every ten years. The smell of an individual’s perfume can be trademarked but is done mainly in the UK. Hair products too can be trademarked.
On Copyright, Liz Lenjo said that Copyright Law covers any idea that is drawn, painted, or written down. Copyright lasts for an author’s lifetime and an additional fifty years after death, with some exceptions, such as photographs, which are protected for fifty years from the dates they were published which applies to both broadcast and audio-video work.
On photography, permission has to be sought before publishing, or using a person’s image, whether in animated form, or using it, any other medium of communication, or advertisement that can be interpreted as gaining financially.
In regards to music, Liz Lenjo pointed out that three people own the song; the author, composer, and arranger, this also includes the distributor and the company. They own the copyright to the song. The performer and track producer have what is known as related rights.
In reference to Sauti Sol and the issue, they had with their music being played without permission at a political rally, Liz Lenjo advised that it is up to the individual or the band to police their work emphasizing that before a band/individual performs, they need to seek license.
She also mentioned that when using anything that can be attributed to any particular community, due recognition must be given (Creative Commons). Liz Lenjo concluded by encouraged participants to take care of their work and creative ideas.
By Noel Khayanje
Loneliness is a state of solitude or being alone/invisible in a world full of people, a feeling of isolation or not being able to connect with other people, longing to get love, concern, attention, closeness than you have. It could also be an inability to engage in and enjoy what everyone else is doing; a feeling that you are not having as much love and closeness as you would like, an inability to find meaning in one's life, experience the world from subjective negative and unpleasant feelings related to the deficient social relations, or a feeling of disconnectedness or isolation.
Loneliness is a universal human emotion that is both unique and complex to each person hence its causes vary from one person to another. Loneliness could lead to poor physical or psychological health, it can be paralyzing, painful, distressing with feelings of shame and embarrassment that you are a failure for not having friends or socializing with other people.
It distorts our perceptions of life. It can also make you push people away or have an overwhelming need for attention or affection, need to be heard, understood or cared for which may make one desperate and depended on other people, aggressive, too anxious or fearful of being alone and other people may push away from you too, initiating a devastating chain of reactions.
Loneliness is sometimes referred to as a silent killer, because it can get worse as you continue keeping to yourself and becoming lonelier by the day, and creates both psychological (hesitant to talk to people, developing fear, becoming withdrawn, suspicious, uneasy having small talks with people, hyper vigilant to social threats like rejection or exclusion) and physical health issues.
Loneliness can be caused by different experiences, for example, the breakup of a relationship you treasured, the loss of a loved one, a move to a new place where you don’t know people, lack of social skills, living alone when you are used to being with people, however living alone does not necessarily mean one will be lonely. Loneliness can also stem from past experiences of neglect, isolation, or abuse, or feeling lonely despite being with people, having a busy life and not able to socialize with people, physical separation from friends and family as occasioned by the current pandemic that we are all struggling with. So loneliness is something that people experience at one time or another and there is something that can be done to manage it.
COVID-19 has caused a feeling of loneliness among several people. This could be as a result of the regulations that were put in place by the government in the bid to alleviate spreading of the virus. Some of the regulations that are likely to cause loneliness are; reduced social interaction as a result of most activities including learning and some jobs being conducted online. The closure of schools and universities means most learners are away from their peers and don’t have the luxury of:
Signs and symptoms of loneliness
When lonely, you may experience emptiness, sadness or feel as if there is something important missing when you are alone. Some of the symptoms you are likely to experience when you are lonely are;
Part two of the article will cover strategies on how you can manage loneliness during this time. If you feel overwhelmed and need help, contact a counselor. You can reach us on 0730116748/750 or email: counsel@usiu.ac.ke.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Makerere University, which is a partner institution in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, visited USIU-Africa from March 27-28, for a benchmarking visit.
The delegation, which included the Program Director, Prof. Namaalwa Justine JJumba, the Program Administrator, Ms. Harriet Nakiryowa, and the Principal Communication Officer, Mr. Bernard Buteera, came to exchange knowledge and best practices to strengthen the implementation of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at both Makerere University and USIU-Africa.
Ms. Linet Aguko, the Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa, welcomed the delegation and emphasized the significance of collaboration between the two institutions. She stated, "We are delighted to host our colleagues from Makerere University and share our experiences in implementing the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program here at USIU-Africa. Collaboration and knowledge exchange are essential for driving meaningful impact in the lives of young people across the continent".
Prof. Namaalwa, representing Makerere University, expressed their keen interest in learning from USIU-Africa's experience. She said, "We are here to gather insights that will enhance our implementation of the Scholars Program at Makerere University. USIU-Africa’s success and expertise in areas such as the recruitment and selection processes for Refugees and Displaced Youth and Youth with Disability are of keen interest to us, as we seek to make our institution truly inclusive".
The key areas of interest for the Makerere University team included recruitment processes for refugees/ displaced youth and youth with disability, the operations of the Disability and Inclusion Centre, transition support for refugees/ displaced youth and youth with disability, the Program’s monitoring and evaluation plans/activities, and the institutional transformations as a result of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa. Additionally, the team also had the opportunity to take part in a campus tour, as well as a group discussion with Scholars drawn from the Program.
Makerere University is an independent national university of the Republic of Uganda and a center of excellence offering undergraduate and graduate courses to learners across Africa. In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, Makerere University has been able to recruit over 1,032 Scholars since 2013, out of whom 933 have graduated and become enterprising leaders who contribute significantly to the development of their communities.
By Lucy Kung’u
At this time of uncertainty, we are facing many stressors in our lives notably;
It is important that we be aware of how the different stressors are impacting on us and what we need to do to manage stress.
What is stress?
Stress is our response to interaction between external events/demands (what is out there) and internal psychological or physiological responses.
It can be caused by such things as conflict, sense of injustice or unfairness, constraints (lack or limited resources, unmet needs, loneliness), high demands in the midst of time pressure, distractors/barriers or differences in beliefs about the demands in our lives, uncertainty (thinking the worst will happen- fear of harm, pain, loss of face or loss of loved ones), distress intolerance (I can’t stand this) especially if you are not sure of how to do something, or over commitment yet you are not achieving set goals, or you are not getting what you think is important to you, personality clash especially when it comes to differences in patience, sense of time urgency, flexibility, setting realistic goals, competitiveness, ability to calm down or get aroused by stressors.
People deal with stress in different ways. Some avoid the stressor by running away, remaining passive, blaming themselves, doing nothing in a helpless way or dealing with the stressors in an aggressive way. Others accept, adjust, adapt and advance, which is the preferred way of managing stress.
How to manage stress
Stress can be managed by:
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of stress, and knowing and identifying the effects of stress on you as shown in the table below:
Common Physical Symptoms of Stress | Common Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Symptoms of Stress: |
Body Sensations Rapid heart rate, palpitations, muscle tension, having unexplained aches, pains and discomfort headaches - back pain - neck pain - chest pain or discomfort - problems with digestion - nausea - shaking - sweating - dizziness - numbness or tingling -Inability to relax -trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, difficulty getting up in the morning -Eating too much (especially carbohydrates) or too little or loss of appetite -Lethargy or decreased energy; depletion of what the body needs e.g. sodium, potassium, cortisol, adrenalin, drop in blood sugar - increased risk to mental health issues | - fear, worry, anger, irritability - a lot of frustration - crying, deep sadness - frustration, anger - impatience - emotional fatigue - burnout - deceased productivity - concentration problems - memory problems, forgetfulness - confusion or numb like nothing matters - Feeling helpless or hopeless, inability to control negative hurtful thoughts -unnecessary risk taking behavior with a don’t care attitude -refusal to follow rules or regulations for risky situations -self-blame - fighting with family and friends - Overdependence on other people - Resentment - discontentment - Unhappiness - Insecurity - unproductivity; unable to undertake your tasks, e.g. attend class, take care of children, work |
However, check with your doctor or health care provider to ensure there are not any other causes of the physical symptoms.
Monitor yourself to be able to tell when you are getting stressed so that you can manage stress and focus on what needs to be done in the present moment
Ensure you use positive coping skills to manage the stress. For example; reach out for help, take time to relax, journal what is happening to you and think of ways to manage the problem or stressor, do physical exercises and also relaxation exercises that involve you just breathing in and out in a relaxed way.
If it is relationship stress, use assertive communication, set boundaries and enhance conflict resolution and management skills. If learning or working from home and family members are distracting you, use “I statements” to explain the problem--“I’m worried about my exam next week”—and work together to develop solutions.
If it is work/school/life balance: enhance time management, have a plan or schedule, delegating where you can or will help.
If it is a loss and you are grieving, seek support either from family, friends, and counselors here in school or near your residence.
Practice self-care. Basic self-care will keep your immune system strong and your emotional reserves full. Get enough sleep. Exercise regularly. Eat well. Try mindfulness apps.
Find activities that engage different parts of yourself. Do something physical like dancing. Occupy your mind with puzzles, singing. Engage your senses with hot baths or fragrant candles.
Look for tasks you can postpone or simply eliminate from your to-do list.
Seek out social support. Having to stay home can be lonely. To combat isolation, come together with your class mates or graduate school cohort via technology. Many of you have WhatsApp groups, keep chatting. Something as simple as turning on your webcam during virtual classes can help you and others feel more connected.
Help others cope. Your classmates and family members may be going through challenges. You may not be able to fix their problems. It’s enough to let them know they’re not alone.
Be patient. For those who have internships, dissertation defenses or are thinking of graduation or other important events, be patient, and be ready to make adjustments as we await the end of this pandemic. For those awaiting graduation, work closely with the Career and Placement office to identify a job or look out for opportunity for job creation in this period. also consider volunteerism, which will give you work experience.
Limit your media consumption. To avoid being overwhelmed, set limits on your media consumption and smartphone use. Cut through misinformation by relying on reputable sources of truthful and useful information. Remember the internet has a lot of information and we should look out for credible information and opportunities.
Focus on things you can control. Other people may be disobeying the rules about physical distancing or doing other things that add to your stress. We ask you to model good behavior and stay safe yourself, recognize that you can’t control what other people do. You can only control your own thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Another thing you can’t control, the uncertainty about what comes next. Instead of worrying about our ambiguous future, focus on solving immediate problems now, focus on your classes, you have more time saved since you don’t have to commute to school, use it to go deeper into the concepts you are learning, identify or discover your talents or even innovate.
Use the library resources provided and carry out research for your classwork assignments let us not wait for last minute rush. Remember, it is time to learn, grow and expand our knowledge
Stay away from alcohol and drug abuse. We are in a time when home deliveries for alcohol and even drugs is taking place. We may find ourselves do more alcohol or drugs now that some of us are alone and may have self-control issues or may be having some struggles because of the changes brought about by COVID- 19. Small changes can make a big difference in reducing your chances of having alcohol-related problems.
Be Aware of your Thoughts, know your limits, and maintain your brain power. Value and protect the executive functioning of the brain (memory, learning, long term planning and investment, impulse control) which gets affected by the negative effects of stress. Quiet your mind, regulate your emotions, change your thinking to change your life. Be willing to accept, adjust, adapt, and advance. Remember to always find the humour in things, and laugh.
Prevention, reduction, management, tolerance, optimism, positivity, getting professional help is what we all need. Don’t feel alone, we care and are available and ready to serve you.
By CTW Team
The Marketing and Communications Department has kicked off the Spring 2022 Intake Campaign to continue boosting our enrollment numbers.
The campaign, themed #DiscoverYouAreGreat, highlights the journey of discovery taken by students at USIU-Africa to turn their dreams, even those that they might not have known they had, into reality.
The campaign will be carried out on our digital platforms, as well as on selected media platforms. We therefore urge you to take part in the campaign by sharing our campaign material as much as you can across your circles.
To be part of the campaign, you can connect with us on our website as well as on our social media pages: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
#DiscoverYouAreGreat
For Immediate Release
Nairobi, July 14, 2020: USIU-Africa and the Mastercard Foundation today announced a partnership that will enable 1,000 high-performing students to receive quality education and leadership development over the next 10 years under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The partnership provides scholarships for high potential students facing financial, gender, displacement, or disability constraints. At least 70 percent of the young people who benefit from the partnership will be young women, while 25 percent will be displaced or refugee youth, and at least 10 percent will be young people living with disabilities. With this USD 63.2 million partnership, USIU-Africa joins the Foundation’s expanding global network of partners committed to developing a generation of African leaders who will use their knowledge and skills to lead change in their communities, and contribute to meaningful transformation across the continent.
Speaking after the signing of the partnership, USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza noted that the partnership was a milestone in the University’s history.
“With the support of the Mastercard Foundation, we look forward to significantly expanding the impact and reach that USIU-Africa has had all across the world, by moulding students who will catalyze Africa’s continued advancement into a better, brighter future. By embracing the Scholars Program, we will increase the international student population from 15 percent to 20 percent which is in line with the university’s strategy of internationalization. Also, the Scholars Program will enhance socio-economic diversity of the student population as it will increase the number of students with disability, refugees, young women and displaced youth to address barriers to higher education for these marginalized populations,” he said.
Mastercard Foundation’s Chief Program Officer, Peter Materu, is excited to onboard USIU-Africa as a partner in the Scholars Program, noting the university’s excellent academic standing and demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion.
“For close to a decade, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has worked in Africa, through initiatives like Wings to Fly and direct partnerships with educational organizations at the secondary and tertiary levels, to enable young people from disadvantaged communities to access quality learning and develop their leadership potential. Our partnership with USIU-Africa builds on this historic work, which is already serving thousands of young leaders on the continent. Fundamentally, it is about expanding opportunity to all young people, irrespective of their socio-economic background,” he said.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is an initiative to develop Africa’s next generation of leaders by giving students, whose talent and promise exceed their financial resources, an opportunity to complete their education. Through the Program, Scholars receive holistic student support, including comprehensive scholarships, leadership development, and access to internships and industry-driven career services. The Scholars Program is a growing commitment and to date, the Program has committed over USD 1 billion to supporting the education and leadership development of more than 37,000 young people.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa is expected to kick off in the 2020/2021 Academic Year.
//Ends
Notes for editors
1. Interviews
To arrange, please contact:
Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza
Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa
Email: vc@usiu.ac.ke
Tel: +254 730 116 411/412
Helen White
Strategy Lead, Program Communications
Mastercard Foundation
+27 76 166 5372
2. About USIU-Africa
USIU–Africa is one of the leading private Universities in Kenya representing over 70 nationalities undertaking 29 Undergraduate, Graduate and Doctoral programs and it is the only university in the region with dual accreditation in Kenya by the Commission for University (CUE) and the United States of America (USA) by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
3. About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. It is one of the largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program will enable 1,000 high-performing students facing financial, gender, displacement, or disability constraints to receive quality education and leadership development over the next 10 years.
By Taigu Muchiri, Brenda Odhiambo and Laurie Armstrong
On Tuesday, July 14, 2020, USIU-Africa and the Mastercard Foundation announced a partnership that will enable 1,000 high-performing students to receive quality education and leadership development over the next 10 years under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The partnership provides scholarships for high potential students facing financial, gender, displacement, or disability constraints. At least 70 percent of the young people who benefit from the partnership will be young women, while 25 percent will be displaced or refugee youth, and at least 10 percent will be young people living with disabilities. With this USD 63.2 million partnership, USIU-Africa joins the Foundation’s expanding global network of partners committed to developing a generation of African leaders who will use their knowledge and skills to lead change in their communities, and contribute to meaningful transformation across the continent.
Speaking after the signing of the partnership, USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza noted that the partnership was a milestone in the University’s history.
“With the support of the Mastercard Foundation, we look forward to significantly expanding the impact and reach that USIU-Africa has had all across the world, by moulding students who will catalyze Africa’s continued advancement into a better, brighter future. By embracing the Scholars Program, we will increase the international student population from 15 percent to 20 percent which is in line with the university’s strategy of internationalization. Also, the Scholars Program will enhance socio-economic diversity of the student population as it will increase the number of students with disability, refugees, young women and displaced youth to address barriers to higher education for these marginalized populations,” he said.
Mastercard Foundation’s Chief Program Officer, Peter Materu, is excited to on-board USIU-Africa as a partner in the Scholars Program, noting the university’s excellent academic standing and demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion.
“For close to a decade, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has worked in Africa, through initiatives like Wings to Fly and direct partnerships with educational organizations at the secondary and tertiary levels, to enable young people from disadvantaged communities to access quality learning and develop their leadership potential. Our partnership with USIU-Africa builds on this historic work, which is already serving thousands of young leaders on the continent. Fundamentally, it is about expanding opportunity to all young people, irrespective of their socio-economic background,” he said.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is an initiative to develop Africa’s next generation of leaders by giving students, whose talent and promise exceed their financial resources, an opportunity to complete their education. Through the Program, Scholars receive holistic student support, including comprehensive scholarships, leadership development, and access to internships and industry-driven career services. The Scholars Program is a growing commitment and to date, the Program has committed over USD 1 billion to supporting the education and leadership development of more than 37,000 young people.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa is expected to kick off in the 2020/2021 Academic Year.
By Jemima Oloo
The Mastercard Foundation, in partnership with USIU-Africa, is running a one-year Graduate Associate Program. The aim of the program is to give graduates the opportunity to acquire real work experience and dignified work.
The Graduate Associate Program is a one-year program, starting from April 2023 to April 2024. The Mastercard Foundation recruits Associates all over Africa and they are placed within their country of residence after a series of intense interviews. The associates are then matched depending on their skill sets or education background to different Mastercard partner organizations.
USIU-Africa received 12 Associates who were placed in different departments: Gender office, Fundraising, Counselling department, ICT, Marketing and Communications, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Alumni, Student Placement and Records office.
USIU-Africa runs a unique placement program where the associates are given training and mentorship while working. The Associates in return have been beneficial to the university since they help to offset the workload in their different departments hence increasing the efficiency in delivery of service for USIU-Africa.
The young Associates drawn from various parts of the country offer fresh ideas and a unique work ethic due to the rigorous work ethic training they have received from Mastercard Foundation.
Peter Njuguna, a USIU-Africa alumni and a graduate associate placed at the registrar’s office narrates his experience as being very exciting, having to come back to give back to this institution. “My supervisor has been a great role model and the learning experience has been fulfilling,” narrates an excited Peter.
Cosmas Kiprotich, a graduate associate placed in the ICT department under the School of Science and Technology explains that he has been grateful to for the opportunity to learn new things. “It has been a pleasure assisting students in the labs, helping them install applications and giving them solutions.”
Catherine Mukami, placed in the Counselling Office has been efficient in assisting the department to schedule events, ensuring clients get help when they visit the counseling department and researching on how best to help the Counselling Office.
The Mastercard Foundation in partnership with USIU-Africa is doing a great job in giving a platform to young minds and change makers, by not just offering opportunities to young people but also training and mentoring these future leaders.
By Jemima Oloo
The Mastercard Foundation, in partnership with USIU-Africa, is running a one-year Graduate Associate Program. The aim of the program is to give graduates the opportunity to acquire real work experience and dignified work.
The Graduate Associate Program is a one-year program, starting from April 2023 to April 2024. The Mastercard Foundation recruits Associates all over Africa and they are placed within their country of residence after a series of intense interviews. The associates are then matched depending on their skill sets or education background to different Mastercard Foundation partner organizations.
USIU-Africa received 12 Associates who were placed in different departments: Gender office, Development, Counselling Department, ICT, Marketing and Communications, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Alumni, Placement & Career Services and Registrar’s office.
USIU-Africa runs a unique placement program where the associates are given training and mentorship while working. The Associates in return have been beneficial to the university since they help to offset the workload in their different Departments hence increasing the efficiency in delivery of service for USIU-Africa.
The young Associates drawn from various parts of the country offer fresh ideas and a unique work ethic due to the rigorous work ethic training they have received from Mastercard Foundation.
Peter Njuguna, a USIU-Africa alumni and a graduate associate placed at the registrar’s office narrates his experience as being very exciting, having to come back to give back to this institution. “My supervisor has been a great role model and the learning experience has been fulfilling,” narrates an excited Peter.
Cosmas Kiprotich, a graduate associate placed in the ICT Department under the School of Science and Technology explains that he has been grateful to for the opportunity to learn new things. “It has been a pleasure assisting students in the labs, helping them install applications and giving them solutions.”
Catherine Mukami, placed in the Counselling Office has been efficient in assisting the Department to schedule events, ensuring clients get help when they visit the counseling department and researching on how best to help the Counselling Office.
The Mastercard Foundation in partnership with USIU-Africa is doing a great job in giving a platform to young minds and change makers, by not just offering opportunities to young people but also training and mentoring these future leaders.
By Goldalyn K. Tanga and Brenda Odhiambo
As we mark the 9th International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we spoke with Goldalyn K. Tanga, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar and a first-year student in the BSc. Epidemiology and Biostatistics program at USIU-Africa. In this interview, she shares her academic journey, the inspirations behind her chosen field of study, and her vision of contributing to the community through her scientific endeavors.
Tell us about your academic journey so far and what sparked your interest in science.
My favorite subjects in primary school were Science and Mathematics. Basic as the concepts were at the time, I was still intrigued and fascinated by what I learnt. I enjoyed solving equations and deciphering the workings of things. After performing extremely well in in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination, I received the Margaret Kenyatta Award, a scholarship which enabled me to go to high school in one of the most prestigious international schools in Kenya, Brookhouse School, where I completed my IGCSE and A-level studies.
Throughout my studies at Brookhouse, my inclination towards the sciences didn’t falter. I found it thrilling that I could explore Biology, Physics and Chemistry individually, and to the extent that I did. It was no wonder that I chose Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology for my A-level course. My gravitation towards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects stemmed from my inherent curiosity- I live for the eureka moments that I encountered ever so often in these classes. Hence, pursuing a STEM course was a no-brainer for me. Currently, I am in my third semester of my first year in university, undertaking a Bachelor of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa.
Why did you choose Epidemiology and Biostatistics as your field of study? Are there any female scientists or researchers who inspire you? If so, why?
At the end of Year 10, I had the opportunity to take up work experience for a short period of time at the Nairobi Hospital courtesy of my high school. Initially, I did want to become a doctor. Around the same time, through an initiative by the school, I would visit the Kenyatta National Hospital periodically to spend time with the children in one of the orthopedic wards. My experience from both of these hospitals were extremely eye-opening and informed my decision to study Epidemiology and Biostatistics. I figured that I did not want to become a doctor. Instead, I wanted to work in public health and research to address the different issues in public health, such as equity, accessibility and quality in healthcare, implement sustainable solutions and, ultimately, prevent disease altogether. Pursuing my studies in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics program has been so fulfilling so far.
A remarkable woman I am delighted to have crossed paths with is Dr. Prabha Choksey of Dr. Choksey Albinism Foundation. As I am a person with albinism, you might guess the circumstances under which we met. Dr. Choksey is a renowned, award-winning ophthalmologist who has used her profession to provide free eye care as well as educational support to children with albinism through her foundation. She inspires me to excel in my education and make use of my knowledge and strengths to empower and uplift others in society. She is my constant reminder that at any given point in time, I have all it takes to make a difference, to strive for better and create change.
Balancing academic commitments with other aspects of life as a student can be challenging. How do you manage this balance, particularly in terms of involvement in extra-curricular activities and pursuing your personal interests?
I believe that I am constantly learning, from the courses I take each semester, to the commitments I make outside of class. Therefore, choosing what extracurricular activities and personal interests I partake in take the same deliberation as my classes would. Being intentional with what I commit my time to ensures that I am consistent in my endeavors outside of class. I also try as much as possible to take part in activities that genuinely interest me so that I am always willing to show up to learn as well as contribute. Working with mentors also ensures that I stay on track.
Participating in extra-curricular activities and other personal interests such as clubs, volunteer work, physical recreation and a number of hobbies has encouraged a lot of self-exploration and discovery. Because of this, I hold both my academics and involvements outside at similar, yet relatively high regard. That balance is maintained by prioritizing rest when I need to and incorporating activities that help me destress and unwind to avoid burnout.
What advice would you offer to young women and girls who are aspiring to build careers in science based on your own experiences and challenges?
Although I really enjoyed Biology in high school, I always dreaded a microscope. Not only am I short-sighted, but I also have nystagmus, which is simply constant rapid, involuntary eye movement. Working on a microscope was always challenging because I could never get my eyes to focus for extended periods of time, and I often missed little details on the sample images. Yet, throughout my A-level course, I emerged the best in my Biology class. I found it ironic because I often thought the microscope to be a scientist's most vital tool. How wrong I was! Science is such a broad field with a lot of areas that anyone can specialize in. There is no limit, and if there is, it is coming from you. Explore, discover your strengths and capitalize on them. Microscopy was just one topic, with only one practical question, there was no way it could have held me back when I did my best in all the other topics. Take it from me. Do not falter because of a setback in one area when there is so much more in store for you. I still dread microscopes, but I am good at a lot of other things.
How do you envision utilizing your degree to contribute to the community? What impact do you aspire to make in your chosen field or the broader scientific community?
Health is an immeasurable resource. Reproductive health is vital in any community ecosystem. Therefore, I aspire to propagate initiatives that promote community health through the education of girls and women on their health and well-being, while drawing inspiration from initiatives such as Beyond Zero. As a public health worker, I hope to get the opportunity to leverage health policies such that they promote the education of women and girls on their health as well as create accessibility to vital resources, addressing teenage pregnancies, period poverty and gender-specific illnesses. In the process, I hope to inspire and empower girls to be bold in their endeavors because being a girl is a superpower. I also aspire to further pursue Biostatistics, and fully immerse myself in scientific research. It is a dream of mine to open a research institution that caters to the creativity, devotion and enthusiasm of young scientists in Kenya by equipping them with the skills and resources to invent and innovate sustainably.
By Safari Etien and Brenda Odhiambo
Safari Etien, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar and a third-year International Relations student was recently named as the first runners up winner of the ICRC Essay Competition for East African universities. The competition, which featured entries from over 50 universities across 7 countries, delved into the intersection of climate change, environmental degradation, and armed conflict, posing unique challenges for vulnerable populations.
The essay examined the complex challenges arising from the convergence of climate change, environmental degradation, and armed conflict. It highlighted how competition over scarce resources, displacement of populations, disruption of agriculture, and disproportionate impacts on vulnerable groups can be aggravated by climate change and environmental degradation, potentially worsening conflicts. Environmental damage during conflicts, through infrastructure destruction or exploitation of resources, can have long-term consequences. Addressing these interconnected issues requires comprehensive policies guided by international humanitarian law (IHL).
“Competition over scarce resources is intensified by climate change, worsening tensions and conflict. Climate impacts like sea level rise and desertification displace populations, straining resources in host communities and increasing tensions. Disruption of agricultural systems from climate change leads to food insecurity, hunger, and instability in regions heavily reliant on agriculture,” he noted.
“Climate change and conflicts disproportionately affect vulnerable populations including marginalized groups, women, children and the poor. Their increased vulnerability intensifies inequality, social unrest, and fuels conflicts. Environmental damage from conflicts hampers economic recovery, weakens infrastructure, and limits natural resources needed for post-conflict rebuilding,” he added.
International cooperation, according to him, is paramount in building resilience to climate impacts, preventing conflict, and sharing expertise and technical assistance. He highlighted the necessity of integrating adaptation and mitigation strategies into humanitarian efforts, particularly in providing clean water, sanitation, and clean energy while encouraging sustainable practices in conflict zones.
The essay highlights the relevance of International Humanitarian Law in safeguarding civilians and minimizing suffering during armed conflicts. It emphasizes the need for comprehensive policies that incorporate climate factors into prevention and peacebuilding strategies, anchored in IHL frameworks. Moreover, the essay calls for enhanced compliance with rules protecting civilians and the environment, along with fostering international cooperation to share expertise and prevent conflict.
Safari also stresses the importance of updating International Humanitarian Law to address the evolving nature of armed conflicts and emerging challenges. He advocates for the integration of IHL education and training into academic curricula and professional development programs to promote compliance with humanitarian principles and uphold the importance of IHL.
By Dolly Mwiti
On Friday, January 26, 175 Scholars in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa took part in a virtual workshop titled ‘Tailoring a CV to a Job Position’. The workshop, led by Sidoine Felix M. Leudjie, Program Associate at the African Leadership Academy, along with other experts from the African Careers Network team, Wilfrid Ahouansou & Camille Bastien. The session was designed to equip participants with invaluable skills to optimize their professional profiles.
Throughout the engaging session, the Scholars were immersed in insightful discussions aimed at achieving key objectives. From understanding the true purpose of a CV to crafting compelling content tailored to specific job positions, and mastering the art of review and improvement, they gained practical insights crucial for standing out in today's competitive job market.
The response from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing newfound confidence in articulating their acquired skills. Armed with a comprehensive understanding of CV tailoring, the Scholars are now better equipped to navigate the job market successfully by presenting tailored CVs that resonate with potential employers.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Last Friday, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Transitions Office hosted a celebratory dinner for Scholars who completed their prepare level internship program in Spring, Summer and Fall semesters of 2023. The event, held at the Phoenicia Hotel, brought together 46 Scholars, and provided a platform for them to share their experiences, reflections, and feedback on the internship.
The prepare level internship is a mandatory non-academic program for all Scholars in their second and third years designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world application, equipping them with valuable skills and insights as they prepare to join the job market. Currently, 103 Scholars have completed their Prepare level Internship.
During the event, the Scholars interacted and shared their diverse experiences, learnings, and insights gained during their internships, as well as sharing some of the challenges faced during their internships, promoting peer support and offering valuable insights for improvement.
Speaking during the event, Annette Kamariza, a third-year student in the Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration program shared her experience as an intern at Water for the People in Uganda, where she served in the Human Resources Department.
“The internship allowed me to put my classroom knowledge into practice, and I gained valuable hands-on experience in the field of Human Resource management," she shared. “During my internship, I had the opportunity to serve on the board, where I was part of the team that recruited seven employees during my time at the organization,” she said.
Bonam Osene, a Cameroonian Scholar in his third-year in the Applied Computer Technology program, noted that the internship sharpened his critical thinking skills.
“During my internship, I had the opportunity to take part in a 48-hour hackathon to solve some of Cameroon’s pressing problems. The hackathon pushed me to think creatively to ensure that the solutions proposed would not only be innovative, but solve the challenges at hand,” he said.
“The internship was a valuable experience that equipped me with skills critical to the workplace, such as teamwork and communication. I commend the Program team for this initiative and we hope that we will have more opportunities for career mentorship to ensure that we build the knowledge and expertise to be job-ready,” he added.
"The prepare level internship plays a pivotal role in equipping our Scholars with the necessary skills and experience to bridge the gap between academic learning and professional careers. I congratulate each of you on the achievement of this milestone," said Madzo Mwadzoya, the Transitions Lead in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa.
"This post-internship dinner is a vital platform for sharing, learning, and improvement. We are deeply grateful for your engagement and insightful feedback, which will undoubtedly guide us in further strengthening the Program and ensuring that our Scholars succeed in their chosen endeavors,” she added.
By Wambui Cheche
In January 2023, 45 Mastercard Foundation Scholars at USIU-Africa with a passion for mentorship launched a mentors program that visits schools within Kenya to speak on various topics including academic excellence, self-awareness, drug and substance abuse, and transformative leadership. This initiative aims to cultivate leadership skills, public speaking confidence, and a spirit of giving back among the Scholars, while inspiring students in the various schools they visit.
Last Saturday, the Scholar mentors visited Still I Rise International School, engaging over 200 pupils in Seekers class, MYP1, MYP2, and MYP3. Discussions focused on academic excellence, choosing the right friends, and navigating peer pressure. The Scholars also shared personal experiences highlighting how they overcame challenges to excel academically. The School was appreciative to start this partnership as mentorship from young adults whom the students can easily relate to has been one of the areas lacking in their programs.
So far, the mentorship program has impacted several schools, such as; Garden Estate Secondary School, Kibera School for Girls, Isiolo Girls High School, Kisima Mixed Secondary school, and Cheleta Primary School.
By Linet Aguko
The inaugural cohort of Scholars under the Mastercard Scholars Program have elected new officials to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Council, with the Chair of the USIU-Africa chapter representing the University in the global Mastercard Foundation Scholars Council.
The electoral process for the Scholar Council representative began on Friday, October 8, with a meeting with the Scholars in which they were taken through the function and structure of the Scholar Council, including its role, the responsibilities of the elected officials, the term of office for elected representatives, among others.
Participation was opened up to all 23 Scholars, with the positions up for grabs including that of the President and Scholar Council Rep, Vice President, Secretary General and the Finance Director. Each position had three nominees who were either nominated by other scholars or nominated themselves. All candidates had two days to campaign, after which they participated in a debate where they had the opportunity to field questions from the rest of the Scholars to give more insights into their plans of action if they happened to be elected.
Elections were conducted on Monday, October 19, 2020 through a secret ballot overseen by 3 commissioners, drawn from the continuing students in the Foundation’s ALA Scholar’s Program, and three observers, drawn from the Admissions and Fundraising Departments, who oversaw the process and gave overall guidance in conjunction with the Program Director. The winners were announced at the end of the day, and they included Chut Dau Giet, who was elected as President and the Scholar Council Representative, Amos Onyancha, who was elected as Vice President, Kharis Ilunga as the Secretary General, and Yasmin Opiyo Kwach as Finance Director.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Council was created collaboratively by MCF Scholars from participating MCF institutions for the purpose of fostering individual and program success through active student participation, relationship-building, and the maintenance of strong links with alumni. The Council sets out to produce an active body of scholars who put into practice the ideals of giving back to society, effective leadership and outstanding personal and professional accomplishments that positively impact communities in tangible and quantifiable ways.
The Scholar Council representative will serve for a full calendar year and support the onboarding process for the next representative at the end of their term. The elected officials will be officially inaugurated on Monday, October 26, 2020.
By Evelyne Kerubo
USIU-Africa’s Mastercard Foundation Scholars attended the first YALE Model African Union conference that was held in Kigali Rwanda from May, 11-16, 2022. The delegation was led by Safari Etienne, an International Relations Major and Evelyne Kerubo, the Scholars Program Psychologist together with 26 other Scholars.
The Yale Model African Union by the Ivy League School was for the purpose of engaging in Pan-African dialogue by delegates on key challenges in Africa. The YMAU opening ceremony was attended by delegates from all over Africa and other parts of the world such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Delegates were put up in various committees that represented the various African nations and their interests during the highly interactive sessions.
Other delegates that attended the conference were from Yale, Laikipia University, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, African Leadership Academy and Alliance High School. Delegates also had the opportunity of interacting with employees from leading organizations such as the US Embassy in Nairobi, USAID and the United Nations during the career fair.
Last Thursday, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa hosted the Amahoro Coalition to discuss areas of collaboration in regard to the provision of internship opportunities for displaced students. The Coalition, in partnership with the Scholars Program will identify 2-3 students who will work at Amahoro and gain the opportunity to refine their skills in research, project planning, support, and work on interpersonal skills. Currently, three Scholars are undertaking their internship with the Coalition.
The Amahoro Coalition is an African-led initiative convening multi-sector actors from across the region to accelerate private sector leadership in driving sustainable market-based interventions that advance economic inclusion for displaced populations. The Coalition champions the need for home-grown solutions to the region’s refugee crisis. The Coalition provides structure and resources to help unlock the potential of the African private sector to generate transformative opportunities for displaced communities. Additionally, The Amahoro Coalition is offering a training and gig work opportunity through their Ajira Digital Project partner targeting refugee students and persons with disability. The Ajira Digital Program, in partnership with the Amahoro Coalition, is exploring ways to enable the refugee population in Kenya to work online and deliver business solutions for the private sector in Kenya.
This program includes a two-week training and work opportunity and the participants will be guided on how to acquire work on the platform. After two weeks, they can continue to work as freelancers on the platform. So far, 14 Scholars from the Scholars Program have expressed interest in participating in the Ajira Digital Program.
On Wednesday, October 11, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa hosted an information session for potential applicants interested in applying to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
The info session was a platform for the Recruitment team to share USIU-Africa’s academic offering, programs, and achievements. It also gave prospective students the chance to interact with university representatives, gain valuable insights into the diverse courses available, and learn about the unique USIU-Africa experience, as well as the Scholars Program.
During the session, which was attended by 250 students, the Recruitment and Selection team led by Faith Mugambi and Rahab Cheche engaged the prospective students in a lively conversation on why they should consider USIU-Africa for their higher education., emphasizing the opportunities the students would get as Scholars to be part of a vibrant campus life that nurtured personal and professional growth.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa provides full-cost scholarships to young Africans who are first-time undergraduate degree-seeking applicants. By completion of their studies, Scholars will be required to lead changes in their communities and contribute to meaningful transformation across the continent, having been equipped with internationally recognized and locally applicable qualifications. The Program currently has a call for applications for those interested in joining the September (Fall) 2024 Intake.
By Everlyn Anyal
Dr. Diane Kouame, Lead, Mastercard Foundation eLearning Initiative and Lead, Scholars Program (Francophone partner network) paid a courtesy call to USIU-Africa on Monday, February 13, 2023. She was accompanied during the visit by Pauline Gangla, Head of Scholars Program, Eastern and Southern Partner Network - Mastercard Foundation and Julie Waiganjo, a USIU-Africa Alumni and Head, Scholars Program Communications - Mastercard Foundation.
Dr. Kouame met with the Vice Chancellor Prof. Margee Ensign. She also met the Leadership team of USIU-Africa Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program eLearning Initiative Workstream B (WSB) project comprising Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Deputy Vice Chancelor - Academic and Student Affairs (DVC-ASA); Prof. Paul Okanda, Director, ICT; Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension; Dr. Philip Machoka, Director, USIU Online; Eannes Ongus, Chief Manager, University Advancement; and Everlyn Anyal, Director, Mastercard Foundation eLearning Initiative at USIU-Africa.
The main purpose of the visit was to meet and know the Institution’s Leadership and Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program eLearning team, understand USIU-Africa eLearning Initiative Workstream A (WSA) impact and preparation for WSB implementation and hold discussions on the next steps after WSA.
In the discussions, Dr. Kouame expressed her gratitude to USIU-Africa for the exemplary role it has played in the eLearning partnership to support 10 institutions to strengthen their capacities to offer quality and resilient Online learning to all learners at all times and from wherever they are. On her part, Prof. Ensign underscored the noble role USIU-Africa is playing of developing future leaders and of transforming lives and societies. She highlighted USIU-Africa’s elaborate ICT infrastructure that has enabled it to provide quality learning and support services to its student, faculty and staff population. Regarding Online education, the Vice Chancellor took pride in USIU-Africa’s fully Online MBA Program as a sign of the university’s commitment to develop and offer Online learning. She pledged the institution’s support to the eLearning Initiative and continued collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation.
The Mastercard Foundation, United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), and Arizona State University (ASU) have announced the launch of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative, which over the next five years will enable more than 600,000 university students to successfully pursue their studies online, from anywhere across Africa.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many universities, including those within the Scholars Program network, to suspend face-to-face classes and pivot to online learning. Building on what was learned during the disruption, this initiative will increase the investments that have already been made and strengthen the existing capacity of university partners to deliver high-quality, relevant, and inclusive e-learning courses. It will increase the number of young people accessing tertiary level education, particularly those living with disabilities, young women, refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and those living in rural areas. More than that, it will contribute to an e-learning community of practice in Africa, and beyond, that will enable collaborative learning and sharing of best practices, and resources.
“This agreement will bolster our e-learning capacity-building alongside 10 other participating international universities and strengthen the Scholars Program partner universities to deliver high-quality and inclusive online instruction and provide virtual support to all students,” said Professor Freida Brown, Interim Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa. “It will also support the development of a community of practice in e-learning.”
During the first phase of the program (2020 to 2022), 135 faculty and staff from across 10 partner institutions will be trained to design and deliver online courses, and an estimated 95,000 students will access online learning. In the second phase (2022 to 2025), the number of online learners will grow to more than 600,000 and the initiative will be scaled to include new partners and institutions that are not currently part of the Scholars Program network.
Arizona State University (ASU), a leader in the space of e-learning, will serve as Lead Trainer, providing foundational training to the faculty and staff and conducting a series of tiered leadership roundtables and learning sessions. As the Network Facilitator, USIU-Africa, which was one of the first institutions in East Africa to successfully transition 90 percent of its programming online, will contextualize the content for an African setting and facilitate engagement and learning across the network. The Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning will play a key role, hosting a shared Content Management System that will curate content from participating universities within the Partner network. The Centre will also provide support to those institutions interested in developing in-house e-learning resource centres.
The initiative is aligned with the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy and the vision for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program to create a transformative network of young people and institutions driving inclusive and equitable socio-economic change in Africa. This initiative will connect young people to educational content that is relevant and context specific through a curriculum that reflects labour market realities, includes courses on transformative leadership and ethics, and prioritizes mental health and well-being. Students will successfully acquire knowledge and be able to fully engage with faculty and course work in a supportive online environment.
COVID-19 provided the impetus to rethink how we conceptualize and deliver education. Digitally-enabled learning is the wave of the future,” said Philip Cotton, Director, Human Capital Development, Mastercard Foundation. “But for everyone to benefit from this trend, we have to act now to ensure that all young people – irrespective of their background or location— are able to access work-relevant training conveniently and affordably. A big part of that is strengthening the capacity of higher education institutions to deliver online learning.”
Arizona State University is bound not by geography, but by principles,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow. “Our focus is on student success and embracing technology to expand not only the quality of learning but access to education and thus our embrace of digital education. We are eager to take our work to a new level as part of this collaboration with USIU-Africa and the Mastercard Foundation to build online learning systems in Africa that are resilient to future shocks and customized to meet the individual needs of learners, anywhere on the continent.”
The initiative is aligned with the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy and the vision for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program to create a transformative network of young people and institutions driving inclusive and equitable socio-economic change in Africa. This initiative will connect young people to educational content that is relevant and context specific through a curriculum that reflects labour market realities, includes courses on transformative leadership and ethics, and prioritizes mental health and well-being. Students will successfully acquire knowledge and be able to fully engage with faculty and course work in a supportive online environment.
COVID-19 provided the impetus to rethink how we conceptualize and deliver education. Digitally-enabled learning is the wave of the future,” said Philip Cotton, Director, Human Capital Development, Mastercard Foundation. “But for everyone to benefit from this trend, we have to act now to ensure that all young people – irrespective of their background or location— are able to access work-relevant training conveniently and affordably. A big part of that is strengthening the capacity of higher education institutions to deliver online learning.
Since training began in July 2021, the 135 e-Learning Champions have commenced their learning journey by completing the two-week virtual Master Class for Teaching Online with ASU and have advanced to the next phase, which includes Specialized Coaching tracks in Instructional Design and Online Pedagogy with USIU-Africa.
The partners participating in the first phase of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning initiative are:
Mental illness awareness means acceptance and love rather than judgment and shame; it means an end to the stigma and the beginning of hope.
- Annie Slease
By Lucy Kung’u
Every year, October 10 is set aside to mark World Mental Health Day. This year’s Mental Health Week theme is Strengthening Our Community – Live, Learn, Work and Play. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community. It is all about how people think, feel, and behave. WHO stresses that mental health is not just about the absence of a mental disorders or disabilities. Furthermore, mental health can adversely affect relationships, our day to day lives and even physical health.
Risk factors for mental health disorders or illness
It is important to note that everyone is at a risk of mental health related issues or illnesses. No one is immune to mental health issues. It affects people from all walks of life, young old, male female, different races, rich, poor etc. Some of the risk factors that have been identified include:
- Frustration, which is defined as a feeling that you get when someone, something or a situation you cannot control or change blocks, prevents or stops your effort to get what you desire which you perceive as important to you;
- Social or interpersonal related issues, based on one’s attachment style, betrayals, neglect, break up of relationships, conflict, violence, among others;
- Financial issues, including the lack of finances or lack financial management skills, debts etc.;
- Current or past traumas, which are experiences that overwhelm your day to day coping skills e.g. stress, loss of a loved one, a job, a friendship, marriage, natural or man-made disasters;
- Lifestyle choices that negatively affect one’s life e.g. alcohol and drug abuse;
- Developmental disorders that may affect one’s learning, relationships, sexuality, control, personality, biological factors like - genetics, brain chemistry, brain structure, and another medical conditions like terminal illnesses, environmental factors among others.
Prevention and treatment
In the wake of increased mental health related issues, talking about ways of managing mental health is key. Some of the notable ways of preventing and treating mental health related issues include
- Being aware of mental health related issues.
- Embracing change, and remembering that no situation is permanent, and this is just a phase you can get through. This goes hand in hand with accepting situations that you cannot change, as this helps you face the threat, adjust, integrate and adapt to the changes that are in your best interest.
- Reappraising your habits and routines and clarifying your personal and social values.
- Talk to someone about how you feel. Talk to a friend, a family member or a colleague.
- Try to be creative. It helps in distracting you from having negative thoughts.
- Practicing mindfulness by taking a minute to stop what you are doing, focus on your breathing and think of a calming thought, image or belief. It is an incredibly powerful tool.
- Be kind to yourself. Take each hour at a time.
- Avoid putting too much pressure on yourself to perform.
- Self-care is important. Know when your body yearns for a break and take it. Go for a holiday, change environments among other activities. Create time to go for nature walks. Enjoy the beauty of the environment and take pictures. When not at work, rest and get enough sleep.
- Learn to just focus on what you can do and have control over.
- Be aware when you are about to react in ways that are prohibited.
- Reflection will help you to be in the present moment and remain sensitive to the demands and changes brought about by the issue you are facing. Deeply connect with your inner soul, strength and resources.
- A solution focused mind set and high frustration tolerance levels will help keep the peace.
- Stay away from substances that are likely to affect your judgment, reaction time or would cause you to act irrationally, violently or cause brain damage e.g. misuse of prescription drugs, excessive consumption of alcohol, use of illegal and hard drugs.
- Learn to wait and be patient as things settle down, learn to regulate all the negative emotions.
- Use relaxation techniques; meditation, breathing exercises, help restore balance in your life.
- Gratitude and compassion – both of these not only help to lower stress levels; they also help boost immunity and improve perspective. It takes only a few seconds to think of something you are grateful for.
- Flexibility is key. Change your thinking, get the facts to be able to correct wrong perceptions or beliefs, move from negative thinking “I feel helpless, there is nothing I can do” to positive Thinking “I can take it one day at a time, I will restart small to get to where I was or I will do things differently”.
If the feelings are persistent, seek help from a professional, like a psychologist or counselor who will help you with psychosocial issues or a psychiatrist for a biological issue that needs medication.
What to do to help
Despite the fact that mental health awareness is on the rise, stigma associated with mental health is still with us. People need to be intentional about getting facts and playing their part in reducing mental related issues. Below are some of the things one can do to help;
As we mark this year’s World Mental Health Week, let us purpose to be more mentally healthy, learn something new about mental health, take care of our mental health, practice self-care, support a friend or someone with a mental health related issue, show love and solidarity with those living with mental health related issues. Remember it is okay not to be okay. It is okay to seek help. Also remember that mental health is emotional, social and psychological well-being which contributes to a relatively happy, functional, productive and healthy life.
By Prof. Margee Ensign
I have just returned from a retreat with the members of our Board and our Governing Council. It was an exhilarating and rewarding experience. I have worked with a number of such boards in my career, and I can honestly say that I have rarely been so impressed.
I just wanted to pause for a moment to tell you how very proud I am to have been named the Vice Chancellor of this very important university. Proud, and happy to have returned to Nairobi, a city I have long loved. I have joined you at USIU-Africa because of all that you have built together, and because of the great promise and potential I see here. You are, we are, a remarkably international institution, and one singularly poised to take on the challenges of the 21st century seen from an African perspective.
The world is changing with a rapidity unknown by previous generations; it presents all of us with an astonishing array of challenges and opportunities. Both nimbleness and rigor will be called for--a willingness to entertain new ideas and new ways of doing things. And the courage to change as we educate the leaders for the rest of this pivotal century.
Over and over again I have been struck by the quality and goodwill of the members of this community. Since my arrival here a couple of months ago, I have had the opportunity to meet many students, alumni, faculty and staff of this institution. People from all over Kenya, from Africa, and from all over the world, have come together here to this important city to create what I am convinced will become known as the finest university in Africa. It will take a lot of hard work by us all.
Hard work, vision and imagination, and creativity. It will take dedication and a willingness to cooperate with one another to achieve great things together. I am so very happy to have been given the opportunity to join you in this exciting endeavor.
Finally, work on the Organizational Review process continues in earnest and this will be shared with the community as soon as the University Council approves the plan. I ask that you be patient and understanding as we complete this important work as efficiently and effectively as possible.
___
More articles and messages by the Vice Chancellor are available here.
Peres Odumo, Miss University Kenya 2019 following her meeting with H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta. She will represent Kenya at the World Miss University Africa Competition in South Korea on the 18th of next month. Photo: Courtesy.
By Peres Odumo
On Monday 26 November, the newly crowned Miss University Africa, Peres Odumo visited the State House, where she met H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta, among other high ranking Government officials.
During the visit, Peres interacted with various local leaders, in addition to speaking at length about her journey to becoming Miss University Kenya, and her forthcoming trip to South Korea to represent the country at the World Miss University pageant.
The World Miss University is an international beauty contest held annually in Seoul, South Korea since 1986. The event is organized by World Miss University Organizing Committee, headquartered in Manhattan, New York. The event is held to select representatives for the World Miss University Peace Corps, which was created to commemorate the United Nations’ resolution to celebrate 1986 as the International Year of Peace.
The Peace Corps representatives work collaboratively in youth empowerment and development in their countries with the aim of achieving societal development goals.
By Debra Kyalo
On Friday, October 28, the Student Affairs Council hosted the pre-judging event for the 2022 edition of the Mr. and Miss USIU-Africa pageant. The 31 contestants showed up and showed out, giving the crowd an incredible show.
They outperformed themselves in the several different categories they presented. The first category was the intro walks where they showed off their newly acquired modelling skills which they have gained over the several weeks of intense training they have been through. That was followed by the talent category where they impressed the crowd with all their different talents and 6 of them were shortlisted to perform during the main event for a shot at the Mr. & Miss Talent titles.
The next category was the couple walks during which the crowd was utterly impressed by the various couples’ chemistry. After this, there was the creative category where the contestants conveyed important messages through the outfits they wore.
The Mr. and Miss USIU-Africa pageant will be held on Friday, November 25 at Two Rivers Mall.
By Hilda Indasi
Ms. Hilda Indasi, has been selected for a six month fully paid International Coaching Course where she will be trained on sports and team management. The course is scheduled to take place late this year and extend up to next year at Leipzig University in Germany. This marks the first time USIU-Africa has been awarded the scholarship.
Applied Computer Technology Senior Ms. Umulkheir Harun Mohamed, is a participant in the Ms. President weekly reality show airing on local television station channel - KTN Home. PHOTO: COURTESY
Ms. President - a local reality television show airing on KTN, has attracted a lot of attention due to its all-female contestant lineup. The show which aims to “groom women to be better leaders” airs every Wednesday on KTN Home between 8pm and 9pm.
Ms. Taigu Muchiri interviewed Applied Computer Technology Senior Ms. Umulkheir Harun Mohamed, on her participation in the show and what the future holds for her.
Campus This Week: Give us a brief background of yourself.
UmulkheIr: I am a Senior studying Applied Computer Technology at USIU-Africa. I also run Kesho Alliance which is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that has been fighting for quality education, especially for the girl child in Garissa County.
The organization has pioneered student-to- student sponsorships that provide financial aid and mentorship to students in need. The goal is to offer bursaries to girls from low-income families so that that they can further the education. I am also involved in youth initiatives that touch on peace and coalition-building in Garissa.
Campus This Week: Why did you choose to apply as a contestant on the show?
UmulkheIr: I am interested in leadership at the grassroots level and passionate about youth leadership in the community. This is an opportunity to showcase my work and show the impact of my work in the community. Youth look up to young leaders, so we have to be a model for them and show them that we need to take positions of leadership in order to see change in our communities.
Campus This Week: How is your experience so far?
UmulkheIr: It has been a challenge but I am growing every day. The show received over 1000 applicants and only 70 participants were picked to take part in the weekly activities to determine if they stay on the show or if they are eliminated. The selection team will select the final 16 who will compete for the top three positions left and will finally pick a winner.
Though it has been a rigorous selection process, I am glad to still be in the race and determined to reach the final, which is 26 episodes from now.
Each morning begins with training, where we are assigned several tasks to implement. Our evaluation on those tasks determines who gets to be eliminated.
The experience has allowed me to meet different leaders from different parts of the country and engage them on how to impact the society.
Consequently, I have been pushed to do better for my community - especially the girls who are facing significant challenges. My community is patriarchal and most families do not allow girls to go to school, to the extent of marrying them off even before they become adults.
The outlawed Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is also still widely practised. I want to rescue as many girls from these challenges as I can, and give them hope for the future.
Insecurity is also a very sensitive issue in Garrisa. My work involves equipping the youth to preach peace through information technology, by partnering with several companies to train the youth on IT skills. I am also challenge my peers to spread peace to combat youth radicalization in the county.
Campus This Week: What do you hope to achieve by participating on the show?
UmulkheIr: My very participation in the show means so much to the girls I mentor, because I now can demonstrate to them that they can be whatever they want to be and can do so much for their community in order to improve the situation in their families.
Most young people from my community believe that they cannot be able to achieve much because they come from a disadvantaged background. This show is a demonstration that they can open their minds to different opportunities available to them. I also want young people to know that they can work hard and achieve their dreams.
I believe their mentality will change when they see what I have achieved.
Campus This Week: What would you tell a younger Umulkher?
UmulkheIr: That she can be a change agent and make a difference in our society no matter how small the act.
She should also understand that the focus should be on the impact her actions make, not the recognition that comes with them.
By Hasritha Sunnam
An intellectual revolution has been brewing within the Spoken Arts and Debate Society (SADS). The club, renowned for its eloquence and brilliance, recently collaborated with the African Debate Academy (ADA) to host an extraordinary tournament that left a lasting impression.
The tournament was held in the style of the World Schools Debate format with two teams of three speakers each, and reply speeches from both opposition and proposition sides. The teams deliver compelling speeches to persuade the judges and audience, demonstrating quick thinking, critical analysis, and teamwork. Additionally, the students participated in quiz and spelling bee sessions, which enhanced their knowledge and fostered a spirit of healthy competition among them.
The event was meticulously orchestrated behind the scenes by the dedicated organizing committee and judges, which included Fresher Awuor, Kashaka Jeremiah, Joshua Wambugu, Hafsa Abshir Mohamed, Hasritha Sunnam, Wanjiru Karugu, Louis Gitu, Lauryn Ojore, and Angel Musomba. Their enthusiasm and hard work shone through, resulting in a smooth and unforgettable experience for everyone involved. The tournament brought together 16 schools, each represented by a talented debater, to participate in the enthralling World Schools style debate. The students exhibited an impressive command of rhetoric and critical thinking.
The power of collaboration, however, distinguished this tournament. The combination of SADS and ADA created an enriching environment in which young minds not only honed their speaking skills but also developed understanding for different points of view. The event evolved into more than just a competition; it became a celebration of intellectual growth.
The judges were critical to the tournament's success, as their fair assessments ensured that every participant had a chance to shine and improve. Their invaluable feedback added a layer of depth to the learning experience, elevating the tournament from a mere competition to a platform of intellectual enlightenment.
While the echoes of the electrifying debates fade, the legacy of SADS and ADA's collaboration lives on. The event acted as a catalyst, encouraging young minds to express themselves confidently. It signaled the start of a new era for SADS, which has emerged as a tournament powerhouse. The journey of eloquence continues to inspire future generations. With SADS at the forefront, minds and voices are united, igniting a spark that will illuminate the path to a brighter and more articulate future.
Ms. Night Nzovu, Director, Administration
Ms. Night Nzovu joins USIU-Africa as Director Administration. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Nairobi. Night brings with her a wealth of experience of over twenty years gained in senior management positions spearheading HR Strategic Management development and implementation both locally and internationally. The most recent being that of Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) at the Karen Hospital, Nairobi. Prior to this she worked with Kenya Airways (KQ) as Senior HR Business Partner supporting the Operations Division, the largest business unit in the airline, across the KQ network in Africa, Asia, Europe and America. She has also worked with Swissport Airside Limited as Human Resource and Administration Manager and The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi as HR & Administration Coordinator.
Prof. Patrick James Ebewo, Dean, School of Communication Cinematics and Creative Arts
Prof. Ebewo is a Professor of Theatre and Dramatic Literature. He holds a Diploma, BA, MA and PhD degrees after studying at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. He has taught at universities in Nigeria, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, and was Head of the Department of Drama and Film, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa. He is an NRF (National Research Foundation of South Africa) “Rated Researcher” who has published extensively in the areas of African drama, applied theater, culture and film studies. Prof. Ebewo has facilitated many theater workshops aimed at empowering disadvantaged African communities. He has won many Research Awards and is a member of various professional bodies including the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) and African Theatre Association (AfTA). He is a Fellow of Theatre Arts (FTA), National Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners, Nigeria; and Fellow, Centre for Advanced Studies, University of Munich, Germany.
Dr. Francis Ndemo, BSc (Pharm), PharmD, MRPharmS (UK), FPSK, Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Dr. Ndemo holds a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy degree from Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, UK, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a Post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Pharmacokinetics from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, USA. He has held a number of academic positions including Associate Professor at University of Nairobi, Creighton University and Hampton University in the United States of America. He is a recipient of a number awards including, Fulbright Fellowship, British Technical Aids Award, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists(ASHP) research award ,2015 Academic Excellence Faculty Award and 2013 Internal Preceptor Award of Hampton University School of Pharmacy. Additionally, he has held administrative positions including Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya and currently serves as Chairman of Training and Assessment Technical Committee, Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenya.
Mr. Leonard Kiplang’at Sang’, Chief Accountant
Mr. Sang joins USIU-Africa as Chief Accountant. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Kenyatta University, and an MBA from the University of Nairobi. He is also a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya and member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). He Joins USIU-Africa from the African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD). Prior to that he worked at Kabarak University. He has 19 years of experience in finance gained in various organizations.
Mr. Bernard Owuor, lecturer, Film Production and Directing
Mr. Bernard Owuor joins USIU-Africa as a lecturer film production and editing. He holds an M.A in Film Editing and Post-Production from Bournemouth University, UK; B.A in Broadcast and Radio Production from Texas Southern University, USA. He is a member of the Film Lecturers and Trainers Association of Kenya with over ten years of teaching experience.
By CTW Team
The new Staff Council members, who were elected in December, were formally sworn into office on Monday, January 30 by the Director, Legal Services. The ceremony was attended by the Director, Administration, the Electoral Commission officials and the outgoing officials as well as staff.
In his comments, the outgoing Vice Chair, Mr. Stephen Makau congratulated all the incoming Council and urged them to remember that they were in service of Staff, and as such, they would need to ensure that they did their utmost to ensure that staff issues were addressed to the best of their ability.
Mr. Bonfas Salano, the Staff Council Chair thanked staff for voting them in and trusting them to articulate their issues, adding that he and his team looked forward to working with the University leadership to ensure that staff issues were properly addressed so that staff could feel more motivated to add even more value to the university.
He also thanked the outgoing team for holding fort for the past four years, and reiterated that they would work together to ensure a smooth transition as they continued to settle into their posts.
The event closed with remarks from the Director, Administration, Ms. Night Nzovu, who mentioned that the HR Department was ready to work with the Staff Council to achieve various people-related goals, including galvanizing staff to deliver effectively on their duties under the ‘We Are One’ theme.
The four-member Council is made up of the following staff:
By Uwimana Oscar & Nderi Marcia
On February 20, 2023, the new student Electoral Commissioners were sworn in to office in presence of the Director, Legal Services Ms. Hellen P. Ombima, Mr. Chris Ayuoyi, the incoming Electoral Commission secretary Ms. Jane Nyaga and outgoing Electoral Commissioner Uwimana Oscar in the VC boardroom at exactly 12:45 PM. The event comes after a process led by the Student Affairs Department where interested students sent in CVs and were scrutinized and progressed to the interview process.
The interviews were then conducted on Monday, February 20, 2023 at the Student Council boardroom. The panelists were Uwimana Oscar (outgoing Electoral Commissioner), Mr. Chris Ayuoyi (Senior Clubs Coordinator) and Anold Nyato (International Students’ Representative, Student Council).
In her remarks Ms. Hellen urged the commissioners to uphold the University’s rules and guidelines since this is a sensitive office that requires integrity to serve the student association. Uwimana Oscar in his remarks stated that: “On behalf outgoing Electoral Commissioners, I would like to thank the Student Affairs Department and the University at large for making our duty smooth as we conducted last year’s elections. This has been a great learning experience for us. We wish the very best to the new student Electoral Commissioners as they take over the mantle. Thank you.”
Student Affairs Council Vice chairperson Warda Ahmed Ali takes oath of office.Photo: Taigu Muchiri
By Taigu Muchiri
The new Student Affairs Council leadership were sworn in on May 15, 2019 during a ceremony attended by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic & Student Affairs Prof. Ruthie Rono, Associate DVC Students Affairs, Student Affairs Prof. Wangari Mwai, student leaders and students. The oath was administered by the Director, Legal Services, Ms. Helen Ambasa.
Clubs officials and sportsmen leaders were sworn in May 17, 2015 during a leadership training facilitated by Olive International. The objective of the training was to impart knowledge and leadership skills to the new office bearers in order to effectively execute their mandates. They were trained on understanding the principle of positive youth, personal development and professional responsibility, personal evaluation and reflection. The training will take eight weeks and the students will be issued with certificates once they complete the course.
The elections of the new office bearers were held in March 2019.
American Football Captain Myles Gicheru
By Myles Gicheru and Taigu Muchiri
American football, which is also known as football in the United States is a team sport played by two teams made up of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts similar to rugby but T-shaped at each end. Each team divides its players into two teams, the offense and defense teams each having 11 active players on the field.
The offense team is made up of the quarterback (throwing the ball), running back (runs with the ball after being given the ball by the quarterback), receiver (receives the ball when the quarterback throws the ball), linemen (protect the quarterback not to be tackled). The defense team is made up of the linemen (attacks the quarterback of the other team so as not to enable him to catch the ball), cornerbacks (ensures the receivers don’t catch the ball), linebackers (behind the defensive linemen, and therefore back up the line) and safety (defensive backs who line up from ten to fifteen yards in front of the line of scrimmage.)
The offense team, which is the team controlling the oval-shaped ball attempts to advance down the field by running with or passing the ball, while the defense, which is the team without control of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and aims to take control of the ball. The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays, otherwise they turn over the football to the defense; if the offense succeeds in advancing ten yards or more, they are given a new set of four downs. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins.
American football in USIU-Africa started in fall 2017 and is known as USIU Panthers. The team has a total of 22 players, 5 seniors, 6 juniors, 7 sophomores, 4 freshmen. The team took part in two leagues of which the second league started in fall 2018 and has ended in spring 2019.The team training as it prepares itself for the next season which is starting in June. The USIU Panthers train every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
By Evelyne Kerubo
The festive season has ended and each and every person is trying to see what the New Year has in store for them. At this time, many individuals try and come up with a list of resolutions that are in line with what they want to achieve.
The new year’s resolutions can range from finances, health, relationships, academic and even career, as this list can be endless. In trying to come up with the resolutions, past life experiences might have an influence on the current resolution decisions. One such example is when a person has body image issues, and this affects their self-esteem.
Consequently, when coming up with new year’s resolutions, the person can make unrealistic goals such as loosing tremendous amounts of weight. In such a situation, failing to meet the target body goals and weight loss can lead to negative feelings being experienced.
By the time the New Year begins we all have an idea about a ruminating issue that has been present in our minds, and this is where the start of the resolutions usually comes about. The resolution can be unrealistic at times, and this pushes the individuals to go hard on themselves thus creating a situation for stress to develop.
Research has shown that only 8 percent of individuals are often successful at fulfilling the resolutions that they make. In turn, this leaves one to wonder about the mental health of those who are not successful, and with specific regards to the psychological issues they have to go through. The top reasons that have been found to make people not achieve their resolutions include having resolutions that cannot be measured, no presence of accountability, and doing nothing towards achievement.
The key question that then comes about is ‘how do I achieve the goals that I have set for 2022?’. It is possible to achieve the new year’s resolutions by following some of these provided key steps:
First, the resolutions should be referred to as goals as this becomes easy to achieve since they are specific. Secondly, it is important to be reasonable as this means that there is a possibility of success and or failure. Thirdly, create a suitable timeline and work on each specific goal at a time and this will bring about more optimal success.
While this is taking place, one should monitor the progress that has been made. One specific way of doing this is to journal since this provides an emotional outlet both negative and positive. At the same time, it is also important to practice gratitude, create lasting friendships, take time off for self-improvement, practicing mindfulness and just live life despite the global pandemic.
In the long run, do not beat yourself down as you need to have your mental health to be intact to deal with the other issues present in day to day life.
Happy New Year, and ensure to put your mental health first at all times.
By CTW Team
Last week, the newly appointed Chief Administrative Secretary for Education, Dr. Sara Ruto visited USIU-Africa for an online learning benchmarking session. Accompanied by Dr. David Njegere from the Ministry of Education, the CAS visited the University to be taken through how it has adapted to online learning as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
In her remarks, Dr. Ruto noted that the visit to USIU-Africa was motivated by the need to witness first-hand some of the educational reforms that the Ministry had been conceptualizing.
“For many years, one had to go outside the country to find an institution to benchmark with. USIU-Africa allows us to visit and see the practical application of some of the reforms that the Ministry is aspiring to,” she said.
“The Ministry of Education is doing everything in its power to ensure that drastic improvements are made as soon as possible in the Kenyan education system,” she added.
In his presentation, the Director of E-learning, USIU-Africa Online, Dr. Phillip Machoka noted that e-learning at USIU-Africa and the University’s ability to pivot seamlessly to online learning at the start of the pandemic was something that had taken years to refine.
“E-learning has been in use at USIU-Africa for over 14 years now. With the growth in the number of students over the years, the University began to seriously explore how it could expand its online learning offering to correspond to the pedagogical changes it was implementing in face to face teaching and learning,” he noted.
“The aspiration to strengthen online learning led to the formation of the USIU-Africa Online Learning Directorate, which is in charge of designing and preparing online courses as well as facilitating online teaching and learning. “
Dr. Machoka’s presentation covered the workings of the Blackboard System, which is the Learning Management System currently in use at the university. He demonstrated some of the system’s capabilities, including one on one contact with students, administration of assessments and examinations, its collaborative elements, its access by students regardless of their location, among others.
Other measures that have been taken to ensure that students continue to access top-notch online learning include membership to Quality Management, whose membership the university attained in 2021, as well as a planned migration to the latest version of Blackboard, Blackboard Ultra, scheduled to take place in May 2021.
“One of the biggest achievements for the Online Directorate was the development of the Online MBA, the first program of its kind approved by CUE and WSCUC in Kenya and the United States, respectively. Our inaugural class has 21 students out of the 25 that had been targeted for the class. Investment wise, we spend about Kshs. 13 million every year to ensure that all our licenses are up to date to support the delivery of online learning,” he added.
By Laura Were
The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) hosted a webinar on February 8 titled: "Amplifying Her Voice: Breaking Gender Barriers in the Creative Industry." The webinar brought together 87 attendees from across Kenya including Country Creative Arts, Residence & Empowerment (CO-CARE) program beneficiaries, creatives, researchers, and industry professionals. CO-CARE’s research and learning agenda is being supported by NIERA’s Demand Driven Research Initiative (DDRI) and is evaluating the effectiveness of training and mentorship interventions in creating decent jobs and sustainable incomes among youth in the creative industry.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Jennifer Nyakinya, Program Manager at NIERA, highlighted the four strategic areas of inquiry: Gender mainstreaming, Systemic barriers, Job decency, and Technological advancements in Artificial Intelligence that guide the network’s research intervention that is generating insights and filling knowledge gaps on youth employment in the creative industry.
Among the highlights of the webinar was the presentation of findings from a baseline survey conducted in November and December 2023 for CO-CARE from 984 respondents. Prof. Amos Njuguna, Chair at NIERA and Deputy Vice Chancellor- Transformative Teaching, Learning and Research at USIU-Africa, brought to attention notable gender imbalances in the creative industries based on the survey data. The results showed that on average, men reported having more years of experience with 29% having between 5 to 10 years, compared to 19% of females. Men spent more hours per week on creative work, earned higher monthly incomes, and owned more content creation assets than women.
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion of emerging themes from the baseline results. Melissa Kiplagat, International actress and media personality noted that the findings of the baseline survey are felt globally as she drew comparison to South Africa and Nigeria’s entertainment industry which seems to be thriving. However, despite their apparent success, they are experiencing similar challenges. This emphasizes on the global need especially within African countries to work on issues surrounding the entertainment and creative industries rather than opting to avoid them.
In her reflections, Valentine Zikki, Musician and voice-over artist, emphasized the importance of creatives proactively engaging in the negotiation processes to ensure fair compensation. Drawing from her personal experiences, she shed light on the prevalent issue of gender-based pay disparities, recounting instances where she received less compensation compared to her male counterparts.
Another critical topic of discussion was the prevalence of harassment and discrimination faced by female creatives in the industry. Pauline Wambui, Managing Director and Legal Advisor at Zebra Productions Limited advised on the importance of establishing boundaries from the onset as well as ensuring that there are working anti-sexual and harassment frameworks in place in the respective institutions and working spaces. Participants were advised not to let the fear of discrimination prevent them from speaking up, seeking help and advocating against Gender Based Violence and sexual harassment.
Gatekeeping and lack of access to opportunities were cited as major obstacles holding women back from advancing in creative fields with the baseline data revealing only 19% of creatives have had opportunities for mentorship or training. Valentine Zikki spoke passionately about the transformative potential of collective action, urging creatives to rally together and uplift one another. Her powerful message came as a call to action for creatives to advocate for one another, share information and resources in a bid to break down barriers, and pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable creative industry.
In discussing passion and maintaining balance in the industry, Rachel Mwara, Creative entrepreneur, emphasized the importance of adopting a bold, determined mindset. She urged creatives to believe in themselves and their vision, have the courage to put themselves out there, and not let self-doubt hold them back. Rachel also highlighted the need for creatives to educate themselves and leverage resources like the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) to ensure their work is protected by copyright.
There was consensus from panelists that government involvement is critical for instituting policies and frameworks aimed at promoting gender equity across creative industries. They called for regulations around compensation, codes of conduct, accountability systems, and anti-harassment policies to be implemented through legislative and policy changes. Government initiatives promoting inclusion, along with funding and resources dedicated to advancing women in the arts, were also highlighted as impactful measures.
In his closing remarks, Paul Ngugi, the Deputy Country Lead in Kenya at the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) spoke on how the dialogue and presented findings would inform and strengthen their programs and funding decisions to better support gender equity.
In case you missed the webinar and would like to catch up, visit our YouTube channel linked here.
By Azenath Ateka
Last week, from October 19-25, the global community came together to celebrate Open Access (OA) through a series of activities. The theme of the Week this year was ‘Open for a purpose: Taking action to build structural equity and inclusion’.
USIU-Africa acknowledges the importance of and supports Open Access. We are committed to raising the visibility of scholarship, accelerating research and turning breakthroughs into better lives. To do this, we advocate for change especially by taking part in the International Open Access Week. In the past we have organized activities and events aimed at creating awareness and promoting Open Access among members of the USIU-Africa community.
Given the current ‘online everything’ environment that we are currently in, it was especially important for the University to participate in this year’s Open Access virtual events. One of the interesting events was hosted by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC). SPARC is a global coalition committed to making Open Access the default of research and education through the adoption of policies and practices that advance Open Access, Open Data and Open Education.
Below are some of the key takeaways from the session:
1. Open Access enables a wide and rapid dissemination of research. Publishing Open makes papers visible, ‘citable’ and easily accessible.
Key question: Are your papers in the Open? Have you been cited? What is your H-Index?
2. Open Access saves lives! Would you believe that several people with weird conditions have found diagnosis and solutions from OA journal articles?
Key question: Now that it is possible that by putting your research and publications in the Open, you could save a life, how many articles do you have that could be potentially be lifesaving?
3. On Monday, March 2, 2020, UNESCO launched the OER Dynamic Coalition. Open Educational Resources (OER) are digitized materials offered freely and openly for learners and educators to use, reuse, adapt and redistribute; to enable people to learn at the time, place and space that satisfies their circumstances and needs.
Key question: What if all the resources related to teaching and learning were free and open during COVID-19? Would education be more equitable and inclusive?
4. That an Institutional repository can actually be described as a ‘Digital Archive of intellectual product created by the faculty, research staff, and students of an institution and accessible to end users both within and outside the institution, with few, if any, barriers to access’
We have one at USIU-Africa http://erepo.usiu.ac.ke/ . Its content is defined by us as an institution, it is scholarly, cumulative, perpetual and open.
Key question: Do you know about it? Have you contributed your scholarly works? Have you engaged with any of the material on the repository?
USIU-Africa is committed to enabling Open Access through:
- Having an open digital repository.
- Encouraging students and faculty to publish in Open Access journals. Several faculty and students are published in Open Access journalism.
- Encouraging Open Access, creating awareness of it and encouraging Open Access publishing.
For pointers to Open Access resources, journals and repositories to get you started, click here.
By the USIU-Africa Library and Information Center
Open Data exists within the broader context of Open Research. It refers to that data which is open for anyone to access, modify, reuse, and share in support of an increasingly data-driven world. The impetus behind making research data openly accessible goes beyond making it free of restrictions such as paywalls.
USIU-Africa acknowledges the importance of and supports Open Data and Open Access. We are committed to raising the visibility of scholarship, accelerating research and turning breakthroughs into better lives. Some of the benefits of Open Data include:
What is a research data repository?
The best way to publish and share research data is with a research data repository. A repository is an online database that allows research data to be preserved across time and helps others find it. Here are 5 major repositories that you could consider and can access through the Library:
1. Figshare is an open access data repository where researchers can preserve their research outputs, such as datasets, images, and videos and make them discoverable. It allows researchers to upload any file format and assigns a digital object identifier (DOI) for citations. Figshare releases' The State of Open Data' every year to assess the changing academic landscape around open research. Free accounts on Figshare can upload files of up to 5gb 5 GB and get 20gb 20 GB of free storage.
2. Mendeley Data is an open research data repository, where researchers can store and share their data. Datasets can be shared privately between individuals, as well as publicly with the world. Datasets uploaded to Mendeley Data go into a moderation process where they are reviewed. This ensures the content constitutes research data, is scientific, and does not contain a previously published research article. Researchers can upload and store their work free of cost on Mendeley Data.
3. Dryad Digital Repository is a curated general-purpose repository that makes data discoverable, freely reusable, and citable. Since the guiding principle of Dryad is to make its contents freely available for research and educational use, there are no access costs for individual users or institutions. Instead, Dryad supports its operations by charging a $120 fee each time data is published.
4. Harvard Dataverse is an online data repository where scientists can preserve, share, cite and explore research data. Researchers, journals and institutions may choose to install the Dataverse web application on their own server or use Harvard's installation. Harvard Dataverse is open to all scientific data from all disciplines. It is free and has a limit of 2.5 GB per file and 10 GB per dataset.
5. Zenodo is a general-purpose open-access repository developed under the European OpenAIRE program and operated by CERN. Zenodo has no restriction on the file type that researchers may upload and accepts dataset of up to 50 GB.
Research data can save lives, help develop solutions and maximize our knowledge. Promoting collaboration and cooperation among a global research community is the first step to reduce the burden of wasted research. As the Library, we remain committed to helping you know how to use open data in your research, while preserving your data as you make it open to the world.
Last week, Dr. Amanda Kraus, Assistant Vice President, Campus Life and Executive Director and ADA504 Compliance Office, Disability Resource Center, University of Arizona USA, spoke about the importance of integrating best practices to cater to the needs of persons with disability. In her address, Dr. Kraus noted that disability access is vital for disabled students, employees and guests to the university so that they can have a similar if not identical experience with respect to campus access as their non-disabled counterparts.
One of the key steps that she highlighted for institutions of higher learning to employ in order to integrate disability access is through universal design. Universal design is a design that can be used by all people to the greatest extent possible without the need for adaptation or specialized design.
The principles of universal design are equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, and perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort and the size and space for use.
These principles are a guiding factor in disability access. Universal design for learning then means allowing room for multiple or flexible methods of assessment for instance lecturers could give oral, audio or audio visual tests as opposed to issuing written tests. This then allows for persons with disability to demonstrate their capabilities and to have an exciting learning experience. It also inculcates engagement, representation, action and expression.
Disability access is a human right and not a compliance exercise and with this in mind our focus then shifts from an individual accommodation for persons with disability to a universal holistic approach.
Reframing what access entails includes understanding what ableism and disablism mean. Disablism is a set of assumptions, conscious or unconscious, and practice that promote differential or unequal treatment of people because of actual or presumed disabilities. Ableism is a system of beliefs that favor non-disabled people.
Dr. Kraus highlighted that because our environments oppress people with impairments, we should work to increase systemic inclusion and decrease individual accommodation. Disability is naturally occurring on the spectrum of human difference hence we should work to enhance access as justice, not minimal compliance obligation or charity.
“Disability access is an institutional obligation and must be a campus commitment,” emphasized Dr. Kraus. USIU-Africa is committed to giving persons with disability an equal experience.
For immediate release
OVER 1,500 STUDENTS GRADUATE AT USIU-AFRICA’S 43RD COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
Nairobi, Saturday, September 25, 2021 - A total of 1,517 students graduated today during USIU-Africa’s 43rd Commencement Ceremony, marking the first physical graduation held at the University since the beginning of the pandemic. The graduands included 1,135 Undergraduate, 351 Masters and 14 Doctoral students, with the first cohorts of students from the Film Production and Directing and Marriage and Family Therapy programs also graduating.
In his remarks read on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary of Health, Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, the CAS at the Ministry of Health, noted that the Commencement ceremony was a notable milestone, on account of the fact that it was held during the ongoing pandemic.
“We are able to come together because various vaccine developers and regulatory experts have worked round the clock to ensure that we continue with our lives as they sacrifice to find a lasting solution to this pandemic. When the first COVID-19 case was reported here in Kenya, the Government took drastic containment measures in order to manage its spread,” she said.
“The education sector has adjusted its approach during these difficult times by providing solutions and designing protocols that have ensured that our children continue with their learning safely. I commend USIU-Africa for its foresight and investment in online learning infrastructure, which resulted in flexibility and instant continuity; an admirable achievement that other institutions should emulate for the future. The commitment and efforts that the university has put in place to implement phased re-opening demonstrates that the safety of its students, faculty and staff is a key priority,” she added.
In her comments, the Interim Vice Chancellor, Prof. Freida Brown, noted that the University was consistently working to ensure that its students received a cutting-edge, international education.
“The higher education landscape is changing rapidly, and the University has remained adaptable, while remaining committed to its core mandate of academic teaching and learning to produce the next generation of leaders, and knowledge that will be impactful to society. Over the years, we have made several investments that have ensured that USIU-Africa has stayed ahead of the curve, including continued investment in our ICT infrastructure, which enabled us to make a seamless transition into remote learning, which has now transitioned into hybrid learning from the current Fall semester,” she said.
Prof. Brown ended her remarks by urging the students to abide by the values that they had learned while at USIU-Africa.
“Over its fifty-two-year history, USIU-Africa has consistently aspired to be the best, and to give its students the best. As you graduate today, I urge you to similarly aspire for excellence not only through the pursuit of knowledge that will illuminate your future, but also by looking at your past and drawing lessons and inspiration from the challenges that you may have faced,” she noted.
Over the past year, the University has made several improvements to its academic offering, including the introduction of five new programs, namely: Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Analytics, Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering, and a PhD. in Information Systems and Technology, Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry and Bachelor of Science in Applied Biochemistry.
The University has also obtained membership into Quality Matters (QM), an organization which helps academic institutions to deliver quality online learning through a collaborative and collegial process centered on continuous improvement, which helps institutions achieve their quality assurance goals for online teaching and learning. In another ground-breaking move in support of online learning at the University, the Mastercard Foundation and Arizona State University recently signed an agreement with the University to bolster its e-learning capacity-building alongside 21 other participating international universities. The initiative prioritizes eleven African institutions, Earth University in Costa Rica and American University of Beirut to address areas of instructional design and pedagogy as well as content development for online teaching and learning.
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Watch the recorded 43rd Commencement Ceremony via YouTube here:
By Diana Meso
Recently, the Admissions Department held an online webinar dubbed the USIU-Africa Education Day that attracted over 200 participants from various schools and organizations across the globe.
The event was aimed at marketing USIU-Africa programs and facilities, providing more information on financial aid programs available with a special focus on the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, as well as creating a platform where participants can interact one on one with members of the Admissions department.
Dr. George Lumbasi, Chief Admissions Manager welcomed all the participants to the forum and mentioned that even with the current COVID-19 situation globally, USIU-Africa is still at the forefront of providing world-class international education. This was echoed by Mr. Samuel Irungu, who gave a comprehensive presentation on USIU-Africa, elaborating on the state-of-the-art facilities that students enjoy, the various co-curricular activities students can engage in, and the endless opportunities available at the university.
Ms. Faith Mugambi, a Program Officer in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program talked about the Program, detailing the eligibility criteria and the application deadline for the next intake. She further elaborated on the costs covered by the scholarship explaining that students receive a monthly stipend to facilitate their day-to-day needs.
Two beneficiaries of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program; Ms. Catherine Nafula, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Relations and Ms. Exode Malengani, who is undertaking a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration, shared their experience and lauded the university for having world-class facilities and services. They also encouraged participants to work hard to qualify for the scholarship terming it as a life-changing opportunity.
The Admission department has so far organized several virtual and physical career days targeting specific groups. The department further plans to hold more this year to market and create awareness about the university and boost enrollment numbers.
By Maureen Bett
In January this year, over 300 youth trainees from different counties including Kisumu, Mombasa, Kiambu and Nairobi under the County Creative Arts Residence & Empowerment (CO-CARE) program started their training aimed at empowering them with the right skills, knowledge and network to build a career in the creative sector.
The participants were trained on various topics including Life and Soft Skills, Business Registration, Entrepreneurial Mindset and Financial Literacy among others.
This is a start of series of training and mentorship that will be happening through the CO-CARE program, a partnership between USIU-Africa, the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) and Across Solutions (the Churchill brand). The trainings will be happening in different hubs in Kiambu County at the Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Kisumu County at the YMCA, Mombasa County at the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic and in USIU-Africa.
The Placement and Careers Services (PACS) Department recently launched the Alumni Mentorship Program. The program brings together notable Alumni from various programs to mentor current students in areas related to personal and career development for 6 months. In this cohort, 20 Alumni mentors and 24 students were trained and matched.
Cecilia Waihenya, PACS Head of Department, thanked the alumni mentors for giving back to their alma mater in such an impactful manner and encouraged the students to utilize the opportunity to learn from their mentors and implement their advice. She also shared the achievements of previous alumni mentorship cohorts and praised the returning mentors who will also be mentoring students in this cohort.
Michael Kisilu, Principal Alumni Relations Officer, encouraged students to be intentional about the mentorship program and thanked all the alumni mentors for their time and commitment to give back to the university. Michael Mbuthia, Secretary of the USIU-Africa Alumni Association, was also present during the program's launch.
Dr. Edgar Githua, the PACS Mentorship Programs Lead, commended the Alumni mentors for their dedication to the program by mentoring the students even when they are out of the country. He urged them to expose students to opportunities and advised the students to make the most of this opportunity and expect to be challenged into building the life and career they desire.
In line with supporting students and alumni in their career development journey, the Placement & Career Services department runs several mentorship programs, including the Alumni mentorship program, Corporate 1-on-1 Mentorship Program, and Corporate Roundtable Mentorship program. To get involved in any of these mentorship programs as a mentor, mentee, or corporate partner, please contact the PACS team at careeroffice@usiu.ac.ke
By Justice Masime and Mercy Sitima
Photo: PACS Vision board
On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, the Placement and Career Services (PACS) department spearheaded a vision board workshop geared towards challenging students to inspect their life journey, themed ‘Audacity; Dare to dream, own your future’. The event took place at the Peer Counsellors Club (PECC) venue, with about 40 students interactively engaged with speakers from within the department coupled with guests from Jubilee Insurance and Alitezi Foundation.
The workshop covered much depth in breaking down career-related insights on goal setting. Dr. Edgar Githua, head of PACS opened the session giving a welcome remark highlighting the services offered by PACS. The next session was a reflective space conducted by guest speaker Hellen Matarimo from Alitezi Foundation. She implored the students to recalibrate their position on what drove them towards choosing certain majors, as some students’ career goals weren’t closely pegged to their study units.
PACS representative, Mercy Sitima took the students through a journey of self-assessment to a well-balanced life. She introduced the concept of the wheel of life, encouraging students to have a balance in academics, personal development, finance management, physical/mental health, fun & recreation, community contribution, family/social relations, and spirituality. In addition, she also guided students on how to create a vision board while expounding on its value. Having the privilege of understanding the value of a balanced life, students were then introduced to the concept of insurance which was presented by Caroline Nderitu from Jubilee Insurance.
The workshop was a very creative space as the students got to craft vision boards that would serve as a memento to fuel their deep-seated desire for the qualities sought out of a fulfilling career. With the vision boards at hand, the students learned that success is a culmination of habits and achieving set goals. They got enlightened on the concept of value-tagging as they understood how salient dreams become when enabled by relevant tools of clarity and focus. Some notable feedback from the students included:
“Got me really settled on my reality plus what I truly need to adjust, implement, and apply.”
“I loved that I was able to create a vision board. It was great to see how I envision my future in paper.”
“My highlight was understanding that experience does not come from a job, it comes from community contribution and volunteering.”
By Juweiriya Said
The Peer Educators and Counsellors Club (PECC) recently held a webinar online dating dubbed "Spot and catch a catfish". The webinar was in response to catfishing, an internet security issue that has become commonplace in the wake of active social media engagement among people of all ages around the world.
PECC deemed it necessary to have the training in order to educate and raise awareness on the dangerous aspects of online dating. Research shows that online dating has become a common phenomenon around the world particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic period. It also shows that a majority of people who engage in online dating have experienced some sort of threat, problem and even security and privacy breach.
Panelists at the event included Prof. Martin Luther, a faculty member at the School of Science and Technology, who covered the topic of safety precautions in online dating. He shared some of the dangers that one can face including fraud, stalking, and physical assaults among other issues.
“Some of the red flags to look out for when online dating include the person being hesitant to have a physical meeting, refusal to chat over video call, and having few social media friends,” he said. His sentiments were reiterated by an account of one of the webinar’s participants, who noted that he had a catfishing experience that led to him being nearly robbed by the person he was meeting.
Mr. Varun Gupta, a USIU-Africa alumnus also shared with the audience some of the vulnerabilities one can be exposed to in online interactions. He gave a demonstration of how an individual’s device can be hacked and ways to prevent such from happening.
Ms. Noel Lusega, a Senior Counselor at USIU-Africa took the audience through the psychology behind catfishing where she shared key reasons for catfishing as; personal insecurities, mental illnesses, revenge and so forth. She also took the audience through some of the negative effects cat-fishing can have on a victim’s mental health, including anxiety, low self- esteem, depression, trust issues, a loss especially if it is a relationship they invested in just like any other form of loss.
By Sandra Joan
The Peer Educators and Counsellors Club (PECC) recently held an online webinar themed “Debunking Suicide". The event highlighted the issues surrounding depression and suicide, and featured panelists, including professionals in the field, who offered their insights on the topic.
With the suicide rate in Kenya having been on the rise lately, especially since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, PECC found it necessary to have this two-day event and especially during the month of September in commemoration of Suicide Awareness & Prevention Week. Statistics have reported that between the months of March and June this year, over 500 people have committed suicide, a number said to be higher than what was reported in the entire year of 2020. A lot of young people, and in our case university students don’t know how to cope with stress which in turn leads to the development of depression and eventually leads to suicide.
Panelists at the event included Mr. Onyango Otieno (Founder – Afro Masculinity, Co-Founder – Fatuma’s Voice, Host & Producer – Afro Men Podcast, Certified Trauma Coach), Mr. Patrick Obel (Senior Counselor - USIU-Africa), and Lydia Winda (VCT Counselor & Club Patron). The moderators who doubled as the co-chairs of the event were Ms. Sandra Joan (Head of PR & Marketing –PECC) and Ms. Wandia King’ori (Vice Chairperson – PECC).
Speaking on mental wellness and masculinity in the African male context, Mr. Onyango Otieno noted that it was high time that society unlearned the unhealthy definitions of masculinity, and learn healthy communication, adding that it was important to encourage and celebrate the expression of emotions specially in boys from a young age.
The event also featured a panel session led by the University’s Counselling Office. Ms. Lydia Winda and Mr. Patrick Obel defined what suicide and depression were, and laid out the risk factors for the former while helping us break the stigma surrounding them. They educated the attendants on what the appropriate language use is when talking about a person with suicidal ideations or who has attempted to take their own life before. Ms. Noel Lusega (Senior Counselor at USIU-Africa) and Lucy Kung’u (Head Counselor at USIU- Africa) took the audience through the psychology behind suicide and answered questions from the attendants regarding how to be there for a loved one going through the same or for their family members after they have laid a loved one to rest.
The session ended with a testimonial session from a student, Ms. Joyce Wanjiku who spoke about her experience living with bipolar disorder and depression and helped humanize the person behind the suicidal attempts and verbalize what it feels like to actually have suicidal ideations.
By Tiffany Marimba
With the complete resumption of physical classes in January 2022, and bearing in mind the unique issues that returning students may face, the Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) held its annual PEC training for interested students.
This year's training was held over the course of 4 days (September 16, 17, 30 and October 1) and was officially launched by the Dean of students MR. Ronald Kimani on behalf of the Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs Mrs. Ritah J. Asunda. The facilitators included the Principal Counselor Mrs. Lucy Kung’u, Senior Counselor Mr. Patrick Obel, Senior Counselor Ms. Noel Lusega, Ms. Rachel Nguni, Principal Gender Equity and Social Protection, and VCT Counselor/ PECC Patron Ms. Lydia Winda.
The objectives of this training included:
The training was well attended, boasting upwards of 70 trainees present. It began with a current PEC Club member sharing their experiences about the training, how it impacted her life at individual level and used the skills gained to support her peers and community. This gave the trainees a first-hand account on what to expect. Over the course of the two weekends, trainees were informed not only on the importance of their roles as peer counselors, but also on the skills they would need to possess in order to do play their roles effectively.
In addition to these skills, trainees were given the opportunity to get to know themselves better through self-reflection exercises. During breaks, trainees were able to bond and get to know each other better. This was especially important given that they will be working closely together in the coming academic year.
All in all, the peer counselor trainees underwent a rigorous and highly informative program. The broad spectrum of topics covered, as well as the skills practice conducted, left them with a well-rounded understanding of peer education and counseling, and equipped them with the necessary skills to effectively counsel their peers.
By Ardo Umar Farah
On May 31, the Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) hosted a special movie night to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month (May). The event aimed to bring people together and promote mental well-being. The chosen movie, "Perks of Being a Wallflower," was selected based on popular votes and highlighted the importance of supporting one another especially our friends battling mental illnesses.
Mental Health Awareness Month holds significant importance as it seeks to raise awareness about the importance of mental health, reduce the stigma associated with mental illnesses and show solidarity with the affected. Originating in the United States in 1949, this annual observance has grown to become a global movement that encourages individuals, communities, and organizations to address mental health concerns. PECC, in line with its mission, embraced this initiative by organizing the movie night as a platform to foster understanding, support, and education.
The movie night centered around the thought-provoking film "Perks of Being a Wallflower," which beautifully captured the essence of mental health awareness. The movie delved into the challenges individuals face in their mental well-being journey. It highlighted themes of trauma, isolation, identity, and the importance of compassion and support. Through its relatable characters and compelling storytelling, "Perks of Being a Wallflower" served as a reminder of the struggles many people endure, fostering empathy and understanding among the audience.
There was a short session before the movie that involved conversations on mental health facilitated by PECC Patron Ms. Lydia Winda. Those in attendance were given sticky notes to write messages of hope and encouragement which they put in a common box. After the movie, everybody was asked to pick one of the messages, read and take away.
To enhance the movie night experience, PECC gave away 100 free popcorns to the first 100 people who arrived at the auditorium. This gesture added excitement and contributed to a warm and inclusive atmosphere. The event, which started at 5pm and ended at 8pm, was a great success, attracting a diverse group of individuals passionate about mental health advocacy. In fact, approximately 170 people showed up, further highlighting the strong community support for mental health initiatives.
Together We Fight Stigma, Provide Support, and Educate, was the guiding theme, underscoring the club's commitment to creating a safe space for open dialogue and promoting mental well-being. While engaging the community, the movie night successfully emphasized the importance of unity in addressing mental health challenges.
By Claire Elsie Ochunga
Schools shutting down physical learning had students doing their course work online depriving them a chance to interact with their peers. To remedy this, the Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) thought it necessary to organize a Wellness Week that encompassed activities and games that would not only be fun but also bring the USIU-Africa community together.
The event, held from November 8- 11, 2021, brought together members of the community who took part in activities including a discussion on self-care, emotional intelligence in relationships, art therapy, chess, badminton, jigsaw puzzles, monopoly, scrabble, cards, jenga, prompt boards and Red Light Green Light.
The different days set aside for Wellness Week covered different dimensions of wellness such as; social well-being, physical well-being, emotional well-being, and self-care.
The first day of Wellness Week was dedicated to self-care; learning the different ways we perform self-care and how to be consistent with the habits. Some of the key aspects of self-care that were discussed included; nutrition, sleep, hobbies that play a big role in individuals’ overall well-being. Additionally, a sense of vitality, enjoying outside interests and being in balance with our environment are other factors of self-care that were also discussed during the forum.
The second day was set aside for various outdoor activities that ran concurrently. Art Therapy had the most interaction, from artists to newbies who took the chance to try something new. We had the Chess Club join us, providing chess boards for the chess activity. Jig-saw puzzles, cards, monopoly, and scrabble were activities that brought laughter through its interaction. A visual prompt board was also installed to monitor the moods such as: happy, sad, angry, excited, and in love. Sports people were not left behind, as they had the opportunity to take part in an exciting game of badminton. An organized yoga and meditation session was facilitated by Jacqueline Malombe who is a USIU-Africa student. Art was made, calories were burnt, and friendships were formed.
The last day of Wellness Week had a discussion on emotional well-being, during which the Club hosted Hugs Foundation’s founder, Nassim Nkatha, who brought a trauma healing practitioner Mary Wairimu, who shared with the attendees the need to address trauma in order to heal. The discussion’s key points, which was centered on heartbreak, also included acknowledging and grieving the loss of the previous relationship, self-awareness to help avoid repeating patterns especially when we have unresolved parental issues, emotional support (self and communal and healthy coping skills).
The week-long event was attended by approximately 60 students, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the students, who noted that the event needed to be hosted twice a semester to give students a chance to get to know each other.
By Tiffany Marimba, Lisa Oluoch and Lydia Winda
The Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) launched its weekly board games de-stress sessions on January 24, 2023. This is an activity that is scheduled to take place every Tuesday throughout the semester. The students played a variety of games including chess and checkers, taboo, 30 seconds, twister, monopoly, scrabble, among others. There were roughly 30 individuals present, and while most played in groups, there were also solo activities such as puzzles available.
The club’s dream of providing board games as a healthy way of de-stressing was finally actualized. Some of the benefits of playing board games include; creating an avenue for people to socialize and make friends, aids in stress reduction, enhanced cognitive abilities like decision making, problem solving, memory formation among other high level strategic thinking. It also creates alternative options of activities students can engage in after class as they wait to go to the next class.
In the midst of the stress of university life, the students were given the opportunity to unwind and relax through the games, which PECC will continue to hold every Tuesday for the rest of the semester. Besides games, PECC also runs art therapy sessions every Wednesday from 12.00pm – 3pm, meetings on Monday and Thursdays where they discuss pertinent issues that affect campus students. All PECC activities are open to the university community.
By Tiffany Marimba, Lisa Oluoch and Lydia Winda
8 members of the USIU-Africa Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) together with their patron (Ms. Lydia Winda) joined Crawford students in marking their Drug Awareness Week 2023 themed “Tune Out Drugs” on Monday and Wednesday January 23 and 25.
PECC members attended the Crawford student assembly on both days, presenting two lively skits on how students are introduced to drug use through peer pressure, commonly abused drugs especially by primary and high school students and the dangers of drug use. The Monday assembly was attended by junior pupils aged between 8 and 13years, while the Wednesday assembly consisted of senior students aged 14 to 18 years. PECC members used age appropriate skits to convey the intended messages.
Crawford students in attendance displayed an eager excitement as they watched the dramatic events unfold on stage. Once the assembly came to a close, students of Crawford approached PECC members with questions on avoiding drug use, which were promptly answered. They were excited to interact with the characters in the skit and those who were unable to respond to the questions asked in the hall went ahead to respond to them during the one-on-one interaction.
Additionally, the Club members also had the opportunity to share with senior students the degree programs they are pursuing, with the aim of marketing the university and its diverse offerings.
By Sifa Ndemo
The Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) held a Hackathon on March 15, in collaboration with the School of Science and Technology’s Electoral College. The event commenced with welcome remarks from Ms. Debbie and the teams were then ushered into a brainstorming session. The event fostered collaboration and interaction between students and PECC by providing a platform for the exchange of brilliant ideas. Students from various disciplines were grouped into teams of four people per group and challenged to collaborate, create synergy, and above all develop an innovative solution to a problem statement.
By bringing together minds from diverse backgrounds, the hackathon managed to facilitate the development of effective solutions to issues surrounding mental health. The basic format of the event involved participants tackling one of the three carefully curated problem statements, each highlighting a unique aspect of mental health. The problem statements were to propose solutions that seamlessly integrate mental health practices (i.e. mindfulness, stress management) into people’s daily routines, propose solutions to address social isolation and loneliness through digital platforms or technologies that foster connection, and develop initiatives that empower local communities to take an active role in promoting mental health awareness. Their task was to devise creative and practical solutions that can make a real impact on the well-being as individuals. All the teams outdid themselves and created solutions ranging from apps to websites. These solutions were pitched to a panel of judges who then deliberated on the most outstanding solution. The top three solutions were Zenflow, Bloom Together and Therapy Verse.
By Pearl Ng’ang’a
On Friday February 2, the Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) was invited to participate in a mentorship session by Nova Pioneer Girls Tatu. The school counselor tasked the club members to explore the topics of peer pressure, self-awareness and identity with the students. The club members achieved this by creating a safe environment in the classrooms, allowing the students to speak freely, and guiding them in opening themselves up to learning more about how they can grow in these key areas. The team that went to Nova Pioneer consisted of 33 club members and 4 counselors from the counseling center.
With the club having previously participated in mentorship sessions at both Nova Pioneer High Schools in Tatu City, the PECC members arrived at the school with a degree of preparedness and readiness to take on the day. The team was split into pairs where they engaged with all 16 streams ranging from Form 1 to Form 4 and interacted with the student population of about 400 girls. The team engaged in ice-breakers in their respective classes and proceeded to engage the students in the topics that they were assigned to tackle. There was a positive response from the students, as they were able to engage in personal discussions about their struggles with peer pressure and self-awareness in their journey to discover and cement their identities at a pivotal point in their lives. The time seemed to fly in the one hour that the team was assigned to carry out the mentorship session, however, the team was able to continue engaging and bonding with the students during their tea break and over refreshments.
The main objectives of encouraging the student body to positively discover their identities as they navigate peer pressure and self-awareness in their lives proved to be successful, as demonstrated by the pleasant feedback delivered from both the PECC members and Nova Pioneer. PECC is grateful for the multiple opportunities that Nova Pioneer has provided for its members to grow and looks forward to continuing this collaboration and fostering a deeper relationship with the students in their journey through high school.
Caption: Members of the Peer Educators and Counselors Club during their graduation ceremony. Students receive training and professional support over the course of two semesters to prepare them to be peer counsellors.
Photo: Celeste Impundu.
By the Counselling Office
Twelve members of the Peer Educators and Counselors Club recently graduated from a training held between Fall 2019 and Spring 2020. The ceremony, which was held virtually, was attended by all program graduates, as well as the Counselling Centre staff, representatives from the Student Affairs Department, and the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Munyae Mulinge.
In his comments, Prof. Mulinge noted that the peer educators were now well-equipped with the skills to work together with their peers to ensure that the students had an enriched and diverse learning environment.
“As peer counsellors, you are now the link between the Counselling Centre and your fellow students. Through your training, you will be able to foster this connection by coming up with outreach programs that will increase awareness of various issues that affect students on campus today,“ he said.
This sentiment was also reiterated by the Principal Counsellor, Ms. Lucy Kung’u, who noted that the peer counselors would receive continuous education and resources as they worked to promote overall wellbeing among their fellow students.
Peer education and counseling is recognized and utilized globally as an avenue for peer-related help and support especially among young people. It is a very effective and well documented aspect of counseling as many people often open up to their peers first before seeking any form of professional counsel on various life related issues. People are able to reach out to their peers easily and support them because they understand them better. As a peer, they also have the best chance to refer them to professional counselors who they closely work with; when they perceive that their peer needs further support.
The Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) at USIU-Africa is made up of students who are recruited from the student body, including freshmen. After recruitment of the club members, the club patron, club officials together with the counseling center usually plan for a comprehensive 36-hour peer education and counseling training, after which trainees are given a period of two semesters to practice the skills they acquired during the training through counseling their peers.
During this period, the students are also expected to attend ten individual therapy sessions and five group supervision sessions under the guidance of a counselor, designed to enhance their peer counselling skills. In addition to this, the students are also expected to design and execute an event, after which all trainees who meet the stipulated requirements graduate and are issued with certificate.
The Club meets virtually on Mondays and Thursdays from 12.40-1.20pm in the PECC Office. For more details and information on how to join the Club, reach us at counsel@usiu.ac.ke
By Claire Ochunga
When words are insufficient to articulate the voice in your head, when letters cannot begin to express the emotion you feel, take a blank piece of paper and let every stroke of your paint brush, shade of your color pencil, and texture of your crayon lay it all out for you. Art as Therapy is a creative process that helps individuals develop self-awareness, explore emotions, tap into the subconscious and also works as a form of de-stressing.
The Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) will be hosting weekly Art Therapy Sessions that will be held in the Peer Counseling Room (Student Center 2nd Floor, Left Wing) every Wednesday starting on June 22, 2022 which is open to the USIU-Africa fraternity.
In preparation for these weekly Art Therapy sessions, an Art Experience Training was held on Saturday June 4, 2022 courtesy of the PECC Club in collaboration with the Counseling Center. The training aimed to equip the Peer Educators and Counselors with the basic knowledge and skills to facilitate open studio art therapy sessions.
The trainees were honored to receive the training from Dr. Nyawira Kuria who holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from USIU-Africa and has more than ten years’ experience in the use of art in therapy, Ruth Mukami and Marie Odhiambo who are both psychologists and work with Prometheus- Kenya.
The outcome from the training was beyond expectation, the trainees had a chance to experience and appreciate the magic of Art Therapy. Attendees noted that the session was eye opening, as it allowed them to get a clearer visual of what they felt.
“The experience was wholesome from the beginning to the end. I cannot even specify what exactly I liked about it. The atmosphere was breath-taking and the smiles of people’s faces made the training even better,” noted one of the Counselors.
By Anena Cynthia Treasure
Pickpocketing is defined as the action of stealing from one’s pockets. It is a form of deviant behavior and yet some children find themselves pickpocketing for a living. Most of these young people pickpocketing are living on the street. According to research there are 6000 young people living on the street of Nairobi and this number is growing.
Pickpocketing is as old as society, and we have been fighting this deviant behavior for ages. In Kenya, pickpockets rarely go to jail for pickpocketing but most often find themselves pleading for mercy in the hands of boda boda or an angry mob.
The public is encouraged to take preventative actions listed below to prevent being pickpocketed:
I challenge all of us to think about the solutions to pickpocketing exhaustively. In my sociology class on deviant behavior, we study crime and why people commit crime. We do this by interrogating the theories that help explain criminal behavior.
There are some theories that picked my interest for example the “two-path theory and Neurological theory of crime.” These are biological theories of crime, and they focus on how brain development, brain injury and the process of socialization plays a role in building criminals.
If we look critically at pickpocketing by street children with the lens of the two theories mentioned above, then it is clear that these children may not be mentally sound. As a society, we need to ask ourselves critical questions on the general wellbeing and mental health of these street children in order to avert potential incidents and tackle existing societal problems like pickpocketing.
By Diana Meso
All photos courtesy of Edson Macharia
Following a competitive pre-judging session held on campus on Friday, November 5, 2021, 13 contestants made it through to the Mr. and Miss. USIU-Africa beauty pageant finals. The 13 will be taking the stage on Friday, November 26, 2021 from 7.00p.m. at the Two Rivers Mall where the event is scheduled to happen.
The contestants include Debra Kyalo (BSc. Finance, Freshmen), Davis Sampeke (BSc. International Business Administration, Sophomore), Shekinah Munanga (BA. Psychology, Sophomore), Neve Darby (BA. Journalism, Senior), Hillel Busingye (BA. Journalism, Freshmen), Sofia Namuye (BA. Film Production & Directing, Junior), Samantha Nyamu (BA. Journalism, Senior), Sambu Kipkurui (BSc. Finance, Junior), Kiragu Wanjiku (BSc. Finance, Senior), Anena Treasure (BA. Journalism, Sophomore), Koshesayi Kachambwa (BSc. Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Junior), Sophia Njenga (BSc. Hotel and Restaurant Management, Junior) and Angelina Aluet (BSc. IST, Freshman).
For more information about the event and ticket purchase, get in touch with the Student Affairs Council on bopondo@usiu.ac.ke or klaizer@usiu.ac.ke
By Admissions Department
On Friday, November 11, the Admissions Department hosted two teachers and 60 pupils from St. Lucie Kiriri Girls Secondary School including Form 4 pupils who will be sitting for their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination in December this year. They interacted with Ms. Catherine Nyambok and Ms. Christine Missoy who informed them of the various degree programs offered and took them on a tour around campus.
By CTW Team
Last week, the Admissions team had a busy weekend as they engaged students in different schools across the country as part of their outreach programs. Some highlights of the visit are as indicated above.
Photos by John Sande, Diana Meso and Fenny Muthusi
Photos by John Sande
Photo1: Last week, the Admissions Office hosted students from Katheka Boys Secondary School in Machakos County who were keen to learn more about the process and requirements of joining the university as well as the various degree programs offered.
Photo2: The students comprising Form 3s and 4s showed interest keen interest in programs from the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts, particularly the BA. Film Production & Directing, BA. Animation, and the BA. Journalism programs. Ms. Esther Macharia, Ms. Faith Ojwang', Ms. Sheryl Kamonya and Dr. Uvyu Mbole from the Admissions Office facilitated the visit, assisted by Ms. Patricia Gichuki from the Placement and Career Services Office, among others.
By CTW Team
Over the weekend, the Admissions Department visited St. George's Girls and Pangani Girls Schools where they got to interact with the Form 3 and 4 students as part of their outreach and student recruitment activities. Below is a snapshot of the event.
Photos courtesy of Dr. George Lumbasi
By John Sande
Photos courtesy of Diana Meso
By Brenda Odhiambo and the Alumni Relations Office
Photos: Edson Macharia
On Tuesday, September 14, the Vice Chancellor through the Alumni Office received a scholarship grant worth Kshs. 1.2 million in honour of Ketan Chibber, a University Alumni who passed away earlier this year. The scholarship was presented to the Vice Chancellor by the representatives of the classes of the 80’s and 90’s, Hannah Waithira and Ernest Macharia.
Caption: (from left): Ms. Hannah Waithira, USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor, Prof. Freida Brown and Mr. Ernest Macharia during the scholarship handover. The scholarship was established by USIU-Africa alumni from the 80’s and 90’s in honour of the late Ketan Chibber, a USIU-Africa alumnus.
Speaking during the ceremony, the VC, Prof. Freida Brown, noted that the scholarship fund was a reflection of the qualities that the University has inculcated into its students.
“USIU-Africa has a history of developing people and investing in our students, and it is good to see our alumni giving back, because it demonstrates that the culture of giving and community service that we inculcate into our students remains with them as they go through life,” she said.
“Alumni are a reflection of the university, and through this gesture here today, it is good to see the impact that one person can make in people’s lives,” she added.
In her comments during the session, Ms. Hannah Waithira noted that the scholarship would be awarded to a student who best embodied Ketan’s qualities, to ensure that his legacy at USIU-Africa was preserved.
Ketan Chibber was instrumental in setting up the first computer lab at USIU-Africa. He was passionate about his USIU-Africa family and through his efforts the 80s & 90s alumni group was established. This vibrant group came together and contributed towards the scholarship to honor the one person who gave without asking for anything in return.
Eligibility for the scholarship
This is a partial scholarship that will cover up to KES100,000 per year per student, covering tuition costs only. It will be awarded to four (4) students taking into consideration gender parity. Applicants must:
Caption: (back row from left): Mr. Michael Kisilu, Principal Alumni Relations Officer, Mr. Bonfas Salano, Senior Student Affairs Officer- Sports Coordinator, Dr. George Lumbasi, Chief Admissions Officer, Ms. Irene Onacha, Chief Manager, Marketing and Communications, and Mr. James Cutha Gathere, Chairman, USIU-Africa Alumni Association.
Front row from left: Ms. Hannah Waithira, USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor, Prof. Freida Brown and Mr. Ernest Macharia.
Last week, the Student Affairs Council hosted the graduating class of 2022 to a Graduation Dinner to celebrate the students’ achievements. The event was graced by members of university leadership, and was held at the Trademark Hotel.
Below are some of the highlights from the event.
Photos by Diana Meso
By CTW Team
Culture Night is the culmination of Culture Week, an event which gives various communities an opportunity to showcase their cultures in the form of song and dance. Congo walked away with the overall prize for best represented community.
By CTW Team
Every March, USIU-Africa celebrates the annual Culture Week event, a week-long cultural festival that celebrates cultural diversity in the university community. During the three-day festival, the university has a unique opportunity to experience the food, dress, music and language of the various cultures represented at the University.
Photos courtesy of Job Kamunya, Shawn Mwangi, Oliver Njeru and Jane Nyaga
By CTW Team
This week, the University community got an opportunity to sample a variety of cultural cuisines from Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and India. This is in preparation of Culture Week, which will be held on March 13-15 and is part of raising awareness and appreciating the different nationalities represented at USIU-Africa. The meals are prepared at the Training Kitchen by the students and are on offer to the community at competitive rates. Next week, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and South Sudan will be cooking and sharing their cuisines.
Visit the Training Kitchen on the 3rd Floor, Freida Brown Student Center and sample the various cuisines. Share your experience and memories on social media via hashtags #CultureInMotion, #CultureWeek, #CW and tag us on our various platforms:
By Lillian Aleyo
The USIU-Africa Finance Division held its team building activity last month on Thursday, December 15, December, 2022. The event was held at the Last Village Resort – Athi River. The event theme was 3D – Dream, Dare, Deliver while the slogan for the event was ‘We are one’ - One Dream, One Team.
The event was facilitated by Crimson Communications Ltd and included – Indoor and outdoor activities, Zumba, Haka Dance, Photography and Videography amongst other fun activities.
At the end of the Team Building Event, the 4 Teams were united as one under the name – Finance Division “Mabingwa” (Champions).
By CTW Team
Last week, a team from NCBA Bank led by the Group Director, Corporate Banking, John Okulo, paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor. In addition to discussions on how to strengthen service delivery, areas of possible partnership were tabled for consideration. Also in attendance was USIU-Africa’s Director Finance, Dr. Judy Obura (second right) and Irene Onacha, Ag. Director, University Advancement (left).
On Thursday, October 28, 2021, the interim Vice Chancellor, Prof. Freida Brown received a courtesy call from the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Ambassador Khalid AlSalman. The visit presented an opportunity for the University and the Saudi Arabian Embassy to discuss various issues regarding the relationship between both organizations.
By Diana Meso
Halima Bakari, Sports Coordinator, was awarded a fully funded scholarship through the National Olympic Committee to study an Executive Masters in Sports Organization Management offered by the International Olympic Committee at Lausanne, Switzerland. She has been attending online classes and traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland for 10 days to defend her thesis from September 3-12, 2022.
The 2022 Mr. and Miss USIU-Africa beauty pageant went down at the Two Rivers Mall on Friday, November 25. This year’s theme was “Empowered to make a change” Photo by: Joy Macharia.
By CTW Team
The Hult Prize is an annual, year-long competition that crowd-sources ideas from university level students after challenging them to solve a pressing social issue around topics such as food security, water access, energy, and education.
The USIU-Africa chapter of the Hult Prize club was formally launched on Thursday, January 20, and was attended by Campus Director for Kenyatta University, Desmond Smith. Other guests who were in attendance included the Campus Director and Vice Director of Riara Campus, the former Hult Prize Country Director and Regional Manager.
For more information on the Club, reach out to Betty Wairegi on hultprizeusiu@gmail.com
The Chair of the University Council, Mr. Kris Senanu (center) following the official launch of the USIU-Africa Brand Store, which will stock USIU-Africa branded merchandise. The Brand Store is located next to the Administration Block, and open weekdays from 10.00am to 7.00pm and on Saturday from 10.00am to 2.00pm. Photo: Spencer Muthusi and Emelda Wanza
By CTW Team
On Friday, December 2, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign led university staff in the celebration of the end of year party, held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences rooftop. This year’s theme of the end of year party was ‘We are one’, which echoed the commitment from the first meeting with the Vice Chancellor.
This year, in addition to the Long Service Awards, which recognized employees with 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service, some of the members of staff were also inducted into the Hall of Fame to appreciate their service going over and above their call of duty in four thematic areas, namely Customer Service, Mentorship, Creating Unity and Teamwork.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa's annual Culture Night Gala is a vibrant and colorful celebration of diversity, culture, and unity. The event brings together students, faculty, and staff from different communities and backgrounds who have the opportunity to showcase their cultures through various activities.
The night's festivities kicked off with a lively showcase of traditional attire from various countries and regions around the world. From flamboyant, one of a kind African prints to elegant Asian garments, the showcase set the stage for a night of cultural appreciation.
The main event of the night was the cultural performances by students. These performances are a testament to the talent and creativity of the students, who used dance, music, and drama to showcase their cultures. From the energetic African drumming to the graceful Rwandese dance, the performances transport the audience to different parts of the world.
The night’s big winner was Uganda, with Kenya and Tanzania following closely on their heels.
Photos by Spencer Muthusi, John Sande, Emelda Wanza and Kahiro Muturi.
By CTW Team
Culture Week is an annual event at USIU-Africa that brings together all the University’s different communities who have the opportunity to showcase their cultures through cuisine, music, traditional dances, attire, art, festivities, and theatre. This year, students turned out in large numbers to put on a dazzling show for the university community. Below is a snapshot of some of the highlights of this year’s edition of Culture Week.
Photos by Spencer Muthusi, Emelda Wanza and Kahiro Muturi.
By CTW Team
Last week, the University played host to over 15 schools and over 700 students who attended the USIU-Africa Open Day for High Schools. The Open Day was facilitated by the Admissions Office in conjunction with a team of student ambassadors, who were at hand to share their personal experiences of USIU-Africa.
The session ended with the students touring the University’s state-of-the-art facilities and getting a firsthand feel of the cutting-edge tech and resources that will be part of their student experience upon joining USIU-Africa.
Photos by Wanza Emelda.
By Shyat Lemoshira
USIU-Africa Radio, Mr. & Miss USIU Monarch team, Hult Prize Club, Film Club and the Dean’s Resident Advisory Board (DRAB) collaborated to have a splendid Valentine’s week event that was held from Monday, February 13 to Thursday, February 16.
Monday’s theme was all about affirmation, with students, faculty and staff receiving affirmative notes at various areas within campus and were given the opportunity and sticky notes to spread love via writing messages of affirmation to other members of the community.
The team also gave out free hugs to members of the USIU-Africa community as a means of offering emotional support on Valentine’s Day. This was complemented by DRAB’s Candy gram, a gift service delivery, where students signed up to deliver goodies such as roses, rose shaped lollipops, chocolate items to those they treasure.
USIU-Africa Radio led the Valentine’s Panel discussion on Toxic and Healthy relationships on Thursday, February 16 at 12pm in the USIU-Africa auditorium. The event ended with a bang after watching ‘Entergalatic’ in the USIU-Africa auditorium at night.
By Halima Bakari
The 2022 hockey Africa Cup of Nations Tournament was held at Theodosia Okoh Hockey Stadium in Accra, Ghana from January 17 to 23, 2022. The championship is organized by Africa Hockey Federation after every four years. The Ladies team was ranked 3rd, while the Men’s team was 4th in Africa. USIU-Africa players were part of the teams that represented the country in this honorable sports event. We are proud to be associated with the best hockey players in Africa.
Six ladies, two of whom are Alumni and one man were part of the team. They include; Kemunto Naom (Finance, Major), Mwangi Lynn (International Business Administration, Major), Makokha Grace (Finance, Major), Makena Fiona (Finance, Major), Kuira Rhoda (Alumnae), Mbugua Beatrice (Alumnae) and Samuel Silong (Finance, Major).
USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign (center) with Ms. Dawn Straw, Executive Director and Head of External Relations, Global Academic Initiatives (second-left), and Ms. Mindy Gant, eLearning Project Director, (second-right) both from Arizona State University during their courtesy visit to USIU-Africa to take stock of the eLearning Initiative project's achievements, strengthen the partnership and discuss further progress. The team was accompanied by Mr. Eliud Chemweno (front-left), the eLearning Lead, Center for Innovation Teaching and Learning at Mastercard Foundation.
Photo: Spencer Muthusi.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa held its 44th Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, September 24. The Ceremony, presided over by outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof. Freida Brown and newly appointed Vice Chancellor Prof. Margee Ensign, saw 1,339 graduates receive their degrees in various Undergraduate and Postgraduate and Doctorate disciplines.
Below are some of the highlights from the event.
Photos by Joy Macharia, Justin Kavole and Walter Ngano
By CTW Team
Valentine’s Day at USIU-Africa came early and it was celebrated with pomp and circumstance as students came out in numbers to participate in the events that had been organized to celebrate the day. Below are some highlights from the day in case you missed the celebration.
By CTW Team
The Vice Chancellor during the Community- wide Baraza held on Wednesday, February 15 to discuss the re-focused University Strategic Plan, which was revised to respond to the recent changes in higher education around the world, especially post COVID-19, as well as all the emerging global issues. The Baraza provided an opportunity for staff, students and faculty to share their feedback on the revised Strategic Plan. Photo: John Sande.
As part of the ongoing engagement with the university’s stakeholders, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Margee Ensign held a meeting with some members of the Alumni body at the Muthaiga Golf Club to discuss how Alumni can contribute as strategic partners in building the USIU-Africa brand. Photo: Diana Meso
By CTW Team
Last week, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign, hosted staff to a staff luncheon held at USIU-Africa. The luncheon was a chance for the VC to interact with staff, and for staff to interact with each other as part of team building. The pictorial highlights moments captured during the event.
Photos by Spencer Muthusi
Vimal Shah, Chairman of the Bidco Group and an alumnus of USIU-Africa was recently named as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) in the Industrialist category during the awards ceremony held on Sunday, October 2, 2022. The awards honor outstanding personalities and high achievers of African descent from around the world for their positive contributions to humanity.
By the Admissions Team
Photo by Spencer Muthusi
60 pupils in Year 12 and 13 from St. Austin Academy Nairobi together with their four teachers visited the university on Wednesday, January 25. The students were led by Dr. Uvyu Mbole, Esther Macharia and Faith Ojwang from the Admission Office who took them for a campus tour as well as informed them about the various programs, scholarship opportunities and benefits of acquiring their degree at USIU-Africa. The students were mostly interested in B.Sc. Applied Data Science & Analytics, B.Sc. Software Engineering among other courses.
By CTW Team
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign visited The Ghetto Classics Orchestra in Korogocho on Saturday, March 25, alongside Jubilee Group CEO, Mr. Julius Kipng’etich and Head of HR, Ms. Ann Karanu. During the session, the team had an opportunity to interact with the Orchestra and learn how they used music to inspire and transform the lives of children from disadvantaged communities.
Mission’s yoga teacher Dr. Kapil Kesari speaking to Clinical Psychology students on the effects of yoga in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In his talk, he also explained different breathing techniques for PTSD.
The USIU-Africa rugby team, the Martials after their match against the KCB rugby team at the Mwamba Cup Quarter Finals. While the Martials may have lost their match, the team was proud of their performance against KCB, who are currently ranked among the top rugby teams in the country.
A team of faculty and staff attended a training on ethics and integrity organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), held at the Villa Rosa Kempinski on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25. The aim of the training was to integrate and inculcate ethics and integrity into course curricula taught at the university. It is intended that the integration will enhance teaching of 4 modules: Business Integrity Ethics, Ethics and Society, Corruption and good governance and Private Sector Ethics. In attendance was also representatives from other universities including Mt. Kenya University, African Nazarene University and The Presbyterian University of East Africa.
By Mary Wangui Kibe
July 5 - 15 was an exciting time for students on campus as different professionals, employers and companies visited our campus during the Annual Career Fair. Students were spoilt for choice by the carefully curated career development events, including the alumni guest speaker series, all of which culminated in a vibrant two-day company exhibition.
The theme for this year’s Career Fair was ’Re-Imagining the Future of Talent,’ inspired by the changing job market due to technological advancements and innovation requiring a change in how students position themselves for the world of work. It is critical for educational institutions and students to be aware of current market trends and understand how to position themselves successfully.
The Career Fair featured a variety of events, such as a week-long alumni guest speaker series, company exhibitions, panel discussions, and master classes. Over 30 organizations participated in the Career Fair, with 22 companies setting up booths during the exhibitions and spoke with students about their various internship and job opportunities.
Tropical Heat, Coca-Cola, Nestle, Aga Khan Hospital, Microsoft, Vivo Energy, L’Oréal East Africa, ALX, International School of Advertising, Family Bank, Diamond Trust Bank, Fuzu; Study & Careers Consulting, Manuchar, Pyypl, Journalists for Justice, Light for the World, Heels & Valise Tours, Britam, Optica, and Kenpoise were among the other companies that had set up booths at the Library Parking Lot.
A series of Masterclasses were organized last week to talk about how students can start their careers in various fields. SAV Skills hosted a masterclass that included a number of speakers including Ms. Rachel Ombaka, the Vice Chairperson of the Association of Media Women in Kenya. Rachel spoke about how she managed her career as a media personality and shared advice on how young people can leverage social media and build a career out of it.
USIU-Africa alumna Catherine Maina, led the Aga Khan University team, in sharing more information about their management and graduate trainee programs. Students were also given information by MAS Holdings regarding their upcoming internship opportunities and career paths once they join the organization. Additionally, the HR team shortlisted applicants for their next intake.
In a digital marketing masterclass, Ms. Melanie Hapisu, an expert in digital advertising shared insights on how anyone can design a campaign and the strategies they should employ to carry out a successful advertising campaign online.
A masterclass hosted by the International School of Advertising (ISA) team and Ms. Maureen Were, Regional Client Director at Wowzi, shared how young people can market to Gen Z. They showed different trends in marketing and pointed out how versatile marketing to Gen Z is. Faith Mureithi and Diana Olwangu from Kenpoise also gave a very insightful talk on ‘Managing your Boss’.
The panel discussions were focused on the specific schools within the university. This was to ensure students from the different Schools engaged with professionals in their field. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences held three panel discussions. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offered a talk to International Relations majors on how they can join the humanitarian sector and the diverse opportunities they can apply for. There was a panel discussion for Psychology majors and the panelists included Vaish Mohan, Deloitte and Michael Oyier who is a practicing psychologist.
A team comprising of developers and recruiters from Microsoft also gave a talk to students in the School of Science and Technology regarding how they can position themselves in the tech space and shared the opportunities available for fresh graduates. The talk featured Manav Patel and Hilton Felix, who are students at the School of Science and Technology.
Mr. Mwaniki Mageria and Mr. Desmond Bosire were part of a panel discussion that focused on students from the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts. They discussed how the industry had evolved and with the advent of technology and accessibility to mobile phones, students could use this as a leverage in content creation. Other key presentations were made by Ms. Grace Mumo from HRC international who discussed how Hotel and Restaurant Management students can package themselves for opportunities abroad.
The 2022 USIU-Africa Career Fair focused on highlighting the changes that have been observed in the job market and how students can navigate around such terrain and still build a successful career. Students and alumni forged great networks and made lifelong connections with key decision makers in various industries.
By Nzivu Briana
The Placement and Careers (PACS) Department launched its career toolkit workshop on October 26, 2023, with the inaugural session focusing on "LinkedIn for Optimal Job Searches and Career Advancement." The primary objective of this workshop was to provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively harness the potential of LinkedIn for job searches and career advancement.
The series featured Melanie Hapisu as the keynote speaker. She is an esteemed alumna, the Founder & CEO of DigiPath Africa, and a recognized Digital Marketing Expert. Melanie shared her expertise in optimizing LinkedIn profiles, offering meticulous guidance and step-by-step instructions. She emphasized the importance of maintaining a professionally branded LinkedIn profile, highlighting that a well-structured profile not only enhances personal branding but also opens doors to numerous professional opportunities.
Students actively engaged with Melanie, seeking personalized advice and clarification on various aspects of LinkedIn optimization. Her approachable demeanor and willingness to support the students fostered a collaborative and growth-oriented atmosphere.
In conclusion, the LinkedIn series represents a significant stride in equipping our students with the essential skills to excel in the competitive job market. The knowledge and insights acquired during this workshop will undeniably influence our students' professional journeys as they progress in their careers.
The Placement and Career Services Department offer LinkedIn optimization services to both students and alumni. To access these services, individuals can book an appointment with the career advisors by using the following link: https://linktr.ee/usiucareers.
By Lisa J. Laiser
On March 10, 2022, the Placement and Career Service (PACS) office hosted a CV writing workshop facilitated by Mrs. Diana Kolek Olwangu, a business coach and strategy consultant.
Over 70 students from various undergraduate and graduate programs attended the workshop, where they were taught how to create a CV that serves as an effective marketing tool and impresses potential employers. Mrs. Olwangu emphasized the importance of using strong action verbs, writing the CV from the employer's point of view, and tailoring the CV to each application.
Students learned how to package their skills and experience in an increasingly competitive job market during the session. Students were encouraged to participate in a variety of campus activities that hone their soft skills, which are highly valued by most employers. Mrs. Olwangu also stressed the significance of networking when looking for an internship or a job. The session also covered important CV writing do's and don'ts that many applicants overlook during the application process.
Ms. Patricia Gichuki, a Career & Placement Officer at PACS, emphasized the importance of quantifying achievements, identifying one's unique value proposition (UVP), and actively building a strong brand that is consistent not only on LinkedIn and on the CV, but also offline and on other social media platforms. She also encouraged students to start developing their portfolios and engaging with employers in their desired industry.
Students who attended the workshop gave positive feedback, describing it as engaging and informative.
By Justice Masime
Last week, the AIESEC club in conjunction with the Placement and Career Service (PACS) took AIESEC members through a session on personal branding. AIESEC, being one of the biggest proponents of youth leadership, was glad to welcome the Careers Office to deliver an informative talk on the importance of having a personal brand.
While representing the essence of AIESEC as an organization, PACS’ own Justice Masime (also a member of the AIESEC club) tackled what it meant to have a personal brand together with the relevance and characteristics of a strong brand. He engaged the students in identifying different media personalities, asking them to share their perspectives on the ideals or essence they represent.
The students understood the idea behind personal branding as the awareness of the nature and needs of the relationships you form. He encouraged the students to get the most out of their college experience by dedicating time to building their networks and taking advantage of every opportunity to tell their stories; as a means of developing and honing their transferable skills.
The speaker was also keen to point out Mr. USIU-Africa, Koshesayi Kachambwa, and applauded him for being a role model to the students. Koshesayi delivered some key insights on how the brand he embodies had impacted his life and immediate community.
By Angela Osodo
The PACS office hosted the Fall 2022 Recruitment Day on November 9, 2022, to familiarize USIU-Africa students with various organizations and potential employers. The day was vibrant with in-class talks, a plenary discussion, and company information sessions. Aside from recruitment, the event gave companies the opportunity to bring students together and host activities to provide students with insights into their workplace.
In one of the senior experience classes, Livingstone Makori, Head of Bancassurance at Jubilee Insurance, and a Career Development Coach, got to share very helpful insights on how students can successfully navigate their careers in an era of digital transformation. He went on to emphasize the importance of customizing CVs for each job application, creating a professional LinkedIn profile, having a mentor, taking online courses for continuous development, and developing a 5-year career plan. "When you can do a job without getting paid, that is your career," said Livingstone.
In another class, Principles of Marketing, Daniel Oseman, Managing Director, Kantar East Africa, and Susan Makau, Founder, International School of Advertising (ISA), led an in-class session on Research and Customer Insights. Students were given the opportunity to evaluate and express their ideas on how to sustain the 4Ps of marketing, notably Product, Price, Promotion, and Place, from the viewpoint of Gen Z.
Seats in the plenary session were almost full even before the event started, and anyone entering 10 minutes late was fortunate to find a seat. Panelists Susan Makau, Livingstone Makori, and Nicolai Eddy, COO of NALA, particularly engaged the students in an interactive session that covered lessons learnt during their careers, importance of having an online profile, and financial planning.
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) hosted another in-class discussion about consulting job opportunities with Finance students. BCG is a global consulting firm that works with business and social leaders to address their most pressing challenges and capitalize on their most promising opportunities. Full Time Consultancy, Internship, Business Analysis, Associate Consultancy, and Graduate Student Careers were described by Global Talent Coordinator, Susan Karimi.
Davasha Media Academy also held an in-class discussion about media careers and opportunities, and students had the chance to interact with employers throughout the day at open company information sessions.
The PACS team thanks all the students and Faculty who attended the event and made it as impactful as it was.
For career related services, you may email careeroffice@usiu.ac.ke to schedule a session.
By Angela Osodo
On November 18, 2022, the PACS office held a Career Toolkit Workshop in partnership with Yusudi Sales Academy to educate students with effective methods for enhancing their networking, negotiating, communication, and career planning skills. To help USIU-Africa students find work opportunities, the PACS office maintains partnerships with various employers.
The keynote speech on job search tactics and work ethics was given by Yusudi Program Manager Stanley Kaguora. Among the crucial job search strategies covered were networking, producing customized CV and cover letter, comparing qualifications to the job description, and being self-aware. The speaker also emphasized the drawbacks of having a substandard and unprofessional CV and overlooking networking possibilities. Stanley also advised students to explore for jobs outside of their fields of concentration to improve their chances of discovering new opportunities by focusing on their interests, talents, and experience.
The students had a very fascinating discussion about workplace issues like professionalism, harassment, and discrimination with Rachel Ngumi from the USIU-Africa Gender Equity and Protection office. The speaker did a remarkable job of highlighting actions that, while occasionally unprofessional, are frequently overlooked in the workplace and other contexts.
The program culminated with a CV clinic, when the keynote speaker worked one-on-one with the students to review their resumes and help them identify any potential flaws that would make it more difficult for them to find employment. Other Yusudi team members present included Esther Njekehu (Content Associate), Linda Kutto (Placement and Coaching Lead), Maria Nyaga (Recruiter), and Michael Kagera (Partnerships and Sponsorship Associate).
For career related services, you may email careeroffice@usiu.ac.ke to schedule a session.
By Angela Osodo
On Wednesday, November 2, 2022, the Placement and Career Services office (PACS) hosted the Joyride Podcast, Dairyland Campus Tour, and Creatives Workshop as part of its ongoing effort to support students in the creative industry. The Joyride Podcast is run by renowned Kenyan content producers Wanjiru Njiru and Ben Cyco, and it aims to inspire, educate, and entertain by sharing stories about life and its journey.
The event's moderator, Nyawira Gachugi, kicked things off with a jigsaw puzzle competition for the students, with prizes for the victors. Dairyland Marketing Manager Milan Kabata, who was also present, gave a quick overview of the nature of the contest for content creators and the rewards for the winner.
Ben and Wanjiru, the event's main speakers, led the discussion by outlining their backgrounds and early careers in the creative sector. Wanjiru astounded the audience by sharing that after earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance, she ran a lentil and chapati delivery service to make ends meet while saving money to pursue her passion of content production. The same is true for Ben's work; it took him more than 5 years to land his first job, secure sponsorship for his career as a content creator, and earn his first KSH 200,000.
The Q&A session was especially interesting because it was clear that a large number of students at USIU-Africa are already involved in content creation and are looking to expand their involvement as a form of business. Some of the topics covered included how to make a brand unique, the financial sustainability of the content creation business, beginner problems, and so on.
The highlight of the event was the awarding of the best performers in the Podcast competition, with the top ten winners receiving a variety of Dairyland goodies. Teddy Otieno finished third, Otieno Issa finished second, and Ashley Mambo finished first. Aside from being the Joyride Podcast's brand ambassador, the winner received a content creation toolkit, training on influencer marketing, and membership in a networking group of other brand ambassadors.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa’s Placement and Career Services Department is gearing up to host its highly anticipated Career Fair on campus, from July 11 to July 13. The event, themed ‘Disrupting and Shaping the Future’, promises to be a crucial platform for students to interact with industry professionals, network with potential employers, and explore a wide range of career opportunities. With the aim of fostering meaningful connections between students and the professional world, the USIU-Africa Career Fair is set to empower the next generation of leaders in various fields.
The Career Fair offers students a unique platform to engage directly with industry leaders, human resource professionals, and representatives from renowned organizations. Over the course of three days, attendees will have access to several networking events, including panel discussions, workshops, and one-on-one sessions with recruiters.
Participants will also have the chance to showcase their skills, qualifications, and ambitions to potential employers. This face-to-face interaction enables students to leave a lasting impression on industry experts, fostering connections that could lead to internships, job opportunities, or mentorship programs. Students will have the chance to explore potential opportunities in the fields of business, technology, finance, media, healthcare, and many more.
More details on the Career Fair can be found here.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Photos: By Erick Macharia
The USIU-Africa Placement and Career Services (PACS), in collaboration with the Talent Acquisition Unit of the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON), organized an outreach event at the USIU-Africa School of Humanities and Social Sciences on Thursday, July 13, 2023, from 4pm to 6pm. Mr. Aitor Maguna, Chief, Human Resources Services at UNON, and Ms. Jennifer, W.C., Chief, Talent Acquisition Unit at UNON were the event's keynote speakers.
They presented a brief history of the UNON and the United Nations (UN) mandate of international peace and security. UNON is the only UN headquarters in Africa and the Global South, and it is the world's third largest UN Secretariat. UNON now employs approximately 4,000 people in the following fields: law, science, international security and safety, political peace and humanitarian assistance, management and administration, and information and telecommunication technology. Field Service, General Services, Interns, Consultancy and Individual, National Professional Officers, and Professional and Higher Category are the personnel categories. In addition, UNON also offers special programs such as the Young Professional Programme, the Junior Professional Officer, Competitive Examination for Language positions and the UN Volunteers under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Ms. Jennifer described the application process for UNON vacancies, which includes the following phases: searching for vacancies, creating an online profile on UN’s Inspira, submitting an online application, evaluation and assessment, carrying out of a Competency Based Interview (CBI), and finally, selection and notification. All information is available through this link.
UNON delivers skills and experience and exposure to UN operations through numerous opportunities. This characteristic is highly valued when applying for a variety of high-ranking or fixed-term contract positions. The speakers addressed misconceptions about the application process and ensured that all applications are examined, and persons are selected efficiently with little or little influence from parties within unless such positions are explicitly endorsed by governments.
The audience were encouraged to apply for UNON openings both within and outside of Kenya, as well as additional opportunities to serve. Undergraduates benefit greatly from internships in their academic careers, whereas graduates must have the courage and a significant portfolio of work experience of three to apply for high-level positions.
Ms. Stela Atela (Human Resource Director- East & Central Africa- World Food Program) addresses participants on Thursday, July 25 at the auditorium during the annual Career Fair.PHOTO:Diana Meso
By Saada Mutasa and Diana Meso.
Over 15 local and international organizations took part in this year’s annual Career Fair organized by the Placement and Career Services offices from Monday July 22 to Thursday July 25 on campus. Themed “Anticipate, Create, Actualize career opportunities” the event provided a platform for participants to directly connect with their prospective employers and get insights on the work environment.
It further provided an opportunity for participants to align their skills, talents and experiences to the current job market requirements and get spot on chances to join represented organization.
The event featured an exhibition at the graduation square and seminars for all the schools; School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Science and Technology, School of Communication Cinematic and Creative Arts, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Chandaria School of Business.
The event also included a talk by Ms. Stela Atela (Human Resource Director- East & Central Africa- World Food Program) on how to be marketable in the outside world by being efficient, creative and a team player.
By Maureen Ochola
The Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department successfully hosted the Pharmacy and Epidemiology & Biostatistics Alumni Mentorship event on Friday, June 2, 2023. Students registered in the Pharmacy, Epidemiology & Biostatistics programs had an opportunity to listen to the success stories from the Alumni and appreciate the diverse networks, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities available to them upon graduation. Additionally, a group mentorship session was organized for individual Alumni to engage with students.
Invited guests included Prof. Francis Ndemo, the Dean of the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Dr. Eliab Some the Head of the Department of Epidemiology, Dr. Calvin Omolo, Chair of the Department of Pharmacy and Dr. Larry Kimani a member of faculty in the Department of Pharmacy and 10 alumni from the 1st and 2nd cohorts of students in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
By Justice Masime and Caleb Wafula
Last week, the Placement and Careers Services (PACS) department had an open day in conjunction with L’Oréal, a unique beauty leader providing over 30 brands of cosmetics and beauty expertise worldwide. The goal of the event was to create awareness about the services provided by PACS and also to invite students to participate in L’Oréal’s annual Brandstorm challenge, which entails students forming teams geared towards creating beauty-based innovations that embody inclusion, technology, and sustainability.
During the event, Career Peer Advisors (CPAs) led by Prisca Akinyi alongside L’Oréal representatives set out to different classes in the various schools to pitch the agenda for the day. The two crews had an interactive engagement with the students and faculty in classes; L’Oréal invited students to participate in the innovation competition. Among their representatives were USIU-Africa students who participated in last year’s Brandstorm challenge, accompanied by other student brand ambassadors from neighboring universities.
Led by Career Advisors Dr. Edgar Githua and Patricia Gichuki, the CPAs were able to reach out to scores of students and enlighten them about PACS services. The students were excited to access on-site career advising, CV and cover letter critique, mentorship, mock interviews, volunteering as well as major/minor selection. Furthermore, they got to learn about career counseling available through one-on-one appointments to assist them with all aspects of their career development. They were also advised to submit their CVs and cover letters for review to get suggestions for improvement. The PACS Team encouraged students to review their personal brands and to keep track of their experiences as it formed a basis for their forthcoming professional lives.
In addition to the Brandstorm challenge activation, the event was graced by the Talent Acquisition team from L’Oréal East Africa led by Mr. Oliver Tambo. The students got a one-on-one mentorship and exposure to job market trends and how they should prepare their university exit strategy.
Mr. Obed Nyambego Tax, Partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, speaking to students during the PWC graduate recruitment program.
By Justice Masime and Sarah Masila
On Wednesday, February 5 2020, USIU-Africa's Placement and Careers Services (PACS) department hosted an info session conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), an international consultancy firm whose primary role is to deliver assurance, advisory and tax services. The session, which took place at the auditorium was primarily focused on creating awareness about the graduate recruitment process earmarked to commence from February 14 2020.
The session had nine guest speakers, who spoke about the fundamental skills required from students who wished to transition into the PwC ecosystem. Among the speakers were USIU-Africa alumni, who shared their experiences of how PwC has helped shape their careers.
The team talked about how different skill sets from various career majors could be tailored to fit the company’s job compliance. Examples were an engineering graduate student who was hired and trained on accounts and finance because of her perfect workflows, and an articulate International Relations graduate who worked in the department of strategic Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).
The team leader, Mr. Obed Nyambego reiterated the relevance of work preparedness amongst aspiring students, one key takeaway was the importance of a good digital reputation as the company would only want to associate with individuals who exemplify professionalism in their personal lives.
At the end of the event, students were to start applying for the PwC vacancies, following the set guidelines, among them a minimum of B+ in KCSE for Kenyan students and an expected graduation date of the end of this year.
By Susan Cherono
As the good book states “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Ephesians 4:29. So what is communication? the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. “television is an effective means of communication “means of sending or receiving information, such as phone lines or computers. “satellite communications".
In our daily life, communication helps us build relationships by allowing us to share our experiences, needs and helps us connect to others. It's the essence of life, allowing us to express feelings, pass on information and share thoughts. We all need to communicate.
What is the importance of communication for an individual?
Communication is important to express oneself. It also satisfies one's needs. One should have effective communication for advancement in the career. In your personal life, effective communication skills can smooth your way and your relationships with others by helping you to understand others and to be understood.
Why communication is important in life?
Communication is important part of our life because it helps us to understand the feelings, opinions and ideas of people around us. We also communicate because we want to be understood and we want to express ourselves.
What makes effective communication?
It's about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. As well as being able to clearly convey a message, you need to also listen in a way that gains the full meaning of what's being said and makes the other person feel heard and understood.
How to improve communication Skills?
Here are some pointers to look out for when looking to improve the ability to effectively communicate with others:
1. Listening
To become a good communicator, it is important to be a good listener. It is important to practice active listening – pay close attention to what others are saying and clarify ambiguities by rephrasing their questions for greater understanding.
2. Conciseness
Convey your message in as few words as possible. Do not use filler words and get straight to the point. Rambling will cause the listener to tune out or be unsure of what you are talking about. Avoid speaking excessively and do not use words that may confuse the audience.
3. Body language
It is important to practice good body language, use eye contact, utilize hand gestures and watch the tone of the voice when communicating with others. A relaxed body stance with a friendly tone will aid in making you look approachable to others.
Eye contact is important in communication – look the person in the eye to indicate that you are focused on the conversation. But make sure to not stare at the person as it can make him or her uncomfortable.
4. Confidence
Be confident in what you say and in your communication interactions with others. Being confident can be as easy as maintaining eye contact, maintaining a relaxed body stance and talking with concision. Try not to make statements sound like questions and avoid trying to sound aggressive or demeaning.
5. Open-mindedness
In situations where you disagree with what someone else has to say, whether it be with an employer, a co-worker, or a friend, it is important to sympathize with their point of view rather than simply try to get your message across. Respect the opinion of others and never resort to demeaning those who do not agree with you.
6. Respect
Respecting what others have to say and acknowledging them is an important aspect of communication. Being respectful can be as simple as paying attention to what they have to say, using the person’s name, and not being distracted. By respecting others, the other person will feel appreciated, which will lead to a more honest and productive conversation.
7. Using the correct medium
There are several different forms of communication to use – it is important to choose the right one. For example, communicating in person about serious matters is more appropriate than sending an email regarding the matter.
Good communication skills for a great career
Succeeding in your career requires good communication skills. You need to know what you want and how you are going to attain it. Being an excellent communicator can help propel your career.
Good communication skills can aid in helping you land an interview and pass the selection process. Being able to articulate well provides a significant advantage. To do your job effectively, you have to discuss problems, request information, interact with others and have good human relations skills – these are all part of having good communication skills. They help in being understood well and in helping understand the needs of those around you.
Susan Cherono is a librarian at the Issue Desk.
By Abba Sharuk
The USIU-Africa chapter of the President’s Award- Kenya club, will be hosting an expedition for its members from Thursday, November 4 to Friday, November 7, 2021 in Machakos County. This is open to USIU-Africa students ONLY.
The President's Award-Kenya (PA) is an exciting self-development program available to all young people countrywide equipping them with positive life skills to make a difference for themselves, their communities, country and the world. We have so many expeditions such as team building, hiking, getting to know new people as well and this is a very fun experience. Upon completion of the levels, you are awarded with a certificate by the President.
The President’s Award was launched in 1966 by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. We are a community that has been built upon team work, new activities, exploration and incredible expeditions. Nature hikes, bonfire, late night fun with friends gives you the most overwhelming experience.
The purpose of the President’s Award club is to establish and implement high-quality experiential activities that teach club members good life skills and ethical values in order to improve society. The club is built upon the core values of professionalism, integrity, consistency, leadership, teamwork and impartiality.
To participate in the event, please ensure that you make the payments at the Finance Department by Friday, October 15, 2021.
By CTW Team
Prof. Alondra Nelson, one of the members of USIU-Africa’s Board of Trustees has been appointed to the White House science team, announced recently by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The science team will be led by Eric Lander, who is the nominee for Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), which will be elevated to a Cabinet-level position. Prof. Alondra will serve as the Deputy Director of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, and will work alongside Frances Arnold and Maria Zuber, who will serve as co-chairs of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Speaking following the announcement of the news, USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza noted that Prof. Nelson’s appointment to the OSTP was a testament to the caliber of people that the University had on its governance bodies.
“Prof. Nelson brought her vast experience and expertise as a renowned scholar and distinguished administrator, most recently as President of the Social Sciences Research Council, to the benefit of our university. The appointment requires her to resign from most Board service, effective immediately. Unfortunately, this means that she has to leave the USIU-Africa Board of Trustees and we will sorely miss her expertise,” he said.
During the event at which President Biden introduced the OSTP team, Prof. Nelson acknowledged the challenges ahead, given the ongoing inequities in representation of minorities in the United States’ scientific institutions.
“Never before in living memory have the connections between our scientific world and our social world been quite so stark as they are today,” she said. “I believe we have a responsibility to work together to make sure that our science and technology reflects us.”
Prof. Nelson is president of the Social Science Research Council and the Harold F. Linder Professor of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study, an independent research center in Princeton, New Jersey. She was previously professor of sociology at Columbia University, where she served as the inaugural Dean of Social Science. Nelson began her academic career on the faculty of Yale University, and there was recognized with the Poorvu Prize for interdisciplinary teaching excellence.
Prof. Nelson has published award-winning, widely acclaimed books and articles exploring science, technology, medicine, and social inequality. Her recent publications include coauthored articles in PLOS Computational Biology, Science, and Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race. She is currently at work on a book about science and technology policy in the Obama administration; ’Society after Pandemic,’ an essay collection; and new research on the sociology of bioethics.
You can watch the announcement here.
Additional reporting by Scientific American and Nature journal.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Prof. Njeri Wamae, Professor of Tropical Medicine, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, has been elected to serve as a Councilor in the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene’s (ASTMH) Global Health Committee. Prof. Wamae will serve for two years in the role, starting from November 2020.
Speaking to CTW following the confirmation of her win, Prof. Wamae noted that the support from the University, as well as her colleagues was what enabled her to win the election, out of the pool of selected candidates when the polls for the role closed on August 31.
“It was a very stiff competition, as each of the candidates vying for the same position had very strong credentials, and would have undoubtedly made a difference to ASTMH’s operations. I wish to thank all my colleagues who supported my candidature even if they couldn’t cast their votes as voting was restricted to the Society’s members. The moral support and encouragement by USIU-Africa went a long way in supporting this process,” she noted.
“I look forward to working with the Society at large, and with the Global Health Committee to drive ASTMH’s vision of ensuring a world with equitable access to health and well-being for all, “she added.
Last year, ASTMH awarded Prof. Wamae with the Clara Southmayd Ludlow Medal, awarded to honorees in recognition of their inspirational and pioneering spirit, whose work represents success despite obstacles and advances in the field of tropical medicine. Early this year, the World Health Organization recognized her for her work in its Global Working Group on Monitoring and Evaluation of Preventative Chemotherapy, appointed by the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases.
By CTW Team
Prof. Wamae during the award of the Clara Southmayd Ludlow Award by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene last year. The appointment as a Distinguished International Fellow marks the third time she has been honoured by the Society.
Prof. Njeri Wamae was this week admitted as one of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) Distinguished International Fellows, in recognition of her contribution to tropical medicine and hygiene. This comes two months after she was named as one of the Councilors in ASTMH’s Global Health Committee.
This special membership in ASTMH is conferred in recognition of outstanding accomplishment by an individual not an American citizen who has made eminent contributions to some phase of tropical medicine and hygiene. It is awarded only after careful consideration by the ASTMH Distinguished International Fellow Committee and approval by the ASTMH Board of Directors.
The announcement was made during the Society’s opening ceremony and awards plenary session for the ASTMH’s 69th Annual Meeting. In his communication, the President of the Society, Dr. Joel Breman congratulated to Prof. Wamae on her admission, noting her to be one of the best and brightest in the field of tropical medicine.
“We join the ASTMH Distinguished International Fellow Committee in congratulating you on your achievements toward improved understanding and control of tropical diseases. Please accept our congratulations on this well-deserved distinction,” he said.
On her end, Prof. Wamae noted that the Fellowship was an important achievement for her and a significant one as she continued with her career in the field.
Last year, ASTMH awarded Prof. Wamae with the Clara Southmayd Ludlow Medal, awarded to honorees in recognition of their inspirational and pioneering spirit, whose work represents success despite obstacles and advances in the field of tropical medicine.
By University Council
The United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) Council has announced the appointment of former Vice Chancellor Professor Freida Brown to serve as the Interim Vice Chancellor effective August 16, 2021.
Speaking when he confirmed the appointment, the University Council Chairman Mr. Kris Ole-Senanu said her appointment is expected to run for a period of 9 months to facilitate the recruitment of a new Vice Chancellor and ensure institutional leadership and stability within this period.
"The global search for a new Vice Chancellor is expected to be an extremely intense process and is anticipated to last approximately 6 to 9 months. We will do our best to have new leadership on board as early as possible in 2022,” Mr Senanu said.
While paying a glowing tribute to the outgoing Vice Chancellor for what he described as dedicated and dynamic service to USIU-Africa, Mr. Senanu, in a communique to the University community, noted that Professor Zeleza's dynamic leadership had resulted in the institution’s advancement, notably in the university's 2015-2020 Strategic Plan framework.
"This progress includes the expansion of our academic programs, increased research activities and output by faculty and students, and the introduction of several prestigious programs such as the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, the Innovation and Incubation Center, and USIU-Africa Online. Perhaps even more importantly, following the COVID-19 global pandemic, he and his leadership team of Management Board, together with various Faculty and Staff, successfully ensured that the university transitioned to online teaching and learning," he said.
A seasoned academician, Professor Brown previously served as the USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor for more than two decades before retiring in 2016. During her 21 years of service at USIU-Africa, Professor Brown oversaw the student population growth from 1,100 students to more than 4,700 and increased the number of faculty and academic programs.
“Professor Brown served admirably as our previous Vice Chancellor and has very graciously accepted this interim appointment, and we look forward to her arrival. Having served USIU-Africa for 21 years, her familiarity with and passion for USIU-Africa is well known. She is excited to return to the university and Kenya to see first-hand the enhancements made but, crucially, to provide a steady hand of support and expertise as we undertake this important transition in leadership,” he added.
By Elizabeth Wanjiku
Last week, the Office of Disability and Inclusion hosted Deaf Awareness Week, which provided a platform for stakeholders to converge and discuss pressing issues concerning the Deaf community in Kenya. This event brought together individuals committed to fostering inclusion, offering an opportunity to delve into the challenges faced by Deaf individuals and explore potential solutions.
One of the notable stakeholders who graced the event was Charlene Ruto, who emphasized the significance of education and job opportunities for the Deaf community. Ms. Ruto expressed her unwavering commitment to partnering with the Deaf community to promote equal opportunities for all. In particular, she highlighted that those who achieve above a C+ grade would have improved access to universities, paving the way for a brighter future for Deaf students.
"Deaf individuals have immense potential that remains largely untapped. By focusing on education and creating job opportunities, we can empower the Deaf community to reach their full potential," she noted.
The heart of the event was the engaging panel discussion that revolved around various aspects of the Deaf experience in Kenya. The panelists brought their unique perspectives to the table, starting with Kirinyaga nominated MCA Harrison Kariuki who took part in the discussion on the intersection of Deaf experiences and politics in Kenya. He shed light on the importance of political representation for the Deaf community, emphasizing the need for inclusivity in decision-making processes.
Ashura Michael, an advocate for the Deaf, addressed the audience on the subject of Deaf experiences and advocacy. She shared her insights into the challenges faced by the Deaf community when it comes to access and inclusion and called for collective action to effect positive change.
Peter Kabethi, an expert in the field of education, spoke about the Deaf experience in the context of education. He emphasized the need to improve educational opportunities for Deaf individuals and to remove barriers that hinder their academic progress.
Should you need further information on Disability and Inclusion at USIU-Africa, feel free to get in touch with Samson K. Rotich (skrotich@usiu.ac.ke), who supports and facilitates the Disability Inclusion Center. Alternatively, you can contact Elizabeth Wanjiku (ewanjiku@usiu.ac.ke), who oversees the services offered by the Disability Inclusion Office at USIU-Africa.
Recently, four members of USIU-Africa’s faculty were promoted to the positions of Professor and Associate Professor, following the conclusion of a rigorous interview process conducted by members of both Faculty and Staff. Below are the profiles of the newly promoted faculty.
Prof. Kennedy Mkutu
Dr. Kennedy Mkutu has been promoted to the position of Professor in the department of International Relations. He holds a PhD from the University of Bradford’s Department of Peace Studies, and has been at USIU-Africa since 2010. His scholarly work in the Greater Horn of Africa has focused on pastoralist conflict, small arms, new resource conflicts, impacts of mega-development projects in pastoralist areas, terrorism, urban crime and violence and security governance. He was one of the founders of the crime and violence prevention training, which has trained a pool of state and non-state practitioners in several Kenyan counties. He is currently a consultant for the World Bank on conflict sensitivity in development.
Prof. Peter Kiriri
Dr. Peter Kiriri is a Professor of Marketing at the Chandaria School of Business. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Southern Cross University, NSW Australia. Prof. Kiriri is a Chartered Marketer with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. Prior to joining academia, Prof. Kiriri had extensive industry work experience in retail marketing with Procter and Gamble (P&G) EA Ltd and Caltex/Chevron Oil. He is also a management consultant in the areas of Marketing, Strategy and Corporate Governance with a bias in the water and sanitation sector, financial sector as well as the logistics sector. He is a non-Executive Director of a financial institution regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya where he serves as the Chair of the Business Development and Strategy Board Committee. Prof. Kiriri’s research interests are focused on a broad range of topics related to Consumer Behavior, Health Service Delivery as well as Work Integrated Learning approaches. He serves as an external examiner for several universities, in addition to serving as a resource person for the Commission for University Education.
Dr. James Ngari
Dr. James Karimi Ngari has been promoted to the position of Associate Professor - Management. He holds Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Management, Master of Business Administration in Finance and Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management.
Dr. Karimi has over fourteen years’ experience in teaching at University level in the fields of Business Administration and Management and related areas. He joined the Chandaria School of Business in 2014 as an Assistant Professor of Management. He has been an external examiner for Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kirinyaga University, Mt Kenya University among others.
He has been engaged in extensive research work that culminated in publishing journal articles in peer reviewed journals and presented papers in local and international conferences. He is a full member of the Institute of Human Resource Management of Kenya, and a Practicing HR professional, a peer reviewer of Association Business and Emerging Markets. Dr. Karimi has valuable industry consultancy experience in the fields of Human Resource Management and Business Management
Dr. Joseph Nyanoti
Dr Joseph Nyamanga Nyanoti has been a lecturer in the Journalism & Corporate Communication Department since 2008, when he began working as adjunct faculty, which culminated in him becoming a full time member of faculty in 2010. He holds a PhD in the Sociology of Communication from the University of Nairobi. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Arts in Communication Studies, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Nairobi. He worked in Kenya’s leading newspapers (the Kenya Times, The Standard, and Nation Media Group) for 17 years before moving into academics. As an accomplished editor and photographer, Dr. Nyanoti has been USIU-Africa’s Yearbook Faculty Advisor for the past 11 years. He also sits in a number of University-wide committees, including Quality Assurance. Dr. Nyanoti has published papers in international peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in various areas of communication research. He has also presented papers in local and international conferences. He is a member of the Kenya Editors’ Guild (KEG), the International Communication Association (ICA), and the International Association of Media & Communication Research (IAMCR).
By Dr. Peterson Mwangi
Every semester, Psychology Undergraduate students both taking Psychology as a major or a minor look forward to gather and discuss issues affecting them. This semester, the baraza was geared towards exploring the placement opportunities available for graduates with a BA in Psychology. The event, held on Friday, 12 March, was hosted by Dr. Peterson Mwangi, the BA in Psychology Program Coordinator, and attended by 165 participants.
The key note speaker at the event was Dr. Nancy Nyaga, a USIU-Africa alumna, who holds a Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. In her address, Dr. Nyaga noted the relevance of the psychology program, given the number of psychosocial issues that have been on the rise in the society.
“With the fast tracking of the actualization of the Psychologists and Counselors Act 2014, followed by the release of the report on the Mental Health status of Kenya, the future of psychologists practice in Kenya is bright. We have also seen the creation of Psychology departments in many hospitals after the realization of the impact of psychology in the attainment of good health among the population,” she said.
“As students, it is important that you continuously aim at excellence, because opportunities for you are many. You can explore different career paths, including Counseling Psychology, Cognitive Perceptual Psychology, Behavioral Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Sports Psychology, Rehabilitation Psychology, Educational Psychology, Forensic/Criminal Psychology, Engineering Psychology, Environmental Psychology, Industrial Psychology, Health Psychology, and Biopsychology among others,” she added.
Dr. Nyaga also challenged the students to approach clinicians who can offer practice support as they prepare to launch their own private clinics later, noting that this was the path which led her into private practice, where she is the proprietor and Lead Psychotherapist at Blossom-Out Consultants.
She closed the session by urging students to always seek clarity on the dilemmas that they would face in their career pursuits, noting that this would get them to achieving their aspirations quicker, and in a focused manner.
By Diana Meso and Dr. Dana Basnight-Brown
Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Dana Basnight-Brown in collaboration with three other scholars presented two research papers during the 59th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, held in New Orleans, Los Angeles, US in November last year.
The first paper titled “A mixed method study of Emotion Processing in a Highly Proficient Multilingual Population” which was in collaboration with Asiya Ayoob Jafferani (University of Nottingham) was based on the study of emotions in bilingual’s population. It focused on highly proficient multilinguals in Sub-Saharan Africa to understand how a person’s emotion processing relates to their L1 (first Language), L2 (Second Language) or L3 (third language).
The study found out that L1 was most often used to express negative emotions, while L2 and L3 were used to express positive emotions revealing that language selection depended on valence.
The second paper “Adaptive Memory: An Exploration of the Survival Advantage in Sub-Saharan Africa.” was based on better understanding the role of survival relevant information and its influence on memory recall. It focused on determining whether traditional survival memory scenarios extend to Nonwestern population. Results indicated that 175 participants located in East Africa revealed no difference in recall for control, grasslands and urban survival conditions. Dr. Dana presented the paper together with Stephanie Kazanas (Tennessee Technological University) and Jeanette Altarriba (University of Albany).
The Psychonomic Society is the pre-eminent society for the experimental study of cognition. Members are cognitive scientists and include some of the most distinguished researchers in the field who are concerned with the application of psychology to health, technology, and education. Members also have a common interest in studying the basic, fundamental properties of how the mind works by using behavioral techniques to better understand mental processing.
By Precious Wangu
The USIU-Africa Public Speaking Club recently represented the University at the Laureate Debate Championship, held earlier this month.
The University was represented by 7 debaters: Kagia Samuel (Finance, Junior), Chantelle Mukabi (APT, Sophomore), Bienvenue Faraja (APT, Sophomore), Jeremiah Kashaka (IBA, Sophomore), Shalom Kimani (IBA, Senior), Louis Gitu (Film Production, Sophomore) and Simbarashe Mutandadzi (Accounting, Freshman). In total, 144 students from across the globe took part in the debate.
The debates were very competitive, but USIU-Africa was able to maintain
consistently high scores throughout the preliminary rounds. All teams managed to break to the
Octofinals, with two teams managing to reach the Quarter Finals (Bienvenue Faraja & Jeremiah Kashaka and Chantelle Mukabi & Kagia Samuel). Chantelle and Kagia reached the semifinals, with Chantelle emerging as the 9th best speaker at the tournament.
The University’s participation in the Laureate Championship was led by an Organizing Committee which consisted of Faith Musumba (Out-going PS Vice-Chair), Eunice Njagi (Out-going PS Chair), Lucy Njeri (USIU-Africa alumni and debater) and Chantelle Mukabi (Current PS Chair). The proficient individuals ensured proper organization of the entire tournament as well as seamless flow of activities. The event was ran by a diverse Chief Adjudicating Panel (CAP) which consisted of experienced and respected adjudicators from across the continent.
The team hopes to represent Kenya at the East African Universities Debate Championships (EAUDC) in Tanzania (August, 2020), the Pan African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC) in Botswana (December, 2020) and the World Universities Debate Championship (WUDC) (Korea,2021).
Chantelle Mukabi and Grace Kinyua, who emerged as the Top Speaking Team of the tournament.
By Chantelle Mukabi
The Public Speaking Club recently got another opportunity to represent USIU-Africa on the regional stage at the Olympia 2020 Debate that was held at Cavendish University in Kampala, Uganda. The tournament brought together participants from Kenya, Botswana, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
The Olympia Debate is a 2-day invitational tournament in which debaters who have been consistent winners, top scorers and best speakers throughout the debate year are selected to represent their school or region as they battle it out to become East Africa’s Best Debaters. USIU-Africa was represented by 5 debaters: Grace Kinyua (IR, Senior), Stecy Onyango (Psychology, Sophomore), Eunice Njagi (International Relations, Junior), Faith Musumba International Relations, Senior) and Chantelle Mukabi (APT, Sophomore); Kagia Samuel (Finance, Sophomore) had also qualified, however could not attend the tournament. The team was accompanied by the University’s Clubs Coordinator, Jane Nyaga.
The debates were highly competitive and difficult, however the team was able to maintain consistently high scores throughout the preliminary rounds. In the end, Grace Kinyua and Chantelle Mukabi emerged as the Top Speaking Team of the tournament.
The Public Speaking Club is committed to pursuing excellence at all forthcoming competitions and pushing its members to greater heights. The Club’s next agenda is the Erudite Debate Tournament which it plans to host as an intervarsity debate in early April. The team also hopes to represent Kenya at the East African Universities Debate Championships (EAUDC) in Tanzania in August this year, the Pan-African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC) in Botswana in December and at the World Universities Debate Championship (WUDC) next year in Korea.
By Precious Wangu
USIU-Africa’s Public Speaking Club is known for its vibrancy, tenacity and success. In 2019, the Club participated in over a dozen debate and public speaking tournaments locally and internationally. These events have kept the University on the global map and exposed the Club to the realm of international debate and public speaking.
In keeping with its progression into the global limelight, the Public Speaking Club rebranded to the USIU-Africa Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS), in order to represent the new direction being taken by the Club. This means that members will be free to express themselves more fully, not only in debates and public speaking, but also in spoken word, poetry, and readings.
The rebranding of the Club has been a tremendous, creative, and exciting journey for the outgoing and the incoming committee members who worked alongside the Club’s patron, Dr. Quin Awuor.
Speaking following the rebrand, incoming SADS’ incoming Chairperson, Ms. Chantelle Mukabi, noted that the decision to rebrand was prompted by members who were looking for alternative ways of expression that played to their strengths.
“We wanted to expand our product portfolio to encompass all forms of speech: public speaking, debate, spoken word, poetry & readings. This was a strategy to open up to other members who were keen on exploring other categories of speech beyond public speaking and debate. The gap became noticeable through events like Freshman Bashes, Library Readings and discussions the club hosted during Library Week last semester. This prompted the change in name, as Public Speaking Club did not speak to the Club’s evolution,” she said.
The rebrand also saw the election of new club officials, who include:
I.Chantelle Mukabi - Chairperson
II. Kagia Samuel - Vice Chairperson
III. Stecy Onyango - Public Relations Officer
IV. Bienvenu Faraja - Inter-Club Coordinator
V. Shalom Kimani - Treasurer
VI. Jeremiah Kashaka - Logistics Officer
VII. Precious Wangu - Executive Secretary
The Society’s next major goal is to initiate new projects under Spoken Word, Poetry and Readings, in addition to revamping its Public Speaking and Debate offering, in terms of planning, session structure, activities, training and a stronger interaction with the international debate community.
The Society’s incoming Vice Chairperson, Mr. Samuel Kagia applauded the team for continuing to discharge its duties despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its related challenges.
“The team took over the Society’s leadership at the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdowns, which was a test of our leadership skills. Not only did the new committee manage to effectively transition all Society activities online, but we also worked tirelessly to improve the quality of our existing projects while simultaneously introducing and growing our new projects in line with the rebrand,” he said.
The Society’s new projects will be led by:
The Society hopes to nurture and uplift all its members to push past their limits and constantly accept challenges in pursuit of continuous improvement. With this, the Society’s spirit is kept alive as the members live up to our new slogan: “Speak to Empower.”
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa last week celebrated Valentine’s Day in style by honouring members of the University community, who put the US in USIU-Africa. Students and staff were treated to flowers, chocolates and cake, and had an opportunity to take a photograph to celebrate the day. Those who could not make it to the booth had the Valentine’s cheer brought to them.
For those who shared their photos with us online, stay tuned for a special announcement soon!
By Kemigisha Agnes
The Red Cross Club partnered with the University to provide first aid services during the recently held Commencement Ceremony. This collaboration allowed the volunteers to help the graduating students and all the guests in attendance. In addition, they also partnered with Metrocare Hospital in order to effectively manage and respond to any emergencies that arose on this day.
The Red Cross Club worked with six student first aiders as per the University's requirements and expectations. Each of these students executed their roles with utmost dedication and professionalism, going above and beyond to ensure the safety and well-being of all attendees. The feedback and accolades received from Metrocare Hospital, the guests, and the graduates themselves were exceptionally encouraging and affirming of the value of the services provided.
The team's performance was widely commended, and it became evident that the club members possess the skills and commitment to save lives when needed. This success not only reflects positively on the Red Cross Club but also demonstrates the importance of having such initiatives within the University community.
Moreover, it is heartening to note that some of the students who attended the Commencement ceremony expressed a keen interest in joining the Red Cross Club. They were deeply impressed by the professionalism, dedication, and swift response exhibited by the club members on that day, which is a testament to the impact we have on our peers and the potential growth of the club.
The Red Cross Club would like to express its appreciation for this opportunity to serve the University community and looks forward to further collaborations and opportunities to make a positive impact through the club’s commitment to first aid and emergency response.
By Brenda Shioni
Recently, the Red Cross Club visited Remember New Children's Home in Kawangware to donate foodstuffs, clothes and mentor the children. The Home is a rescue center of girls who are victims of rape and cases are still ongoing in court.
The visit was part of the Club’s objective of social work practice where members actively gave service to the home. The activities done were cleaning, cooking and playing with the children. Some of the Club members had a chance to portray their leadership and public speaking skills by mentoring the young ones and engaging them in various activities.
The Club looks forward to having more outreach activities focused on Community service, to give students a chance to transform their communities.
By Taigu Muchiri
The second series of the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) public dialogue was held on May 13, and was moderated by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza. The dialogue brought together University leaders from across the continent to discuss how their institutions will handle partnerships and collaboration during and post-pandemic world. The public dialogue is organized by AAP in partnership with the University World News and the African Studies Centre at Michigan University. The discussion was led by Dr. Steven Hanson, Associate Provost and Dean of International Studies and Programs at Michigan State University (MSU), and was joined by Prof. Charles Igwe, Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. George Kanyama-Phiri, Vice Chancellor, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Prof. Idrissa Traore, Vice Chancellor, University of Arts and Human Sciences of Bamako (ULSHB).
Speaking during the event, Prof. Zeleza noted that it is important for African universities to critically think about partnerships and global collaborations to respond to some of these questions: What kind of partnerships are emerging in African universities as a result of the pandemic for example research collaborations, student teaching and learning, mobility of people, programs and curriculum; what new collaborations are emerging out of COVID-19 that will transform traditional North-South collaboration; how will COVID-19 affect the perennial struggle for African universities to balance the demands of internationalization and indigenization.
Partnerships and collaborations between universities across the world have seen experts come together to address current problems and future challenges. These partnerships strengthen relationships but have led to transformational change especially in developing countries and help to shape policy.
Dr. Steven Hanson mentioned that MSU’s global partnership journey started over sixty years ago and the objective was to use knowledge and technology to find solutions to existing problems. “This process has helped form and inform partnerships and it uses a three-pronged approach by incorporating thematic experience and expertise, regional experience and expertise and global partnerships and collaborations. These in turn create global solutions and innovations with lasting effect and this approach led to the birth of the AAP which works with African leaders to recognize the capacity and strengths of African based institutions and creates African led solutions to solve Africa’s most pressing challenges,” he explained. He added that global partnerships are not likely to change amid the pandemic because the world’s pressing issues are still the same and others have been amplified by the pandemic such as rural to urban migration, food security, water quality, climate change, income inequality and youth employment. However, post COVID-19 will see accelerated partnerships and collaborations that will be determined by travel and safety, technology that will accelerate the fourth industrial revolution and development of innovative education pathways.
Universities across the world are being tested in terms of how they respond to the global pandemic by addressing the issues that affect them directly. Particularly, this time will shape how partnerships and collaborations are forged after the pandemic. African universities must now evaluate the worth of these partnerships and change how they will be done in the future. For example, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka aims to continue its current partnership and pursue new partnerships that specifically seek to resolve the challenges brought about by the pandemic and its effects in Nigeria. Prof. George Kanyama-Phiri, Vice Chancellor, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) mentioned that the University is keen foster partnerships and collaborations in order to expand the capacity of ICT resources and train students and faculty to enable them effectively deliver online learning. In addition, the University by collaborating with University of Pretoria to review its curricula; setting up an innovation and incubation hub in partnership with MSU; collaboration with the public and private sector to build capacities in Universities to enable them respond to COVID-19.
On June 10, the dialogue will highlight potential challenges of student recruitment in the age of COVID-19; on June 24, the panelists will explore the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on university faculty and students; and the final dialogue will be held on July 8, that will show the impact of COVID-19 in Africa by exploring the opportunities for partnership and engagement.
By Lola Hannigan
As we approach the general elections, slated for Tuesday, August 9, let us be cognizant of our past, especially the deep effects of the violent aftermath of the 2007 general elections.
Let us be vigilant in our defense of our democratic rights and vote consciously to secure the future of our country. To the youth, you hold the future of this country, desist from being used as political tools of violence and agents of hate through social media, remember there will be Kenya after the elections, so let peace reign in every heart and every corner of our country.
The Africa Journal of Crime and Justice invites submissions for inclusion in a special edition of the Journal, whose theme is ‘Enhancing access to justice in the criminal justice system during a global pandemic’.
The Africa Journal of Crime and Justice is housed in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa. This journal is published and hosted by Juta and Company (https://juta.co.za), one of Africa’s preeminent publishers of quality Law and Academic content and current publisher of a stable of some twenty-five high calibre research journals. The journal welcomes articles that address the theme above.
This special issue aims to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to present new research and developments on the given theme. Accordingly, areas of interest for this special issue include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
Kindly submit the title of the paper, the names of the author/s, and the abstract. The full manuscript, as an MS Word file, should be emailed to the Editor-in-Chief by the deadline indicated below.
IMPORTANT DATES:
Editor-in Chief:
Simeon P. Sungi, Esq. Ph.D., LL.M.
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice,
United States International University - Africa,
Email: ssungi@usiu.ac.ke
Should you wish to learn more about Juta’s journals, visit http://www.jutajournals.co.za
By Diana Meso, Cynthia Makena and Andy Agutu
On Friday, March 29, the AIESEC club members got a chance to interact with Ms. Maskarm Haile; an Ethopian travel junkie who documents her travel in books and blogs, and learn about her book Abyssinian Nomad; An African Woman’s Journey of Love, Loss, and Adventure from Cape to Cairo.
Maskarm encouraged the club members to follow their dream and break from the rigid mindset to beat the norm that taking up certain “office” careers is the only way to succeed in life. She pointed out that her determination to achieve her childhood dreams despite setback from her family and culture kept her alive as she traversed 15 countries in Africa from Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to Cairo in Egypt.
She further inspired the club members to strive to learn new cultures and meet new people that will help them open up to new ideas and see the world from different and exciting angles. The talk is in line with one of the main agendas of AIESEC which is to activate leadership potential by working with different groups all over the world to shape a better future. It also builds to our diversified cultures from over 72 nationalities represented in the university.
The book Abyssinian Nomad outlines Maskarm Haile experiences when she traveled from South Africa to Egypt and her exposure to various cultures.
On Saturday October 9, representatives from the Admissions Department, Marketing and Communications Department and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars program visited the Canada- Mathare Education Trust (CMETrust) in Mathare Valley, to create awareness about USIU-Africa, the programs offered and the various financial aid opportunities available.
Ms. Faith Mugambi, Program Officer- Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, spoke to the participants about the Scholars Program, laying emphasis on the scholarship’s key attributes: leadership, discipline, academic talent, commitment to giving back, sought while recruiting and selecting students for the program. She also talked about the next intake for the program and encouraged participants to keep checking the USIU-Africa website and social media pages for more information. Additionally, Ms. Faith talked about the other scholarship programs offered at the university stressing that USIU-Africa does not discriminate and anyone can acquire education as long as they met the qualifications required.
On the other hand, Mrs. Diana Meso, Marketing and Communications Officer gave a brief introduction about USIU-Africa and gave details on minimum entry requirements, undergraduate programs offered and co-curricular activities that students can engage in. Additionally, Ms. Catherine Nyambok, Receptionist, encouraged the participants to work hard and attain the required grade, promising them a world full of endless possibilities offered by the university.
Founded in 2006, CMETrust offers secondary school scholarships to students from Mathare to help them break the cycle of poverty and empower young people to change their lives and their communities. The Canadian Charity has so far sponsored over 200 students.
By the ICT team
The mission of the ICT Help Desk is to provide the user community at USIU-Africa with a single point of contact so that access to appropriate levels of computing and networking services and the technical support essential to effectively use these services is provided in an efficient and effective manner.
The system has been in use at the University for the last nine years by ICT, Marketing and Communications, and Maintenance departments. In addition to enhancing service provision in all critical departments beyond the official working hours, the business focus shall become more customer-oriented since the spotlight shall shift towards issue resolution based on each issue’s anticipated turnaround time.
In order to streamline support requests and better serve you, we utilize a support ticket system. Every support request is assigned a unique ticket number which you can use to track the progress and responses online. Please note that a valid email address is required to submit a ticket.
ICT related issues can also be addressed via any of the following channels:
For a comprehensive list of e-mail addresses that you should use to directly contact departments or units and track issues you raise using your ticket number, please use this link that will lead you directly to the Helpdesk tab on the website: helpdesk/
By the Counselling Department
The global response to COVID -19 has changed daily life for many people, in addition to being a source of stress and adversity for them. To overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19 and its related traumas, it is important that we all build and strengthen our resilience.
What is resilience?
Resilience is the process of positive adaptation, withstanding or doing well in the face of adversity. It is the alleviation of suffering and the deliberate choice to have a balance between negative experiences (bad outcomes) and positive experiences with the choice of allowing oneself to lean more on the positives in life despite the challenges. It is also the ability to maintain relatively stable and healthy levels of psychological and physical functioning despite the adversity.
What people need to be resilient
To counter balance hardships in life and shield yourself from difficult times, there are core skills in life that one needs to be able to adapt, find solutions and therefore bounce back from the challenges, physically and psychologically ready to move on with life. These include:
- For children provide coloring books, crayon, makers, word searches, puzzles, books, craft supplies). Take the time to play with the children and teach them coping and adaptive life skills.
- For adolescents, provide them with the right experiences and support, train them on resisting peer pressure, focus on long term goals and strategically planning for the future, dealing productively with setbacks and managing school work at this time of lockdown and school closure.
- Resist impulsive behavior through self-regulation skills (self-control) so that you are able to plan, monitor, adjust and regulate your behavior. Learn to say no to yourself when alone or with people (say no to negative coping skills e.g. alcohol and drug abuse, distractions or temptations and negative thinking).
- Follow and adjust flexibly to the different rules and guidelines for protection against contracting or transmission of COVID -19 and other infectious diseases.
Remember, you are the architect of your life and you can make it stronger and better in the “new normal” where we have to learn to live with the virus.
By Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza and Dr. Paul M. Okanda
COVID-19 has devastated and upended the world economy and healthcare systems and Universities across the globe have not been spared. The pandemic has posed enormous challenges and accelerated profound changes in higher education that were already underway. In response, universities need to change their priorities, operations, and service delivery, which affects their organizational structure and governance.
Seven key transformations are particularly pertinent: reduced resources, growing competition, the impact of the Fourth industrial revolution, the changing nature of jobs, shifts in university demographics, growing public demands on universities, and of course the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
Changes in the Higher Education landscape
The reduction in resources is engendered by, and evident in, four main ways: first, declining government support, a phenomenon that started at the turn of the 1980s with the triumph of neo-liberalism, which manifested itself in Africa through draconian structural adjustment programs; second, student tuition pressures as universities adopted ‘cost sharing’ measures; third, increased competition for research grants and donations as the numbers of universities expanded and pressures for academic productivity intensified; and fourth, the persistent under-development of cultures of philanthropy for higher education institutions across Africa notwithstanding the explosion of high net-worth individuals.
Growing competition is manifest in the increasing number of tertiary institutions—public, private, and for-profit. The number of universities across the continent rose from 784 in 1999 to 1,682 in 2018. Also, globally there has been increased diversity of providers of higher education as major corporations, research agencies, and NGOs have entered the fray. Reinforcing the competitiveness in the sector is the rising importance of global and regional rankings, in which African universities generally do poorly. Rankings are increasingly critical for attracting high quality faculty, students, partnerships and resources.
The Fourth industrial revolution refers to the emergence of vast new information technologies and the convergence of the digital, biological, and physical domains of life that blur lines between different spheres of specialization. It is leading to the obsolescence of some traditional academic fields and the rise of new ones. It is also facilitating changes and improvements in institutional business operations and processes, the development of new modalities of teaching and learning, and forcing more attention to be paid to innovation and entrepreneurship.
Extensive changes in the nature of jobs are taking place requiring continuous reskilling, upskilling, and lifelong learning. This is accompanied by the growing importance of careers in science, technology, engineering, healthcare, and the creative arts, as well as demand for hybrid hard and soft skills through interdisciplinary and experiential teaching and learning. According to the World Economic Forum’s The Future of Jobs Report 2020, the critical skills for jobs of the future include analytical thinking and innovation; active learning and learning strategies; complex problem solving; critical thinking and analysis; creativity, originality and initiative; leadership and social influence; technology use, monitoring and control; technology design and programing; resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility.
Changing student demographics are apparent in four main ways. First, there are generational shifts in university constituencies from Baby Boomers to Generation X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha, etc., each of which has its own learning expectations, demands, and styles. Second, there are growing pressures for diversity and inclusion in terms gender, class, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, political affiliation, and disability. Third, the changes in the nature jobs, career expectations, and need for lifelong learning increasingly make higher education necessary for different age groups not just those between 18 and 24. Fourth, there is growing internationalization progressively in both physical and virtual forms encompassing the mobility of people (students and faculty), academic programs, policy imitation, and institutional practices through inter-institutional partnerships within countries, and across regions and internationally.
Rising expectations for public service and engagement are marked by growing demands on universities to become active contributors to the public good and national development and competitiveness through technology and knowledge transfer. Further, there are greater expectations for collaboration between university researchers, think tanks, and policy makers to find solutions to pressing and long-term societal challenges. Also pressing is closing the mismatch between graduate skills and the needs of the economy through greater engagement between universities and employers. Finally, the trend towards private-public-partnerships is rising that enable universities to acquire much-needed resources from the public and private sectors and the latter to gain university resources in terms of research for value addition for their respective enterprises.
For its part, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of teaching and learning, operational processes and service delivery in universities. Consequently, it has intensified pressures for institutional structural transformation; demands on institutional capacities, efficiencies and resources especially with reference to human capital, technological infrastructures, and financial resources; and the production of biomedical and socioeconomic research to manage the multiple impacts of the pandemic and solve pressing societal problems and inform public policy.
Implications for institutional change
The changes identified above have implications on six key areas for universities in Africa and elsewhere: rethinking the nature of academic programs, delivery of teaching and learning, human resources, resource mobilization and utilization, institutional partnerships, and the nature of leadership skills.
Universities have to undertake systematic reviews of their academic programs that might require phasing out some existing academic programs and introducing new ones, and reforming the organizational structure of departments and schools. Changes in the credentialing economy as traditional degrees increasingly become less dominant as a signal of job readiness, and universities losing their monopoly over certification with the emergence of alternative credentialing, require African universities to embrace innovative degree configurations, such as multidisciplinary majors and minors, combined Undergraduate and Graduate degrees, sandwich degrees involving industry practice, joint degrees with other institutions, and ‘micro-degrees’ and certifications. Students should be provided transcripts that combine curricular and co-curricular assessments through an e-portfolio system that is portable for life.
In terms of the delivery of teaching and learning, African universities have to develop an effective three-pronged system involving face-to-face, online, and blended teaching and learning in a modular way that gives students flexibility. Universities need to acquire the necessary technologies to support new forms of learning, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, learning and teaching aids, simulation platforms, mobile platforms, and platforms that support offline access.
All this has implications for human resources and therefore Universities need to undertake systematic reviews of their establishments and personnel to ensure they are fit-for-purpose. Also required are effective strategies for talent recruitment, retooling and retention of individuals that have the right skill sets.
In terms of resource mobilization and utilization, African universities should develop tuition pricing structures that are calibrated to meet the actual costs of delivering their menu of academic programs using the different forms of teaching and learning and delivery methods. Universities must also rump income generation capacities and commitments ranging from research grants, fundraising and donations, to private-public partnerships.
As for institutional partnerships, African universities ought to intensify their efforts towards forming partnerships with other universities locally, regionally and internationally, as well as key external players including government, industry, philanthropic organizations, international and intergovernmental agencies, and community based organizations. Moreover, they should establish centers of excellence in areas that promote the agendas derived from the changes identified above.
Finally, there is need to sharpen the leadership skills of university leaders at all levels from department heads and School or College Deans to Management Boards, Boards of Trustees, and University Councils. The areas include skills for financial acuity, cultural competency, technological deftness, crisis management, entrepreneurial mindset, political savviness, empathy and respect, multi-genre communication skills, high emotional intelligence, and agility. This necessitates the establishment of more and diverse higher education leadership development centers and opportunities across the continent which are currently sorely lacking.
The survival, stability, and sustainability of Higher Education Institutions demand that fundamental changes are made in institutional size, scope, programs, and governance. This entails reviewing the universities’ human, physical, and technological capacities and the associated institutional policies, processes, and practices.
This is administratively and politically taxing and demands extensive consultations and effective communication with multiple internal and external constituencies that often have different and divergent interests. COVID-19 has accelerated ongoing trends and underscored the transformative power of institutional business planning and continuity, investments in technological infrastructures and opportunities of the Fourth industrial revolution, and the imperatives of organizational resilience, nimbleness, flexibility and data-driven decision making.
By Joe Wanjara
The culture of reading amongst students has been on a decline in recent years. This is a cause for concern as reading is a vital skill that is necessary for academic success and personal growth.
There are several reasons why the culture of reading amongst students has declined. One reason is the change of value system. This is according to Prof. Chinew Anunobi, CEO – National Library of Nigeria as penned in an article published by Vanguard News Nigeria on February 21, 2022. She says, “reading culture is declining by the day. The reason is not farfetched; it is completely a result of the change of the value system. The children, youths and adults are not interested in knowledge, rather, everybody is interested in materialism. People want to get rich quick, so there is no respect for learned people and scholars.” She claims that there is neo-literacy where people do not understand the importance of reading.
Another reason for the decline in reading culture is increasing reliance on technology and the internet. With the availability of information at their fingertips, students are less likely to pick up a book and read. Additionally, the fast-paced nature of modern life leaves little time for leisure reading and the pressure to perform well on standardized tests has led to a focus on rote learning rather than critical thinking and comprehension.
So, how do we then revive the love of reading? First and foremost, schools should create a reading culture by organizing reading programs and book clubs. While there isn’t an official book club in USIU-Africa, it is commendable that the Library is in the brink of launching ‘Sweeten your lunch with a Librarian’, a recurrent event where the university community will have a chance to share their experiences with books they've read.
Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Deputy Vice Chancellor – Academic Affairs on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 stated that encouraging students to read books and discussing them with their peers, as well as hosting author visits and book fairs was a step to promoting a love of reading. That’s in line with the institution’s incentive to propel a reading culture, and a notable case of hosting author visits was on June 30, 2022 when Alexander Williams, a USA-based author of two books, ‘Faithful Brothers’ and ‘From Africa with Love’ held a book talk event in USIU-Africa. Prof. Munyae made the remarks during a book launch event held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) building rooftop where three USIU-Africa students, Eliseus Bamporineza, Victor BK Bol and Anyika Muchesia debuted their books ‘All About Her & Me’, ‘Tales of Drunken Nights’ and ‘Stars Aligned’ respectively. “While others were figuring out what to do with their free time, you [the three authors] were creating content,” Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean – SHSS, remarked as he applauded the students for a job well done. The event was graced by Hannah Githuki, an alumnus of USIU-Africa and author of ‘Flaunt Your Genius.’
Consequently, schools should place a greater emphasis on reading in the curriculum by incorporating more literature and reading materials into the classroom, and by encouraging lecturers to incorporate reading and writing activities into their lessons. Lecturers can assign required readings for the students, which can be in the form of novels, short stories, essays, or other written materials. This will help students to develop their critical thinking skills, as well as their ability to analyze and interpret texts. Additionally, professors can use literature and reading materials as a starting point for class discussions and debates, which can help to foster a deeper understanding of the material and encourage active engagement among students.
Another way to boost the culture of reading amongst students is by providing access to a wide variety of reading materials by setting up a well-stocked library in the school, and by providing access to online books and e-readers as is the case with the ultra-modern Library at USIU-Africa.
Finally, parents and tutors should set a good example by making reading a priority in their own lives. By setting aside time each day for leisure reading, they encourage their children to read books that interest them.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Ritah Mbabazi is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa and is in her third year of pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Finance. Beyond her academic pursuits, Ritah is also a treasurer for the Student Association Cabinet, an ambassador for the Mastercard Foundation Baobab platform, and an ambassador for the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship. As the Founder of Mbabazi Cassava Crisps, Ritah is also a visionary entrepreneur looking to make a difference in the community.
At the heart of Ritah's entrepreneurial vision is a mission to transform cassava, the second major staple food in Uganda, her home country, into crisps. The abundance of cassava production in the country led her toward finding a solution that not only addresses food wastage but also empowers women in her community. Her venture involves purchasing cassava from local women, providing them with the skills to make crisps, thereby creating economic opportunities and reducing food wastage.
Ritah's journey toward becoming a Fellowship finalist was one of resilience and dedication.
“Balancing the demands of the Fellowship with my academic responsibilities required determination and sacrifice. While many participants dropped out during the first phase, I remained persistent, driven by the belief in the potential impact of my idea,” she says.
Ritah believes that her entrepreneurial endeavour could be a catalyst for positive change. She sees her business employing over 100 people from her community and beyond. Beyond job creation, she aims to contribute to the reduction of cassava wastage in Uganda and empower women by imparting valuable skills in the production of cassava crisps.
Ritah has some words of advice for those aspiring to apply for the Fellowship:
“Seize the opportunity and apply [for] the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship. The Fellowship will give you access to invaluable coaching, resources, and an opportunity to network with other aspiring entrepreneurs. You must be determined, goal-oriented and ambitious to be able to navigate the Fellowship successfully,” she shares.
Ritah envisions herself becoming an inspiration to the girlchild in her community, creating employment opportunities for numerous individuals in Uganda, and expanding her business to other regions with additional funding from various organizations. Her participation in the Fellowship has equipped her with essential business and entrepreneurship skills, particularly in pitching her ideas convincingly to potential funding organizations. She hopes to use these skills to create positive change in the community through innovative entrepreneurship.
About the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship
The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship is an 8- month program designed to cultivate exceptional entrepreneurial skillsets and mindsets. It empowers emerging leaders to drive both social and financial impact through their ventures. The Fellowship is committed to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in African students and recent graduates, fostering innovation, and creating a positive change in the world. Applications for the Fellowship are ongoing, and can be accessed here.
The application deadline for the 2024 program year is Monday, December 4, 2023.
By Silas Ooko
The Rotaract Club held a meeting with the Kilele Health Association earlier this week. The meeting, chaired by the Clubs Coordinator, Mr. Chris Ayuoyi, was held to pursue a partnership between the Club and Kilele Health Association on creating awareness about cancer and screening of a cancer sensitization movie. Photo: Rotaract Club
By Silas Ooko
The 8th Annual Interact Careers garage event, hosted last month, was organized by the Rotaract Clubs of Nairobi Central, the Rotaract Club of USIU-Africa, and the Rotary Club of Nairobi. The event took place at USIU-Africa and focused on the theme of "Deconstruction of Traditional Career Paths." It aimed to provide high school students with mentorship, motivation, career guidance, and leadership training. The event attracted the participation of 200 high school students from various schools, including Starehe Boys, Lenana School, and Mukuru Transformers Secondary School, among others. Additionally, fifteen corporate partners were involved, including organizations such as the Kenya Universities College Central Placement Service (KUCCPS), the USIU-Africa Admissions Team, Fahari Aviation, Career Exhibition and Innovation Hub, and Recast Careers Consultancy, among others. The presence of these esteemed organizations was key to the event as they provided students with direct access to industry professionals and experts.
Several influential speakers delivered thought-provoking talks during the event. Fareed Khimani, one of the notable speakers, addressed the students on the worth of their value and their conduct. His insightful session encouraged students to recognize their strengths and emphasized the importance of integrity and ethical behaviour in shaping successful careers. In line with the event's objectives, Rtn. Huma took the students through leadership training sessions and offered an insightful session expounding more on the opportunities in Rotary and Rotaract as a whole.
Furthermore, he spoke about collaborative project approaches in the service of the community and the well-being of all, one of the Rotary approaches to creating hope in the world. These sessions equipped the students with the necessary tools and strategies to become effective leaders in their chosen careers and communities. The students were encouraged to take on leadership roles and make a positive impact on society.
The event was also a platform for students to engage in meaningful mentorship with professionals from various fields. Kenya Universities College Central Placement Service(KUCCPS), another corporate partner, played a crucial role in the event by sharing its expertise in university admissions and career placement. KUCCPS representatives provided students with information about different university programs and guided them on the application process. Corporate partners and industry experts dedicated their time to guiding students, answering their queries, and sharing valuable insights from their career journeys.
This personalized mentorship experience offered students the opportunity to gain practical knowledge that served the anticipated goal of the event in enabling the students to make informed decisions about their future career paths. The corporate partners and industry experts present at the event dedicated their time to guiding students, answering their queries, and sharing valuable insights from their career journeys.
By Trevor Malinda
ENSO Week began on Tuesday, March 21, and ran through Thursday, March 23, with the highlight being a visit from the Roysambu Chief, Mr. Mugo Geoffrey, on Wednesday. The event successfully promoted environmental awareness, and students engaged in various activities focused on sustainability and conservation.
During the event, there was a student-led business called Succulent World KE. The business sells succulent plants in recycled and upcycled plastic bottles, promoting sustainability and reducing waste. Giraffe Center also sent representatives to the university to discuss wildlife conservation and their national environmental awareness competition. The competition consists of three categories: artwork, essay writing, and photography, and the deadline for submission is in April.
The Chief's visit on Wednesday was a significant highlight of the event. He arrived with Nyumba Kumi representatives Francis Njuguna and Wario Abduba from the Roysambu shopping centre and Safari Park area and helped the students plant seedlings of Nandi Oak and Mwaurubaine, two species known for their substantial environmental benefits. The Chief emphasized the importance of conservation and suggested that the school start a seedbed managed by their Environmental Society (ENSO) to help support the growth of these trees in the community.
"The students are the future of our community, and it is important that they learn about environmental conservation at an early age," said the Chief. "I am glad to see their enthusiasm and dedication to this cause."
The Environmental Society members were thrilled to participate in the initiative and look forward to managing the seedbed. "We are committed to promoting environmental conservation in our university and beyond," said one of the members.
The Chief's visit was a great example of how local leaders and community members can work together to promote environmental conservation. The students were grateful for the opportunity to work with the Chief and the Nyumba Kumi representatives to impact their environment positively. They hope to continue this work and inspire others to join them.
By Stecy Onyango
As the spring semester comes to an end, the Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) continues to maintain a very strong online presence while extending its foothold across continents. Under the guidance of Dr. Quin Awour, the club’s patron, and support from the USIU-Africa Student Affairs office, the Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) continues to soar to greater heights in online debate, poetry and spoken arts.
The beginning of the spring semester saw the club carry out a thorough online recruitment of new students to join the different pathways that included Spoken Arts, Public Speaking and Debate of the club. This was intended to provide the new members with personalized online intense training to help them sharpen their skills.
Below are the achievements of each section of the Society throughout this spring semester 2021:
Spoken Arts
Led by Jeremiah Kashaka (SADS Logistics Officer) and Precious Wangu (SADS Executive Secretary), the Spoken Arts section held biweekly activities which have enhanced the members’ creativity, critical thinking and presentation skills. Some of their activities included Poetry Analysis and Imagery, Literary devices and Musicality among others. The sessions greatly helped in the refinement of the members’ skills. They came up with rhyming lyrics and lines, which they applied in the composition of poems, songs and spoken word. The final session included the members reciting poems from some of their favorite pieces. Additionally, in honor of Africa Day on May 25, one of the Spoken Arts members will be performing an original piece at a webinar organized by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Public Speaking
The Public Speaking team also held biweekly events led by Stecy Onyango (SADS PR Officer) and Shalom Kihara (SADS Treasurer). They had an introductory session on ‘Becoming a public speaker’, in which attendees were taken through the basic elements and forms of Public Speaking. Further activities were centered on different types of speeches and the purpose of developing relevant topics, and investigating the subject matter. One of the major events from this branch included: Reciting a Piece, where members were given time to prepare for speech and perform them as they applied the skills they learned.
Debate
The Debate team, led by Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Chair) and Kagia Samuel (SADS Vice Chair), has flourished throughout the semester with daily debate training sessions held to continually engage and improve the debaters. This semester started with the section having novice debaters join the training camp; they were able to finish their training and actively joined the advanced debaters. To further integrate the new debaters, Chantelle and Kagia partnered with Pioneer University to host a Novice Friendly Tournament on 31st March to 1st April.
SADS achievements in Spring 2021:
Upcoming tournaments:
Chantelle Mukabi & Kagia Samuel have applied for the World’s Universities Debate Championship (WUDC) 2021, to be held online by the Korea WUDC committee. The organization provided them with a full waiver scholarship ($110) for the one team slot. This will be the first time in the WUDC history to have an East African team taking part in the prestigious tournament.
Chantelle & Kagia will be representing Kenya in the African Nations Debate League Invitational tournament together with a second team of Jeremiah Kashaka (SADS Logistics Officer) & Bienvenu Faraja (SADS Interclub Coordinator) representing The Democratic Republic of Congo.
The SADS Debate team as a whole is also on the path to take part in the 2021 Pan African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC) that will be held physically in Botswana. The team is currently actively preparing for the tournament. This is after pioneering USIU-Africa’s debut in PAUDC 2020 online held by Uganda, and achieving the titles of Best East African Speakers.
For registration and more information on the club contact: sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke
By Fresher Diana
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) had a year full of achievements and growth. And what better way to end the year than take part in the 5th edition of Zanzibar Opens. Zanzibar Opens is an annual debate championship organized by the Tanzania Competitive Rhetoric Organization (TCRO), to expose and merge the tropical island experience with debate. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 5th edition of 2020 was cancelled. SADS first participated in the Zanzibar Opens during the 4th edition in 2019. Accompanied by our chaperone Jane Nyaga, the SADS team travelled to Tanzania over the December holidays.
The tournament was hosted at the island at the State Technical University of Zanzibar (SUZA). The tournament saw the coming together of different institutions from four countries in Africa: Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and Botswana. Representing from the Spoken Arts & Debate Society were Samuel Kagia, Fresher Diana, Louis Gitu and Elsie Sirengo. SADS yet again emerged victorious at the tournament, with Samuel Kagia partnered with Njuguna Macharia (Strathmore), emerging as the 1st runner’s up in the Open Finals of the tournament. Moreover, Samuel Kagia scooped the title of the 2nd best speaker in the tournament.
Being a holiday tournament, the competition not only improved parentship skills for the present institutions, but also get a feel of the Zanzibar culture and history. The island had a lot of scenic sites to for the participants to explore alongside debating.
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society had immense growth in 2021, and we look forward to soaring even higher this year. The Society will be participating in several activities this semester, including:
Through the tutelage of some of the best adjudicators and debaters across the globe, SADS is set to break barriers not only in Kenya, but continentally and all over the world. This can only happen through the dedication and commitment of the club members not only, but through undying support from the school club patron and club coordinator. Furthermore, we not only want to equip the students of USIU-Africa with the skills of a good speaker, but we also want to impact the lives of the members and the community at large. With the patronage of our club patron, Dr. Quin Juma, SADS has beat the odds to become a club that seeks to promote the interrelation of the USIU-Africa student and faculty community.
For more information on the club, please reach out to us on sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke
The Spoken Arts and Debate Society (SADS) has once again clinched yet another win as Joshua Wambugu (Applied Technology major) and his partner Aisha Ahmed (Pharmacy major) ranked first in the Insurance themed debate that took place on November 3-4, 2022 on USIU-Africa grounds.
SADS has been at the forefront in the Debate community to create awareness on critical topics affecting the society. The purpose of this experience is to facilitate discussions about Insurance and its place in business, family and society in general. Two institutions partnered up with SADS to make this a reality, the Kenya National Debate Council (KNDC) and Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI), hosting over 150 speakers from 10 universities across Kenya. We believe that Insurance is an essential part in providing a safety net for individuals and businesses as well as driving economic progress, therefore it was important to seize the opportunity as well as provide a platform to promote knowledge and understanding about this topic.
Led by the captain Chantelle Mukabi (Former Chair) and Jeremiah Kashaka (Vice Chair), this tournament served as an invaluable experience for all the new SADS debaters to learn the art of speech and argumentation. Through the numerous interactive conversations with various institutions, it created a space to see how they view different topics, as well as critical perspectives of the globe and what solutions would be brought forth to make the world a better place. SADS committee members, Fresher Awuor (SADS chair), Victor Mwendwa (Logistics Officer) and Lauryn Ojore (Executive Secretary), working hand in hand with Jane Nyaga (Clubs coordinator), served as the organising committee, ensuring the event was successful.
As the year wraps up, the Society still has two more events planned on its calendar:
1. Mbokodo Open Tournament that will take place from November 18-19, 2022.
2. The Pan African Universities Debate Championship, taking place from December 8-15, 2022.
By Fresher Diana
The USIU-Africa Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) hosted 12 universities from Kenya on Thursday November, 19 and Friday, November 20 for the Mbokodo Debate Open Tournament, to engage and discuss controversial issues surrounding gender minorities and women’s place in the long-standing patriarchal society. Mbokodo represents a South African narrative that speaks to women embodying the characteristics of a rock: being hard, strong, and unwavering.
Centered on different aspects of gender minorities and Gender Based Violence (GBV), the debate saw a total of 64 debaters compete in three stages: 4 preliminary rounds, semi-finals and grand finale. Two SADS members, Jeffry Shelton (Applied Computer Technology, Senior) and Elsie Sirengo (International Relations, Junior) participated in the debate as a team. In the end, Njuguna Macharia and Becky Alec from Strathmore University emerged winners scooping both the winning team and two best speakers.
The debate further involved a panel discussion focusing on GBV and issues that affect women, in honor of the 16 days of activism against GBV. It was chaired by Mary Kibe ((International Relations, Senior), Student Affairs Council Secretary General, as Mrs. Lucy Kung’u, Principal Counselor, Maureen Atieno, Principal Officer-Gender Equity & Protection and Jane Achieng, Director of Corporate Relations, the Debate Circle comprehensively discussed the issues.
The SADS organizing committee; Chantelle Mukabi (Applied Computer Technology, Senior) Chair, Kagia Samuel (Finance, Senior), Vice Chair, Fresher Diana (International Relations, Junior, Executive Secretary), and James Wandui (Applied Technology, Senior), Treasurer received immense support from the club patron, Dr. Quin Awuor, Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics, club coordinators and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences make the tournament successful.
As a club, SADS has witnessed immense growth this year and the have plans to continue building partnerships through empowerment and strength not only in Africa but all over the world through their associations.
The club will be participating in the following future events:
By Lauryn Ojore
The USIU-Africa Spoken Arts and Debate Society (SADS) hosted the second leg of the Mbokodo Open Tournament. The event took place on November 18-19, and brought together 10 Kenyan Universities to engage, discuss and debate motions surrounding the theme “Women and the Justice System” Mbokodo represents a South African narrative that speaks to women embodying the characteristics of a rock: being hard, strong, and unwavering. This speaks to the central focus of the tournament as a platform to engage with and further understand the controversial issues surrounding women and their relationship with the Justice System as a whole, gender minorities and women’s place in the long-standing patriarchal society.
The tournament saw over 50 speakers engage in 6 preliminary rounds, semi-finals and the grand finale. For the continuously growing SADS community, the event served as testament to the work the debaters, especially the new debaters have put in training. 10 out of 12 spots of the best speaker spots went to USIU-Africa speakers. In the end, Kiragu Kimani and Shamiah Muchesia from Strathmore University bagged the trophy.
Honorary mentions:
All the teams representing SADS at the tournament tirelessly train with the guidance of its committee. Giving credit where it is due, SADS could not have thrived without the guidance and tutelage of club patron Dr. Quin Juma.
To close off the semester in style, the club is undertaking a rigorous and intensive training as it gears up for the Pan African Universities Debate Championship in Kenya from 8-15 December at Strathmore University.
Photo: SADS PHOTO
Caption: SADS debate team at the Strathmore University, Keri Campus (From far left; Elsie Sirengo (International Relations, Junior) SADS member, Chantelle Mukabi (Applied Computer Technology, Senior) SADS Chair, Sam Kagia (Finance, Senior) SADS Vice Chair, Louis Gitu (Film Production & Directing, Junior) SADS member, Fresher Diana (International Relations, Junior) SADS Secretary and Jeff Shelton (Applied Computer Technology, Senior) SADS member.
By Fresher Diana
There is no better way to add a bit of zing to the Fall Semester than to participate in the Mashujaa Open Debate Championship. The Mashujaa Opens is a tournament organized by the Strathmore University Debate Society every month on campus. The 5th leg of the Mashujaa Opens took place between September 25 and 26, after disrupted year of physical debate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It saw the coming together of different universities from Kenya and also some of the best judges from not only Kenya but also a world-renowned adjudicator, Noluthando Honono from South Africa.
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) debate team participated in the championship and as our reputation precedes us, we made a statement at the tournament. With Sam Kagia (SADS Vice Chair) representing us as the Chief Adjudicator, here is the breakdown of our performance and successes:
As things are steadily going back to normal and the set COVID-19 protocols and regulations, SADS will be attending the next Mashujaa Opens and many more to come. Moreover, over the Summer semester break, SADS was actively represented in the following debate tournaments:
Through the tremendous support and guidance of our Club Patron, Dr. Quin Awuor has put the club on the path to great achievements. Driven under the leadership of Chantelle and Kagia, SADS continues to demonstrate resilience, dedication, commitment and reap the fruits of its labor!
By Kahiro Muturi
The Safaricom PLC engineering team was on campus on Friday, June 9 for the second technical immersion session. Their goal is to unlock the secrets of DevSecOps and to revolutionize the world of software development for our students. In an age where many people, businesses and customers spend more and more time online, Development Operations has never been more important. Creating a seamless relationship between program development and operation is the difference between the success and failure of businesses.
The Accelerated by Safaricom program aims to train the next generation of DevSecOps engineers. “This program works to empower students to have the capability of being DevOps engineers at an organizational level” said Peter Kiptanui, a DevOps engineer at Safaricom. In his remarks, Mr. Kiptanui also noted that DevOps required collaborative efforts among different people to pool their strengths together and build something great.
Other speakers during the session spoke of the modules that would be covered in the program, including how these modules were also used by Safaricom’s DevOps engineers, as well as their benefits and their drawbacks.
Brian Tarno spoke about Gitlab (a module used to develop, secure, and operate software), Keith Njagi spoke on Jenkins (a module that automates the parts of software development related to building, testing, and deploying, facilitating continuous integration and continuous delivery), Peter Kimeli spoke on Sonarqube (a quality assurance module) and last but not least, Winnie Gakuro spoke on Fluxcd.
The students had an informative session where they got to listen to and learn from people within the industry, they hope to join soon.
By Taigu Muchiri
Sanlam Kenya Plc has appointed Dr. Grace Mwai to the board effective May 9, 2019. She will serve as a Non-Executive and Independent Director. The announcement was made pursuant to Regulation G.05 (1) (f) and (2) of the Capital Markets (Securities) (Public Offers, Listing and Disclosures), Regulations 2002, promulgated under the Capital Markets Act. Dr Mwai holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (class of 2017) from the United States International
Dr. Mwai is an accomplished program development and implementation expert with over 15 years of experience overseeing several complex donor-funded projects and private companies in Eastern and Southern Africa. She currently serves as a Compliance officer at AGRA for the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA) ensuring compliance to the policies and procedures, fiscal oversight and grants management.
She has vast experience and expertise leading both private sector companies and donor-funded program management, strategy development, proposal writing, and financial management, including budgeting, grants, subcontractors, compliance, system development, procurement, and capacity building for local organizations.
Online learning has presented and continues to present several challenges, even as we adapt to the new normal. Here is how USIU-AFRICA is ensuring that its students continue accessing high quality education, even as they learn remotely.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Six Mastercard Foundation Scholars studying at USIU-Africa were featured in the first edition of the Regional Bureau for the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (EHAGL) Complementary Pathways Newsletter published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Mastercard Foundation Scholars included Safari Etienne, a 2nd year International Relations student who spoke of his journey toward higher education in an interview with the publication.
“I was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My early life was marked by war, displacement, and uncertainty. My mother, a brave woman, gave birth to me in the midst of chaos and named me "Safari," signifying the journey of my life. Regardless of all the challenges I faced growing up, I did not give up because I had faith and hope that there is no condition which is permanent and no wound without a reason,” he said.
“As I grew up, I became increasingly aware of the opportunities and limitations of life in the settlement. I always dreamed of a better future, one where I could use my education to make a difference,” says Safari. My life took a turn when I got the opportunity to study at USIU-Africa through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Education at USIU-Africa has brought happiness and purpose to my life,” he added.
Five other Mastercard Foundation Scholars, Rebecca Ndinayo (2nd year, Bachelor of Arts Psychology) Prefina Rebecca (3rd year, Bachelor of Arts International Relations), Samuel Gebreselasie (1st year, Bachelor of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Raba Abdirahman Hakim (2nd year, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology), and Jean Nepo (1st year, Bachelor of Science in Accounting), were also featured in a pictorial in the publication.
Additional reporting by the UNHCR East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (EHAGL) Complementary Pathways Newsletter.
By Pride Nyando, Wycliffe Ochieng, and Dolly Kawira
On Saturday May 13, 2023, three families (Julius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda and Wangari Maathai) from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa took part in this year’s Scholar Day of Service (SDS) with an aim to create a more equitable learning environment for students by providing academic, social, and emotional support to students who may not have access to such resources outside of school. The focus was on Kavilinguni Secondary School in Machakos County where the Scholars provided lockers, and chairs, and mentored the students. During the event, the students’ academic achievements and progress were also recognized and awarded.
In attendance at the event were the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign, Principal Academic Advisor, Mr. Stephen Kiseli, the Principal, Kavilinguni Secondary School, Mr. Boniface Nduta, PTA Chair, Kavilinguni Secondary School, Mr. Kissing Benard, among other members of the School’s leadership. Others in attendance were members of the Scholars Program team at USIU-Africa, 90 Scholars, members of the Rotaract Club at USIU-Africa, teachers, parents and the wider Kavilinguni community.
The goal was to create a discerning community where students feel valued and supported, and helping these students succeed academically and personally. Within the family outreach event, students were assigned to various sessions where they discussed a variety of topics. In the breakout class sessions, the topics of discussion centered around academic performance, time management, goal setting, personal development and career obligation. In the mentorship session, the students were divided into two groups where the students discussed topics on relationships, social and emotional well-being, health and wellness, leadership and community involvement, and cultural awareness and diversity.
In the inclusive session, the areas of highlight were extracurricular activities, community partnerships, student well-being, parental involvement, learning environment and student progress and achievement.
During the awards session, students were awarded according to the best performance, most improved, extracurricular activities, leadership, character and behavior. With the opportunity to hear from role models and experts in their professions, the speaker series by key dignitaries present complemented these subjects for the students.
Kavilinguni high school which hosted this year Scholar Day of Service is a public mixed-day secondary school in Kangundo Sub County, Machakos County. It was started in 1989 by the community's stakeholders. The vision is to make an excellent, noble school with standard infrastructure, well-disciplined students, and very good academic performance. The school is sponsored by the County Education Board (CEB). The current enrollment is 196 students. The average class size of the school is 40. There are 10 Teachers Service Commission teachers.
The event was organized by Scholar Leaders from the three families namely: Silas Ooko Otieno, Madeline Mendy, Pride Nyando, Moureen Agwona, Irene Mungai and Oketch Antony.
By Bernard Owuor
As part of its engagement with the film industry’s key stakeholders and players, the Cinematic Arts department recently hosted the first ever Film Summit conference at USIU-Africa, attended by more than 200 students and faculty from other Film Training institutions.
The summit took place in partnership with (Film Lecturers and Trainers Association of Kenya (FleTA). It provided USIU-A film students with an opportunity to benchmark themselves as well as build relationships with other film creatives within the sector. It brought together over 20 film training institutions, faculty and industry players and over 20 carefully chosen student films were screened.
Dean of School of Communications, Cinematic and Creative Arts, Prof. Patrick Ebewo kicked off the summit by welcoming all the attendees, and urging them to use the forum to discuss some of the ways they could solve the challenges that faced the sector in the country. Some of the challenges facing the film industry that were highlighted during the forum included the shortage of opportunities, challenges in terms of film production, creativity, among others.
Guest panelists included Professor John Mugubi, School of Creative and Performing Arts, Film and Media Studies, Kenyatta University; Dr. Rachael Diang’a, Chair Department of Cinematic Arts at USIU-Africa; Cajetan Boy, Martin Githinji among others.
Professor Mugubi acknowledged the important part that the summit played in screening different student films and was impressed by the creativity that students displayed.
First year Cinematic students expressed their appreciation for the summit and credited it for exposing them to various lines of thought that will improve their craft.
The United States International University-Africa and the African Association for Rhetoric (AAR) will host the Biennial African Association for Rhetoric Conference that will take place physically at USIU-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya on July 20-22, 2022 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The African Association for Rhetoric was established in 2007 as a non-profit organization, and is a body of scholars, rhetors and researchers who engage in interrogating the deployment of rhetoric and speech communication in political, social, cultural, judicial and deliberative contexts. The fundamental goal of the Association is to encourage rhetors and researchers in public speaking from all over Africa and different parts of the world to participate in rhetorical debates as they relate to democratic governance and other pertinent intersections that may be of interest to them.
The Association also seeks to promote scholarship in African Rhetoric. The Association’s activities include biennial conferences, occasional seminars and symposia. The Association’s main publications are: The African Journal of Rhetoric, and an online supplementary Journal, entitled: Balagha: African Rhetoric Quarterly.
The Association also seeks to award members, fellowships, and honorary fellowships to deserving orators and rhetorical practitioners who have responsibly deployed rhetoric in the public domain.
Conference Sub-Themes
Prof. Samuel Mugo
On Thursday, May 19, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension hosted a colloquium where Prof. Samuel Mugo, Professor of Analytical Chemistry at MacEwan University, Canada presented a paper on “Strategic Leveraging of Diaspora Academics Brain Cycling Key to Africa Innovation (Ai)”
In his paper, Prof. Mugo stated that Africa’s contribution to scientific research intellectual property (IP) remains anemic and knowledge inflows by Africa’s diaspora academics remains untapped, however through an enabling strategic policy framework, the expertise of diaspora academics can be cycled back to catalyze Africa innovation (Ai) and development.
Prof. Mugo went ahead to describe and give context to his research breaking it down to the following sections:
The State of the African Continent
According to the United Nations 2020 estimate, Africa population stands at 1.3 billion, accounting for ~16.7% of the world population with annual growth rate of 2.5%, the fastest globally. All African countries remain far from meeting the base level of ‘Maslow’s hierarchy of needs’ of their growing population and rank poorly in their progress to realization of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGS). Variation of 2030 UN SGDs have been rephrased in the African Union Agenda 2063, and member countries have made a “commitment” to achieve these goals. However, a structured framework on a metrical evaluation to track continental and national progress remain a missing core link. On all goals, progress if any has been at best marginal due to contextualized policy framework misalignment, runaway population growth, fragile institutions ill-equipped for proactive response to disproportionate impacts to global issues such as climate change and COVID-19 pandemic, and in general, poor governance. As such, Africans are generally faced with ‘fight or flight’ realities, which mirrors the physiological effects of elevated stress (‘fight or flight’) hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. It can be said at a biological level, the African people face high levels of allostatic load—the ‘physiological wear and tear’ due to chronic stress. Indeed, Mugo (author) lab has developed wearable cortisol sensors and is carrying out a research project that is confirming Africans in general have elevated cortisol levels in their sweat. Faced with these challenges and accelerated by the modern reality of globalization and a world in fierce competition for human capital, Africa has increasingly lost its innovation engine and talent at its prime, with massive professional’s ‘flight’ to the Global North, a phenomenon christened the ‘brain drain’. Arguments have been made against the use of the phrase ‘brain drain’ in favor of politically neutral terms such as ‘brain circulation’ or ‘brain exchange.’ However, especially in the case of Africa, ‘asymmetric brain exchange’ drains talent from Africa in a disproportionate non-symbiotic mutualism, resulting in a net loss of Africa high qualified personnel (HQP) capacity. For example, according to UNESCO report 2016, the share of high-skilled individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa is among the lowest in the world. High-skilled emigration rate from these countries to Europe and USA was reported to grow from 11% in 1995 to 16% in 2010 (likely higher today).
While all professionals are of high value to our integral society, science, technology, and innovation (STI) are the core skills essential to finding solutions to the UN SDGs. Yet, it is estimated one-third of African scientists and research professionals drain out of Africa, distressing capacity for training and development in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and engineering. According to UNESCO’s 2013 report, in most African countries, there is one qualified engineer for a population of 6,000 people, compared to one engineer per 200 people in China. Thus, engineering talent to build infrastructure such as railway lines, roads, sewer lines etc., is hired from other countries, especially China, at exorbitant costs incurred as concessional loans, which drowns African governments in unsustainable public debt. Dire situations present themselves in healthcare where the general ratio of physicians to patients is reported to be 1 to 8,000 compared to the minimum WHO recommendation of 1 physician to 5,000. With her healthcare system in a dysfunctional state and in ‘normal’ times unable to cope with typical tropical infections such as malaria, cholera etc., the impacts from COVID-19 significantly compounds the human cost in the African continent. As such, the crisis of our time presents an opportunity for African’s to urgently rethink, and self-determine their own destiny through bold action-oriented policies.
Quality higher education enterprise is at the heart of training innovative and resilient highly skilled human capital, primed to divergently solve the SDGs. Yet, African universities are highly deficient in quality and quantity of professors. Unique to African reality, there are currently more African PhD holders outside the continent than inside it. Coupled with anemic investment in research and innovation in Africa from lack of higher education policy framework that nurtures innovation mindset, it is not surprising Africa is poorly represented as a contributor to intellectual property (IP) in science and technology. Yet, unequivocally, innovation is the key to African stability and growth.
The Curse of Dependence of Lucrative Financial Diapora Remittances
In recognition of the contribution of diaspora to their homeland countries, governments have narrowly focused their policies on tapping diaspora remittances, which in some African countries exceeds official development aid and private capital. For example, in 2020, Kenya’s 3 million diaspora population remitted ~3 billion US dollars annually, nearly 3% of her GDP. In Nigeria the remittances are over 21.7 US billion dollars. While these remittances come with some ‘adrenaline busts’ of (short-term) economic benefits, without a nuanced policy framework focused on investment to longer-term yielding priorities, the remittances can result in a negative dependency cycle that impends Africa’s socio-economic wellbeing. For example, in Kenya, it is estimated ~5% of diaspora remittances are spent on funerals, and ~30% of the diaspora investment goes to real estate, wherein, there is lack of proper land use and zoning practices. As such, the meagre arable land is subdivided to unproductive units for residential homes, aka, ‘concrete jungles’, negatively impacting food security and water supply. A thoughtful approach would be to develop a framework where even a measly 1-5% of the diaspora remittances are matched by the government and allocated to well-structured research institutes in universities. This approach can alleviate the current reliance on foreign countries donations to the minimal research done in the continent, a dependency that continues to perpetuate imperialism.
Beyond Financial Remittances to Focus on Brain Circulation
Beyond the financial remittances, the largest untapped potential remains utilization of knowledge inflows of the sub-Saharan Africa diaspora academics and professionals, especially African scientists, whose skills can be valuable in catalyzing Africa to be a global player in technology development. Yet, migrant African scientists continue to robustly contribute innovations to their resident countries abroad. It is proposed with visionary policy framework, the enormous African diaspora academic professionals brain talent could be cycled back to foster the creation of homegrown Africa innovations (Ai) contextualized to African issues.
The proposed professional diaspora brain recirculation model for innovation competitiveness is not new. The most radical strategic transformation of brain drain to brain circulation happened in Germany in 1954, Israel in 1960s/70s, and in contemporary times, China. China facilitates the inter-mobility of Chinese professors between their home country and host countries, often USA and Canada. It is reported that by 2017 out of ~5.2 million Chinese nationals who went abroad for higher education, ~3.1 million returned through government incentivization program. This phenomenon greatly contributed to science and technology innovation take off in China, presently on course to overtake the USA in intellectual property (IP) and patents generation. The mobile scientists and returnees also play an instrumental role in linking China to the global knowledge network. In addition, other countries such as India, Mexico, Costa Rica etc., are also making notable progress in developing incentive policies that mobilize diaspora academics to contribute technical skills to their countries, especially in food and biotechnology, information technology, and materials science.
Operationalization of African Diaspora Academics Brain Cycling
Success in other countries indicate that African countries can do the same to tap into this gold-mine of untapped potential. Diaspora African academics can collaborate and establish research labs and innovation hubs in their motherland universities, leveraging opportunities bilaterally. The opportunities could include, sharing of research infrastructure and innovation ideas across, mobilizing research students between their research groups spread between the two or more countries, and fostering multi/bilateral research networks, thus creating a knowledge exchange and innovation ecosystems. This approach can also booster the quality and competency of training of HQP in Africa. African universities and especially the Pan African University should exploit this brain recirculation approach to fast-track Africa’s science and technology innovation and social development. African countries can learn from Chinese strategic brain recirculation approach, by pragmatically focusing on ‘low-hanging fruit’ initiatives with lower cost but high net shorter-term realization returns that rapidly impact primary sectors such as health and agriculture. Similar to Mobile money, (aka MPESA in Kenya) technology, the African diaspora recirculation strategy can focus on customizing and adapting already known innovations especially in ‘smart’ sensors-based agriculture and healthcare, and low-cost agri-based valorization manufacturing. Numerous African academic diaspora scientists have these skillsets and are well positioned to contribute with agility in these ‘low hanging fruit’ technology initiatives. However, high education policy framework that incentivizes and removes barriers are urgently needed. Individual universities in the continent could indeed use their governance autonomy and distinguish their inventiveness by tapping to the diaspora brain cycling opportunity.
By Grace Kamere
In the last decade, a lot of attention has been paid on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Kenya in a bid to provide skilled manpower and absorb over 85% of graduates who complete their High School education every year. It is no wonder then that the number of TVET have increased from 52 in 2013 to 238 in 2021.
To further support TVET, last month, the USAID Empowered Youth (EY) convened a training workshop on Evidence-Informed Youth Employability Programs for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) at School Humanities and Social Sciences, USIU-Africa from 22nd to 24th June 2022. The training convened 37 educators and county officials in charge of technical education from Mombasa, Kiambu, Isiolo, Nakuru, Kisumu, and Kakamega. Consortium partners from Egerton, National Youth Bunge Association (NYBA), National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA) and United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) graced the three-day workshop that aimed to build the institutional capacity of HEIs to use research and data to inform demand-driven programs.
While giving his opening remarks, Prof Amos Njuguna the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension highlighted the need for TVET to be responsive to the needs of the labour market while designing and implementing their academic programs. This, he said is the only way to ensure that more youth enroll and those who complete their studies are absorbed in the job market. He reiterated the role that USIU-Africa and Egerton University will play in the next five years in strengthening the capacity of TVETS in establishing career and innovation centers. Prof. Alexander Kahi, Partner Lead USAID Empowered Youth Activity from Egerton University excited participants with the novel approach that the Empowered Youth project is taking in ensuring that over 300,000 young people are placed in the job market by 2026. This approach involves conducting a targeted labor market assessment which will provide insights on the economic sectors that have the highest potential to generate jobs and pointing the youth to the actors in those sectors.
Pamela Wesonga, USAID Program Management Specialist echoed Prof. Kahi’s sentiments and reassured the team that USAID will be an unwavering partner in the endeavor to have more youth joining the labour market. Pamela termed the high number of youth completing KCSE with grades below minimum entry requirements for university admission as “a wakeup call to invest in TVET education and offer demand-driven courses.”
Appreciating the need for innovative ideas to transform TVET to be more market driven Dr. Scott Bellows, Assistant Professor, Management Chandaria School of Business took the participants through the Human Centered Design (HCD) as an approach that TVET can utilize to inform programming. The Human Centered Design is a core approach in the USAID Empowered Youth Activity. Dr. Michael Kihara Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension, USIU-Africa highlighted the need for TVET to use innovative research approaches by leveraging on institutional resources to conduct research. Jennifer Nyakinya, USAID Empowered Youth Technical Lead, concurred with Dr. Kihara encouraging the TVETs to embrace evidence informed decision making. The educators shared that albeit in small-scale, they used informal research methods to collect data which informs their development of short-courses.
The participants lauded the USAID Empowered Youth Activity for an insightful workshop which brought together stakeholders from the six counties. It is notable that such forums offer an opportunity for TVETs to appreciate the use of research data which is key in identifying demand-driven courses to increase the competitiveness of youth in the job market.
The USAID Empowered Youth (EY) is a five-year activity funded by USAID to empower Kenyan youth aged 18-24 years and adolescent girls aged 15-19 years by increasing their prospective economic opportunities, building capacity of Kenyan Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and strengthening youth-serving systems. EY is implemented by Michigan State University (MSU) and its partners United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), Egerton University (EGU), NCBA CLUSA, and the National Youth Bunge Association (NYBA). EY activities are being implemented in six high-touch counties (i.e., Mombasa, Kiambu, Isiolo, Nakuru, Kisumu, and Kakamega) at the inception year and will be expanded to additional low-touch counties in subsequent years. For more details about USAID Empowered Youth Activity click here.
By Caroline Githara
On Wednesday, November 25, the School of Graduate Studies in conjunction with HIAS, hosted a colloquium on maternal mental health among adolescent mothers, based on a paper titled, ‘A Blended Intervention: Digital Mental Health Game and Mentoring for Treatment of Common Perinatal Mental Disorders in Adolescent Refugee Mothers’.
The paper was developed with funding from the Gates Foundation, and it sought to blend a digital mental health game smart phone application with ongoing mentorship for young refugee mothers aged 18-25 in Nairobi.
Adolescent mothers face the dual challenges of negotiating the significant developmental tasks of adolescence and transition to adulthood, while simultaneously facing the physical and mental health challenges that motherhood entails. Effectively treating common perinatal mental health disorders (CPMDs) in adolescent mothers requires interventions that are evidence-based, scalable (e.g., do not require specialist services), accessible and address both life transitions.
To achieve this goal HIAS applied for funding from the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation. HIAS developed and tested an adolescent specific intervention for CPMD which blended a digital mental health game with mentoring for refugee adolescent mothers in Nairobi. The outcomes of the pilot project were to support young refugee mothers to manage common perinatal mental health concerns during the postnatal period and increase protective factors, address challenges experienced by young mothers, address stigma attached to mental health problems, and bring mental health services closer to the young mothers.
Lucy Kiama, HIAS Country Director, noted that the application had a curriculum developed by a team which identified some of the key areas that young mothers needed support, including mentorship, health services, and psychosocial support.
“The application was piloted among 14 mothers, who spent an average of 4.7 hours on the application over the course of 6 weeks. On average, 22 games were played, with one mother playing 224 games and 9 young mothers not playing any games during the 6-week period,” she says.
The young mothers agreed that the Young Mummy Application was useful and relevant to supporting mothers with common perinatal mental health conditions. They indicated that the exercises within the App helped them to relax, they were also able to form bonds with their new babies and the community.
“I taught myself how to deal with stress, how to keep my baby safe, which foods to eat, my health and that of my baby and now I can even teach other mothers what I learnt from the App,” said a respondent from the study.
Among the study’s successes was the fact that the mothers with high risk depression and suicidal ideations were able to access counselling. This was amplified through the WhatsApp and Chat section that enabled them to share their experiences and increase protective factors. Through the articles on the application, the mothers were able to access knowledge on personal mental health, baby’s wellbeing and having positive relationships with their baby and other people.
In closing, the study noted that there was a high level of distress among youth refugee mothers that needed to be addressed, which would involve the development of strategies to effectively treat common perinatal mental health disorders.
Caroline Githara is the Hof Programs at HIAS.
Dr. Cassandra Veney during the lecture. She spoke extensively about the African American women’s struggle for the vote in the United States of America.
By Alan Mwangi Kariuki and Sarah Masila
The Black History Committee, in conjunction with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences recently hosted a lecture by Professor Cassandra Veney (Professor and Chair of the Department of International Relations – SHSS) who discussed the African American women’s struggle for the vote in the United States of America.
Her lecture chronicled the sordid history of structural violence experienced by people of African descent living in America since the 17th century. It gave a contextual overview of African Americans’ civic condition in the United States of America from advent of slavery in the country to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. She pinpointed how African American women especially contributed to the fight for the abolition of slavery and for civil rights in the United States. African American women’s contribution was critical in what was long, long march for racial equality. Women of African descent like Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells Barnett, Mary Church Terrell, Ana Julia, Nannie Hellen Burroughs, Mary McLeod Bethune, and many others spurred what would later be considered the Civil Rights Movement during the middle of the 20th Century. Without their inspiration, many other women of a younger generation could not have kept up with the march for civil rights. During the 1950s and 1960s, women like Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, Diane Nash, Gloria Richardson, Jo-Ann Robinson, Daisy Bates, Constance Baker Motley and countless others were instrumental in the cause for racial equality. Their stories along with those the others’ that came before are stirring and captivating, as Professor Veney recounted them with vigor and an excitement that only a person passionate about Black History could. We hope that those that came to the lecturer left motivated with a better understanding of how the intersection of race and gender played and continues to play a part of a universal struggle against racism and bigotry against people of African descent.
The event was part of the annual Black History Month celebration held at USIU-Africa during the month of February. The Black History Committee also hosted other events such as the launch of an edited book by Dr. Julie McArthur (University of Toronto) on February 21, and ran a Black History Film Series featuring Ida B. Wells: A Pasion for Justice, Hidden Figures, and Selma.
Black History Month as a period of international observance was proposed in 1926 by the African American Historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson with the aim of sharing the rich, cultural and historical contribution of peoples of African ancestry to the world, while promoting global self-actualization within black communities.
By Shyat Lemoshira
On Thursday, March 23, 2023, the USIU-Africa Scrabble team held a demonstration in Wooden Block E, led by Allan Oyende, a Scrabble champion in Africa, and Limo Kipkemoi, the current Chairman of the Scrabble Kenya association. During the demonstration, the guests emphasized that the game is about word power, which constitutes 60% - 65% of the game, strategy, which makes up 20% - 25%, and miscellaneous application, which comprises 10%. The remaining percentage depends on luck, based on the player's tile selection.
Two-letter words are the basis of the game as they are frequently played. In addition, players need to learn the arrangement of (x) letter words and hooks, such as 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, all 6s, heavy 5s, high probability 7s, and high probability 8s. To assist learners, useful scrabble tools and applications include Zyzzyva, Quackle, Woggles Internet Scrabble (ISCRO), aerolith.org, and Wali Timer.
At the end of the day, the team had a playing board session with the Scrabble Kenya, using their scrabble instructional boards and large visible letter tiles. It was a superb experience learning from the professionals, and we hope to see the game grow within the USIU-Africa community.
By the Counselling Department
Self-care is an aspect of our lives that is vital in all spheres. Our optimum performance as human beings is compromised by inadequate self-care or lack of it thereof. This is because its deficiency is bound to affect our physical, social and psychological wellbeing. Often times, people use self-care and psychological health interchangeably and this can be attributed to how adversely lack of self-care affects or could affect our psychological wellbeing.
Self-care is the mindful sparing of time to take care of your mental, physical, social and emotional wellbeing. It is often what is missing in the life of someone who is busy and stressed. You don’t have to wait to experience burnout to practice self-care, you can intentionally incorporate self- care activities in your daily or weekly activities to avert burnout. Self-care entails putting your needs first and taking time to rest, reflect, refill, and refresh oneself. Taking stock of your own needs, aspirations, health, and successes is part of self-care, as is taking time to nourish and nurture all of who you are.
What does self-care look like?
Benefits of self-care
It helps declutter your life by getting rid of unnecessary thoughts, habits, stressors that would otherwise weigh down on your spheres of health.
Boosts your self-confidence; Practicing self-care often results in one feeling good about themselves. Many people who are dealing with mental, emotional, or physical issues can boost their self-confidence by practicing self-care. Self-confidence that is in good shape can provide several benefits, including motivation.
Established routine and consistency; when self-care is practiced, mental stability and peace can be reached. This is due to the fact that having a steady schedule is reassuring. It gives you peace of mind because you know how your day will unfold. “Predictable, repeated routines are comforting and can lower anxiety,” according to a Piedmont Healthcare article. They'll also assist you in taking charge of your day and, as a result, you'll be more productive.
Coping
How you deal with your mental health issues can either benefit or hinder your mental health. Temporary happiness does not imply long-term happiness. It's natural to have good days where you feel great about yourself, but it's also natural to have bad days where you feel depressed and unmotivated. The manner you choose to deal with these situations is determined by how you care for yourself.
Remember the common adage “you cannot pour from an empty cup.” There is no better way to describe self-care than from this common adage. Agnes Wainman says, self- care does not take away from us but invigorates us instead. Remember your body needs to be taken care of for it to function effectively and efficiently. If you do not intentionally take care of it, it will force you to take a break when it ultimately breaks down.
By Leah Gichuki
The dictionary defines self-love as “One's positive attitude towards self or positive opinion or evaluation of oneself”. There are other ways that one can define what is and what is not, self-love.
Self-love is the value and the worth you experience within yourself separate and apart from anyone’s declaration of their love for you. It is generated from the inside and regulates the way we experience external love towards others and ourselves. Self-Love is not a self-obsession with oneself but a healthy respect for who you are and your value.
How do you know you love yourself in a healthy manner?
A healthy sense of self love is a baseline of how you allow others to treat you and a genesis of how we treat others. You cannot allow others to treat you beneath what you have established for yourself. An insufficient sense of Self Love can be observed for example, in situations where individual/s disrespect you but you keep on showing up for the same treatment every other time. The other side of insufficient self-love can be manifested through self-pompousness. To explain this, such a person finds a que in a place of service and in an effort to intimidate others, they throw words like “Do you know who I am?”. This is baffling because when one uses the phrase of do you know who I am others will think “…how will I know who you are if you don’t know who you are?”. Imagine the task of dealing with someone who does not know who they are. Other times the insufficient self-love will manifest through a person’s identification with labels and class…e.g. I drive the latest make of brand X or they use the address they live in. The question begs if all the superficial labels are taken away what is your Identity? It is not a label definitely but may indicate a lack of control of what is going on within the person.
Why is a healthy sense of love important?
Tips for developing Self Love
To sum it up, we define ourselves by what we give our hearts to. Therefore, sufficient self-love is evident when your self-esteem does not fluctuate due to situational experiences. If you love yourself and accept you then the world does not mark your value.
By Caleb Mukhwana
On Wednesday, May 8, 2022, a group of students from the Senior Experience (SENEX) class had a rare opportunity to interact with and hear from one of USIU-Africa’s alumnus, Mr. William Nanjero. Mr. Nanjero was invited by the Placement and Career Services (PACS) to speak to students during one of PACS’ routine career talks where students are taught about career readiness and other labour market dynamics.
Mr. Nanjero took the students through his career journey since his days at USIU-Africa between 2001 and 2004, when he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration. He later proceeded to get an MBA from Greenwich University in London. Nanjero is a digital financial expert of high repute, who is currently consulting for the IFC in the banking sector, mobile network operators and Fintechs. As the Manager at Sol Generation, Nanjero is the force behind the success of Sauti Sol. These successes, he asserts, come because of real passion, dedication and a great team to work with.
The students were pleasantly surprised to discover that Nanjero is a renowned triathlete dating back to his USIU-Africa days. He holds the title of the first Kenyan long-distance triathlete to qualify for the All Africa Games. This, he insisted, was an important aspect of his college life. He used the opportunity to encourage students to join various co-curricular activities present on campus as this helps them to usefully unwind as well as develop talents. Nanjero’s prowess in the entertainment industry has kept him at Sol Generation’s helm where he works with a team to improve people’s lives by providing quality and engaging entertainment.
Talking about finding one’s purpose, he impressed that goals can only be achieved when there is clarity, good plans have been made and one has learnt to embrace failure in the process. He encouraged students to embrace teamwork, find mentors and deliberately invest in their wellbeing as a foundation for sure success. He challenged students to start investing in building careers they like, in order to enjoy the future. This he said with a final quote; “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Dr. Angelina Kioko (Professor of English and Linguistics) & Accreditation Liaison Officer takes the participants through her presentation: PHOTO:Diana Meso
By Diana Meso
Just imagine, continuously getting American Education at a local cost! Well, this is what it means to be re-accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), not only that, it also means that a degree acquired from USIU-Africa is recognized globally and students can transfer credits to any university across the globe where WSCUC accreditation is recognized.
This means that the university as a whole, its programs, institutional structures, processes and resources are continuously improved to meet international standards and clear procedures are set to encourage good practices and provide quality education.
A report by WSCUC after a rigorous re-accreditation visit that began in Fall last year, and a re-affirmation of re-accreditation in March this year, shows that USIU-Africa has the ability to provide American Education at a local cost for the next 8 years.
This report also commends the University for its long history of operating surpluses, lack of external debts, a series of clean audit opinions, a robust internal audit function and the commissioning of a forensic audit to improve operations and effective systems university-wide.
Additionally, the WSCUC report applauds the university for meeting the requirement of general education, community service, and internships as distinctive elements of undergraduate education; contributions to improving and enhancing higher education that are respected in East Africa; the establishment of assessment plans and learning outcomes for all programs with vertical alignment and the extraordinary commitment to students exhibited by the faculty staff and administration.
At the same time, the report recommends that the university should explore more opportunities to diversify revenue streams, redouble its effort to fully implement the General Education program and provide clear roles of various governing bodies brought about by structural changes among others.
This report was presented by Dr. Angelina Kioko (Professor of English and Linguistics) who was the Accreditation Liaison Officer during a meeting held at the Library bookshop on Thursday, June 13.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza and the ASA DVC Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono who were present at the event pointed out the report comes at an ideal time when the university is celebrating 50 years of academic excellence and that there should be a joint effort by all members of the USIU-Africa community to ensure that the recommendations by WSCUC are well executed so that the legacy will still go on 50 years to come.
By the Gender Equity and Protection Office
On November 24, USIU-Africa Gender Equity and Protection Office in collaboration with the SheLeads Project, hosted a webinar titled ‘SheLeads Voices: Women in Leadership as a catalyst for the fight against discrimination and violence’. The theme of the webinar was in line with this year’s UN 16 Days of Activism theme titled ‘UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls’ where discussions, actions were intentionally made to advance the agenda on and speak against violence on women.
The webinar hosted a panel consisting of three women handpicked to give and share their experiences in their various roles of leadership. They were: Edinah Nyaboke Kangwana-CEO and founder-Arise Circle Ke, Lucy W. Mukuria- CEO and Founder-True North Kenya and a USIU-Africa Alumna and Marianne Nyangi- CEO and Founder- Global Women’s Connections LLC.
The webinar session engaged panelists in a series of questions in an effort to gain their insights on various topical issues stemming from women leadership. The panelists shared their views and experiences on the importance women’s leadership, and highlighted the ways on what should be done differently in order to realize greater inclusion, involvement, and representation of women in leadership. Further emphasis was made about the role of women raising and supporting women leaders as a way to empower each other. Discussions were directed towards the role of stakeholders and how they measure/contribute to the impact of women in leadership roles in terms of reducing gender discrimination and violence, and what metrics or indicators should be looked at such as establishing an environment that creates self-confidence, awareness and representation among genders while acknowledging the contributions of the male gender and seeing how their roles contribute to women inclusion. A key idea shared among all the panelists was to help recognize the power of diversity, gender, equity, inclusion and champion the support of women across different sectors and levels.
By Prof. Patrick Wamuyu
Last week, SIMElab Africa held a two-day international symposium on social media, held on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 to Thursday, November 5, 2020.
The theme of the conference was Social Media Consumption: Advances in global social media landscape: Trends and newly emerging narratives. The two-day event saw participants take part in keynote addresses, academic paper presentations, a demo of social media data analytics and panel discussions.
The session was opened with an address from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza, who noted that the Symposium was a representation of one of USIU-Africa’s key hallmarks, quality research.
“This symposium is proof that USIU-Africa is committed to its mission of providing lifelong learning by encouraging both our faculty and students alike to take part in the production of innovative research. This participation in research helps us to gain new skills, meet others with similar interests and engage in the University’s intellectual culture, “he said.
Also present at the launch was the Press Attaché, US Embassy, Nairobi, Ms. Emily Fertik, who highlighted the growth of new social media platforms during the pandemic, which formed critical areas of study, as social media use continues to grow even further, as the pandemic continues to last.
“With the emergence of COVID-19, we have seen the rise of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and it will be fascinating to see whether they continue playing an important role in Kenya,” she said.
“What would be even more interesting to know is whether the continued use of social media during the pandemic has made people more susceptible to fake news. It would also be interesting to note how the world is adapting to the use of previously unknown platforms, like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, “she added.
One of the interesting presentations was by Dr. Bukola Onashoga, who presented a paper on the Security and Privacy trends on Social Networks. In her paper, she explored various cyber security threats, noting that due to the pandemic, many more people were reporting cyber security attacks.
“With the pandemic raging on, more and more people are turning to the internet to seek information about COVID-19. Cyber criminals are taking advantage of this in many ways, chiefly through developing of malicious applications that harvest your information unknowingly,” she said.
“Many networks are being compromised, especially through phishing and ransomware attacks. The only way to prevent these attacks is by being vigilant, because there is no single solution to fight cyber threats,” she added.
Other speakers during the course of the two-day event included Caroline Jerotich Kimutai??, Managing Editor – Digital, The Standard Group PLC, Dr. Aparna Pavani Siddhabattula, Assistant Professor at K.L. University, Parvathipuram, Andhra Pradesh, India, Martin Mwegi Magero, ICT Technical Trainer in Kajiado West Technical and Vocational College, Anastacia Cheruiyot, Program Officer - Agribusiness Development, African Women in Agribusiness Network (AWAN) – Africa and Dr. M. S. Narayana, Professor of Management, K L University, India.
The first day of the symposium had four paper presentations, and a panel discussion on “Building Brand Awareness on Social Media: Effective Social Media Marketing Strategies” and the panelist were Mina Okuru Addico, Communications Manager, Ghanaian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration, Ghana and Jignesh Thakkar, Social Media Strategist at KrishaWeb, India. The moderator was Caroline Khamala Digital Communication Specialist and Public Relations Practitioner in Nairobi. Day one ended with a social media data analytics and insights demo, facilitated by Kelvin Jonck, Managing Director YOUKNOW Digital, South Africa.
The second day of the symposium had three paper presentations, and a panel discussion. The panel discussion was on “Stigma and Stereotypes on Social Media: Use of social media to cause emotional pain, stigmatize people and reinforce stereotypes” and the panelists were Dr. Leah Jerop Komen, Deputy Director, Directorate of Research & Postgraduate Studies Daystar University, Dr. Charity Waithima, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Coordinator of Doctor of Psychology Program and Philip Ogolla, founder Digital Humanitarian. The afternoon session had five paper presentations.
The Social Media Lab, funded by the U.S. Embassy Nairobi, is an interdisciplinary center formed to undertake research in big data and social media analytics by blending theoretical frameworks and analysis from academia with the experiences of businesses, government, and civil society. It provides consultancy services to support a wide range of research such as impact evaluation, advocacy, training, and education.
L-R: Dr. Patrick Wamuyu, Associate Professor, USIU-Africa, Paul Watzlavick, the Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy, Prof. Paul Zeleza, Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa and Dr. Kioko Ireri, Associate Professor, USIU-Africa launch the Social Media Consumption in Kenya report. PHOTO:Charles Ndirangu
By Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa in partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi launched the Social Media Consumption in Kenya report on July 17. The report is a research project which was undertaken by SIMElab which is the first is a social media consumption and analytics research lab designed specifically to study social media in all of Africa. The survey sampled 3,269 respondents aged between 14 and 55 from eight counties drawn from Nairobi, Coast, Central, Western, Nyanza, Eastern, Rift Valley, and North Eastern between December 2018 and March 2019.
According to the 2017/2018 Communication Authority of Kenya report, the number of mobile data subscriptions in Kenya currently stands at 40.7 million, 38 percent more than in the same period the previous year, with the internet penetration in the country at 83 percent based on the Internet World Statistics. This indicates that a majority of Kenyans have access to the internet through their mobile phones, computers and internet enabled devices. This has led to the growth of internet consumption in Kenya at home (70 percent), at the office and on the go using mobile internet access or public WIFIs (58 percent). Access to the internet is almost at par both in the rural and urban areas both averaging between 40-50 percent with the majority of Kenyans spending between 30 minutes to three hours on the internet daily. While most Kenyans use social media to stay in touch with friends and family, the survey found the main reasons they use social media were to access news, politics, and entertainment. The study also showed that a majority of Kenyans use WhatsApp and Facebook as their preferred platforms, with 88.6 percent using WhatsApp and 88.5 percent using Facebook.
Speaking during the report launch event, Paul Watzlavick, the Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy, said, “The United States is proud to support SIMELab and their groundbreaking research into Kenyan social media. The future is digital, so that’s where we need to be: generating innovative solutions to global challenges together.”
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza mentioned that Kenya is leading in social media usage in Africa and it has become an increasingly available platform to young people who are using it to create jobs in the digital space. He further added that the lab is one of a kind in East Africa researching on the youth about the issues that matter to them the most.
The research lab is an interdisciplinary center formed to undertake research in big data and social media analytics by blending theoretical frameworks and analysis from academia with the experiences of businesses, government, and civil society. The lab will further provide consultancy services to support a wide range of research such as impact evaluation, advocacy, training, and education. The lab received a grant of over 20 million Kenyan shillings from the U.S. Embassy as a sign of the United States’ commitment to addressing key social media issues in Kenya and Africa, including fighting fake news and misinformation through the ongoing #StopReflectVerify campaign. Read the full report here
By Candy Margaret Vizengwa
First off, let me apologize for the seemingly vicious wordings that might confuse anyone who’s not been fully Initiated into the world of debating. The title is obviously ‘So you think you can Debate,’ If you have an eye for it.
But just how much do people know about debating? As a USIU-Africa student, how much do you know about SADS (Spoken Arts and Debate Society)? Did you know that there is an active Debate society within USIU-Africa in the first place? The spoken arts aspect can exist on its own, but we’ll particularly dive into the debate bit of it today.
My personal experience about Debating and USIU-Africa’s Debating Society would be very biased, as you can tell, because I am a debater. As I was starting out, my second debating experience with SADS got me into the semi-finals at an open tournament that gives at novice debaters the platform to compete just as much as experienced debaters do. My partner and I major in two different fields, but the beauty of debating is having good team dynamics. Every win is encouraging, if you ask me, because individual growth is part of the process.
Trainings are offered on a schedule shared to the interested students everyone is acquainted with their respective debate styles based on who they are and their strengths. Everyone who has done a debate round, even once, would agree that debating tends to be addictive. This is due to the spirit of competition and the drive to win that seems to be inborn in all debaters. The SADS community never seems to be falling short of this.
With achievements, both as a Society and as individual debaters, the wins keep piling up. Just the other weekend, the society successfully hosted the Ikenga Tournament that brought together debaters from other institutions like Kenyatta University. The Society boasts of producing the best speakers and debate adjudicators that would compete on the global map. Still in the spirit of competition, SADS produced the best speaker and third best judge at the July Mashujaa Tournaments hosted by Strathmore University. Winning these tournaments is a way of making use of the elitism that comes with being a part of the Society.
How then do you benefit as a USIU-Africa SADS elite? For one, you would not just be an elite on campus, you would be an international guru and a lifelong elite. The speaking skills you would acquire as a debater would require a whole article about them. The topics debate rounds touch on a lot, from International Relations, Religion, Economics, matters Environment, LGBTQ+ and other controversial topics, you name it.
You also get the experience of ‘Education to take you places,’ as you get to travel and win more trophies, medals and elite status. You have the chance to interact with other great debaters within the debate circle through the travels. You get to participate in more training opportunities and cafes offered by Kenya National Debate Council just by virtue of being a SADS debater. You get the opportunity to speak out your mind, without any judgement!
SADS is proud to abide by the ‘Zero Discrimination’ rule. International debate tournaments, both within and outside Africa, like World Universities Debate Championships (WUDC), Olympia, EAUDC, PAUDC (Which would be hosted in Nairobi in December!) among others should be enough to spike the debate fire within you as a potential master debater. Debating is an art but once you master it, it feels great to be the artist. The time is now!
By Ernest Mwanzi
On Tuesday, July 7, 2020, the Social Media Lab. housed at USIU-Africa, in partnership with the U.S Embassy Nairobi, released the Kenyan Social Media Landscape: Trends and Emerging Narratives, 2020 report in a virtual event that was attended by industry experts, media and academics, and was also livestreamed to over 1,500 participants. This was second report after the first one titled Social Media Consumption in Kenya was launched last year.
Speaking at the event, USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza, noted that social media has become part and parcel of our daily lives through communications, marketing and research for both active users and those who use social media occasionally. He also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the consumption for social media and that many people have been glued to their advices for updates, news or learning activities.
Also present at the launch was the Press Attaché, US Embassy, Nairobi, Ms. Emily Fertik, who highlighted the growth of new social media platforms during the pandemic, as well as noting that the likelihood of people consuming fake news during the pandemic had increased, with more people spending time on social media.
“It isn’t just the big names like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp that are playing a major role in the digital sphere today. With the emergence of COVID-19, we have seen the rise of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and it will be fascinating to see whether they continue playing an important role in Kenya,” she said.
“The report has great insights on fake news and how we can combat it, in addition to also having several insights on the kind of content Kenyans consume, and when they consume it,” she added.
Managing Editor, Digital, Standard Group Plc, Ms. Carol Kimutai, noted that when they produce news, social media content is a must, with even designers having to develop social media designs as they do print designs. She commended the research team for the report, which she said will come in handy for key decision making in the news room.
According to the report, social media sites and apps have become the new home where Kenyan families, friends, influencers, brands, and bloggers converge multiple times daily to share updates and communicate. Social media usage patterns have changed over the last one year, with Facebook users having decreasing by 6.8%, Snapchat users increasing by 17.3%, while Twitter users increased by 13.4%. The report also shows that Kenyan youth have abandoned Facebook in favor of Snapchat (67%), TikTok (63%), and Instagram (61%). With the uptake in visual content, there is a surge in penetration and acceptance of other less commonly known social media sites and apps in Kenya like, Google Duo, WeChat, Vskit, Likee and IMO.
Compared to 2019, the number of WhatsApp users who use social networking apps on mobile phones have decreased from 97.5% in 2019 to 90% in 2020 as many users access WhatsApp social networking sites from their offices.
Similarly, the number of Facebook users accessing the platform using mobile phones has decreased from 96.2% to 81% while those accessing Facebook using a desktop (7%) and laptop (13%) have increased.
“This year, we highlighted trends on social media use in Kenyans daily lives as well as newly emerging narratives on online misinformation, disinformation, and fake news, cyber harassment, social media use during the Coronavirus pandemic, Social Media Big Data Mining and the challenges with social media,” said Dr. Patrick Wamuyu, the Social Media Lab (SIMELab) coordinator.
The Social Media Lab, funded by the U.S. Embassy Nairobi, is an interdisciplinary center formed to undertake research in big data and social media analytics by blending theoretical frameworks and analysis from academia with the experiences of businesses, government, and civil society. It provides consultancy services to support a wide range of research such as impact evaluation, advocacy, training, and education. The full report can be accessed by clicking here.
By Uwimana Oscar and Tana Kioko
On Saturday, July 16, the Speak Up Club engaged with the Dhobi Women's Network through a community service, outreach, and capacity-building programme, where the Club provided sensitization on issues of Sexual Gender Based Violence while extending a provision of physical and psychosocial support services provided by PECC Club and Mchezo Africa. The Club believes that advocacy on issues of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) shall go a long way in eliminating GBV amongst women and girls in our community and shall give ample knowledge on prevention and response through sensitization.
Dhobi Women is an organization that has the mandate of assisting women, ‘Mama Fua’, in informal settlements to access to legitimate work by sensitizing them on issues of employment and access to safe working environments including GBV prevention and response.
Dhobi Women’s Network protects the rights of women who engage in casual home-care labor. These women often face adverse encounters with their employers, with experiences ranging from sexual harassment/assault to forced labor and withholding of payment. The Network seeks to empower these women by educating them on the legalities of their services, informing them on their rights to protect and realize them, and by further providing them with contracted employment.
The Club hopes to champion gender rights and host informed discussions across campus and beyond by cultivating a team that will build students' confidence to report sexual harassment and Gender Based Violence that occurs both on and off campus. It hopes to increase awareness on matters concerning SGBV, to equip people with the knowledge, skills and tools to cope with trauma, and to partner & collaborate with civil society organizations through our student-led initiatives.
Prior to the session, the Club managed to acquire donations ranging from food stuff to clothing and shoes which were presented to the Network.
The University Council
The Board of Trustees
Management Board
The Vice-Chancellor,
Prof. Paul Zeleza
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Afternoon
I am delighted to join USIU-Africa as it launches the Institute of Higher Education, Research and Leadership Development. A first of its kind in Kenya, the institute will develop a governance program for senior leadership organs of Higher Education institutes, develop functional programs for middle level managers, develop a program for building capacity of policy makers and teachers involved in developing and implementing competency based curriculum, hold policy dialogues on higher education, develop a research center dedicated to research on higher education. The launch of this visionary institute is timely and a true statement that we can achieve transformation in Kenya’s education sector across all levels. Higher education experts in Kenya have come together to respond to a growing need for such an institute. Ladies and Gentlemen The government will partner with institutions of higher learning to ensure that we achieve this transformation. As our implementing partners, we encourage universities to explore public-private partnerships that will see the growth of the education sector. Other institutions have taken this deliberate decision to transform the higher education space. For example, the Chair for Critical Studies in Higher Education Transformation (CriSHET) at the University of Nelson Mandela in South Africa and the International Centre for Higher Education Management (ICEM) at Bath University in The United Kingdom. These institutes have been able to provide strategic leadership in the management of universities and provide guidance to undertake cutting edge research in Africa and across the world. There is a need for global collaboration that will address gaps in higher education which include dwindling enrolment numbers, low uptake of research, funding challenges among others. This institute at USIU-Africa will respond to existing gaps that must be filled and addressed locally. Ladies and Gentlemen Today, growth in the higher education sector in Africa has enabled the youth access to university education. However, the quality of education has not matched this growth to enable these institutions contribute to impactful research, develop and enhance employability skills of graduates and attract funding. In addition, this growth lacks higher education professionals that can effectively deliver on their mandate. Currently, there is a mismatch between the administration and the academic arms in universities. In most cases, the administration arm of the university is not well equipped to handle challenges in higher education. Professionals in human resources, marketing, accounting, fundraising and other critical sectors that are instrumental in the everyday running of higher education institutions must be prepared and trained to achieve this transformation. Ladies and Gentlemen It is in this light that governance and management of higher education institutions must be prioritized. To turn around the challenges in higher education sector and turn them into opportunities will only be achieved if we prioritized transformation in the education sector. Good governance principals of accountability, transparency, and effectiveness are a major factor in improving the quality of education must be employed in the running of universities in order to improve our global rankings, increase research outputs and produce quality graduate that can compete on a global scale. Ladies and Gentlemen We must be able to prepare our graduates for the future who will drive the Big Four Agenda. In addition, Vision 2030 recognizes the importance of linking education to the labor market, create opportunities through entrepreneurship and to strengthen public-private partnerships. Competencies in all areas of study will be required to spur grow in the economy. We must therefore strengthen universities, initiate policy dialogues that will address these challenges, increase funding and conduct aggressive research in emerging areas. And Finally, Ladies and Gentlemen As USIU-Africa celebrates 50 years of academic excellence, this institute feeds into their vision to be a premier institution of academic excellence with a global perspective. Let us celebrate with USIU-Africa as they launch the institute of Higher Education, Research and Leadership Development. Congratulations! Thank You.
By Fresher Diana
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) emerged as winners of yet another international championship, the Global ESL Round Robin Championship, held late last month, and attracting a total of 20 teams from Africa and Asia, respectively.
Representing SADS in the tournament was Chantelle Mukabi (SADS, Chair) and Kagia Samuel (SADS, Vice Chair). The duo managed to win the Championship despite fierce competition, with Chantelle scooping two more wins as the Best Speaker of the Championship and Best Speaker of the Grand Finale. Kagia was also named as the Second-Best Speaker overall.
On the same weekend (May 23-26), the Society’s Logistics Officer Jeremiah Kashaka and its outgoing Interclub Coordinator Bienvenu Faraja representing SADS in the Zimbabwe Eliminations Debate Championships (ZODL). SADS was well represented with SADS Uganda and SADS Congo despite not winning the tournament.
For the Summer semester, SADS will be focusing on debates, with plans to train its members by participating in a number of international debate championships. One of the tournaments that the Society will be taking part in is the Korea World Universities Debate Championship which is set to take place from July 7-14. This is the most prestigious, highest level debate championship globally with prominent teams from all over the world. Chantelle Mukabi and Kagia Samuel have been granted a 100% scholarship by the Korea Worlds Convening Board due to their success in international debating thus far. In addition to her scholarship, Chantelle has also been selected as the Chief Adjudicator of Nuditate 2021, and an independent adjudicator in the North American Women and Gender Minorities Debate Championship 2021.
Other Society members who have received similar scholarships are James Wandui and Fresher Diana who have been offered sponsorship by world-renowned South African Judge Noluthando Honono (who will be part of the Adjudication team for Korea Worlds 2021 Championship, and Deputy Chief Adjudicator for the Belgrade Worlds 2022 Championship) to debate in Korea Worlds 2021.
In the course of the year, SADS will be debating in the African Nations Debate League 2021, in addition to attending the 2021 edition of the Pan African Universities Debate Championship to be held in Botswana from December 8-16. The Society also hopes to be part of the Belgrade Worlds Debate Championship in 2022. With such exposure, the club is set to skyrocket to be a global spectacle.
For further information about the club, reach out to us on sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke
By Lauryn Ojore
Nothing wrapped up the semester better than victory in the recently hosted 8th Mashujaa Tournament. The Mashujaa Opens is a tournament organized by the Strathmore University Debate Society every month on campus. The 8th leg of the Mashujaa Opens took place between July 23-24. The Spoken Arts & Debate Society strives to push its members to engage in mind boggling issues that are of current relevance. This enables the members to interactively have conversations of how they relate to certain topics as well as critique how the views of the world can be shifted to make the world a better place.
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) debate team participated in the championship and as our reputation precedes us, we made a statement at the tournament. With Jeremiah Kashaka (SADS Vice Chair) representing us as the Chief Adjudicator, here is the breakdown of our performance and successes:
As the semester comes to an end, SADS journey does not stop during the semester break. Through virtual engagements via Zoom and Discord, members of SADS will actively compete in not only continental but global online tournaments in order to grow our debate skills. Being a part of a family that grows its members intellectually emotionally and psychologically is what it means to a part of the Spoken Arts and Debate Society.
With the nurturing and steering leadership of the USIU-Africa fraternity through our club patron Dr. Quin Juma, SADS is on the roadmap to not only achieve accolade and recognition but also greatness not only in Kenya but also globally. This can only be done through extensive exposure to different environments, cultures, and people.
The coming semesters are not short of activities planned to further strengthen our prowess. Just to mention but a few of the upcoming tournaments:
By Fresher Awuor
The Spring semester has been a triumphant one for the Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS). From participating in the Olympia Invitational in Kampala, Uganda to championing in the Mashujaa Open, SADS is thriving in its endeavors in the debating world. SADS participated in the 6th Edition of the Mashujaa Opens Tournament organized every month physically at the Strathmore University on Saturday, February 12 and Sunday, February 13.
The tournament brings together different institutions in Kenya to equip students with skills and enable them to effectively compete not only regionally but continentally and globally.
SADS was represented by 3 teams of 6 members and 1 judge. Chantelle Mukabi (Applied Computer Technology, (SADS Chair) and Sam Kagia, Finance, Senior (SADS Vice Chair) were part of the Chief Adjudication Panel that oversees the generation of debate motions and running the tournament. SADS competitively preserved its prestige at the Mashujaa Opens to carry home a number of awards to its name. Below are some of the successes of SADS:
All the teams representing SADS at the tournament tirelessly train with the guidance of its committee. Giving credit where it is due, SADS could not have thrived without the guidance and tutelage of club patron Dr. Quin Juma, Chair, Department of Languages & Literature, School of Humanities and Social Sciences. USIU-Africa through SADS is yet to achieve more to become a globally recognized institution that equips its students with debating and public speaking skills. SADS is yet to achieve more and create a legacy of competence to affiliate with through:
By Fresher Diana
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society was invited to participate in the Africa Top Universities Debate Championship, organized by the Royalty Pact Debate Academy, that took place on June 4 and 5 via Discord and Zoom. The invitational tournament boasted of some of the greatest institutions in the debate circuit with renowned speakers form East, West, and Southern Africa. It was a privilege for USIU-Africa to be a part of the competition. USIU-Africa was acknowledged as the most ethical institution in the whole tournament and garnered a Sportsmanship Award. Invited to attend were Jeremiah Kashaka and Victor Mwendwa, who served as judges and Society members Elsie Sirengo and Fresher Diana.
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society has been at the forefront in the East Africa Debate community to create awareness on critical topics affecting the society. SADS has taken up another venture to speak up against the imminent threat that is climate change. Last month, Fresher Diana and Victor Mwendwa represented the Society at an event held by the Kenya National Debate Council and Natural Justice, where they were able to speak at length on why the society should take up the fight against climate change.
The event was structured as a filming and educative session with an audience to critique and bring up their views on the issue of climate change. We believe that the fight starts from within in order to tackle it and as Spoken Arts & Debate Society, speaking up is a starting point to address the problem. The Society’s presence was recognized in taking affirmative action in protecting the ecosystem through the power of the voice.
SADS has more projects that it undertaking to give the USIU-Africa fraternity a name to reckon with on the global scale. Some of the projects include:
By Angel Musomba
The USIU-Africa’s Spoken Arts and Debate Society (SADS) once again delivered a noteworthy performance at the inter-university CUETA tournament. The tournament was held at Tangaza University College and utilized British-parliamentary style debate. Based on the theme “Morality and its dilemmas through the lens of a contemporary society”, it succeeded in encouraging constructive discourse and healthy competition among participants.
SADS was represented by 9 teams, all of which delivered admirable performances, with two of the four teams that reached the finals hailing from SADS. A USIU-Africa team that has achieved numerous victories at preceding tournaments, Wanjiru Karugu and Joshua Wambugu, was able to defend its title. The speakers gave exceptional speeches that led to them breaking to the finals and claiming the first runners-up position.
Imani Naitore and Angel Musomba stood out and were able to break into the finals and emerged as third-best speakers, an incredible feat considering this was only Imani’s first tournament.
It is worth noting that the teams that represented USIU-Africa’s SADS mainly consisted of novice speakers who were new to the debating arena. For majority of them, this was their first tournament. Therefore, it was vital in introducing them to debate, fostering speaking skills, enhancing partner dynamics, and enabling them to interact with experienced debaters in the community.
The speakers were able to rise to the occassion. Leonardo Govini and Geoffrey Gikungu, for instance, formed a team that was only one point away from breaking into the semi-finals. Given the strong performance exhibited, SADS holds great confidence in its newest members. Infinite potential has been observed, and SADS believes there are countless future victories to be celebrated.
By Precious Wangu
The Summer Semester 2020 has ended, and while its beginning saw the club fully transition to online activities via Zoom, Google Meets meetings and WhatsApp platforms for internal and external communications, there has been incredible success in all the projects that the Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) Committee planned, prepared and executed. The Committee proactively managed to run pilot tests earlier during the Easter break with the pandemic in mind. The efficiency in execution of the planned activities were done well in advance.
Following the rebrand of the Public Speaking Club into the Spoken Arts and Debate Society, we have employed a divide and conquer strategy to make sure that our projects are efficient and effective. We have divided our portfolios as follows:
Through the tireless efforts of the committee members, the Society was able to accomplish the following last semester:
Debate: Under the leadership of Chantelle Mukabi & Kagia Samuel, SADS has hosted multiple online tournaments including the In-House Debate Series consisting of 3 debate tournaments per semester where international debaters partner with SADS members and world-renowned adjudicators come to judge. Feedback from all their tournaments has been outstanding and everyone is eagerly waiting for the next tournament in the series, In-House 4.0, which will be held from November 2 to 8, 2020. Additionally, Chantelle & Kagia have been working with highly experienced trainers from all over the world drawn from the UK, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and many more countries, to coach SADS members and participate in consistent debate practice sessions. Members are also continually exposed to external debate tournaments and encouraged to participate in various continental debate competitions, which include Xtentions, Laureate Debate Championship, Uhuru Digital Debate Championship (UDDC), Jozi to Accra Debate Championships, among others.
Public Speaking: Shalom and Stecy have been able to organize numerous trainings for the Society, by recruiting the best public speakers, both locally and across the world, to share their experiences. This has included recruiting them for sessions such as the Shark Tank Series and the Selling Pitch Series where members send in their pitches and speeches and are judged and taken through an extensive training by a panel of highly experienced judges from around the world. Additionally, they have continually held consistent internal Public Speaking practice sessions for members and equipped them with tools such as helpful videos, tips and further training sessions. This has led to a dramatic improvement in members’ confidence when speaking publicly as well as increased skills and knowledge on a wide array of topics.
Spoken Word, Poetry & Readings: Under Precious Wangu & Jeremiah Kashaka, there has been a successful introduction to SADS new products, and a wonderful reception of the new branch of the Society. Members have been able to tap into their creative sides and there has been consistent sharing and analysis of pieces from members and external creatives. Precious & Jeremiah have conducted trainings by some of the most experienced poets and spoken word artists internationally, with the most notable of these being a training by Ivan Irakoze. The Society held its first ever poetry and spoken word event, dubbed Slam Dunk Poetry, which saw the Society’s members as well as creatives from other schools and countries share their pieces in front of an audience, including musical interludes by upcoming artists. The event was a raging success and everyone is eager for Slam Dunk Poetry 2.0 to be held this semester.
Marketing: Bienvenu Faraja has worked tirelessly to create posters for all events and prepare detailed marketing strategies. The Society has also allowed external debaters from other schools and different parts of the world to join SADS and engage on our platforms as a way of enhancing diversification, sharing knowledge, and forming meaningful connections. The current committee continues to progress rapidly with the consistent help and support of Dr. Quin Awuor (SADS Patron), Eunice Njagi (Former Public Speaking Club Chairperson) and Faith Musumba (Former Public Speaking Club Vice Chairperson) to ensure that the Society soars to greater heights.
Under the project leaders, we have been conducting successful Society meetings and trainings while succeeding in international online tournaments as we drive our new product portfolio and continuously innovate with feedback and support from our members. Our future plan is to continue growing and expanding SADS, building a Society of commitment, adaptability and courage as per our core values. We strive to continue incorporating international students and taking the Spoken Arts & Debate Society to greater heights.
By Fresher Diana
Historic is the word that describes the 1st leg of Mashujaa Schools Debate Series, that took place recently. Representing USIU-Africa at the Mashujaa Schools Tournament as part of the adjudication panel were Kashaka Jeremiah, Elsie Sirengo, and Louis Gitu.
The SADS Chair, Fresher Diana was also present at the event, which featured over 30 High Schools from all over Kenya and international intuitions from nations such as Uganda and Rwanda. All SADS judges participated in out rounds, with two adjudicating the semifinals and one, Louis Gitu adjudicating all the way up to the finals, securing a spot in the final adjudicating panel.
Mashujaa Opens is a debate series inspired by the need to create spaces and platforms where the youth can share ideas and grow their speaking skills and critical thinking skills. This year the event saw over 60 debate teams and 100 public speakers participate and engage in hot button topics and events. The tournament was split into two main categories; Senior for those in Form 3 and 4 and Junior for those in Form 2 and 1. After a long and engaging competition, two teams were crowned winners of the tournament, Team Kinder World of the Junior category and Team Kenya WUDC from the senior category.
Through the guidance of our club patron, Dr. Quin Juma, SADS seeks to not only achieve proper articulation in speech, but also arm USIU-Africa community a global recognition in the debate society. With the support of the USIU-Africa community, SADS has more upcoming projects including:
By Fresher Diana
The Spoken Arts and Debate Society (SADS)was honored to be invited to the First Climate Change café that took place on Friday, July 1 at Ngong Hills Hotel. Chosen to represent USIU-Africa as speakers and observers were Fresher Diana, Kashaka Jeremiah, Elsie Sirengo, Louis Gitu, Victor Mwendwa and Candy Margaret.
The Climate Change Café is an open, inclusive space where people get together to discuss and act on climate change, an increasingly urgent issue facing our planet. The Climate Change Café welcomes the youth to join the conversation, get involved and find solutions.
Fresher Diana, SADS Chair, was chosen to take part in the Climate Change Debate, an activity where representatives are chosen to argue for their side and support their stance. The event had no shortage of climate change activists, Professors and organizations serving as key speakers on the issue of Climate Change. The Society got the opportunity to learn from and interact with these champions of activism.
The event featured a variety of key speakers from all over Africa, including Pooven Moodley, a human rights lawyer and social justice activist from South Africa. He currently serves as the founding director of Natural Justice, a nonprofit that takes legal action against environmental crimes such as ecocide.
Through the guidance of our club patron, Dr. Quin Juma, SADS seeks to not only achieve proper articulation in speech, but also arm USIU-Africa community a global recognition in the debate society. With the support of the USIU-Africa community, SADS has more upcoming projects including:
By Chantelle Mukabi
The last weekend of January has brought a fruitful end to the first month of 2021 for the Spoken Arts and Debate Society, who scooped an award at the annual Vanderbilt IV Open Tournament, which was held virtually on January and 30 and 31. The tournament, based in the United States, was attended by 130 debaters from 31 universities, 6 countries, and 3 continents. The Tournament marked USIU-Africa’s first appearance at the prestigious event.
USIU-Africa was represented by Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Chair), who partnered up with South African debater, Anam Azhar. Other teams who participated in the tournament were Kashaka Jeremiah (SADS Logistics Officer) in partnership with Louis Gitu (SADS member). The judges representing the Society included Kagia Samuel (SADS Vice Chair) and Bienvenu Faraja (SADS InterClub Coordinator).
The grueling tournament was a test of commitment for the debaters and participants, who had to burn the midnight oil throughout the duration of the campaign, to make up for the time difference between the African countries participating and the United States. This sacrifice paid off when Anam Azhar and Chantelle Mukabi won the tournament, flying the USIU-Africa flag high yet again on the international stage.
Speaking to CTW, the Society’s Patron, Dr. Quin Awuor noted that the recent string of international wins recorded by SADS had resulted in a wave of positive and sustained interest in the Society.
“The international recognition that SADS has been able to get over the past few years has generated so much interest in USIU-Africa. The high-level knowledge and skill we continue to display has students and speaking unions from across the world demanding to know who USIU-Africa is and requesting to come and join SADS trainings to learn from the best,” she said.
The pairing with Anam Azhar from the Wits Debating Union from the University of Witwatersrand has opened up the Society’s links to the South African speaking community, by virtue of her position as one of the most prominent debaters in the world. She has shared her expertise with multiple speaking unions worldwide, including the Society.
Following their win, Ms. Azhar noted that her decision to partner up with Chantelle was as a result of the team’s performance at the Uhuru Worlds Debate Championship (UWDC), which took place in early January.
“I served as one of the Chief Adjudicators at the Uhuru Worlds Debate Championship, in which Chantelle and Kagia Samuel emerged as the World Champions of the global speaking community. I was impressed by Chantelle’s performance, and that was when we decided to join forces and take on the Vanderbilt IV Tournament,” she said.
“It was an honor to participate in and win the tournament with Chantelle, who is recognized as a world champion, and one of the best speakers on the African continent. I look forward to similar partnerships with other members of the Society,” she added.
Elsewhere, other members of the Society received awards across six categories at the Global Unitalks Awards ceremony, held on January 31. One of the biggest winners of the night was Joy Michelle Moraa, who finally received her award for being the winner of the International English- Speaking Competition 2020, and who was also selected as one of the top six finalists of the grand finale of the One Belt & Road Youth English Speaking Competition & China Daily -21st Century Cup International English Speaking Competition 2020.
“I am still amazed that I was able to emerge as the winner of the competition, having decided to take part in the competition on a leap of faith after encouragement from my team members. It is indeed my honour to represent USIU-Africa at such a global level, and I hope to participate in any future events,” she said.
Other students who received awards during the event included Lynda Muthama, Rita Mwende Mulei, Riiba Tashley and Claudia Mugaki. Lyndah was also recognized with a Citizen of the World award.
You can watch the award ceremony here: GLOBAL UNITALKS AWARDS CEREMONY - YouTube
For further information on SADS, you can contact them at: sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke
By Lauryn Ojore
The USIU-Africa Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) recently hosted 7 universities from Kenya the Ikenga Open Tournament. Ikenga represents the West African narrative that speaks to the strength of movement, embodying the spirit of team work, integrity, success and victory.
Representing USIU-Africa at Ikenga was the tournament's Chief adjudication panel made up of Chantelle Mukabi, Samuel Kagia, Fresher Awuor, Jeremiah Kashaka and Victor Mwendwa (Tournament Director), who were in charge of generating the motions and overseeing the running of the tournament. The society also took part with two novice teams and one Opens team. SADS competitively preserved their prowess and carried home a number of awards to their name.
Below is a summary of how the team performed at the tournament:
As a club, SADS has witnessed immense growth this year and has plans to continue building partnerships through empowerment and strength not only in Africa but all over the world through their associations.
By Lauryn Ojore
Spoken Arts and Debate Society (SADS) has yet again made its mark in the debate arena, this time at the Ilo'uwa debate tournament, the first leg of the Juja Opens Debate hosted by the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. The tournament, held on the weekend of March 18 and 19, saw the participation of several universities from Kenya.
The word Ilo'uwa is derived from the Maa language spoken by the Maasai community in Kenya and means "the coming together of people." This year's Ilo'uwa debate tournament offered a unique opportunity for students to develop their debate skills, engage with peers from other universities, and expand their intellectual horizons
The tournament featured five teams from the USIU-Africa, all of whom put in excellent performances. In fact, all five teams broke to the semi-finals, which is a testament to the strength and competitiveness of the debate program.
One of the standout teams at the tournament was Kiragu Kimani and Jeremiah Kashaka, who broke 1st to the Open finals and eventually won the tournament. What made this pairing particularly noteworthy was that it was a cross-institutional pairing between USIU-Africa and Strathmore University. Kashaka, who is the Vice Chair and debate trainer at SADS, hadn't debated since the Pan African University Debate Championship (PAUDC) in 2022, but he proved that he still has what it takes to win at the highest level.
Another team that performed exceptionally well at the tournament was Hafsa Mohamed and Hasritha Sunnam, who broke 1st in the Novice category and qualified for the Open break due to their impressive performance and ranked as the top 2 novice speakers. Hasritha's win was particularly notable since it was only her second tournament, and she has ranked top in speaker category.
Samuel Lyomoki and Baden Eric also put in strong performances, despite not having debated for a while. They advanced to the Novice finals and were 1st runners up, and they were also ranked 6th and 7th best speakers, respectively.
The tournament was not just about winning, however. It was also about the spirit and culture of debate, which was clearly evident in the way that all the teams conducted themselves. The tournament provided a platform for students to practice and hone their skills, and it was a breeding ground for new ideas and fresh perspectives.
The performance of USIU-Africa's debaters was not limited to the Ilo'uwa tournament. At the same time as the Ilo'uwa tournament, debaters Joshua Wambugu, Wanjiru Karugu and judge Lauryn Ojore represented USIU-Africa at the Africa Top Universities Debating Championship, an exclusive invite-only debate where Joshua and Wanjiru qualified since they broke at PAUDC 2022. This further solidified the reputation of USIU-Africa's debate program on an international level.
The Ilo'uwa debate tournament was a successful event for the SADS team, and a great opportunity for the debaters to showcase their skills and engage in meaningful discourse. The team's performance at the tournament, coupled with their representation at the Africa Top Universities Debating Championship, has put the university's debate program on the international stage. The team has yet again proven that they are a force to be reckoned with in the African debate scene, and we can only look forward.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Hockey
Team Mashujaa beat Greensharks 1-0 on Saturday, November 26 in a KHU Premier League match in City Park Stadium thanks to a last minute goal from Justin Kiplimo. That makes 3 wins from the hockey men’s last home matches.
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies team, had a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) match against Daystar on Saturday, November 26 at the USIU-Africa hockey court in which they conquered them with a 6-0 win. In addition, they defeated Sliders 2-0 on the same day in a Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League match at City Park Stadium. Spartans then drew against Amira 0-0 in another KHU Premier League match on Sunday, November 27.
Basketball
The USIU-Africa Flames, the basketball ladies team, traveled once again to Butere for a Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) league away match in which they beat Butere Girls High School 72-24 on Sunday, November 27.
Rugby
USIU-Africa Martials, the rugby men’s team, traveled to Mombasa for match day 1 of the Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Championship. They faced the South Coast Pirates away on Saturday, November 26 and lost 32-24.
Moreover, they will be playing against Nondies on Saturday, December 3 at 2pm at the USIU-Africa Rugby pitch which will be their home game of the season. Come and cheer the Martials as they seek to be at the pinnacle of the KRU championship.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa Wolves, the men’s soccer men, played against Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) on Sunday, November 27 at the USIU-Africa soccer pitch. Unfortunately, they lost 0-3 to their opponents at full time.
The USIU-Africa Falcons, the soccer ladies team, played against MKU on the same day and venues as the Wolves and lost 0-3 to MKU.
Volleyball
The volleyball ladies’ team had two KUSA matches against Saint Paul’s University and Daystar on Saturday, November 26 at the USIU-Africa volleyball court. They lost 0-3 to SPU: 3-25, 10-25 and 13-25 in all sets. Furthermore, the team also lost to Daystar 0-3 but gave a splendid fight with 15-25, 18-25 and 21-25 in all sets.
The volleyball men contested against team Daystar in a thrilling match with the score ultimately ending 0-3 to the rivals’ favor. The scores in each set were 16-25, 17-25 and 19-25.
Handball
The handball team played against their counterparts from JKUAT on Sunday, November 27 and lost 38-2.
Netball
The Hurricanes, the netball team, faced team Mount Kenya University (MKU) on Sunday, November 27 on the USIU-Africa netball court and lost 28-6.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Rugby
The rugby men’s team, the USIU-Africa Martials, faced the University of Eldoret (UOE) Trojans on Saturday, January 21 at 3pm at the USIU-Africa rugby field for their Kenya Rugby Championship match. The Martials were leading by the first half with 17-13, however, the match ended in a 17-17 draw. They will be having another home match against Daystar University on Saturday, January 28 at 3pm. Come support the Martials as they seek more points in the KRU Championship.
Taekwondo
Kenyatta University hosted a tournament where winners of several categories will be selected to join the Kenya national Taekwondo team and attracted 21 clubs all over the country and 142 participants total. Haji Ombayo played up to the semis where he lost to Kenya Defense Forces (KDF). Coco Hawi lost to Anne from KDF who were second runners up. Furthermore, Clifford Ombiro lost to Donald Ambayo from KDF, the second runners up. Mina Visavida also did quite well, but lost to the Kibabii University contestant. Coach Innocent Wafula was impressed with the confidence of his players as they competed in their first national tournament and gained experience. He also stated that the team is motivated and determined to work harder before the next and upcoming national trials.
Hockey
Wolverines played against our Team Spartans, hockey ladies, on Saturday, January 21 at 4pm at City Park Stadium. This match was the first game for the Spartans this year. The match ended unfortunately 1-0 in favour for Wolverines. The Spartans will have a KUSA match against KU on Saturday, January 28 in KU at 10.20am.
Team Mashujaa, the men’s hockey will be facing Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) on Saturday, January 28 at 9am in KU. The hockey men also have a Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match on the same day against Sailors at City Park Stadium at 6pm.
Basketball
The USIU-Africa Tigers, the men’s basketball team, will be having two games over this weekend. They have a Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Division League One match against ABSA on Saturday, January 28 at 4pm at the USIU-Africa basketball court. The Tigers shall face Mount Kenya University (MKU) on Sunday, January 29 at Kenyatta University at 9am.
The ladies’ basketball team, the USIU-Africa Flames, will also be busy this weekend with two (KBF) Division League One matches and a single KUSA match. They will face Multi Media University (MMU) on Saturday, January 28 at the USIU-Africa basketball court at 10.40am. The Flames will also face Zetech University (ZU) and Daystar University at the USIU-Africa basketball court at 10.30am and in KU at 2.40pm respectively.
Swimming
The USIU-Africa Dolphins, the university swimming team, will be competing in the Nairobi County Swimming Association games at the Makini School on Saturday, January 28 and on Sunday, January 29.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa Wolves will be having a KUSA match against Gretsa University on Saturday, January 28 in KU at 11am as the KUSA season progresses.
Volleyball
The upcoming and promising USIU-Africa Gladiators, the volleyball men’s team, have a KUSA match against Saint’s Paul University (SPU) on Sunday, January 29 at 1pm in KU.
Handball
The handball ladies’ team will be competing against KU in a KUSA match on Sunday, January 29 at 9am in KU.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Scrabble
On Saturday, July 2, the USIU-Africa Scrabble Team Word Acers participated in their inaugural Gretsa Scrabble Tournament that was individual oriented and ranked based on average word score. Shyat Lemoshira emerged position 3 with 376.25points and a spread of +404 and Moureen Kahiti followed close at position 5 with 315.75pts and a spread of +54. The team established relations with other teams and Scrabble Kenya and seeks to improve themselves as they participate in more competitions.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Rugby Team, the Martials, participated in the Kisumu rugby tournament, Dala Stevens pulling in a see-saw of results. The Martials drew with Kibabi university 26-26, floored Jaramongi university 26-0, lost to Citam Kisumu, 15-22, and later recovered to thrash the Suburbs 28-7. In their final match, the Martials faced the Stallions and lost by a small margin, 22-24. At the end of the tournament, the Martials were placed in Division 2 based on the results.
By Hilda Indasi
The men’s basketball team walked away with a bronze medal while their female counterparts bagged a silver medal during the 10th FASU (Federation of African Sports Universities) Games that were held at the Moi International Sports center Kasarani, from Monday, June 6 to Sunday, June 12. In the same games, our swimming teams emerged 5th after winning three silver medals and 1 gold medal.
Over 4,000 University student athletes from various universities across Africa were present at the event that brought together Africa’s top university athletes to compete for prestigious continental university athlete titles. The game is organized once every two years with nine editions having been held already.
The men’s hockey team beat Mombasa Sports Club 3-2 in the ongoing Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League that took place at Citi Park.
Our hockey ladies’ team and basketball men and ladies’ team are currently preparing for the Commonwealth games that are set to take place in Birmingham, UK.
By John Sande
The USIU-Africa Staff Football team had a busy weekend participating in the Wazee Premier League. In their first match fixture played on Saturday, June 18 at Gems Cambridge International School, Nairobi, the Staff team beat their rivals Maveto FC 1-0. Their second game of the day however proved to be tough and despite their spirited fight and excellent game play, the team drew 2-2 against Leysa FC.
On Sunday, June 19, after re-strategizing, the team put forward their best foot when they trounced their opponents Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 1-0 in a match played at the ABSA Sports Club grounds. The match which had been postponed in April when the teams last met in Mombasa, saw both teams showcase their best, with USIU-Africa carrying the day.
Elsewhere, the USIU-Africa Swimming Team, ‘The Dolphins’ will be engaged this weekend in Mombasa participating in the final gala of the calendar year 2021/2022 at the Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) National Championships, which will be held from June 24-26.
In his comments to CTW, Nabil Shikeli, Captain of the Dolphins noted that the Championships were set to be their toughest one yet.
“We are heading for the final gala of the calendar year of 2021/2022. It is the hardest competition so far because this is where the best athletes in the country come to battle it out, and we are blessed to have our representatives taking part. We expect to do well, improve, or maintain our timings, and hopefully bring back some medals, despite the seriously intense competition,” he said.
By Shyat Lemoshira, Nabil Shikely
Swimming
The USIU-Africa Swimming team 'the dolphins' were in Mombasa for the last swimming gala of the season – Kenya Swimming Federation (KSF) Nationals, held at Bandari Maritime Academy. This was the toughest competition so far attracting the best of swimmers in the country. The team managed to fight through to win 4 relay medals, 2 silver and 2 bronze, and 3 individual medals. In addition, the swimmers managed to improve on their timings and posted personal bests.
Basketball
The USIU-Africa Flames faced the Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) on Saturday June 25, at the USIU-Africa basketball court, defeating them 38-30. It was the Flames’ first game of the season. The USIU-Africa Flames were glad to be back in the league after two years of not playing in the Kenyan League. Starting it off with a win against KCA was the best way to make their comeback.
Rugby
Last Friday, the USIU-Africa rugby team hosted a touch rugby tournament that consisted of teams from the current team and former teammates. The aim of the event was to bolster team spirit, exchange skills and experience between the current team and former team members.
The weekend ahead promises to be busy for the USIU-Africa sports teams. The tennis team is slated to take part in a tennis tournament in Kisumu from July-2-3, where USIU-Africa will be represented by Melissa Wambugu, the captain of the tennis team, and Diana Kimeto. The woodball team will also be busy over the weekend as they face the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in a friendly match on Saturday, July 2 at JKUAT.
The USIU-Africa Scrabble team, known as USIU Word Acers, will be participating in their first tournament that will be hosted at Gretsa University. The scrabble tournament will begin on Saturday, July 2 and end on Sunday, July 3. The team is focused on building their confidence and skills as they take on various universities.
By Emelda Kilonzo
Rugby
The USIU-Africa rugby team competed in their final championship league match on Saturday, March 9 on campus, facing off against the South Coast Pirates rugby team. Despite a valiant effort, the USIU-Africa team fell short, ending the game with a score of 35-22. A big thank you goes out to both the fans for their unwavering support and the players for their hard work throughout the season.
USIU-Africa hosted the Lighthouse Chess Tournament and Blitz on Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22 at the School of Humanities and Social Science. The tournament attracted 20 university team and 116 players from across the country. USIU-Africa team was ranked 9th overall (Photo: Courtesy-Lighthouse Chess Club)
By Hilda Indasi
This past weekend, Saturday, May 28 and Sunday May 29, our sports teams participated in various matches including woodball, rugby and hockey.
In Woodball, USIU-Africa took 3rd position overall in the 4th Kenya International Beach Woodball Championship 2022 that took place in Mombasa.
The rugby team had it rough after winning only one out of the five games they played. The team beat Technical University of Kenya 17-12 but lost 10-19 to Masaku, 19-21 to Kenya Prisons, 5-36 to Zetech University and 5-28 to Northern Suburbs at Impala grounds.
The hockey team was also on the losing end after narrowly losing 0-1 to Butali Warriors at Citi Park in the ongoing Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier league.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
The Tigers, the basketball men’s team, had a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) match against Daystar on Saturday, November 5. They fortunately defeated them 45 to 35, with special credit to Pacific Muneza, Vitumbiko Mponela and Maremba for great offensive and defensive performances. Moreover, the Tigers have a Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) division 1 league matches against Neosasa Morans and Blazers on Saturday, November 12 at 4pm and Sunday, November 13 at 12pm respectively.
The Flames, the basketball ladies team, traveled and played against Butere on Saturday, November 5, where they clobbered their opponents 90-47. Furthermore, the ladies also have 2 KBF division 1 league games.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Martials clashed against Catholic University of Eastern Africa in game 2 of the Floodlit rugby tournament on Saturday, November 5 on Rugby Football Union of East Africa (RFUEA) grounds. Charles Kuka made a last minute conversion to give the Martials a glorifying win of 32-31 CUEA. What a tremendous match for the team! The sports department wishes them all the best in the finals in which they will be playing against Nakuru University on Saturday, November 12 in the evening.
Volleyball
The volleyball men faced team Mount Kenya University (MKU) on Sunday, November 6 in Thika High Chapel. They lost all 3 sets: 11-25, 15-25 and 17-25. The volleyball men have been trying well in their last matches and urge to keep the spirit up.
The volleyball ladies played against Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) on the same day and venue. The team has greatly improved despite losing 0-3: 23-25, 24-26 and 26-28. The team has a single KUSA match on Sunday, November 13, against KU.
Netball
The Hurricanes faced Kenyatta University on Saturday, November 5 at Thika High Chapel. They managed to obtain their objective of getting more than 5 pts. against current champions of the game. The match ended 45-13pts. They shall be facing SPU and Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology (KWUST) on Sunday, November 13 at 10.20am and 12.40 pm respectively at Thika High Chapel.
Soccer
The Wolves, the soccer men, contested against M-Pesa Academy on Sunday, November 6 at MKU Landless. Ultimately, the game ended 2-1 in favor of M-Pesa Academy. In addition, the Wolves shall face KU Ruiru on Sunday, November 13 at Thika High Chapel.
Hockey
Both the hockey men and hockey ladies had two friendlies last weekend. Team Mashujaa, the hockey men’s team, played against MKU and beat them 6:2 on Saturday, November 5. The team also had a friendly match against Nairobi Simba and defeated them 4-0.
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies’ team, also faced MKU and Nairobi Chapel on the same day. The objective of the friendlies was to enhance their preparation for the upcoming league matches and tournaments. Team Mashujaa will be traveling to Mombasa to play against Mombasa Sports Club in a Kenya Hockey Premier League away match while Team Spartans will be playing against Blazers in the Kenya Hockey Premier League women on Saturday, November 12 at 4pm at City Park Stadium.
Handball
The handball ladies shall compete against Saint Paul’s University (SPU) and Daystar University on Sunday, November 13 at Thika High Chapel.
Woodball
The woodball team will be traveling to Kakamega for the Kenya International Woodball Championship at Masinde Muliro University that will occur from Friday, November 11 to Sunday November 13, 2022.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Woodball
The team participated in the 6th Kenya International Woodball Championship hosted at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega from Friday, November 11 to Sunday, November 13. Gok Mark and Stephen Woresha obtained 122pts each in the men’s singles. Other participants included: Gerald Augustino (128pts), Tafadzwa Bere (136pts) and Nicodemus Mutua (149pts).
Moreover, the following ladies participated in the senior women’s singles: Waithira Paulette (136pts), Ritah Mbabazi (139pts), Amanda Maviri (145pts), Salma Njeri (151pts), Wendy Wanda (157pts), Quinta Okoth (159pts), Joseline Masoy (160pts), Faith Mulenga (160pts), Druscilla Adah (160pts) and Kansiime Allen (163pts). Ultimately, the team came 3rd in the tournament.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Martials were placed against Nakuru Universities in the finals in the universities category. They came runners’ up at the end of the Floodlit tournament.
Basketball
The Tigers, the men’s basketball team, faced team Blazers in the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Division One match on Sunday, November 13 at the University of Nairobi. They defeated them 68-63 with spectacular performances from Gab Maina and Christopher Lyamuya. However, the Flames, the ladies’ basketball team, played against the Kenya College of Accountancy Sunday, November 13 at the University of Nairobi, and had their first loss of the season in the KBF Division One ladies league.
Soccer
The Wolves, the men’s soccer team, played against team Kenyatta University Ruiru on Sunday, November 13 at Thika High Chapel but lost the game 3-1.
Hockey
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies’ team, faced the Blazers on Saturday, November 12 in City Park Stadium in Parklands. Their match ended 0-0 at the end of the first quarter. They will be contesting once again against Strathmore Scorpions on Saturday, November 19 in City Park Stadium at 4pm.
Team Mashujaa, the hockey men’s team, traveled to Mombasa to play against Mombasa Sports Club on Sunday, November 13 in the Kenya Hockey Union Premier League. The match ended 0-0. Furthermore, they will be facing Butali, the current leaders in the league, on Sunday, November 20 at City Park at 5pm.
Volleyball
The volleyball ladies’ team played against Kenyatta University on Sunday, November 13 in Thika High Chapel. They lost 0-3 in all sets: 18-25, 15-25 and 15-25 respectively. They have been progressing well since they started early this semester and the team continues to show promise.
Netball
The Hurricanes had a friendly match against Mount Kenya University (MKU) and had a joint training session with the team at Thika High Chapel on Sunday, November 13.
Handball
The handball ladies’ team played against Saint Paul’s University and Daystar University on Sunday, November 13 at Thika High Chapel. They lost both games 12-0 and 15-1.
Lacrosse
The developing lacrosse team will be heading to Kenton College Preparatory on Saturday, November 19 to learn as they watch the Africa qualifier game between Kenya vs Uganda.
Swimming
The Dolphins, the USIU-Africa swimming team, will be having another Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) Gala on Sunday, November 20 at the USIU-Africa Swimming Pool. Let’s come and support the Dolphins as they compete to make the University proud.
Indoor Sports
KUSA Indoor Championship will be taking place this weekend. The Badminton, Chess and Scrabble teams will be having their competitions on Saturday, November 19 at Kenyatta University (KU). The Karate competitions will be occurring on the same day at the USIU-Africa Dojo. The Tennis team will be playing on Sunday, November 20 at KU while the Taekwondo team will have their competitions in the USIU-Africa Dojo on the same day.
Athletics
The USIU-Africa Track team will be competing this Sunday, November 20 at KU. It will be their 2nd competition this semester.
Swimming
USIU-Africa Dolphins, the swimming team, were ranked first in the 2nd KUSA Nairobi Swimming Gala that occurred on Sunday, November 20 at the USIU-Africa swimming pool. They obtained a total of 345 points. The ladies were ranked 1st in their category with 193 points while the men were ranked 2nd in the men’s category with 124 points after KU with 150pts. Kelsey Karanja and Trizah Oyamo of the Dolphins were ranked 1st and 2nd in the individual overall ladies’ category with 36 and 31 points respectively. Nabil Shikely and Dennis Muthui were ranked 1st and 3rd in the individual overall men’s category with 66 and 36 points respectively.
Woodball
There was the final KUSA Woodball Championship on Saturday, November 19 at Kenyatta University (KU). Nicodemus Kilunda was ranked 16th out of the 28 male participants with 126pts in the men’s singles category while Stephen Woresha obtained 143 points after emerging position 23. As for the women’s singles category, Ritah Mbabazi obtained 137 pts, and was ranked 11th, Faith Mulenga with 137pts, who was ranked 12th, Wendy Wanda 145pts (15th), Joseline Masoy with 151 pts (18th), Amanda Maviri with 154pts (20th) and Linas Nyabere with 157pts (22nd).
Kilunda and Woresha also participated in the men’s doubles and obtained 149 pts. Furthermore, Mulenga and Wanda were ranked 3rd in the women’s doubles with 140 pts, Nyabare and Maviri emerged 4th with 145 pts, Mbabazi and Masoy were 7th with 155pts. Overall, the ladies were ranked 3rd in the championship and the men emerged as 5th.
Karate
The Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) held the Karate games at the USIU-Africa Auditorium on Saturday, November 19. The men of the USIU-Africa Karate team were ranked 3rd, with 1 silver and 1 bronze while the women finished in 4th place with one silver medal.
There were the KUSA Taekwondo competitions in the USIU-Africa Auditorium on Sunday, November 20. The USIU-Africa taekwondo team presented 22 participants, with 19 athletes winning medals. The ladies emerged first with 4 gold medals, 3 bronze and 7 silvers while the men emerged second, obtaining 3 gold and 2 silver medals.
Hockey
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies team, faced Strathmore Scorpions on Saturday, November 19 at City Park Stadium. Strathmore Scorpions defeated the Spartans 4-2 making them champions of the Kenya Hockey Union Premier League Women. The Spartans will have a KUSA match on Saturday at 11.40am at the USIU-Africa hockey pitch and a league match in City Park Stadium at 4pm. They shall also have another league match on Sunday, November 27 at 3pm at City Park Stadium.
Team Mashujaa, the hockey men’s team, contested against Butali, the reigning champions of the Kenya Hockey Union Premier League on Sunday, November 20 in City Park Stadium. They lost 1-0 at full time to Butali. The team will also have a KUSA match on Saturday, November 26 at USIU-Africa hockey pitch. In addition, Team Mashujaa will have a league match on the same day at 6pm at City Park Stadium.
Volleyball
The volleyball ladies faced Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) in a beach volleyball match in Kenyatta University (KU) on Sunday, November 20. USIU- Team A lost 0-2 in all sets: 10-21 and 9-21 while USIU- Team B also lost 0-2: 13-21 and 15-21. Moreover, they will have 2 matches on Saturday, November 26 at 10.30am and at 12pm at USIU-Africa.
The volleyball men played against Saint’s Paul University (SPU) in KU on Sunday, November 20 and lost 0-2 in all sets: 15-21 and 16-21.
Tennis
Andrew Kiiru and Steve Ishmael participated in the men’s singles and participated in 3 matches. They faced Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) and lost 2 sets 4-0 consecutively. The men also played against SPU and lost to 0-4 and 1-4 in 2 sets. They also faced MKU town and lost 0-4 in 2 sets.
Melissa Wambugu, Christine Gathoni, Maureen Nduta and Whitney Akinyi participated in the ladies’ single. Wambugu defeated JKUAT 4-2 and 5-3 in 2 sets. Gathoni beat MKU town 4-0 in the first round but lost 0-4 in the second one. In addition, Akinyi was drubbed 2-4 in each round against SPU. Nduta beat MKU 4-0 in the first round but were defeated 2-4 in the last round. The ladies also participated in the doubles where Gathoni and Wambugu defeated MKU 4-3 and Gathoni and Akinyi lost to MKU 3-5. Great performance from the ladies and may they keep it up!
Badminton
The badminton team participated in their first KUSA championship on Saturday,November 19. The ladies were ranked 3rd after having one win in the singles category and two wins in the doubles category.
Athletics
Princess Tecla Ursula and Kelly participated in the 100 meters and emerged 5th in their race.
Chess
KU hosted the KUSA Indoor Chess games on Saturday, November 19. Phoenix, the USIU-A chess team, were ranked 2nd in the championship after obtaining 51 pts after JKUAT emerging position 1. Chitundu Limbikani obtained 5pts after getting 5 wins in 5 rounds, Simbarashe Mutandazi got 4pts, Salim Niam obtained 3 pts and Stephano Chidzanja got 2 points. As for the ladies, Tandy Milare got 2pts, Ruvimbo Kutama 1pt and Betty Mwende 1pt.
Scrabble
KU hosted the KUSA Indoor Scrabble games on Saturday, November 19. Shyat Lemoshira was ranked 6th out of the 17 male participants in the round 6 standings with 4 wins, 2 losses and a word spread of -129 and was ranked 8th in Men High Total Scores with a total score of 2154.
Lacrosse
The developing Lacrosse team led by Irene Mungai and Mercy Auma went to watch and learn from the World Championship African Qualifier Match between Kenya and Uganda on Saturday 19th November in Kenton College Preparatory School where Kenya lost 9-8 to team Uganda.
Basketball
The Flames, the basketball ladies, will be traveling to Butere for an away league match against team Butere in the Kenya Basketball Federation Division League One on Sunday, November 27.
The basketball men will have one match on Saturday, November 26, in the USIU-Africa Basketball Court and one match on Sunday, November 27 in the same venue.
Rugby
The USIU-Martials, the rugby men, will be traveling to Mombasa for an away league match that will occur on Sunday, November 27.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa Wolves, will have a KUSA match at 3pm on Sunday, November 27 at USIU-Africa Soccer pitch while the Falcons, the soccer ladies will play at 1pm on the same day and venue.
Netball
The Hurricanes, the netball team, will have a match on Sunday, November 27 at 9am at the USIU-Africa netball court.
Handball
The handball ladies will also have a match on Sunday, November 27 at 11.40am at the USIU-Africa handball court.
By Shyat Lemoshira and John Sande
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Martials faced Strathmore Catullus on Saturday, October 29 at the Floodlit Tournament held at Impala Saracens. The team started on a high note, beating their opponents 19-6. The team will continue representing USIU-Africa in the Tournament, with matches slated for Saturday, November 5 and 12, 2022.
Basketball
The ladies’ basketball team, the USIU-Africa Flames, continued their winning streak last weekend after triumphing over Mount Kenya University (MKU) in a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) match with a 72-28 win on Sunday, October 30 at the MKU basketball court. The Flames will travel to Butere for the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) division league 1 match this upcoming weekend.
Our men's basketball team, the Tigers were in Eldoret over the weekend for their Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Division I game. The match played on Saturday, October 29, at Uasin Gishu High School ended 46-47 in favor of their opponents, Shoot 4 Life.
The Tigers started off shakily trailing Shoot 4 Life 6-15 points at first quarter. Upon re-strategizing, the Tigers clawed their way up 22-19 points at the breather, and maintained territorial control of 37-34 points by end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, both teams showcased great sportsmanship and individual player skills with scores see-sawing between the two teams before settling at 46-47 in favour of Shoot 4 Life. The team will face off against Daystar on Saturday, November 5, 2022.
Hockey
The hockey ladies’ team, the Spartans, had two matches this weekend. They played against JKUAT in a KUSA match on Saturday, October 29 at General Kago Primary, losing 0-1 to JKUAT. In addition, they lost 1-3 to the Lakers in the Kenya Hockey Union division league 1 match on Sunday, October 30.
The men’s team, Team Mashujaa, contested against Saint Paul’s University (SPU) on Saturday, October 29 in a KUSA match in General Kago Primary. They were victorious with a 3-1 win after scoring their goals in the last two quarters. Furthermore, there was an enticing clash between Team Mashujaa and Kenya Police in the Kenya Hockey Union division league 1 match on Sunday, October 30. If you have watched the England vs Colombia quarter final match in 2018 FIFA World Cup, you would have shared the same frustration as Sammy Karatia’s last minute equalizer was denied by the major referee. What an unfortunate outcome it was! The match ended 0-1 to Kenya Police.
Soccer
The soccer men’s team, the Wolves, played against team Kenyatta University (KU) on Saturday, October 29 at MKU and lost 0-3 to their opponents. They will be playing against MPESA Academy on Sunday, November 6 at Thika High Chapel. The soccer ladies team were placed against SPU on Sunday, October 30 at MKU, where the team of 8 lost 2-0 against St. Paul’s University.
Tennis
Kenyatta University (KU) hosted the Legends vs Next Gen friendly tournament on Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30, where seasoned veterans were going up against the new players. The USIU-Africa Tennis team was represented by Kahiro Muturi, Joylin Kombe, Ian Kimuli, Christine Gathoni, Melissa Wambugu (Team Captain) and Adrian Murage (Team Manager). The men bagged one singles match win and three doubles match wins getting to the semifinals, while the women bagged 6 singles wins and one doubles win. Overall Melissa was ranked first in the ladies’ category after winning all her matches making her team proud!
Netball
The USIU-Africa Hurricanes played against GRETSA university on Saturday, October 29 at Thika High Chapel and lost 9-21 to their opponents. The netball team will be playing against KU on Saturday, November 5.
Volleyball
The volleyball men faced KU, the league champions on Saturday, October 29 at Thika High Chapel. They lost all sets (0-3): 11-25, 8-15 and 14-25. They will be facing team MKU on Sunday, November 6 at Thika High Chapel.
Woodball
The Kenya Woodball Federation (KWF) hosted another league round in MKU on Saturday, October 29. Lawrence Magak, Mark Gok, Stephen Woresha and Nicodemus Kilunda participated in the fairway singles. Lawrence Magak and Nicodemus Kilunda managed to reach the preliminaries while Mark Gok beat Peter Gathoni in the round of 16 before losing to Benjamin Mutati in the quarters.
Moreover, Gok partnered with Kilunda while Woresha was with Magak in the fairway doubles men but each team lost 3-0 to the KU teams. As a result, they were ranked last with 2 points in the fairway and had 1343 cumulative stroke points.
As for the fairway single ladies, Ritah Mbabazi, Wendy Wanda, Amanda Maviri, Joseline Masoy, Quinta Akoth and Drucilla Adah participated and all managed to reach into the preliminaries. Mbabazi was partnered with Adah while Wanda and Maviri were another team in the fairway double ladies. Just like the men, each team lost 3-0 to the KU teams. Henceforth, they were ranked third with 5 pts but had the least 903 cumulative stroke points.
By Shyat Lemoshira
The USIU-Africa Dolphins competed in the Nairobi County Aquatics Association tournament in Makini, Nairobi on Saturday, October 8. Nabil Shikely set a new record in 200m freestyle at 2:22 seconds from the previous 2:29 second, he won a gold medal for the 200m freestyle and 50m breaststroke. Denis Muthui won a silver medal placing him in second position for 100m butterfly. The USIU-Africa swimming team will be taking part in their next tournament in Mombasa slated for Saturday, October 15.
Elsewhere, the hockey teams took part in a tournament in Mombasa. Team Mashujaa, the men’s hockey team, played against MVITA in the first round and defeated them 1-0. They also drubbed Western Jaguars and Kenya Police 1-0 each but drew against Warthogs 0-0. They contested against Nairobi Sikh Union, who they lost to 0-2 in the penalties.
Team Spartans, the ladies’ hockey team, drew against the Titans and Wolverines 0-0 in each round. They went on to defeat the Mombasa Swans 2-0 in their third match. The team also played against Mombasa Squids and the game ended 0-0. The Spartans grabbed the win after beating them 1-0. The Spartans challenged the University of Nairobi in their final match, emerging as the winners of the Mombasa tournament with a 1-0 win against them.
The USIU-Africa Basketball ladies team triumphed over the Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology (KWUST) with a win of 85-14 in their first KUSA match on Sunday, October 9 in Kenyatta University (KU). The USIU-Africa Flames amazingly maintained their blazing winning streak in the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Division One league after beating Scarlets 55-51.
The USIU-Africa men’s basketball team unfortunately had their first loss in the Kenya Basketball Federation Division One league after losing to Blazers 59-58 on Saturday, October 8 at the University of Nairobi. However, the USIU-Africa Tigers defeated Kenyatta University 45-33 on Sunday, October 9 in KU.
The USIU-Africa Tigers will be taking part in the 3X3 Kenya Sports University Association (KUSA) matches on Sunday, October 16, while the ladies team, the USIU-Africa Flames will be traveling to Nakuru to play against TH3 Swish on Saturday, October 15 at Moi High School.
The netball team, the USIU-Africa Hurricanes, faced off against Daystar University on Saturday, October 8 in KU, losing 54-22 to their opponents.
The soccer team, USIU-Africa Wolves played against Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) on Saturday, October 8. Despite their strong show in the match, the soccer team lost 3-2 to their rivals. The ladies’ soccer team also lost 5-0 to KCA on the same day.
The newly formed men’s volleyball team played against the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology on Saturday, October 8 against JKUAT, losing 3-0 in the end. The ladies’ volleyball team faced off against KWUST on the same day and venue and lost 0-3 in all the three rounds.
The chess, scrabble, tennis, karate and table tennis teams will have their first KUSA Games on Saturday, October 15 in KU while the taekwondo team will have their match on Sunday, October 16 in JKUAT. Shyat Lemoshira, the captain of the scrabble team, notes that this is an opportunity for the team to get more experience as it will be their second physical competition- set up. Melissa Wambugu, the tennis captain, stated that the team expects to play to the best of our abilities, aim to win and most importantly to have fun. As for the chess captain, Chitundu Limbikani, captain of the chess team, noted that the team is ready to display their prowess at the game.
The woodball team will be having their third round of matches on Saturday, October 15 in KU and Sunday, October 16 in JKUAT.
By John Sande and Shayat Lemoshira
Basketball
The USIU-Africa ladies’ basketball team, the Flames were in Nakuru City over the weekend for their Division I game. The flames scorched the Nakuru-based Swish team 56 - 34 in the match played at Menegai High School.
Captained by Yvonne Masila, the team went on a scoring spree, scoring 19-8 at first quarter, 33-18 at the breather, 48-25 at the third quarter, before capping it at 56-34.
"I am very proud of the girls today again. They have put in tremendous effort, and have overcome an equally strong team, Swish. We have two more games, and should we win, we will top the League and will be excited to rejoin the Premier League - where we belong’, said Flames Coach Mr. George Mayenga. The team will face Kenyatta University in a KUSA match on Saturday, October 22 at Mount Kenya University.
The men’s basketball team, the Tigers, faced off against the Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) in the Division 1 league and finished with a satisfying 67-50 win. The team also had two teams competing in the KUSA 3X3 Basketball championship at Kenyatta University (KU). Team A managed to reach the finals and clashed against the KU Main team, losing 21-10.
The Tigers will be facing St. Paul’s University in a KUSA match on Saturday, October 22 at 10.30am at Mount Kenya University (MKU) and will play off against JKUAT in a Division 1 league match on Sunday at 12pm in Nyayo Stadium.
Hockey
Team Mashujaa contested against the Western Jaguars on Saturday, October 15 at City Park Stadium, Parklands. The team was down 2-0 by the end of the second quarter. Fortunately, they rose to end the match with a spectacular draw of 2-2. Team Mashujaa will face off with the Strathmore team on Thursday, October 20 at the same venue.
The ladies’ team, the Spartans had two league matches in the previous weekend. The hockey ladies faced Admira on Saturday, October 22 at 4pm and the match ended 1-1. They played against the Wolverines, ending the match in a 2-2 draw. The team will also be facing off against the Strathmore Scorpions on Thursday, October 20, with their next match scheduled for Saturday as they face off against MKU at General Kago Primary School.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Martials had friendlies against Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and Strathmore University on Saturday, October 15 at Strathmore. USIU-Africa’s Team B defeated CUEA Team B 14-12 while USIU-Africa’s Team A faced off against both Strathmore’s Team A and Team B. They drubbed Strathmore Team B 19-5 but lost to their team A 10-31 in the final match of the day.
Swimming
The USIU-Africa Dolphins were invited for the County Assemblies Sports Associations (CASA) age group swimming championships in Mombasa, at the Aga Khan academy. The team performed really well scooping a total of 5 gold, 22 silver, and 9 bronze medals. A number of the swimmers also achieved personal best times.
Tennis
The tennis team played against the Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT), MKU, KCA and KU in the KUSA KU Championship on Saturday, October 15. The ladies emerged in top position while the men were ranked 3rd in their category.
Chess
The USIU-Africa Chess team participated in the first KUSA Chess Championship in KU on Saturday, October 15. They were ranked 3rd out of the 8 universities in the tournament. Chitundu Limbikani, the chess captain was ranked the first individually and was followed by his teammate, Simbarashe Mutandadzi in 2nd and Baden Fred Eric in the 4th position.
Scrabble
KU hosted the first KUSA Scrabble Championship on Saturday, October 15. This was the first tournament for most of the USIU-Africa men’s team. After 6 rounds, Shyat Lemoshira was ranked 8th out of the 20 male participants: he had 4 wins and 2 losses with a word spread of +153. The men’s team was ranked 5th out of the six universities in the short tournament.
Karate
The KUSA Karate first championship occurred in the Martial Arts Room on Saturday, October 15. They were two set-ups of the tournament: kata (a performance of offensive and defensive techniques without a partner) and kumite (score-based sparring system between opponents). Both teams (male and female) were knocked out in the group stages in kata. The USIU-Africa ladies team faced team KU and managed to get one win, one draw and one loss before qualifying for the quarters in which they were knocked out. As for the men, they faced team JKUAT and had one win and 2 losses.
Taekwondo
USIU-Africa hosted the KUSA taekwondo single elimination championship in the Auditorium on Sunday, October 16. USIU-Africa’s taekwondo team presented 8 athletes of which 3-won gold medal, 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal ranking the university to the 3rd place behind JKUAT and K.U. Gobi Asiga became the heavyweight champion for men, Haji Okwato was the champion of the thin weight men and lastly, Coco Hawi amazingly won the third gold medal as the bantamweight women’s champions.
Volleyball
The volleyball teams had their first KUSA beach volleyball matches in KU on Sunday, October 16. The men faced KU and lost both sets while the ladies faced Daystar University and also in 2 sets too. Such activities provide opportunities for the newly formed teams to learn tips, gather more skills and experience. The men will be facing KU Ruiru on Saturday, October 22 at Thika High Chapel whilst the ladies shall face MKU on the same day and venue.
Woodball
7 players participated in the Kenya Woodball Federation league in JKUAT on Saturday, October 15. Stephen Woresha and Tafadzwa Bere got 122pts each while Mark Makom Gok got 134 pts. and Nicodemus Kilunda with 160pts in the male singles. As for the ladies’ singles, Ritah Mbabazi obtained 130pts, Paulette Maina (140pts) and Anne Kanisiime had 154 pts. Furthermore, Gok and Woresha drew 1-1 with Team JKUAT in the doubles. A similar result was also achieved in the ladies’ doubles when Ritah Mbabazi and Paulette Maina faced team JKUAT.
5 players represented USIU-Africa in the KUSA woodball singles championship in KU on Sunday, October 16. Nicodemus Kilunda obtained 134 pts, Anyika Muchesia (138pts). Gerard Augustino (157 pts) and Tamunotonye Wariso Elvis with 174pts. Faith Mulenga participated in the ladies singles and managed to obtain 157pts in her first tournament.
Netball
The USIU-Africa Hurricanes will be facing KWUST on Sunday, October 23 at Thika High Chapel. They will thrive to get a win after losing in their previous weekend.
Handball
The handball ladies’ team will be facing MKU on Saturday, October 22 in Thika High Chapel. The team will be focused to play better and recover from their previous game in the previous week.
By Shyat Lemoshira
SWIMMING
USIU-Africa hosted the NAKUSA Swimming Gala on Saturday, October 29. The USIU-Africa Dolphins performed splendidly as they were ranked first among the six universities after collecting 396 points from overall results. The men managed to get a score of 190 whilst the ladies obtained 174 points, all were first in their categories. Justine Awuor achieved to be the champion of the individual overall women’s category with 33pts. Team USIU-Africa took the top 3 positions in the individual overall men’s category: Ibrahim Omar with 62 points, Nabil Shikely (48 points) and Dennis Muthui (38 points) respectively. Bravo to the USIU-Africa Dolphins for amazing and consistent performance and the sports department thanks every member of the USIU-Africa community who supported the aquatic athletes in the gala.
BASKETBALL
The USIU-Africa basketball ladies faced team Kenyatta University (KU) on Saturday, October 22 in a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) match. The Flames overcame their opponents of the day luminously with a 50-22 win. As for the basketball men, they beat Saint Paul’s University 54-33 in their KUSA match. Moreover, the USIU-Africa Tigers blissfully defeated the JKUAT Stray Cats 78-58 in Nyayo Stadium on Saturday, October 22. The Flames will play against MKU on Sunday, October 30 in Mount Kenya University Court while the Tigers have two games: a KUSA match against Daystar on that date and a league game in Eldoret against Shoot 4 Life this upcoming weekend.
HOCKEY
Team Spartans faced team Mount Kenya University in General Kago Primary on Saturday, October 22. The hockey ladies led 1-0 by the late second quarter, however, the game ended 1-1 in the final quarter after team MKU scored in the third quarter. The team Spartans will face JKUAT on Saturday, October 29 in General Kago Primary while Team Mashujaa, the hockey men, will contest against SPU on the same day and venue. All teams are aspiring to get heroic wins in their KUSA matches this upcoming weekend.
SOCCER
The soccer ladies had their second game of the KUSA season and were playing against KU Ruiru on Saturday, October 22 at Thika High Chapel. They lost to the team 0-10 to their opponents. The USIU-Africa Wolves had a clash against Daystar on Sunday, October 23 at the same venue. The game was tight. The soccer men had pleasant attacking moments, unfortunately, the match ended in an entertaining draw 2-2. The team was rather disappointed but have promised to work harder and grow to be an astounding team. The Wolves, soccer men, are eagerly waiting for their clash against KU on Saturday, October 29 in MKU Landless while the ladies will compete against SPU on Sunday, October 30 at Thika High Chapel.
VOLLEYBALL
The volleyball men had their second game of the season and were playing against KU Ruiru on Sunday, October 23 in Thika High Chapel. The team shows decent progress despite losing to their rivals in all sets (0-3): 17-25, 17-25 and 15-25 in the last one. The ladies were placed against team MKU and also lost 0-3 in terms of sets. The first set ended 10-25, 10-25 in the second one and finally, 22-25. The Sports Department encourages these teams to continue to train smarter and harder as they get more experience. The volleyball men shall face team KU on Saturday, October 29 in Thika High Chapel.
HANDBALL
The handball ladies faced team MKU on Saturday, October in Thika High. They lost 3-31 to their opponents.
NETBALL
The USIU-Africa Hurricanes competed against Kiriri’s Women University of Science and Technology (KWUST) on Sunday, October 23. The team were neck to neck in most quarters, however, our netball team lost 12-24 to KWUST. The Hurricanes shall face Gretsa on Sunday, October 30 at Thika High Chapel and are aiming to storm with a win.
ATHLETICS
USIU-Africa hosted the KUSA Athletics competition on Saturday, October 22. Three students represented the team and all were sprinters. Alexia Mbagaya took part in both the ladies’ 100m race and 200m race. Kelly Bahati took part in the men’s 100m race while Princess Ursula participated in the ladies’ 100m race. The facilitators and all Sports Departments of the universities recognized the event as an opportunity to create exposure and offer experience to all athletes.
By Shyat Lemoshira
The newly formed volleyball ladies had their first game in Kenyatta University (KU) on Sunday, October 2. They faced the KU team in their first Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) fixture. The ladies had a good fight in each round but lost 3-0 to their opponents. The hockey teams also had matches on the same day, with the ladies’ team beating St. Paul’s University 9-0 in their first KUSA game. The men’s team also proved successful, with Team Mashujaa beating MKU 1-0.
On the previous day at the same venue, the woodball team participated in the 2022/2023 Kenya Woodball Federation League Circuit. They were competing against KU, Mount Kenya University (MKU) and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The USIU-Africa men’s team were ranked 3rd with a team score of 544 pts. The team included Mark Gok with 121pts, Tafadzwa Bere 127pts, Stephen Woresha 142pts and Lawrence Owino with 152pts. the ladies’ team were ranked 4th with a team score of 620 pts from Ritah Mbabazi (142pts), Allen Kansiime (151pts), Linas Nayebare (163pts) and Wanda Wendy (164pts).
The netball team, the USIU-Africa Hurricanes clashed against St. Paul’s University (SPU) on Sunday, October 2, where they beat SPU 15-4. Continuing USIU-Africa’s winning streak was the ladies’ basketball team, the USIU-Africa Flames, who traveled to Kakamega for their Kenya Basketball federation division 1 league game. The basketball ladies played against Western Delights on Sunday 2nd October. The team managed to sustain its unbeaten streak with a triumphant win 97-36 over their opponents of that day.
Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams experienced losses in their first KUSA fixtures, with the USIU-Africa Wolves losing 4-2 in their first match against KU. The revived ladies team also lost 5-0 to the KU team.
The men’s basketball team, the USIU-Africa Tigers faced Strathmore on Sunday 10am at the Nyayo Stadium. It was the first game after the August holiday. Despite being down in the first quarter, they crawled their way to win the game 61-48 at the end of the fourth quarter.
The rugby team, the USIU-Africa Martials played the Uganda select team on Saturday, September 17 in Kyadondo Rugby Club, where the Martials managed to win comfortably against their opponent with a score of 46-12.
Elsewhere, the hockey team, Team Mashujaa faced Wazalendo on Sunday, September 18 at City Stadium. The match was tight as Wazalendo proved to be rivals not to be underestimated. The match ended in a draw (1-1) thanks to the goal scored by Wayne and the defense led by Silong, the goalkeeper, for preventing more goal opportunities.
By Diana Meso
The sports teams were on the receiving end after losing three out of the five games they played this past weekend in the ongoing Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) University league.
On Saturday, November 27, the Soccer team narrowly beat Kenyatta University (Ruiru campus) 3-2, while the men’s hockey team drew 1-1 with Kenyatta University (Main Campus). However, the handball team were thoroughly beaten 0-15 by St. Paul’s University.
On Sunday, November 28, both the Handball and Soccer teams lost 0-15 and 0-3 to St. Paul’s University and Mt. Kenya University respectively.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Taekwondo
The USIU-Africa Taekwondo team had their grading ceremony on Saturday April 1 in the USIU-Africa Martial Arts room. The order of Taekwondo belts (in ranking) typically goes: White, Yellow, Green, Blue, Red, Brown, and Black. Their members were graded 16 Yellow belts, 5 Green belts, 4 Blue belts and 2 Red belts.
Karate
The USIU-Africa karate team had their grading ceremony on Friday March 31 in the Martial Arts room in the afternoon where three students were promoted in belt ranking. Esther Mwende Ngui, Caroline Muhirwe and Melchizedek Michira were able to obtain Yellow belts.
Hockey
The hockey men, Team Mashujaa, have traveled to Uganda to participate in an open tournament organized by the Ugandan and Kenyan Hockey Unions in cooperation with hockey clubs and universities this Easter weekend. The tournament will be a 2-day event and will be carrying out in Lugogo Stadium.
Chess
The USIU-Africa chess team, Team Phoenix, will be participating in the Chess Kenyan Open organized by the Chess Kenya Federation and Terrian Chess Africa. The international tournament will be taking place at the Sarit Expo Center in Nairobi, Kenya. The tournament began on April 5 and conclude on April 11
Eastern Africa Women's Games
Our ladies teams will be participating in the Eastern Africa Women’s Games for the Easter weekend in USIU-Africa. They will participate in the following sports: basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, badminton, handball, volleyball, swimming, wood ball and table tennis. All the best to the ladies as they clop to the top.
By Lynn Mumbi
Hockey
The men’s hockey team had a match this weekend against Sikh Union Club in Dashmesh stadium. They did wonderfully and exceeded their own expectations, winning the match 3-1 against the Sikh Club. The goal scorers for the match were James Mwangi, who scored two goals and Brian Biko, who scored the final goal of the match.
Taekwondo
At the end of every semester, the Taekwondo team normally has gradings, where members of the team move from one level to the next. In the grading system, the lowest level is white, followed by yellow, blue, red and black, which is the highest level.
The grading was carried out by a representative from the Taekwondo Federation, Coach Jack, who administered tests for the team members who were moving to the yellow and blue belts. The team of 20 passed the examination, with 11 acquiring blue belts and 9 acquiring yellow belts.
By Lynn Mumbi
Hockey
Last weekend, the hockey teams took part in an eventful tournament that was hosted by Mount Kenya University. The USIU–Africa men’s hockey team played until they reached the final level. In the group stages, they played against Thika Rovers and Red Mafia where they drew in both games. In the final group stage game, they played against JKUAT where they won 1-0, with the goal scored by Danstone Barry.
In the quarters, they played against Team Wozawoza where they drew, and proceeded to shootouts, where they scored two goals and secured a slot in the semifinals. In the semis, they played against Bedford and won 2 -1. In the finals, they played against Team Wazito and ended up in a draw, where they lost in the shootouts and emerged second in the tournament, winning a silver trophy. Three students, Lynn Mwangi, James Muthii, and Danstone Wabwire took part in the awarding ceremony.
The USIU- Africa ladies’ hockey team, the Spartans also took part in the tournament. In the group stages, they played against MKU and ended in a draw. Their second game against the Sliders ended in a 2-0 win for the Spartans, with goals scored by Purity Jadota and Lynn Mwangi.
In the final group stage game, they played against JKUAT and won 1-0, with the goal being scored by Lynn Mwangi, leading them into the semifinals. In the semis, they played against Kenyatta University’s Titans, winning 2-0, with the goals scored by Lynn Mwangi and Rayana Oyando, leading the team into the finals. In the finals, they played against JKUAT again, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw. Both teams proceeded to the shootout, which ended in a loss for the Spartans, and made them second overall in the tournament.
Soccer
The men’s soccer team, the USIU-Africa Wolves played a friendly against Gituru Football Club on Thursday evening. This did not go as expected as the match ended in a 3-5 loss for the Wolves. The three goals were scored by Bol Peter and one from Samuel Tobi.
The loss ended the Wolves’ four-game winning streak, but the team remains hopeful that they will make a return to their winning streak.
By Lynn Mwangi and Melissa Wairu
Hockey
On the morning of Friday, November 24, 2023, a thrilling 5-a-side hockey match unfolded between two prominent Schools within the university community—the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Chandaria School of Business. The event was not only an exhibition of sporting prowess but also an opportunity to attract individuals interested in learning the game of hockey.
The game stood up to its hype, producing a thrilling and closely fought combat. The 5-a-side format brought an extra element of excitement, with both teams exhibiting their skills and strategic brilliance throughout the contest. The regulation time concluded with an impressive 3-3 draw, leaving both teams evenly matched. The deadlock pushed the match into overtime, raising the stakes and tension among the players and spectators. In a nail-biting overtime period, the Chandaria School of Business emerged victorious with a narrow 1-0 win. The winning goal, a moment of sheer brilliance, was netted by Haji from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Notably, this was Haji's first time on the hockey pitch, making his contribution to the game even more remarkable.
Despite the competitive nature of the match, the overall atmosphere was filled with enthusiasm, camaraderie, and a sense of fun. Students actively engaged in cheering for their respective teams, creating an ambiance of school spirit and unity. The event succeeded not only as a sporting competition but also as an enjoyable social experience for all participants and attendees.
Away from the Intramural games, over the weekend, the men’s and women’s hockey teams held their fixtures. The ladies’ team played against University of Nairobi and won 3-0. The men’s team participated in a varsity derby against Strathmore University where they fought hard to win 3-2.
Congratulations to our hockey teams.
Netball
The Netball team hosted their last Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) game against Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) on Saturday, November 25 and JKUAT won 45-31.
Volleyball
The volleyball team also had a match this weekend against St. Paul’s University (SPU) and the results were as follows:
By Lynn Mwangi
Hockey
The men’s team travelled to Kisumu over the weekend where they played against Butere High School and emerged victorious with a 5-0 victory. The goal scorers were Adriannne Ngare who scored two goals, while Samwel Masinde, Hillary Odhiambo, and Happy Prismoi scored one goal each. The team displayed exceptional teamwork and skill, securing a convincing win against Butere High School.
Their second match was against Ngere High School and they also won 1-0, and the lone goal was scored by Jamleck Maina. The final match of the group stage was a tough encounter, resulting in a draw against Friends School Kamusinga.
In the semi-finals, they faced the Fire Flickers and won 3-0. The goal scorers were Robinson Omutekete, Samuel Mboche and Joseph baraka. The team displayed resilience and determination, securing a convincing win in the semi-finals against Fire Flickers and getting into the finals.
In the finals, they played against Maseno University and the outcome was a barren draw (0-0) in regular time, leading to shoot-outs which went in their favor and won 2-1. The scorers were Robinson Omutekete and Adrianne Ngare. The finals were highly competitive, and our team demonstrated exceptional skill and composure during the penalty shoot-out, ultimately securing the championship. Congratulations to our hockey champions.
The Women’s team, Spartans, also had matches over the weekend in Kisumu. On Saturday they played at Tigoi High School, Tunza High School and St Joseph’s High school. They lost 1-0, drew and lost 2-0 respectively during their matches.
On Sunday, the team played their league match against Lakers Hockey Club and the game ended 0-0 but secured one point.
Soccer
The soccer men also travelled to Kisumu over the weekend for a tournament hosted by St. Mary’s High School. They won against Vihiga High School, drew against Kasagam High School, and lost against St. Anthony’s High School. Unfortunately, this wasn't enough to qualify for the second round as they had four points compared to the leaders and runners-up six and seven respectively.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Rugby
The rugby men’s team, the USIU-Africa Martials played against Daystar Falcons on Saturday, January 28 at 3pm at the USIU-Africa rugby grounds in a Kenya Rugby Union Championship (KRU) match. The match ended 17-23 in the favor of the away team. They will be traveling to Nakuru to face Kabarak University in an away match on Saturday, February 4.
Basketball
The basketball men’s team, the USIU-Africa Tigers had a Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Division 1 league match against ABSA on Saturday, January 28 at 4pm at the USIU-Africa basketball court. They conquered them with a 57-38 win. They also faced Mount Kenya University (MKU) in a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) match on Sunday, January 29 in Kenyatta University (KU). Unfortunately, they lost 38-40 to MKU at the end of 4th quarter. Tigers will have two games on Saturday, February 4: a KUSA match against Gretsa in KU at 10.30am and will face Strathmore Blades at the USIU-Africa basketball court at 4pm for a KBF Division One league match. Lastly, the basketball men’s team will play against JKUAT in a KUSA match on Sunday, February 5 at 9am in KU.
The talented USIU-Africa Flames, the basketball ladies team, clashed with Zetech University (ZU) in a tight KBF division one match on Sunday, January 29 at 12.30pm at the USIU-Africa basketball court. It was neck to neck at halftime, unfortunately, they lost to ZU 38-51. The Flames then went to face Daystar women in a KUSA match in KU and beat them 40-22. The Flames will have a league match against Footprints on Saturday, February 4 at 9am and will also play against Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology (KWUST) on the same day at 1.30pm in KU. Finally, the basketball ladies will have a league match against Daystar on Sunday, February 5 at the USIU-Africa Basketball courts at 1.30pm.
Swimming
The USIU-Africa Dolphins, the swimming team, competed in the Nairobi County Swimming Association games in Makini School on both Saturday, January 28, and Sunday, January 29. They received 9 medals in the following categories: 3 bronze in the boys’ medley relay, mixed freestyle relay, and mixed medley relay, 1 gold in the girls' medley relay, and 1 silver in the boys' medley relay. In addition, Amanda Maviri got a silver medal in the girls' 100m breaststroke while Antony Oketch obtained a bronze medal in the boys' 100 breaststroke. Kelsey Karanja, captain of the Dolphins, won a bronze medal in the girls' 100m freestyle and a gold medal in the girls' 100m butterfly. What a superb performance from the team!
Hockey
Team Mashujaa, the hockey men’s team, had two matches on Saturday, January 28. Firstly, they played against Jomo Kenyatta University for Science and Technology (JKUAT) in KU at 9am and won 1-0. Moreover, Team Mashujaa clashed with Sailors in a Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) premier league match at 6pm in City Park Stadium, Parklands. The match was 0-0 but there was a late penalty given to Sailors and the hockey men’s team unluckily lost 0-1 to their rivals of the day.
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies team, continue with their worrying losing streak after being defeated by KU women 0-1 in KU on Saturday, January 28.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa Wolves, the soccer men’s team, faced Gretsa University on Saturday, January 28 at KU in a KUSA match. They lost to their opponents, Gretsa, 1-2 but there was a spectacular attacking performance from Bevex Kapansa, the captain of the team. The USIU-Africa Wolves will have two matches this upcoming weekend; they will play against PAUSTI on Saturday, February 4 in KU at 1 pm and MKU on Sunday, February 5.
Volleyball
The USIU-Africa Gladiators, the volleyball men’s team, faced Saint Paul’s University (SPU) on Sunday, January 29, at 1pm in a KUSA match in KU. They lost in all 3 sets: 15-25, 8-25 and 15-25. They will have two KUSA matches on Saturday, February 4 against SPU at 1.30pm and KCA at 3.00pm. Moreover, they will face Gretsa on Sunday, February 5 at 3pm.
The sister Gladiator family, the volleyball ladies, also have a KUSA match this upcoming weekend against Gretsa on Saturday, February 4 at 1.30pm.
Handball
The handball ladies team faced the renowned KU handball women’s team on Sunday, January 29 in a KUSA match in KU at 9am and lost 49-3 to KU. The ladies will have two games this upcoming weekend: they will play against SPU on Saturday, February 4 in KU at 11.40am and KU on Sunday, February 5 at 9am.
Netball
The USIU-Africa Hurricanes will face Gretsa University on Saturday, February 4 at 10.20 am in KU and play against MKU on Sunday, February 5 at 1.30pm as they seek to get more points in their division.
Chess
Team Phoenix, the chess team will be competing in a chess tournament in Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) this weekend and they will strive to be the top position in team and individual categories.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
The USIU-Africa Tigers, the basketball men’s team, had two matches on Saturday, February 4. First, they faced Gretsa University in a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) match in Kenyatta University (KU) which they clobbered them 71-30. The final match of the day was between the Tigers and Strathmore Blades in a Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) division one league match at the USIU-Africa basketball court at 4.30pm. As soon as the game started, it was tight from the 3rd quarter up to the end of the 4th quarter. The USIU-Africa Tigers roared to victory with a 59-50 win. Ariel Ortega had a spectacular performance with 26 points after making six 3 point shots. The Tigers faced JKUAT on Sunday, February 5 in a KUSA match in KU but lost 42-21.
The USIU-Africa Flames, the basketball ladies team, trounced Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology (KWUST) with a 100-10 win in a KUSA match on Saturday, February 4 in KU. They also faced Multimedia University of Kenya (MMU) in a KBF division one league match on Sunday, February 5 at the USIU-Africa basketball court. They beat them 81-26. Finally, they went to KU afterwards to play against Daystar University and the match ended 64-31 in favor of the Flames.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa Wolves, the soccer men’s team, had two games over the weekend. They had their first win over Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI) with 3-0 walkover on Saturday, February 4 in KU. They also played against Mount Kenya University (MKU) on Sunday, February 5 in KU which they unfortunately lost 1-2 in favor of MKU. Samuel Tobi was the Wolves’ goal scorer of the day as he was assisted by Taji Mwangola. In addition, it was a good debut performance from the new goalkeeper Rodrick Kalinda. The Wolves will clash against Saint’s Paul University (SPU) on Saturday, February 11 at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) at 1pm.
The soccer ladies team, the USIU-Africa Falcons, have two matches this weekend. They will play against JKUAT (W) on Saturday, February 11 at 11am at JKUAT pitch C and Mpesa Academy on Sunday, February 12 at JKUAT pitch B.
Volleyball
The USIU-Africa Gladiators, the volleyball men’s team, had three matches in KU. They played against Saint’s Paul University (SPU) and Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) on Saturday, February 4 . The Gladiators lost to SPU in three sets: 14-25, 23-25 and 12-25. The volleyball men’s team lost to KCA in all rounds:21-25, 11-25 and 14-25. The team’s final match was against Gretsa University and they lost 11-25, 16-25 and 21-25 in all 3 sets.
The Gladiator sisters, the volleyball ladies team, had their first win (3-1) this weekend over Gretsa in their KUSA match on Saturday, February 4 in KU. These are the scores for 4 sets: 26- 18, 25-16, 24-26 and 25-20. The volleyball ladies will JKUAT (W) on Saturday, February 11 at 10.30am in KU.
Rugby
The rugby men’s team, the USIU-Africa Martials, traveled to Nakuru to face Kabarak University in a Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) championship match. They lost to the away team 23-8. The Martials will be facing team Eldoret on Saturday, February 11 in the USIU-Africa rugby grounds at 3pm.
Chess
Team Phoenix, the chess team, participated in the Kenya Youths Chess Association (KYCA) Chess Festival tournament in KCA which occurred on both Saturday, February 4 and Sunday, February 5. 5 players represented USIU-Africa: Chitundu Limbikani, Tapiwa Chimbwanda, Clifford Ombiro, Baden Eric Fred and Tandy Milare. They were two main categories: blitz and rapid. Chitundu Limbikani, the captain of the team, was ranked 2nd in the rapid category and 10th in the blitz category while Tapiwa Chimbwanda became 26th in rapid and 19th in blitz which was a great performance from both individuals. They will be participating in KUSA championships in KU on Saturday, February 11.
Netball
The USIU-Africa Hurricanes, the netball team played against Gretsa University on Saturday, February 4 and lost 16-0. They have a KUSA match against Daystar on Saturday, February 12 at 1.30pm in KU.
Handball
The handball ladies team lost 16-0 to SPU on Saturday, February 4 which was an improvement in defense from their previous match. We as the Sports Activities Committee (SPAC) and the Sports Office urge the team to continue to train and boost their confidence in ameliorating their skills. They will face team Mount Kenya University (MKU) on Saturday, February 12 in KU at 12pm.
Swimming
The USIU-Africa Dolphins, the swimming team will be heading to Mombasa to participate in the Mombasa County Aquatics Association competitions that will occur from Friday, February 10 to Sunday, February 12.
Hockey
Team Mashujaa, the hockey men’s team, will be traveling to Yala school for a tournament this weekend. Team Spartans, the hockey ladies team, will have two KUSA matches against SPU on Saturday, February 11 at 9am and MKU on Sunday, February 12 at 9am in KU.
Athletics
The track team will be having games in KU on Saturday, February 11.
Woodball
The woodball team will play in USIU-Africa fields on Saturday, February 11 and in KU on Sunday, 12 February for a friendly and KUSA championship respectively.
Other Indoor Games
Tennis and badminton will be heading to Yala School in Kisumu for a tournament in the weekend. The Karate team will have KUSA championships on Saturday, February 11 at the USIU-Africa Martial Arts room while the Taekwondo team will have theirs on Sunday, February 12 in the USIU-Africa Auditorium.
By Hilda Indasi
The men’s swimming team bagged 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals while their female counterpart bagged 1 silver, in the ongoing Nairobi County Aquatic Association (NCAA) level 2 gala that took place at the Makini School on Sunday, February 13. This performance placed the university at the top position followed by Kenyatta University, Mt. Kenya University, Daystar University and Kiriri Women University of Science and Technology.
In the ongoing Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) league and the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) university League that took place on campus, the rugby team lost 26-34 to Shamas Foundation while the Soccer team narrowly lost 3-4 to Kenyatta University (Ruiru Campus) on Saturday, February 12 and Sunday, February 13 respectively.
By Lynn Mwangi and Emelda Wanza
Swimming
Congratulations are in order to our USIU-Africa swimming team, the Dolphins, who took part in the highly anticipated Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) competition, held on Saturday, February 10 at the USIU-Africa swimming pool.
Despite facing stiff competition, Dolphins rose to the occasion, out-swimming all others and securing victory in both the women's and men's team categories. Their triumphs underscored their unwavering commitment, seamless teamwork, and unparalleled prowess in the pool. Kenyatta University secured the runner-up position, while Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology claimed third place.
In an exhilarating showcase of athleticism, our very own Axela Echessah and Jomo Muigai, were crowned Most Valuable Players (MVPs), earning well-deserved acclaim for their exceptional performances.
Rugby
On Saturday, February 10, the USIU-Africa rugby team (Martials) pulled off a thrilling come-from-behind victory against the University of Nairobi (UoN) rugby team (Mean Machine) on their home turf. In a tense and closely fought match, the Mean Machine held the lead until the final three minutes when the Martials scored a crucial try, securing a 18-15 victory. Despite facing vocal opposition from the UoN fans, the Martials displayed resilience and determination, earning their well-deserved win and bringing pride to their school community. Congratulations to the Martials on their impressive achievement!
The Martials now set their sights on their next challenge against the University of Eldoret, where their supporters eagerly await another triumph.
Hockey
he USIU-Africa men’s hockey team, the Mashujaa secured a victory against the Kenya Police; they have never beaten Kenya Police for over 25 years. This gave the team the energy to keep pushing through until the end of the game. The game was very tough and interesting and the final score was 5-3 and the goals were scored by Danstone Wabwire and Lawrence Makhatsa. Good job to the team and they are grateful to their fans who turned up to support them.
On Sunday, February 11, hockey ladies’ team had a match at City Park which was played against Kenyatta University. Unfortunately, the team lost 2-1 and the lone goal was scored by Rhoda Kuira.
Taekwondo
The Taekwondo men’s and women’s teams competed and were crowned champions in the final Nairobi region Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) tournament held at the Kenyatta University (KU). The tournament was also a qualifier for the next National play-offs to be held at Pwani University. In addition, the men’s team received two Gold medals, two Silver medals and one Bronze medal while the women’s team received two Gold medals, two Silver medals and two Bronze medals. USIU-Africa also produced the Most Valuable Player (female) Selina Zenna. Congratulations to Zenna and the Taekwondo team.
Beach volleyball
The women’s beach volleyball team had two Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) matches in the semi-finals at Kenyatta University (KU) where they played against Kenyatta University and Daystar University. Despite their efforts, the team lost against KU with set scores of 22-24 and 15-21.
During the second match, the players put up a really good fight and won one set against two sets with set scores of 17-21, 21-16, 13-15. The players enjoyed the game and did their very best and were looking forward to bringing a trophy home but they ended up securing fourth place in the league.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Swimming
USIU-Africa swimming team, the Dolphins, competed in the Coast Amateur Swimming Associations (CASA) Mixed Level Age Group, Open and Masters Championships held at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa over the weekend. The team managed to get a total of 33 gold, 10 silver and 9 bronze medals. Trizah Oyamo, team manager, emerged the winner of the 16-24 years 100m breaststroke at a time of 1.49.65, trailed by Drucilla Adah (1.44.58) and Chloe Muthioni became 2nd runners up (2.08.35).
What an outstanding and amazing performance from our blue-clustering and thriving Dolphins! Kudos to Amanda Maviiri, Atemi Manka, Anthony Oketch, Chloe Muthoni, David Mutugi, Dennis Muthui, Drucilla Adah, Ibrahim Omar, Joshua Isige, Joslyn Masoy, Kelsey Karanja, Moses Mulumbi, Nabil Shikely, Natasha Chepkurui, Ritah Mbabazi, Salma Njeri, Tamara Kimeu and Triza Oyamo not forgetting Coach Margaret.
TaeKwondo
The Taekwondo competed in a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) championship on Sunday, February 12 in the USIU-Africa Martial Dojo. The ladies emerged top with 4 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze medals while the men also were ranked first with 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. Henceforth, USIU-Africa Taekwondo team were ranked one overall with 8 gold, 6 silver and 6 bronze medals.
Soccer
USIU-Africa soccer men, the Wolves, howled with a decent win over SPU 2-0 that were both scored by Bevex Kapansa, captain of the soccer men, on Saturday February 11. Quincy Achar and Francis Yotamu played an excellent game in dominating the midfield. What a solid performance from the Wolves! They will have two KUSA matches this upcoming weekend. The Wolves will play against Daystar Saturday February 18 at 9am in KU and KU on Sunday February 19, at 9am in KU.
Rugby
USIU-Africa Martials, the rugby men clashed against Eldoret Rugby Football Club (RFC) on Saturday February 11 at 3pm in the USIU-Africa Rugby Grounds. The Martials spectacularly conquered their away team 75-14, one for the records in the USIU-Africa community. The Martials will travel to Kakamega to face Western Bulls in their next Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) championship match.
Hockey
Team Mashujaa, the hockey men, participated in the Yala Opens over the weekend. They beat the following teams in group stages: Ugenya High School (4-0), Ringa Boys (3-0), Yala School (3-0) and Maseno (2-0). However, they lost in the semifinals to Maseno University (0-1). Team Mashujaa will have 3 matches against the following teams in JKUAT: MKU on Saturday February 18, JKUAT and KCA on Sunday February 19 at 9am and 1.30pm respectively.
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies, had two KUSA matches over the weekend, they clubbed Saint Paul’s University (SPU) 10-0 on Saturday, February 11 and defeated Mount Kenya University (MKU) 1-0 on Sunday, February 12 in Kenyatta University (KU). The hockey ladies will face JKUAT (W) on Sunday, February 19 at 3pm.
Volleyball
USIU-Africa Gladiator sisters, the volleyball ladies, faced Jomo Kenyatta University for Science & Technology (JKUAT) on Saturday, February 11 and lost in 3 sets: 20-25, 12-25 and 20-25.
The volleyball men, the USIU Gladiators, will play against KU Ruiru on Sunday, February 19 in JKUAT.
Athletics
The athletics team participated in the KUSA athletics championship on Saturday, February 11 in KU. Prisca, Umo, Kelly and Princess Tecla Ursula, the captain, participated in the 100m and 400m races in which they were ranked positions 4th to 6th.
Chess
3 players of team Phoenix participated in the KUSA chess championship on Saturday, February 11 in KU. Ultimately, they were ranked 7th as a team after obtaining 4pts from 6 games.
Scrabble
Shyat Lemoshira participated in the KUSA scrabble championships on Saturday February 11th in KU. He was ranked 13th with 2 wins and 4 losses with a spread of -192 but was ranked 9th in terms of high scores having 2102pts over 6 rounds.
Tennis
The tennis team traveled to Kisumu and engaged with high schools in the Yala Opens in learning the game, tennis, as they were scouting potential and future players.
Badminton
The badminton team traveled to Kisumu and participated in the Yala opens. Prosper Mandu and Francis Chianu played singles and doubles.Mandu won 1 single set and lost the other while Chianu lost all his sets. Emelda Wanza Kilonzo and Natasha Mwangi participated in doubles and reached the semifinals.
Netball
USIU-Africa netball team, the Hurricanes, played against Daystar University on Saturday, February 11 in KU. They unfortunately lost 19-38 to their opponents of their day. They will face KU (W) on Sunday February 19 in JKUAT at 12pm.
Karate
The karate team participated in the KUSA championship on Saturday, February 11 in the USIU-Africa Martial Arts Room in which the team obtained 1 bronze medal from the men’s category.
Basketball
USIU-Africa Tigers, the basketball men, have two KUSA matches in JKUAT against the following teams: KU and MKU Nairobi at 9am and 12pm respectively on Saturday, February 18.
The USIU-Africa basketball ladies, the Flames, will play against JKUAT (W) on Saturday, February 18, at 4.30pm.
By Hilda Indasi
Both the men’s and ladies’ basketball teams were off to a good weekend, after they won all the matches in the ongoing Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) University League. The men’s team narrowly beat Kenyatta University 53-52 while their female counterparts thrashed Daystar University 46-13.
However, in hockey the ladies’ team lost 0-2 to Kenyatta University while the men's team lost 1-2 to KCA university. Additionally in Rugby, our team lost 20-21 to Egerton University in the ongoing Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) league.
The basketball and hockey games took place at Mt. Kenya University as the rugby game was played at Egerton University.
By John Sande and Lynn Mwangi
Swimming
The swimming team, the Dolphins were at Peponi School, Sukari Ranch last weekend for yet another Nairobi County Aquatics Association (NCAA) Level 3 Age Group Swimming Championship that commenced on Friday, February 16 and ended on Sunday, February 18.
Despite being the solo representative from the Dolphins, Victoria Okumu scooped 3 Gold medals in the 1,500, 800 meters and 400 meters freestyle strokes. In the women's Masters category, Kysh Macharia swam away with a Gold medal in the 100 meters freestyle, and also bagged 2 Silver medals in 50 meters freestyle and 50 meters butterfly strokes respectively. In the men’s Masters category, John Sande secured 3 Gold medals having swam in the 100 and 50 meters breast, and 50 meters freestyle strokes.
Overall, USIU-Africa Dolphins (men's) Swim Club emerged with 3 Gold medals with the women's team securing 6 medals, 4 Gold and 2 Silver. Congratulations Dolphins!
Netball
The ladies' team had a game on February 18 at Kenyatta University where they played against Mama Ngina University College. The team won 50-9 and the goals were scored by Nasra Msangi and Paulinho.
Volleyball
The Gladiators (both men and women) had a game on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the ladies’ team played against Mount Kenya University (MKU) and lost 0-3 with set scores of 11-25, 16-25, 20-25 while the men’s team played against Daystar University and lost 0-3 with set scores of 17-25, 18- 25, 22- 25.
On Sunday, the ladies’ team played against St. Paul’s University (SPU) and lost 0-3 with set scores of 21-25, 19-25, 22-25 while the men’s team played against Kenyatta University (KU) and lost 0-3 with set scores of 16-25, 20-25, 15-25.
Hockey
The men’s team had a match against Sailors Hockey Club and they won 4-2. The goals were scored by Lawrence Makhatsa, Felix Kiptoch, Brian Kipkorir and Danstone Wabwire.
The ladies’ team played against Strathmore University and they won 2-1. The two goals were scored by Lotte Löhr and Rayana Oyando. Good job to our teams!
By Shyat Lemoshira
Hockey
Team Mashujaa, hockey men’s team, had 3 Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) matches over the weekend. They drew 1-1 against Mount Kenya University (MKU) on Saturday, February 18 at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The hockey men’s team also drew 1-1 against JKUAT. Despite the two draws, Team Mashujaa pulled off a win against Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA) after Robbie Muyendo, player of the day, scored in the 4th quarter as the KUSA match 2-1 in favor of the USIU-Africa hockey men’s team. Moreover, they will have two KUSA matches this upcoming weekend; the hockey men will face Kenyatta University (KU) on Saturday, February 25 at 9am and Daystar on Sunday, February 26 at 9am, all at JKUAT.
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies team faced JKUAT (W) on Sunday February 19. Their KUSA match, however, ended 0-0. The Spartans will have a KUSA match against Daystar on Sunday, February 26 at 10.30am at JKUAT.
Woodball
The woodball team participated in the Kenya Woodball Federation league on Saturday, February 18 at JKUAT. For the stroke singles men, Prosper Mandu got 128pts, Mark Agaba (130 pts), Kasozi Joshua (133pts), Nichodemus Mutua (138 pts) and Michiri Melchizedek (157pts). As for the strokes singles ladies, the USIU-Africa ladies team obtained the following points: Quinta Okoth (118pts), Ritah Mbabazi (120 pts), Linas Nyebare (121 pts), Kansiime Allen (138 pts), Kansiime Allen (144pts), Nzilani Muthio (144pts), Salma Njeri (145pts), Lilian Kembabazi (157 pts) and Joseline Masoy (167 pts).
Moreover, there were doubles for both men and ladies. The men had the following ranks and points over 2 rounds: Mutua & Joshua (9th with 131pts), Agaba & Mandu (10th with 68 pts). The ladies each did a single round for doubles: Mbabazi & Masoy were 6th with 68pts while Nyebare & Kembabazi were 7th with 74pts.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa rugby men’s team, the Martials, traveled to Kisumu to clash against Western Bulls in an away Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) championship match. The Martials claimed 3 points after pulling off a fascinating 23-19 win over their opponents. The rugby men’s team will play against Shamas Rugby Foundation on Saturday, February 25 at 3pm at the USIU-Africa Rugby grounds.
Basketball
The USIU-Africa basketball men’s team, the Tigers, had two KUSA matches on Saturday February 18. They lost to KU 67-52 but defeated MKU 52-34. The basketball men’s team will have a KUSA match against Daystar on Saturday, February 25 at 9am in JKUAT.
The USIU-Africa basketball ladies team, the Flames, faced the JKUAT ladies team on Saturday February 18 and came with a late and tight win as the KUSA match ended 36-34. The Flames will play against KU on Saturday, February 25 at 10.30am in JKUAT.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa soccer men’s team, the Wolves, had 3 KUSA matches over the weekend. The team got 3 points over Daystar as the match concluded with 3-0 walkover to the Wolves on Saturday, February 18 morning in KU. As the day continued, the soccer men, however, lost 0-1 to Saint’s Paul University (SPU) as they missed plenty of chances to score. The Wolves lost to KU 3-0 on Saturday February 19 in KU. The team will be traveling to Kisumu for a Maseno Open tournament from Saturday 25 and Sunday 26.
Netball
The USIU-Africa netball team, the Hurricanes, played against KU with a numerical disadvantage but managed to obtain 4 points despite losing 84-4 which was better than a walkover.
Handball
The USIU-Africa handball team lost 3-40 to Kiriri Women’s University of Science & Technology on Sunday February 19. The handball ladies will be traveling to Kisumu for the Maseno open tournament in Maseno University over the upcoming weekend.
Volleyball
The USIU-Africa volleyball men and ladies, the Gladiator Brothers & Sisters, will also be traveling to Kisumu for the Maseno open tournament in Maseno University over the upcoming weekend.
By Hilda Indasi
The Netball, Soccer and Ladies basketball teams had a rough weekend after losing all the games they played in the ongoing Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) University League.
The Netball team lost 11-30 to Gretsa University while the Soccer team had a goalless match against Kenyatta University who scored a goal. On the other hand, the Ladies Basketball team narrowly lost 32-33 to Kenyatta University.
The Netball and Soccer matches took place at Kenyatta University grounds as the basketball match was hosted on campus.
By Emelda Kilonzo
Basketball
The basketball teams, Flames and Tigers, embarked on a journey to Arusha for the Hoops4Hope tournament over the weekend. The tournament proved to be a great success for both teams as the Flames managed to reach the quarter-finals, showcasing their incredible skills and determination. The Tigers fought a tough battle throughout the tournament and emerged as the champions after defeating the reigning champions. A remarkable player, Darlington from the Tigers was honored with the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his exceptional performance during the matches. This achievement reflects the immense talent and hard work of the team, making the Tigers a force to be reckoned with in the basketball community.
By Diana Meso
This past weekend, our swimming team bagged 8 golds, 6 silver and 7 bronze medals in the Nairobi County Aquatics Association (NCAA) Level 1 Swimming Championship held at Makini School.
In the ongoing Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) University League, our soccer team beat Gretsa University 2-0 on Saturday, January 29, while our hockey and netball teams lost to Kenyatta University and Gretsa University 0-1 and 9-34 respectively on Sunday, January 30 at Kenyatta University grounds.
On the other hand, our rugby team lost 17-40 to Western Bulls on Saturday, January 29 in the ongoing Kenya Rugby Union League that took place in Kakamega.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Hockey
The USIU-Africa hockey men, Team Mashujaa, faced Strathmore Gladiators on Saturday July 1 in a Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match at the City Park Hockey Stadium, Parklands. Team Mashujaa stripped the Gladiators 2-1 in a tight pair-up of titans and this was a great win that may boost their confidence and improve their streak.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa soccer men, the Wolves, had two teams for the Strathmore International Sports Day and Expedition 7-Aside Tournament: USIU-Africa Mamba and USIU-Africa Habahaba. Team Mamba were winners of the tournament and were awarded gold medals. Moreover, the Wolves had a friendly against Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping on Saturday, July 1 but unfortunately lost 3-0.
Netball
The USIU-Africa netball team, the Hurricanes, played against Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping on Saturday, July 1 and came out with an 18-10 win.
Handball
The USIU-Africa handball ladies, the Fierce Waves, had another joint training session and a friendly against Nyathuma Secondary School in Kiambu on Saturday, July 1.
Volleyball
The USIU-Africa volleyball teams, the Gladiators, had a friendly against the Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping on Saturday, July 1. The volleyball ladies won their match with a score of 2-0 in the following sets: 27-25 and 25-18 while the volleyball men lost 1-3 in these sets: 20-25, 22-25, 25-22 and 24-26.
By Lynn Mwangi
Volleyball
On July 8, 2023, our school hosted friendly volleyball matches against Strathmore University. The matches involved both the ladies’ and men’s volleyball teams. Despite a commendable effort, we lost 0-3 to Strathmore University (with set scores of 18-25, 21-25, and 22-25). The ladies’ team demonstrated an improvement from their previous games. The men’s team also lost 0-3 to Strathmore University (with set scores of 13-25, 15-25, and 17-25). The friendly matches provided the volleyball teams with an opportunity to showcase their skills and compete against a skilled opponent. Although our teams faced defeat, they exhibited strengths in different aspects of the game.
Hoceky
The men’s hockey team, Team Mashujaa played against Sailors Hockey Club where they scored three goals and Sailors scored one goal. This was a great fight for them since Sailors have been very tough opponents for a very long time. This win now gives Team Mashujaa an upper hand when they face their opponents, Nairobi Simba (SIKH) in a match that will be played on July 29, 2023.
Taekwondo
The Kenya Taekwondo Federation held the Para-Taekwondo National Team Selections on Friday, July 7 at Ruiru Prisons, showcasing the exceptional skill and determination of six participants vying for a spot in the upcoming world championships. The event was a thrilling display of talent, with fighters from various institutions, including the Kenya University Sports Federation (KUSF), delivering impressive performances.
Leading the charge were two students from USIU-Africa, Brighton Maugu in the 63kg category, and Joseph Otieno in the 80kg category. Brighton showcased his ability and secured the qualification for the championships. Joseph in the other hand qualified in the 80 kg weight category as he was the only competitor. The selected athletes will advance to the training camp to prepare for the upcoming championship.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
The women’s basketball team, the USIU-Africa Flames had two games in the previous weekend at the USIU-Africa basketball court. They continued their fiery winning streak after defeating the Coastal Queens 75-28 on July 16 and Multimedia University 65-24 on July 17. The wins were crucial to boost their sports merit and morale as they are likely to face Zetech University, one of the best teams in their division, in their next match in the upcoming weekend.
The men’s basketball team, the USIU-Africa Tiers also had a weekend of successful matches, which began by beating the Coastal Kings 69-51 in their first match on Saturday, July 16. On Sunday, they defeated the Moi Airbase with a 60-38 win, and then proceeded to beat Absa 51-42 in the last game of the weekend.
Hockey
The hockey team, Team Mashujaa took part in the Betty Tioni Festival in Greensteds International School in Nakuru. They beat the following teams in the early rounds of the tournament: 2-1 against Tahiti, 2-0 against Blue Pirates B and 1-0 against Silverbacks. Moreover, they also defeated Wazito 2-1 in the round of 16.
Team Mashujaa qualified for the semifinals after getting the better of Wazalendo with a 1-0 win. The team trounced Chase Bank in the semis with a 2-0 triumph. They drubbed Western Jaguars 2-1, with Lawrence Makhatsa scored the winning goal that enabled them to bring back a trophy as Champions of Nakuru Open Hockey Festival.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Martials participated in the Kakamega Sevens in the previous weekend. They played three matches in the Pool F on July 16. In their first match, they were beaten 28-0 by Kibabii University. They emerged victorious in their second game of the day, defeating Egerton University 28-0. The victory was short-lived as they ended up losing to the Stallions 5-12. Despite the 2 losses on the first day, the team won all their matches on the second day of the games, beating Egerton University 28-0 in the second meeting, overpowering Mbale 28-5 and beat Molo 12-5. The team was the awardee of the Spear Award by the Kenya Rugby Union.
This weekend, the USIU-Africa Martials will be taking part in two events, a carwash on Friday, July 22 and the Wazee Vijana rugby tournament on Saturday, July 23. The car wash will commence at 12.00pm in parking lot B where they will be washing at a charge of Ksh 200 per car. The Wazee Vijana rugby tournament is an annual USIU-Africa event that will take place at the Harlequins Ground on Ngong Road from 3.30 p.m. The tournament will see current members of the Martials facing off against previous members of the rugby team and other alumni of our beloved institute.
By Lynn Mumbi
Soccer
The USIU-Africa men’s soccer team played against Wagenge FC, who they beat 6-0. The goals were scored by Frank Mauti and Peter Bol who scored two goals each, with Noel and Tobi scoring one goal each. The match, held at the USIU-Africa soccer pitch, was an exciting experience for the soccer players as they were all looking forward to the game and the win.
The USIU-Africa Falcons, the ladies’ soccer team also had a match against 365 Soccer FC at the Thogoto Teachers’ College in Kikuyu. Unfortunately for the Falcons, their opponents overpowered them, ending the match 3-1 in favor of 365 FC.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Rugby
The rugby team had a busy weekend with two events on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the team held a car wash to raise funds to improve the team’s welfare. On Saturday, July 23, the team took part in the Wazee Vijana tournament at the Harlequin Grounds on Ngong Road. The handicap match, in which team Wazee had 30 players to the Martials’ 15, ended with a win by team Wazee who won the match 80-33. The USIU-Africa Martials will be facing Zetech Oaks in a friendly match on Saturday, July 30 at 3p.m on the USIU-Africa rugby pitch.
Basketball
The men’s basketball team, the USIU-Africa Tigers, faced off against Mustard in the Division 1 games of the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) competitions on Sunday, July 24, beating their opponents 86-47. The team will play against the Kenya College of Accountancy (KCU) on Saturday, July 30, in the USIU-Africa basketball court at 2 p.m.
The ladies team, the USIU-Africa Flames, had one of their toughest matches so far against Zetech University on Sunday, July 24. The team was originally down in the 3rd quarter but managed to triumph over their rivals 37-29 by the end of the quarter, maintaining their winning streak. The Flames are set to face yet another tough team, the Strathmore Swords on Saturday, July 30 at 12.30 p.m.
Football
The USIU-Africa Wolves faced Mahanaim College in a friendly match in which they were defeated 8-2. The team looks forward to the next games this coming Saturday against JKUAT and Daystar University.
Hockey
The USIU-Africa Mashujaa and USIU-Africa Spartans also had a Wazee-Vijana/Wazee-Wanyanya match on Saturday, July 23 at 3.30pm at the Impala Grounds on Ngong Road. The first game played was by the ladies’ team, Vijana vs Wanyanya, with the Wanyanya winning (3-2) against Vijana. For the men’s match, Vijana played against Wazee and there was a draw of 1-1 which sent them to the shoot-outs, where Wazee won 4-3 against Vijana.
Chess
The USIU-Africa Phoenixes had five members who participated in the 2022 Village Market Open Chess Championship. They were ranked as follows: Tapiwanashe Chimbwanda (M) 21st with 4.0pts, Chitundu Limbikani (M) 34th with 4.0pts, Simbarashe Mutandazi (M) 51st with 3.5pts, Tandy Milare 66th (F) with 3.0pts, Ashraf Ahmad (M) 78th with 3.0pts and Tapiwa Mlambo 131st with 1.0pt.
Swimming
On Saturday, July 23, 2022, five members of the USIU-Africa Dolphins were invited to the annual Nairobi County Aquatics Association (NCAA) end of season awards luncheon, held at the Carnivore Simba Saloon Restaurant. This is an event that recognizes the talent and hard work, alongside appreciating the best swimmers of the season. The five USIU-Africa swimmers; Nabil Shikely, Amanda Maviiri, Ibrahim Omar, Justine Nelson, and Rayana Oyando were among the nominees for best male and female swimmer, in the age group of 16 years and over. To be nominated for such an award marks that the swimmers have done extremely well throughout the season, posting excellent results. Each of the swimmers received a certificate of recognition for their efforts.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Soccer
The USIU-Africa men’s soccer team, the USIU-Africa Wolves took on Daystar University on Saturday July 22 and defeated them 6-0. The goals were scored by the Wolves’ talisman Bol Peter, who performed a hat trick, a brace from Samuel Tobi and a first ever Wolves’ goal from Taji Mwangola. This is a positive result as they continue preparing for next semester’s KUSA games. The team may head to Thogoto next weekend for another friendly match.
Hockey
The USIU-Africa men’s hockey team, Team Mashujaa, will be having a Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match against Sikh Union Nairobi on Saturday, July 29 at 3pm in the Dashmesh Stadium, Wangari Maathai Road. We wish the team all the best as they continue to extend their winning streak.
By Shyat Lemoshira
The Sports Office, the Sports Activities Committee (SPAC) and the Kenya Lacrosse Federation set up a lacrosse session that commenced on Thursday, July 28 and concluded on Friday, July 29. During the session, it was announced that Irene Njeri would be the new ladies’ lacrosse team captain.
In basketball, the men’s team, the USIU-Africa Tigers faced the Snipers in a match held on July 30 at the basketball court. The Tigers win was boosted by Victor Kollie who sunk the last bucket to give the team a win over the Snipers with 63 to 62 points. The USIU-Africa Flames also sustained their winning streak, defeating the Strathmore Swords 61-31 on Saturday, July 30 at the USIU-Africa basketball court.
Team Mashujaa, the men’s hockey team participated in the Makanda Opens in Kitale during the weekend. They beat all other teams in the group stages. The hockey men drubbed Kitale Hockey Club 1-0, defeated Parkroad and edged over Kitale Masters 1-0. The team got the win over Kitale Hockey Club 1-0 in the quarter finals. The team also beat Antony Kitale 1-0 in the semi-finals.
Furthermore, there was another clash between Wazee (USIU-B) and Team Mashujaa (USIU-A) a.k.a Vijana in the finals. The game ended 1-1 which forced the rivals to go to penalties. USIU-B became champions of the tournament after defeating USIU-A 3-2 on penalties.
The woodball team faced the Kenyatta University team in an individual oriented friendly competition divided between male and female counterparts and both played two rounds. USIU-Africa took the top 5 positions in the men’s section with the following students participating: Anyika Muchesia (180pts), Caleb Munene (165pts), Gerald Augustino (163pts), Kesuma Laizer (157pts) and Bernard Kaut (148pts). Just like the men, the ladies also took the top spots: Salma Njeri (178pts), Irene Njeri (177pts), Linas Nayebare (173pts), Drucillah Adah (170pts) and Amanda Maviri (163pts).
Elsewhere, the rugby team, the USIU-Africa Martials played Zetech Oaks, to whom they lost 37-32. In Netball, the USIU-Africa Hurricanes faced off against the JKUAT team in a friendly match in which the ladies lost to the opponents 35-70. Both teams had a joint training session afterwards to improve their performance for future matches. The soccer team also faced devastating losses, losing 2-0 to Daystar and 4-1 to JKUAT.
By Shyat Lemoshira
The USIU-Africa Wolves faced the soccer team from the Kenya Institute of Survey and Mapping in a match that ended in a 2-2 draw on Saturday, July 9. Bol Peter scored the first goal after dribbling an opposing defender and kicked the ball to the bottom left side of the rivals’ goal post, with the second goal scored by Oliver Kilonzo. The friendly match was arranged as part of the Wolves’ preparation for the new season of the league.
On the same day, the women’s basketball team, the USIU-Africa Flames defeated the Vipers 75-22 in their match against Kisii University, where the team’s spectacular performance dazzled spectators.
The rugby team, the USIU-Africa Martials were not left out of the action as they participated in the Prinsloo Sevens in Nakuru. The Martials beat Eldoret 22-7, also defeating JKUAT 22-5. Their winning streak on day 1 was cut short by Mount Kenya University, who beat them 19-10. On the second day, the team lost to the Administration Police 7-12 during the Main Cup quarters. The Martials beat Stallions 12-7 during the 5th/6th position playoff semi-final. Unfortunately, the team lost to Kabarak University 5-20 and ultimately finished in 6th place in the tournament.
By Shyat Moi Lemoshira
Basketball
This weekend, the USIU-Africa men's basketball team, the Tigers faced off with Strathmore University Blades in their first 3 games of the Kenya Basketball National League playoff finals at the Nyayo Stadium, Basketball Gymnasium. Game 1 occurred on Friday, May 26 at 6pm. The Blades had their crosshairs trained on the Tigers and sank multiple shots leading the game for three quarters in a row by a huge margin. The Tigers regrouped, and were able to secure a victory in the fourth quarter, ending the game at 64-62. Deng Kuol AKA Mareba displayed a great performance with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Peter Kajumbe also had a stellar performance, with 17 points and 7 rebounds.
The Blades bounced back in Game 2 with a 63-58 win over the Tigers on Saturday, May 27 at 4pm. Game 3 took place on Sunday, May 28 at 6pm and it was a fantastic win for the Tigers who drubbed the Blades 67-48 after dominating in all quarters. Kudos to Yobesh George, 6th man of the match, who made 17 points with 4 three pointers, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 20 minutes. Mareba kept the Tigers up in the lead with 15 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals and 8 blocks in Game 3. Game 4 of the series between the USIU-Africa Tigers versus Strathmore Blades will take place on Saturday, June 3 at the Nyayo Stadium, Basketball Gymnasium at 8pm while Game 5 will be Sunday, June 4 at 4pm in the same venue.
The USIU-Africa basketball ladies’ team, the Flames, also began their playoff final series against Zetech Development on Saturday, May 27 at 12pm where they unfortunately lost 65-66 to the opposition. The Flames were able to gain some ground in Game 2 on Sunday, May 28 at 2pm with a 53-42 win.
The series continues with Game 3 on Friday, June 2 at the Nyayo Stadium basketball Gymnasium at 6pm. Game 4 will take place on Saturday June 3 at 4pm while Game 5 is to happen on Sunday June 4 at 2pm.
Hockey
The USIU-Africa hockey men’s team, Team Mashujaa, played against Butali, the former champions of the Kenya Hockey Premier League, on Saturday, May 27 at 6pm. Butali were in the lead with 2-0 before Team Mashujaa were given a penalty shot converted by Larry, while Robbin Muyendo scored a splendid goal in the last minutes of the 4th quarter to make the match equal (2-2). Team Mashujaa will be facing Strathmore Gladiators in a Kenya Hockey Premier League match on Saturday June 3 at 6pm in City Park Stadium, Parklands.
Further, the USIU-Africa hockey ladies AKA Team Spartans had two matches against Lakers and Blazers on Saturday, May 27 at 4pm and Sunday, May 28 at 4pm respectively. Team Spartans drew 1-1 against Lakers but lost to Blazers 1-3. They will be playing against Wolverines on Thursday June 1 in City Park Stadium, Parklands at 11am. Come and support Team Spartans as they seek victory in the Madaraka Day celebrations.
Chess
The USIU-Africa chess team participated in the first rounds of the Chess Kenya Super League that took place on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28 at the KCB Sports Club. They drubbed Nairobi Chess Club Team C 5-0, beat Lighthouse Queens 3-2 and lost to Mavens Warriors 1-4. They are currently ranked 6th in the league as we wish them the best as they progress to other rounds. The team was composed of Chitundu Limbikani, Tapiwa Chimbwanda, Tandy Milare, Clifford Ombiro, Stephen Woresha and Fred Eric Baden.
Swimming
The USIU-Africa swimming team, the Dolphins, competed in a Nairobi County Aquatics Association (NCAA) swimming gala competition at Makini School that commenced on Saturday, May 27 and ended on Sunday, May 28. The men won 6 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 3 bronze medals, overall attaining 11 medals in total. The men's team emerged 6th position overall out of 20 other schools. The women's team emerged 7th position out of 18, with 6 gold medals,4 silver medals and 7 bronze medals.
The men and women did an outstanding job with securing individual medals and relay medals as well. Ritah Mbabazi won a gold medal in the 200m freestyle event in the 16 years and over category, Kelsey Karanja won gold in her 50m butterfly event, and 100m freestyle event, both in the 16 years and over category. Tamara Kimeu achieved a bronze medal in her 100m freestyle event and a bronze medal in her 50m backstroke event. In the 100m breaststroke, John Omanga emerged 2nd place and Joshua Isige was third place. Ibrahim Omar won 1st place in the 50m breaststroke while Daryl Anjichi won 3rd place in the same event.
Overall, the ladies secured 2nd place in most of the relays except for the 800m freestyle relay where they secured a gold medal. The men outdid themselves and secured gold in their relay event, while the mixed relays comprising of both ladies and gentlemen, secured second place for their activities.
Faraja Water Challenge
A selected team of sports representatives led by Antony Oketch, the Chair for the Sports Activities Committee (SPAC) were representing USIU-Africa, sponsored by Dr. Chandaria, in the Faraja Water Raft Challenge that occurred on Saturday, May 27 in the Savage Wilderness Camp, Sagana. Faraja’s annual White Water Rafting Challenge is an annual event organised by Faraja Cancer Support Trust in partnership with Savage Wilderness Camp and was sponsored by Sayani Investments, KPMG-East Africa, Great Rift Valley Lodge, Diani Reef Hotel and NCBA Bank. The other USIU-Africa sports representatives include: Roserania Njoki (netball player), Princess Ursula, (SPAC’s secretary and captain for Track Games), Haji Okwato (taekwondo captain) and Fred Okoth (rugby player for USIU-Africa Martials). The team participated on that morning and were ranked 7th out of the 11 participants for the morning session. The Faraja trust Group was able to raise 5.1 million form 22 teams and 400 spectators.
Kick Boxing
A kickboxing tournament was held in USIU-Africa on Saturday May 27. USIU-Africa got 5 medals in the tournament. Individual performances were as follows: Coco Hawi played ladies category under 63 category and won a gold medal. Mina Visavadia snatched a silver medal in the ladies under 60kg category. Ryan Wanjiru won a silver medal in men's under 60kgs category.
Volleyball
The USIU-Africa Gladiators will be heading to Strathmore University to have friendly matches on Saturday, June 3; the USIU-Africa volleyball ladies’ team will face Strathmore Panthers at 11am while the USIU-Africa volleyball men’s team will play against the Strathmore Jaguars at 1pm.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa Wolves, the soccer men’s team, will be having a friendly match against the United Nations Staff team on Sunday, June 4 in the United Nations grounds, Gigiri at 11am. The soccer ladies’ team will be also having a friendly match against Valeo on Saturday, June 3 at the USIU-Africa pitch at 11am.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
After defeating Strathmore Blades and Zetech Development in a 3-1 series, the USIU-Africa basketball teams, the USIU-Africa Tigers and the USIU-Africa Flames, were crowned winners of the Division 1 Kenya National Basketball League playoffs. On Friday, June 2, the USIU-Africa Flames scorched Zetech University 45-43 in Game 3. Afterwards, the basketball ladies’ team overwhelmed Zetech University 50-46 in Game 4 on Saturday, June 3, solidifying their victory overall. Ariel Ortega's three-pointer in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter, after getting the pass from Matthew Lagat, gave the USIU-Africa Tigers a 64-61 victory over the Strathmore Blades in Game 4 on Saturday, June 4. Ariel Ortega won the game with 20 points and 6 hit three-pointers, earning him the title of player of the match.
Fans immediately erupted in jubilant cheers in support of our teams' glory and triumph. In the presence of our Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign, who also attended all games and supported the basketball teams, the teams were presented with trophies and medals by the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF). Most Valuable Player (MVP) honours were given to Aaliyah Havyarimana for the women's KBF Division 1 League in 2022–2023 and Ariel Ortega for the men's KBF Division 1 League in 2022–2023.
Coach George Mayienga won the KBF Division 1 Coach of the year award for his work in guiding the teams to such successes as they prepare to compete in the KBF Premier League the following season.
Volleyball
On Saturday, June 2, the USIU-Africa Gladiators, the men’s and ladies’ volleyball teams played friendly matches against the Strathmore Jaguars and Panthers at Strathmore University. The volleyball ladies’ team was defeated 1-3 by the Strathmore Panthers in the following sets: 21-25, 23-25, 25-20, and 23-25. Furthermore, the men's volleyball team defeated the Strathmore Jaguars in three sets, 21-25, 17-25, and 21-25. The Strathmore Jaguars defeated them 3-0 from then on. According to Coach Sally Wanjala, the teams demonstrated commendable performances in terms of services, reception, and setting, obtained useful insights, and are determined to working on developing in the following areas: attacks, blocking, and backcourt defense.
Hockey
The USIU-Africa hockey men’s team, Team Mashujaa will be playing against Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCAU) in a Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League match on Sunday, June 11 at 5pm in City Park Stadium, Parklands.
Netball
The Heads of Schools, Colleges, Institutions, Universities, Companies, Organizations, Self-Help Groups and Churches in Kenya in collaboration with the Nairobi City Council Netball Federation has invited the USIU-Africa netball team, the Hurricanes, to the Nairobi City Council Open Tournament that will commence on Saturday June 10 and end on Sunday, June 11 in the Nairobi City County Stadium.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
As Kenya prepares to compete in the AfroCan championships, which will take place in Luanda, Angola from July 8 to July 16, Ariel Ortega of the USIU-Africa Tigers and the Kenya Basketball Federation’s (KBF) Division 1 Men's Most Valuable Player (MVP) 2022/2023 squad has been chosen.
Hockey
On Sunday, June 11, at City Park Stadium, Parklands, the USIU-Africa men’s hockey team, Team Mashujaa, competed against Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCAU) in a premier league match for the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU). Danstone Wabwire, Lawrence Makhatsa, and Joseph Baraka Masinde scored goals for Team Mashujaa in the game, which concluded in a 3-3 draw. Team Mashujaa will face off against Kenya Police on Sunday, June 25 while the ladies’ hockey team, Team Spartans will play the Strathmore Scorpions on the same day at 2pm.
Netball
From Saturday, June 10 through Sunday, June 11, the Uhuru Estate Playgrounds hosted the Nairobi City Council Netball Open tournament. On a Saturday, June 10, the netball team defeated Olympic 22–08 but fell short against Mathare 6–12. They also overcame another netball team 23–14, but they also suffered losses to Utawala (10–20) and Raila Education Center (11 –12). There were a total of six teams, and USIU-Africa's Hurricanes netball team placed third overall in the competition.
Handball
On Saturday, June 10, the USIU-Africa handball team, the Fierce Waves, played a friendly game against Nyathuna Secondary School in Kiambu. Nyathuna won 25-12. In recent national secondary handball competitions, Nyathuna Secondary School placed second. The Fierce Waves had the chance to learn and develop during this friendly since they showed improvement and confidence while executing attacking plays throughout the game.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
USIU-Africa hosted the 3X3 Kenya National Championship and its Finals on Saturday, June 17 at the USIU-Africa basketball court. Fans of the sport came to watch the entertaining matches as they enjoyed the thrill and goodies from Red Bull Kenya, the main sponsor of the event in coordination with the Kenya Basketball Federation. The match winners were NOGA in the women’s category and RBK, which had two USIU-Africa players in the team, in the men’s category.
Soccer
Bol Peter, team manager of the USIU-Africa men’s soccer team, The Wolves, was selected to represent Red Bull Team Kenya in the Red Bull Four 2 Score football tournament in Germany. Congratulations to the player as he represents Red Bull Kenya and obtains quality experience in international football events.
Hockey
Team Spartans, the USIU-Africa hockey ladies team, will face Strathmore Scorpions in a Kenya Hockey Union premier league match on Sunday, June 25 at 2pm. On the same day, the USIU-Africa hockey men’s team, Team Mashujaa, will play against Kenya Police at 4pm. All matches shall take place in City Park Stadium, Parklands and all members of the USIU-Africa community are welcome to support our hockey teams.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Martials, the men’s rugby team, will play a friendly match against Chipu, Team Kenya under 20 men’s rugby team on Saturday, June 24 at 3pm in the USIU-Africa rugby field. Come and cheer for the rugby lads as they play against the rising generation of rugby players for Team Kenya.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
The USIU-Africa Flames and the USIU-Africa Tigers, our basketball teams, competed in the 5th Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) 3x3 Basketball Challenge in Johannesburg, South Africa from Thursday, June 22 to Sunday, June 25.
The USIU-Africa Flames players were Aaliyah Havyarimana, Divine Irakoze, Frida Yagomba and Judith Edward Pantaleo while the Tigers had Vitumbiko Mponela, Deng Kuol aka Mareba, Sammy Gichohi and Jay Kiplagat. The Flames and the Tigers faced the American University of Cairo (AUC) and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in the finals, respectively. The Flames lost 15-21 and the Tigers lost 12-21. Regardless of the losses, both teams were runners up and were awarded silver medals. Congratulations to the teams as they displayed great performances and have qualified for the International University Sports Federation (FISU) University World Cup 3x3 World Basketball that will be held in China.
Hockey
Team Spartans, the USIU-Africa ladies’ hockey team, conquered the Strathmore Scorpions with a 2-1 win on Sunday, June 25. Naomi Kemunto first scored in the 19th minute, but Grace Bwire of Strathmore Scorpions equalized in the 51st minute. Marion Otieno scored the Spartans’ second goal at the last minute of the fourth quarter giving them a glorious win over the Scorpions, who were the previous Kenya Hockey Union Premier League Women champions. After their last 6 games (3 wins, 2 losses and 1 loss), the Spartans are currently ranked 4th with 11pts.
The USIU-Africa men’s hockey team, Team Mashujaa, unfortunately lost 0-1 to Kenya Police on Sunday, June 25. Team Mashujaa had many chances but failed to convert them. After their 3rd loss of the season, they are in 8th place with only 1 win this season.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Martials, the men’s rugby team, had an exciting friendly against Chipu, the Team Kenya Under 20 Rugby team on Saturday, June 24. The Martials beat them 25-20 after tries made by Elvis Kadima, Don Ochieng (2), Paul Mukhisa and Fred Okoth. Fred Okoth, Baron Omondi, Samuel Koliech, Elvis Kadima, and Denzel Washington provided the assists in the respective order of tries. Congrats to Team Chipu as they prepare to represent Kenya in future championships.
Soccer
The Strathmore International Students Association has invited USIU-Africa to compete in the international 7 aside football tournament as Strathmore hosts the International Students Sports Day & Exhibition that will be held on Friday, June 30 at Strathmore University grounds. Our men’s soccer team, the USIU-Africa Wolves will be representing USIU-Africa in the tournament with 2 teams (Team Nkana and Chui). Moreover, the men’s soccer team will have a friendly against the Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping on Saturday, July 1.
Netball
The USIU-Africa netball team, the Hurricanes, will have a friendly match against Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping on Saturday, July 1 at 11am in USIU-Africa grounds.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Rugby
USIU-Africa rugby men, the Martials, clashed against Shamas Rugby Foundation on Saturday, February 25 and the match ended 20-20 as they came to a close in the Kenya Rugby Union Championship.
Hockey
The hockey men, Team Mashujaa defeated Daystar 3-0 on Saturday, February 25 at Jomo Kenyatta University for Science and Technology (JKUAT), however, drew 1-1 to Kenyatta University (KU) on Sunday, February 26.
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies, played against Daystar and conquered with a 5-0 win on Sunday, February 26 in JKUAT. They had their Wazee vs Vijana match in the USIU-Africa hockey pitch which the vijana lost 1-3 to the veterans. Both Team Mashujaa and Team Spartans will be traveling to Kitale for league away matches.
Handball
The handball ladies, Dragons, participated in the Maseno University Sports Championship where they lost to Ulinzi 0-26, Maseno 11-1 and Kisumu Girls 1-5. Credit to the Dragons and Coach Innocent Wafula improving their defense and reducing the score gap and we wish them the best in improving their attack skills on the pitch.
Netball
The netball team, the Hurricanes, participated in the Maseno University Sports Championship where they lost to Maseno 32-7 and Sigalagala 37-7, thus finishing 3rd.
Chess
Team Phoenix, the chess team, participated in the Maseno University Sports Championship on Saturday, February 25. After six rounds of rapid (classic) chess and the inclusion of tie-breakers, our players were ranked the following: Tapiwa Chimbwanda 4th (5pts), Anguzu Rodgers 9th (4pts), Clifford Ombiro 18th (3pts), Tandy Milare 23rd (3pts ), Ruvimbo Kutana 29th (3pts), Nichodemus Kilunda 37th with 2pts and Betty Mwende 48th (1pt).
Volleyball
The volleyball men, the Gladiators, participated in the Maseno University Sports Championship over the weekend. They lost to Maseno 0-3 in the first round. They faced both Police Kisumu and Alupe and lost 0-3 and 1-3 respectively. To end the tournament with a relief, they beat Sigalagala 3-0. They have two KUSA matches against Daystar and KU on Saturday, March 4 at Saint Paul's University (SPU).
The Gladiator sisters, the volleyball ladies, participated in the Maseno University Sports Championship. They lost to the following teams: Maseno (3-0), Sigalagala (1-3), Mwitoti (3-0) and Kisii Polytechnic (3-1), eventually were ranked 5th. It is our wish that people not only play to compete but enjoy their sport as they play. Sports are there for us to make fun moments, not dull, that’s what Jack would say. The ladies will play against Kiriri Women’s University of Sports and Technology (KWUST) on Sunday, March 5
Basketball
The basketball men, the USIU-Africa Tigers, drubbed a 57-39 win against Daystar in a KUSA match on Saturday, February 25 in JKUAT.. Moreover, they had a close win over MAB in their Kenya Basketball Federation (KDF) division 1 league match on the same day at 4pm.
The USIU-Africa Flames, the basketball ladies, defeated KU 28-21 in a KUSA match on Saturday, February 25 in JKUAT. Both the Tigers and Flames will be traveling to Mombasa for league away matches.
Soccer
The soccer men, the Wolves, traveled to Kisumu where they participated in the Maseno University Sports Championship over the previous weekend. They defeated the following teams 1-0 in the group stages: Great Lakes and Mwitori. Mbiru Heho was the goalscorer against Great Lakes as he was assisted by midfielder Quincy Achar. In addition, Bevex Kapansa, captain, scored against Mwitori and was spectacularly assisted by Bol Peter. The Wolves drew 0-0 with Uzima University before reaching the quarter finals as they unfortunately lost 1-0 to Maseno in their homeground with over-supportive fans.
The soccer ladies, the Falcons, will have two KUSA matches in the upcoming weekend. They will play against Daystar on Saturday, March 4 and Gretsa on Sunday, March 5 at SPU.
Badminton
The badminton team consisted of Emelda Kilonzo, Proper Mandu, Natasha Mwangi, Harsh Pokhariyal and Angela Hiuhu who participated in the Maseno University Sports Championship. USIU-Africa lost to Great Lakes and Sigalagala 0-2 in each pairing in the men’s group stages and were ranked 7th. USIU-Africa lost 2 matches against Nyamira and Maseno University, 2-1 in both pairings, but defeated Great Lakes and Sigalagala, 2-1 in each pairings and they were ranked 3rd in the ladies’ category.
By Lynn Mwangi and Emelda Kilonzo
Rugby
In a tough away game, the USIU-Africa Martials struggled against Daystar rugby team, but ultimately fell short with a final score of 24-10. Despite the loss, the Martials' spirit remains high as they gear up for their final game this coming weekend. Here's to a strong finish, Martials! all the best!
Volleyball
The redefining Gladiators had a match on Sunday at Thika Chapel where they played against Mama Ngina University College and won 3-0 with set scores of 25-8, 25-10 and 25-13. The team did a great job especially with the services which led them to score most of the points during the game.
Netball
The women’s team had a game on Sunday, March 3 against Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) at Mount Kenya University and JKUAT won with a score of 47-38. The goals were scored by Nasra Msangi and Paulinho.
By Lynn Mwangi and John Sande
Masibo tournament and premier league awards
Over the weekend, the ladies’ hockey team embarked on a journey to Kitale for the Masibo Tournament. The competition unfolded with games starting on Saturday and concluding on Sunday. The team fielded two teams, but one unfortunately was disqualified before the semifinals. However, the other team persevered, securing a spot in the finals and ultimately emerging victorious.
Notably, Natasha Wambui from the team earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) title, while Jasmine Muthaka stood out as the top scorer. The team proudly brought home the winners' trophy, and each player received individual trophies in recognition of their outstanding performance.
In addition to the Kitale tournament, team’s achievements extended to the Premier League awards. The Spartans secured the 3rd position in Kenya, earning the 2nd runners-up trophy. Each player was honored with well-deserved medals for their contributions throughout the season.
This weekend showcased the team's resilience and skill, bringing home not only trophies but also a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Hockey
The USIU-Africa hockey teams, team A and B, participated in the recent tournament held at St. Anthony Boy’s High School in Kitale. Both teams showcased remarkable performance throughout the tournament, displaying exceptional skills and teamwork. In the group stages, team A competed in Pool B, securing victories against formidable opponents. They defeated Kitale Day with a score of 2-1, triumphed over Blue Pirate with a narrow 1-0 win, and emerged victorious against Eldoret Polytechnic with a score of 2-1. Similarly, team B, competing in Pool A, demonstrated dominance by defeating Nandi Hawks 5-1, securing a resounding 7-0 win against St. Anthony, and clinching a 5-0 victory against Moi University.
In the quarter-finals, team A faced off against Bungoma Masters, resulting in a 1-1 draw in regular time. However, team A emerged triumphant with a 2-0 win in the shootouts. Meanwhile, team B delivered a dominant performance against Vandals, securing a convincing 4-0 win to progress to the next stage.
The semi-finals witnessed an intense clash between the two teams, with team B ultimately prevailing with a 2-0 victory over team A, showcasing their strength and determination. Team B continued their stellar performance in the finals, facing off against Eldoret Polytechnic. Team B emerged victorious with a 2-0 win, clinching the championship title. Danstone Wabwire was crowned Most Valuable Player, Judethedius Ongondo won Best Goalkeeper and the Top Scorer was Jamleck Macharia.
By SPAC
Basketball
The USIU-Africa basketball men’s team, the Tigers, had a division one league game on Saturday, March 4 in Mombasa. They won on a score of 70-62 against the Coastal Kings. The Tigers will have a match on Saturday, March 11 at Gretsa/Thika High and a second match on Sunday, March 12 at the home court.
The USIU-Africa ladies’ basketball team will also have a match on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12 at the home court.
Hockey
Team Mashujaa, the hockey men’s team, had a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) match over the weekend in Kitale. They drew 0-0 against University of Eldoret. Despite the two draws, Team Mashujaa pulled off with a win against University of Eldoret during the penalty shootouts and emerged as the champions they are. Team Mashujaa will be having a match Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12 at General Kago Primary School.
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies’ team had two tournaments in Kitale. The first tournament was on Saturday, March 4. The Spartans opened their first match with a win of 3-0 against Trans-Nzoia, and proceeded to score another 1-0 win in their second match against Baby Sharks. However the third march they drew in a score of 0-0. This qualified them for the semi-finals which took place on Sunday, March 5. The Spartans won the semi-finals with a score of 2-0 against Trans-Nzoia and hence proceeded to the finals where they lost on a score of 1-0 against Baby Sharks and were therefore eliminated. However, they managed to rank second, with Naom Kemuto being acknowledged as the top scorer. The Spartans will have a KUSA match against Kenyatta University on Sunday, March 12 at General Kago Primary School.
Soccer
The USIU- Africa soccer ladies’ team had two tournaments this weekend. They lost 0-4 on Saturday, March 4 to Daystar University who scored 4 goals. On Sunday, March 5, they scored 0-5 against Gresta University. The team will have matches on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12 at Thika Technical.
The USIU-Africa soccer men’s team, the Wolves will be having a match at Thika Technical on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12.
By Shyat Lemoshira and Tecla Musumba
Hockey
Team Mashujaa, the hockey men’s team, had six Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) matches over the weekend in Nairobi. On March 11, they defeated SPU 2-0 in their opening game. Kenya College of Accounting (KCA) was the opponent in the second game, which ended in a 2-2 draw. The event ended on Saturday with a 2-0 victory for team Mashujaa over Kenyatta University Parklands despite the two draws. The men's hockey team defeated Kenyatta University 4-1 in the first KUSA game on Sunday, March 12. They also defeated Daystar University 4-1 in their subsequent game. In the end, Team Mashujaa defeated Kenyatta University Parklands of 3-1. Team Mashujaa has qualified for the nationals by these spectacular victories. They also won all of their games in the Nairobi region, putting them unquestionably in first place.
Team Spartans, the hockey ladies’ team had a match against Kenyatta University on Sunday, March 12, where they defeated their opponents in a stunning 2-0 victory.
Basketball
On Saturday, March 11, the USIU-Africa ladies’ basketball team, the USIU-Africa Flames, played the ladies from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), and came out on top 44-39. The team’s KBF League encounter on Sunday, March 12, ended in similar fashion, with the Flames scoring a victory of 69-38 over Footprints. The USIU-Africa Flames finished their Sunday competition with a spectacular victory against Mount Kenya University in a KUSA match, which they won with a score of 72-18.
The USIU-Africa basketball men’s team, the USIU-Africa Tigers, had a KBF Division One league game on Saturday, March 11 in Nairobi. They won on a score of 73-50 against Shoot for Life. The Tigers had KUSA matches in which they defeated Gretsa 74-48, drubbed SPU 50-38 and had a close win over KU Ruiru 60-59. The team will be having their final KUSA group match against KU on Saturday, March 18 in MKU Thika at 10.30am before proceeding to the semi-finals if they win. All the best to the Tigers!
Soccer
Over the weekend, the USIU-Africa soccer men’s team, the Wolves, played three KUSA games. Bol Peter, who managed to score all four goals for the squad, and goalkeeper Ben Kitonga both put in standout performances on Saturday, March 11, as the team opened with a quick 4-2 victory over KCA. Bol Peter, who scored all three goals against M-Pesa Academy on Sunday, March 12, helped the wolves defeat their opponents by a score of 3-2 despite the close competition. Tula Mumbi also put in a solid effort (the new keeper making his second appearance). Nonetheless, the soccer guys lost against Daystar City 2-4 as the day went on. Bevex Kapansa and Shamakh Keith commonly known as Saliba scored the two goals for the wolves in the last match.
The ladies’ team on the other hand lost 0-6 to JKUAT on their fixture on Saturday, March 11.
Netball
On Saturday, March 11, the USIU-Africa Hurricanes, the netball team competed in two different events. Their opening contest against SPU ended in a dazzling 33-28 victory for them. Unfortunately, they were defeated by JKUAT 16-50 in their final game of the day.
Handball
Nine athletes from USIU-Africa participated in the Nairobi North KUSA event, which took place on March 11 and 12, when they faced off against Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University. The venue for the occasion was Thika Chapel. USIU-Africa fell against Kenyatta University 41-4 in the opening game. The second game also ended in a defeat, this time to Jomo Kenyatta University by a score of 46-4. These defeats were ascribed to a lack of poise, which resulted in a reduction in scoring opportunities. It was noted that the USIU-Africa squad scored more than three goals against senior teams for the first time ever throughout the competition.
Volleyball
The USIU-Africa volleyball men’s team, the Gladiators, had their last KUSA match in the previous weekend against JKUAT in which they lost 0-3 in the following sets with scores: 15-25, 11-25 and 17-25.
The Gladiator sisters, the USIU-Africa volleyball ladies’ team faced Mount Kenya University (MKU) in their last KUSA match. They defeated 3-2 in the following sets with results: 25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 18-25 and 15-13.
Swimming
The USIU-Africa swimming team, the Dolphins, will be participating in their KUSA swimming gala that will be held in the USIU-Africa swimming pool on Saturday, March 18, 2023. Moreover, the team will also compete in the Nairobi Aquatics Swimming Competitions in Makini School on Sunday, March 19, 2023.
By Shyat Lemoshira | Photos: Duncan Taabu
Swimming
The USIU-Africa swimming team, the Dolphins, were the overall winners of the 3rd Nairobi Kenya University Sports Association (NAKUSA) swimming gala that was held on Saturday, March 18 in the USIU-Africa swimming pool. The Dolphins were ranked 1st in the ladies’ category with 212pts and 3rd in the men’s category with 109pts. The swimming team also showed excellent performance in individual categories: Tamara Kimeu was the best female swimmer with 30 points and Ibrahim Omar was also the best male swimmer with 57 points. Other honorable mentions include Kelsey Karanja, Dolphins’ captain, was the second runners up with 28 points and Trizah Oyamo, Dolphins’ team manager, was ranked 5th with 24 points.
The swimming teams also competed in the Nairobi County Aquatics Association (NCAA) swimming competitions on Sunday, March 19, 2023 in Makini School. Ibrahim Omar obtained a silver medal in the men’s 50m breaststroke. Kelsey Karanja, Amanda Maviiri, Joshua Isige and Ibrahim Omar got silver in the mixed freestyle medley. In addition, Ibrahim Omar, Antony Oketch, Joshua Isige and James Macharia won silver in the men’s medley relay.
Basketball
The USIU-Africa basketball men’s team, the USIU-Africa Tigers, defeated Kenyatta University (KU) with a close win 84-74 in Mount Kenya University on Saturday, March 18, 2023 in their final KUSA match before the national playoffs for Nairobi division. Vitumbiko Mponela and Deng Kuol AKA Mareba provided spectacular performances with 30 points and 26 points respectively. The Tigers faced Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in the national playoffs later in the afternoon but lost 57-51 in favor of the latter. The basketball men’s team, just like the basketball ladies team and all hockey teams, have qualified for the KUSA Nationals that will commence on Friday, March 31, 2023 to Sunday March 2, 2023 at the University of Eldoret.
The ladies’ basketball team, the USIU-Africa Flames, had two Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) division one league matches in which they both drubbed Team Swish and Footprints 61-17 and 59-37 respectively in their favor. Both the basketball men and basketball ladies may have league games on Saturday, March 25, 2023 in the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa rugby men’s team, the USIU-Africa Martials may have a match against KCB Sports club in Ruaraka on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 3pm.
Woodball
The USIU-Africa woodball team will be having the Kenya Woodball Federation league championships on Saturday, March 25, 2023 and Sunday, March 26, 2023 in KU.
Athletics
The USIU-Africa athletics team will be participating in an athletics competition on Saturday, March 25, 2023 in KU.
Soccer
The Sports Department will this weekend - Saturday, March 25 and Sunday, March 26 - conduct a soccer clinic in abid to recruit qualified high school finalist to join USIU-Africa on a sports scholarship. The event running from 9.00am to 5.00pm will see aspiring soccer players showcase their soccer skills under directions of our expert coaches.
By Tecla Ursula, Shyat Lemoshira & John Sande
Athletics
The USIU-Africa track team competed in a Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) match on Saturday March 25 at Kenyatta University throughout the course of the weekend. Alexia Mbagaya and Prisca Buganda, who represented USIU-Africa, competed in the 100-meter event against Mount Kenya University and Kenyatta University, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. In the 200 meters, the track team was able to rally when Alexia Mbagaya of the USIU-Africa squad finished third against athletes from Mount Kenya University and Kenyatta University. When Michael Aleu competed in the 400-meter race and the long jump field event, he helped the USIU-Africa track team soar to victories. He scored the second place and the top spot in the long jump in a matchup against Mount Kenya University and Kenyatta University. However, because of the injuries that Welldone Bett and Michael Aleu suffered, the track team was unable to place in the 800 and 5000 meters.
Woodball
On Saturday, March 25, the woodball team competed in a Kenya Woodball Federation championship match at Kenyatta University against Mount Kenya University, Kenyatta University, Taifa, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), and Technical University of Mombasa. The USIU-Africa men’s woodball team, the Lords composed of Nicodemus Kilunda, Kasozi Joshua, and Mark Agaba, was able to finish in sixth place, while the women's team, composed of Joseline Masoy and Rita Mbabazi, finished in fifth place.
HockeyTeam Spartans, the hockey ladies’ team, participated in two friendly competitions in Nairobi on Sunday, March 26. The Spartans defeated the University of Nairobi 1-0 to win the first game of their friendly series. Moreover, the Spartans finished their friendly game versus the Wolverines with a thrilling 2-0 victory.
Team Spartans and Team Mashujaa, the hockey men’s team have qualified for the KUSA Nationals that will commence on Friday March 31, 2023 to Sunday March 2, 2023 at the University of Eldoret.
Karate
The USIU-Africa Karate team will be having the graduation ceremony in the Martials Arts Room in the Student Center on Friday March 31 from 1pm-2pm.
Basketball
The USIU-Africa basketball men’s team, the Tigers and the ladies’ basketball team, the Flames, have qualified for the KUSA Nationals that will commence on Friday March 31, 2023 to Sunday March 2, 2023 at the University of Eldoret. All the best to them as they travel to Eldoret!
By Diana Meso & Hilda Indasi
On Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20, our sports teams recorded mixed results in the various matches they took part in.
Our swimming team bagged 2 silver and 1 bronze medal in the Kenya Swimming Federation Gala that took place at the Makini School.
The men’s basketball team beat Daystar University and Gretsa University, 53-35 and 77-50 respectively, while their female counterparts beat Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology 40-13. Both teams have qualified for the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) League nationals that will be held in Taita Taveta County.
Both the ladies and men’s hockey teams will also be joining the basketball teams to compete at KUSA league nationals. This is after the ladies’ team beat Mt. Kenya University 2-1 while the men’s team beat Daystar University 5-0 and drew with Kenyatta University 1-1. In the ongoing Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) League, the ladies team drew with Blazers 1-1 as the men’s team had a goalless match against Wazalendo.
In soccer our team narrowly lost 2-3 to KCA University, whereas in Netball, our team lost 12-46 to Mt. Kenya University and 15-37 to Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology in their final matches in the KUSA leagues.
By Diana Meso & Hilda Indasi
As the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) University League continues, the men’s basketball team was hosted by Mt. Kenya University, where they emerged victorious in the two games played on Saturday, March 5 and Sunday, March 6. The team thrashed Mt. Kenya University 70-48 and beat Kenyatta University 51-45.
In hockey, the ladies’ and men’s hockey teams doubled their victory against Daystar University and St. Paul’s University by beating both teams 3-0 at Gen. Kago Primary School-Ruiru on Saturday, March 5. On Sunday, March 6, the men’s team tied 1-1 with Sailors in their first match in the Kenya Hockey Union Premier League that just commenced.
In other KUSA games, the soccer and the netball teams lost 1-3 and 16-20 to St. Paul’s University and Daystar University respectively at Mt. Kenya University sports grounds. Additionally, the ladies’ handball team lost 5-7 to their host Mt. Kenya University in a friendly match.
In rugby, the men’s team lost 19-26 to University of Eldoret at USIU-Africa grounds on Saturday, March 5. This was after they lost 17-20 to their host, Catholic University of Eastern Africa on Saturday, February 26 in the ongoing Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) league.
By Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
The USIU-Africa basketball men’s team, the USIU-Africa Tigers, faced ABSA in the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) playoffs in Nyayo Stadium. They beat ABSA 70-58 in Game 1 on Saturday, May 13 and were able to conquer them with a 71-51 win in Game 2 on Sunday, May 14.
The Flames, the USIU-Africa ladies’ basketball team, played against Strathmore Swords in the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) playoffs in Nyayo Stadium. They defeated them 61-45 in Game 1 and 47-39 in Game 2.
Hockey
It was a sad weekend for the hockey men, Team Mashujaa as they lost back to back games against Western Jaguars (0-2) and Waza (0-2) on Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14 respectively in City Park Stadium, Parklands. We wish Team Mashujaa the best as they face Sharks on Wednesday, May 17 at 5.30pm in City Park Stadium.
The USIU-Africa hockey ladies team, Team Spartans drew against Sailors 1-1 on Sunday, May 14 in City Park Stadium.
Rugby
The rugby men’s team, the USIU-Africa Martials will be traveling to Uganda for a tournament.
By John Sande, Lynn Mwangi & Shyat Lemoshira
Basketball
USIU-Africa Tigers, the basketball men’s team encounter with the ABSA Group team was an intense match, which necessitated the inclusion of extra time. The playoff match happened on Saturday, May 20 at 6.00pm at Nyayo Stadium, Basketball Gymnasium. The Tigers regrouped and sank a flurry of three-pointers to win the game 93-86.
The basketball ladies’ team, the USIU-Africa Flames also registered a win during their match against Strathmore University Swords, who they beat 55-39, securing themselves a slot in the finals.
The Tigers will face Strathmore Snipers in the KBNL playoff finals on Friday, May 26 at 6.00pm, Saturday, May 27 at 4.00pm and Sunday, May 28 at 4.00pm. The Flames will play against Zetech Development on Saturday, May 27 at 2.00pm and Sunday, May 28 at 12.00pm.
Swimming
On Saturday, May 20, Antony Oketch of the USIU-Africa swimming team, the Dolphins, competed in the Kenya National Swimming Time Trials in Kasarani. He swam well but did not receive a medal. 18 Dolphins will compete in the forthcoming swimming gala, which will take place from Friday, May 26 to Sunday, May 28 at Makini School, and we wish them the best of luck.
Hockey
On Wednesday, May 17, the USIU-Africa hockey men’s team, Team Mashujaa, stunned the Sharks with a 2-1 victory matched played at City Park Stadium. They will face reigning champions Butali in a challenging Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League encounter on Saturday, May 27 at 6.00p.m. at City Park Stadium in Parklands. The ladies’ hockey team, Team Spartans, will play two KHU Premier League games against the Lakers on Saturday, May 27 at 4.00pm and the Blazers on Sunday, May 28 at 4.00pm, both at City Park Stadium in Parklands.
Soccer
The USIU-Africa Wolves, the USIU-Africa soccer men’s team, carried out community service in Runda where they engaged in tree planting and mentored the children on Saturday, May 20. To commemorate the visit, the team played a friendly match against the community team which ended 2-2. They had another friendly match against Daystar University at the USIU-Africa soccer pitch on the same day which ended 6-5 in favour of the Wolves.
Scrabble
Scrabble Kenya organized their free entry youth tournament (3rd edition) for people under the age of 30 on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 at the Stima Club in Ruaraka. This was the first young event for a few USIU-Africa scrabble team members, and it gave them valuable learning opportunities as they faced motivated and good players from various institutions or regions. Participants consisted of the following: Itimu Kaburu, Grace Isabella Mungai and Shyat Moi Lemoshira. Lemoshira was ranked 26th out of the 34 participants with 6 wins, 12 loses and a spread of -135 after completing all 18 rounds.
Chess
The USIU-Africa chess team will be participating in the Chess Kenya Super League which commences in the upcoming weekend. They will face Lighthouse Queens and Mavens Warriors on Saturday, May 27 at 9.00am and 2.00pm respectively. Further, the team will play against University of Nairobi (UON) and Nairobi Chess Club C on Sunday, May 28 at 9.00am and 2.00pm respectively.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa rugby men’s team, the Martials, played a friendly game against Impris Rugby Club, the home team at Makerere University in Uganda on Saturday, May 20 at 4.00pm. The game finished with a 17-14 victory for the Martials. This was accomplished with a penalty kick by Faustine Waswa, a try by Fred Okoth that was converted by Faustine Waswa, and another try by Philip Baya that was converted by Ronald Kipchumba.
By Emelda Wanza
Rugby
On Saturday, October 28, 2023, the USIU-Africa rugby team, also known as the Martials, participated in the highly anticipated varsities tournament at Impala grounds against the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The atmosphere was charged with excitement and anticipation as both teams were determined to give their best performance.
The game was incredibly tense, with players from both sides displaying remarkable skill and determination. The Martials fought hard, showing excellent teamwork and executing strategies to gain an advantage. However, despite their best efforts, they lost to a victorious JKUAT team 30-20.
Accepting defeat is never easy, but the Martials handled it with grace and maturity. They maintained sportsmanship throughout the game and after the final whistle blew, they shook hands with their opponents and congratulated them on their well-deserved win. The team showed great resilience and professionalism, refusing to let the loss define them. They were crowned the runners-up and received their medals.
By Lynn Mwangi and Emelda Wanza
Rugby
The much anticipated Wazee (Alumni Martial players) vs. Vijana (Martials) rugby game happened over the weekend, on Saturday, November 11 at the rugby grounds, the home of the Martials!
Despite putting up a spirited fight, employing the best tact, skill, technique and gameplay against the determined elders, the youngsters were humbled and unable to secure victory, ultimately losing to Wazee with a final score of 59-27.
The friendly game themed 'wazee karibuni nyumbani' was purposed to welcome back home the seniors who had started their rugby game at USIU-Africa. In 'keeping the culture', the game showcased the skill and experience of the alumni team, while also providing a valuable learning opportunity for the USIU-Africa Martials in their development as rugby players.
Swimming
On Saturday November 11, USIU-Africa hosted the Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) tournament games incorporating swimming and martial arts.
The USIU-Africa swimming team, the Dolphins showcased their exceptional talent and determination, emerging overall institutional winners with a remarkable 479 points. Following at a sequential distance were Kenyatta University, Mount Kenya University (MKU), Daystar University and Gretsa University.
The team's success was shared across both the ladies and men's teams, with the ladies earning 256 points and the men securing 223 points, with both topping their respective categories.
Axela Echessah and Jomo Muigai, both from the Dolphins team claimed the top female and male swimmers position securing 56 points, and 68 points respectively. Victoria Okumu and Ibrahim Omar, both from Dolphins came second with 40 and 53 points respectively.
Despite the inclement weather, the team's outstanding performance was a testament to their skill, commitment, prowess and command of the water element.
Tennis
The USIU-Africa tennis team recently participated in a thrilling tournament hosted by Kenyatta University, showcasing commendable performances across various categories. The team, consisting of Melissa Wambugu, Whitney Akinyi, Esther Gichini, Steve Issac, Willy Tallam, Ian Kimuli, and Andrew Kiiru, not only showcased their tennis prowess but also enjoyed a memorable time throughout the tournament. Their spirited performances and positive attitude reflected the team's commitment to the sport, fostering camaraderie and sportsmanship.
In the women's singles event, Whitney Akinyi exhibited exceptional skills as she advanced to the first round, while Melissa Wambugu displayed remarkable prowess, reaching the quarter-finals. The men's singles category witnessed impressive victories as both Ian Kimuli and Willy Tallam confidently progressed through the initial round.
In the women's doubles, the USIU-Africa duo, Melissa and Whitney demonstrated resilience, securing a spot in the semi-finals before facing a formidable challenge from Kenyatta University, ultimately exiting the competition. Similarly, the men's doubles team, Willy and Andrew showcased their prowess by advancing to the semi-finals, where they faced tough competition from Mount Kenya University (MKU) and, despite their best efforts, were eliminated from the tournament.
Beach Volleyball
In the men's category, the USIU-Africa team demonstrated skill and prowess, securing victory in both sets against the formidable Mama Ngina University College team. The final scores of 21-14 and 21-16 showcase USIU-Africa's dominance on the beach volleyball court.
The ladies' division witnessed an exceptional performance from the USIU-Africa team, as they outclassed Mama Ngina University College in both sets with identical scores of 21-4. The team displayed remarkable teamwork and individual skills, securing a decisive victory on the beach volleyball court.
By Antony Oketch
Volleyball
The USIU-Africa ladies' team went head-to-head with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). Although victory slipped away this time, the team deserves commendation for their spirited performance even in the face of a challenging match. The results were as follows:
The men's volleyball team had a match against Mount Kenya University (MKU). Despite their best efforts, the team faced a tough team and lost all four sets to MKU. The match was a display of resilience, with the team fighting hard in each set. The results were as follows:
Netball
In a spirited netball match this weekend, the Hurricanes faced Kenyatta University in a display of skill and determination. Despite the final score line of 12-50 in favor of Kenyatta University, the Hurricanes showcased commendable effort and sportsmanship throughout the game. Kudos to the team for giving it their all on the netball court.
By Lynn Mwangi
On November 5, USIU-Africa hosted the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) league volleyball matches where the women's volleyball team took on their formidable opponents from Kenyatta University (KU). The atmosphere was exciting and spectators were treated to a thrilling display of volleyball prowess.
The results for the ladies' match were as follows:
The match proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions, with both teams demonstrating incredible skill and determination. Kenyatta University ultimately clinched the victory with a final score of 3-2, but the women's team displayed outstanding sportsmanship and fought valiantly in every set.
In the men's category, the team faced off against the formidable Mama Ngina University College team, setting the stage for an intense and thrilling match. The athleticism and competitive spirit on display were truly remarkable. The results for the men's game were as follows:
Mama Ngina University College emerged as the victors with a final score of 3-1, showcasing their exceptional performance throughout the match. The men's team exhibited tremendous skills and sportsmanship, and despite their efforts, they faced a formidable opponent.
By Lynn Mumbi
Soccer
The USIU-Africa Wolves bounced back from their first defeat to emerge 2-1 winners over Mama Ngina College. The two goals were scored by our very own super captain, Bevex Kapansa. The ladies’ team narrowly lost to Daystar University with the final score at 2-0.
Hockey
The ladies’ team Spartans played a game against Daystar university on Saturday morning. The ladies fought until the last minute where Natasha Nyokabi scored the last-minute winning goal. The men’s team, Mashujaa also had a match against JKUAT where they scored 2-1. The goals were scored by Happy Psirmoi and Wayne.
Volleyball
The men’s and women’s volleyball teams had games last weekend where they also did an amazing job. The ladies team played against Daystar University and these were the scores; 1-3; 17-25; 25-21; 18-25; 20-25.
The men’s team played against Kenya College of Accountancy and these were the results; 0-3; 15-25; 20-25; 23-25.
By Lynn Mwangi and John Sande
Swimming
Our Swimming Team, the Dolphins were at Peponi Secondary School over the long weekend for the Nairobi County Aquatics Association (NCAA) Level 3 Swimming Championship that commenced on Friday, October 20 and ended on Sunday, October 22. Despite being unwell, Omar Ibrahim put in a spirited fight in the 100 meters Breaststroke but was not able to maintain his seed time of 1:12.17, finishing the race at 1:13.16. He however finished fourth position by sheding off a couple of seconds in the 50 meters Breaststroke clocking in 32.21 seconds against a seed time of 32.47 seconds. In the men’s Masters category, John Sande secured 3 gold medals having swam in the 25 meters Breast, Butterfly and Freestyle strokes respectively. Alexander Sio, added two more gold medals in the 50 meters Freestyle and Breaststrokes, and Gibson Ndaiga Waweru bagged a gold medal in the 25 meters Freestyle. Overall, USIU-Africa Dolphins (Men's) Swim Club emerged 7th position out of 17 other institutions.
Hockey
The hockey teams, both men and women traveled to Mombasa for the Mombasa Hockey Festival held at the Mombasa Sports club. The men were able to fight until the semifinals but they lost to Police Hockey Club 2-1.
The ladies’ team faced the University of Nairobi (UoN) in the finals where they drew. They then went for shootouts where they were unfortunate since UoN managed to score their last shootout giving them the win. One of our own, Lynn Mwangi was named the top scorer of the tournament.
Soccer
On Saturday, October 21, the USIU-Africa Wolves took on Daystar University at Mount Kenya University grounds where they emerged 2-1 winners thanks to a brace from Captain Bevex Kapansa.
On Sunday, October 22, they came back from behind to salvage a 3-3 draw against Gretsa thanks to a brace from Captain Bevex Kapansa and a goal from Bol Peter. They will face the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in their next match.
Netball
The Netball ladies’ team, the Hurricanes participated in the Mashujaa day tournament, which was an open tournament consisting of 14 teams and they won third place overall. Congratulations to the team.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Martials clawed Zetech University Rugby team at the semi final game of the Floodies, played at the Impala grounds. Congratulations to the team.
By Lynn Mwangi
Hockey
Earlier in the month the USIU-Africa hockey ladies, Spartans faced off against Kenyatta University in a match played at the City Park Hockey Stadium. The Spartans were able to win the game with three goals from our very own Rayana Oyando, Rhoda Kuira and Harriet Omindi. The mens team, Mashujaa team also had a big match against last seasons Premier league champions; Butali Warriors Hockey club. It was a very unfortunate show as our team lost to Butali Club with 6 goals. Our very own Danstone Wabwire scored a consoling goal for the Mashujaa.
Last weekend, the Spartans had a match against Blazers Hockey Club, also played at the City Park Hockey Stadium. It was a tough game with the team trailing 3-0 within the first two quarters. Harriet Omindi converted a penalty stroke into a goal giving Spartans one goal. In the final quarter, Lynn Mwangi secured another goal giving the team the psych to push harder, but lost to the Blazers, 3-2. At the same venue, the hockey men's team lost the match against Greensharks Hockey Club.
Chess
The USIU-Africa Chess Club had a game last weekend with the following individual results recorded: Naim Salim 4.5 points, Clifford Ombiro 4 points, Keith Kioko 4 points, Boston Palanga 3 points, Baden Fred 3 points, Mercy Namusia 3 points, Shali Mahamoud 2 points, Tandy Milare 1 point, and Abigail Mukii 0 points.
Soccer
The men's soccer team, the USIU-Africa Wolves beat South City FC 5-1 in a match played last weekend. The goals were scored by Noel Otieno, Ray Mutai, Bill Kamau, Samuel Tobi and James Macharia. The ladies' soccer team, the USIU-Africa Falcons also had a match last weekend against South City FC at the USIU-Africa grounds and held their own, ending the match in a 1-1 draw courtesy of a goal by Caroline Mutuiri.
By Lynn Mumbi
Netball
As University games begin, our ladies’ netball team, the Hurricanes had a match over the weekend against Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology;(KWUST). The team lost to KWUST with 44- 9 goals. It was such a painful start for the Hurricanes. The goals were scored by Stacey Deogratias, Victoria Sokale, and Angela Kaole.Photo: Esther Waikwa.
Hockey
The USIU-Africa ladies’ hockey team, the USIU-Africa Spartans, had two games over the weekend. On Saturday at 2 p.m., they played against Amira Sailors Hockey Club at City Park Hockey Stadium. Our ladies narrowly lost to the opposing team with 2 goals to nil. It was the second game they have lost since the semester began. On Sunday, the Spartans faced off against St. Paul University Hockey team in the Kenya University games, beating them 7-1. Their goals were scored by, Natasha Wambui, Jasmine Mutakha, Faith Kimatwek, and Lynn Mwangi. It was a good start for our ladies.
The men’s hockey team, Team Mashujaa also had two games over the weekend. On Saturday, they played against Nairobi Simba Hockey Club (SIKH Union) at City Park Hockey Stadium, losing narrowly with 1 goal. The team started strong, fighting hard to beat their opponents. After a crazy fight, in the last two minutes, the opponents snuck into their circle and scored the winning goal which gave them the lead, ending the game 3-2. Lawrence Makhatsa and Robinson Omutekete scored Team Mashujaa’s goals.
Swimming
The USIU-Africa Dolphins participated in the Level 1 Swimming Age Group Championship, which took place on September 23-24,2023 at Consolata School. The competition yielded the following commendable results:
Individual events
Relay events
Taekwondo
The Taekwondo team took part in an open tournament competition that took place at Nakuru. Both the men’s and ladies’ team came seventh with a total of eight medals. The team looks forward to winning upcoming tournaments.
By Prof. Kennedy Mkutu
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in partnership with USIU-Africa held a workshop to engage, exchange ideas and network with colleagues in Kenya working on peace building and development on Monday, January 7, 2019. Two of SSRC’s Africa-related programs, the African Peace building Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen), also held workshops and was attended by recipients of their grant and fellowship awards from across Africa.
The Next Gen workshop provided a forum for thirty fellows who are at various stages of doctoral degrees—developing their research design, undertaking research, or writing their doctoral theses—to think more deeply about their dissertation research, develop connections, share experiences and insights with colleagues, and draw upon the vast experience of distinguished facilitators and mentors to advance their doctoral research and progress towards completing their dissertations.
The APN workshop focused on the writing and dissemination of research findings by 2018 grant recipients after six months of APN-supported field-based research projects. It combined lectures, working group sessions, and one-on-one dialogues with mentors, all of whom are well-published experts in the field of peace building. The fifteen APN grantees will be able to engage with each other’s research, network, receive constructive feedback on their draft manuscripts based on their APN-supported research, share their research findings, and learn strategies on disseminating the results of their research projects.
By Diana Meso (courtesy of Clarity4D)
Staff and faculty drawn from various schools and departments attended the Clarity4D training held from Monday, August 7, to Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at the School of Humanities and Social Science rooftop. This is a Clarity4D accreditation training where after completion, participants become certified Clarity4D facilitators.
The training through providing personality profiles to participants, enabled them identify and understand their personalities as well as identify and understand other different personality types and their respective communication preferences. Additionally, participants were trained on how to flex their communication style in line with their audience so as to reduce confusion, create clarity and aid in efficiency.
Facilitated by Belinda Robinson, Director-International Business at Clarity4D and Apollo Murigi, Clarity4D Facilitator, the training grouped different personalities into 4 main colors that emanate different energies:
Ms. Robinson pointed out that individuals have a mixture of the four colors/energies, however everyone has a preference for using some of the energies over others. Additionally, she said that through the 4 dimensions of Clarity4D- Discover, Discuss, Diversify and Develop, individuals are able to identify their preferences and how they can adapt and use the energies to meet the needs of different people and situations in their personal and professional lives.
Ms. Lucy Kung’u, Principal Counselor, encouraged participants to put into practice what they have learnt so that they can foster great relationships, a learning culture, and better outcomes at USIU-Africa. Participants also recommended that the training should be scaled up to the university management and down to staff, faculty and students to enhance effective communication which will result to growth.
The training was spearheaded by the Counseling Department in partnership with Human Resource Department.
By John Sande
Ever wondered where and how your left-over food item is disposed? Do you know how that tissue napkin, serviette, snack wrappings, yoghurt cup, soft drink or water bottle - casually discarded into the litter bins around campus is handled? How about that crumpled or shredded paper and other rejected office stationery, where does it end up? Did you know our School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the clinic processes and churns out tons of toxic used-up chemicals, and biological waste that if left unattended would be lethal and hazardous to our conducive and serene learning environment? How is all that waste managed and disposed?
Welcome to the Incinerator – our little powerhouse that is championing excellence in teaching and learning through proper disposal of waste and the maintenance of a healthy environment for all.
Meet Peter Muthui Mutua
Donned in his usual faded purple overcoat, you might have seen him driving the university tractor from one point to another, hauling a trailer loaded with waste bags. You will also find him in the far-flung corners of the university moving debris from the field near gate ‘D’, towing the mobile generator to the rugby pitch to supply power for a sports event in the field, mowing the grass, or at his workstation located in the building at the edge of Parking ‘C’, next to the Freida Brown Student Center. Meet Peter ‘Gathuri’ Muthui Mutua, a machine operator in-charge of the Incinerator Facility.
Fondly known as ‘Gathuri’ by his peers, Peter Muthui Mutua is a man on a mission: to ensure a conducive learning and habitable environment for all. I visited him at his workstation to appreciate his contribution to the USIU-Africa community setup.
A Typical Day in the Office
As the sun rises over the city, Mutua wakes up early to start his day as an incinerator operator. Upon arrival at his office, Mutua inspects the machinery and equipment at the incinerator facility. As a Machine Operator, Mutua is trained to efficiently operate incinerator machines, understanding the complex mechanisms and controls involved in the combustion process. With this knowledge, he ensures all the systems are functioning correctly and that the facility is operating safely. This includes checking the water, temperature and pressure levels, as well as the fuel supply and ash disposal system. Once he is satisfied that everything is in good working order, Mutua starts the incinerator.
“I ensure the gauges are working well. I inject the fuel into, and activate the primary burner. This acts like a matchstick to fire up the secondary and main burner which I then regulate using the heat knob. The primary burner can then be switched off,” explains Mutua as he shows off the various instruments on the control panel.
While the incinerator is heating up, Mutua inspects and sorts out the waste delivered from all collection points across campus based on type – food, plastics, metal tins, spray cans, papers/stationery, chemicals etc. He then loads the contents into the incinerator ensuring a balanced mix of all types of waste materials to maximize on efficiency where it is burnt at ultrahigh temperatures, and later unloading the resulting ash after the incineration process.
“The inspection and sorting ensure we know the contents and adjust the burner accordingly. Blue polythene bags are used by the cleaning company for collection of leaves swept across the campus, and dumped in an isolated field for collection later. The red bags contain well labeled bio-hazardous waste from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the Clinic, which go into the burner immediately. The black bags, used across the campus in most bins collect all manner of waste,” explains Mutua as he points at the assorted pile of waste colored polythene bags.
Throughout the day, Mutua constantly monitors the incinerator's performance, checking temperatures, fuel levels, and other vital parameters and adjusting the controls and systems as necessary, while reloading more garbage to ensure efficient, optimal performance and safe operation. He also performs routine maintenance and repairs on the equipment to keep it running smoothly, including ensuring the firing nozzles in the primary burners are free off blockage.
“The incinerator has a capacity of 50 kilograms only, and this was adequate up to when the university reached the Library and Information Center. We now have the Student Center, Science Building and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. I am forced to reload the waste every couple of hours due to its low furnace capacity. However, for growth purposes, we should consider an incinerator capable of accommodating 100 kilograms or more, plus the heat generated from the burning waste can be used to produce steam, which can generate electricity hence self-power the incinerator,” he added enthusiastically.
One of the most challenging aspects of Mutua's job is dealing with bio-hazardous waste. He however adheres strictly to government safety protocols and occupation workplace guidelines to maintain a safe working environment, and wears protective gear to prevent exposure to harmful chemicals or materials, accidents or mishaps during the operation. However, this does not guarantee total safety.
"I have adequate gear for protection including masks and heat-resistant apron. However, I have been affected before after inhaling fumes emitted from burning chemicals, and at another point, a pressurized can exploded missing me by inches – and in both instances I had opened the furnace to reload the waste,” he quipped. “Overall, it is a safe operating area as you can see,” he adds showing me around the furnace.
“It is my duty to ensure compliance with National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) regulations and guidelines related to emissions and waste disposal, minimizing the impact of incineration on the environment,” he proudly confessed.
As the day ends, Mutua shuts down the incinerator and performs a final check to ensure that everything is in order ready for yet another day, when the day breaks. He fills out reports and records of the day's activities, noting any issues or concerns.
What it takes to be a Machine Operator
Despite the physically demanding and sometimes hazardous nature of his job, Mutua takes pride in his work as a Machine Operator. With over 12 years work experience and a certificate of recognition for best employee (2013), Mutua knows that the proper disposal of waste is essential for public health and safety, and he takes his responsibility seriously, and with utmost dedication.
“Technical proficiency is key in understanding the mechanical aspects of incinerator machines for efficient operation. I am glad to have received critical and comprehensive training from the manufacturers of this incinerator,” he said pointing out the manufacturers name branded on the machine.
“Given the dynamic nature of waste processing, the ability to adapt to changing situations and conditions is crucial. Precision and attention to detail are critical to monitor the incineration process accurately and be able to react accordingly should this need arise, while maintaining safety standards,” he added strongly. “Quick thinking and effective problem-solving skills are therefore vital to address any impromptu issues that may arise during the incineration process,” he emphasized.
“Ultimately, I cannot do this alone. Collaborating effectively with my colleagues and other team members across the university ensures smooth operations of the incinerator, efficient waste management and disposal, and maintenance of a clean, healthy environment for all,” he said with finality.
So, next time you discard that piece of paper or bottle, or pour out that chemical or food remains, take a moment to appreciate Mutua – and many more like him in the Maintenance Department – for the work they do, and the contribution they make to ensure a pristine learning environment for all. Mutua is quite aware that his job as an incinerator operator is not glamorous, but it is necessary, and he is proud to be a part of it. Give him a shout out next time you bump into him!
By Jemima Oloo and CTW Team
Tony Mutugi is one of the Admissions Office’s newest, but familiar faces. Born into a humble family, Tony faced numerous challenges when it came to finding employment after graduating with a degree in Criminology from Laikipia University in 2018. Determined to make ends meet, he decided to try his luck in the retail sector and landed a job at Maguna Superstores. For one and a half years, Tony served as a Loss Control Officer at the supermarket’s Utawala branch, ensuring the safety and security of the store's assets.
In pursuit of further growth, Tony later joined Ismax, a reputable security firm. Assigned to the Nation Center, he worked in the role of a CCTV controller. His attention to detail and ability to effectively communicate made him an invaluable asset in monitoring the center's security operations. After a year, Tony was transferred to USIU-Africa, where he was stationed at the Administration Block. Interacting with aspiring students every day, he witnessed firsthand their dreams and aspirations. Little did he know that this experience would sow the seeds of his own personal growth.
A keen observation of the end to end admissions process ignited an interest in contributing more directly to the academic journey of the students he encountered. This prompted him to apply for the position of Admissions Officer.
“I realized that my skills in observation, communication, and maintaining a professional demeanor were assets that could be applied beyond the realm of security, and so I applied for the role of Admissions Officer, “he said.
“My experience as a security guard has given me a unique advantage because I was already familiar with many of the staff and had developed a solid foundation of trust and respect. The transition felt natural, and I was able to quickly integrate with the wider Admissions team,” he adds.
“The main challenge for me was how to navigate the CX Admissions software, but with the support of my colleagues, I was able to get accustomed to it after two weeks. I am grateful to my colleagues for their training and guidance, which has made working at the office smooth,” he notes.
Reflecting on his transformation, Tony emphasizes the importance of faith and perseverance. He believes that regardless of the obstacles faced or the length of the process, if one remains steadfast and humble, doors will eventually open. He attributes his success to the grace of God and encourages others to trust in divine timing.
By Beryl Kamusinga
Getting favorable employment in Kenya can be a headache, especially in the field you want. According to an online poll, only 33% of disabled people are employed. This can be attributed to the fact that many employers have a bias against people with disabilities. This could be because of systemic beliefs that people with disabilities aren't effective workers or the employers don’t have and are unwilling to create an environment suitable for people with disabilities.
Fortunately, institutions like USIU-Africa do not have such misgivings, and employment is solely based on merit. USIU-Africa has for years had a reputation of being inclusive, to both students and staff. One of the benefits of working at USIU-Africa is its toxic-free working environment, and understanding and patient supervisors.
This is according to one of USIU-Africa employees Winnie Wambura, an employee of the institution who has a physical disability as a result of an accident when she was two years that crushed the bones in her leg.
“When I had the accident, I was rushed to Ombo Hospital, where the doctors recommended the amputation of my leg. However, I was taken to Mater Hospital, where a metal plate was inserted in my leg, which allowed me to walk, and rejoin the bones together. She had her last operation in 1999 to remove the metal plate since the bones had connected “she said.
Winnie studied Information Science at Kenya Methodist University and has been working for the institution in the Library department for the past four years. She had previously worked as an intern for six months before being formally employed.
Winnie asserted that USIU-Africa had been her dream institution to work at ever since her brothers enrolled as students. She constantly applied from her first year to get an internship for her first year of university before finally succeeding.
She applauded the institution for giving her a job based solely on her passion rather than her disability. She added that learning continued for her at USIU-Africa as she is able to practically apply what she learned at University.
She credits USIU-Africa for being a good employer, particularly for being diverse. “It is a very conducive environment to work in”, she says, further noting that she enjoys working at the institution because there is no micromanagement.
“Disability doesn’t define or reflect a person's capabilities. It’s time society stopped thinking of disability in terms of what someone can’t offer. We should start looking at disabled people in terms of what they can offer despite their challenges,” she notes.
Winnie plans to further her studies abroad by going to study for her Masters in Information Science, currently not offered at USIU-Africa.
By John Sande
“Thank you for calling USIU-Africa. Catherine speaking, how can I kindly assist you?” “This is USIU-Africa, my name is Jackie. How can I be of assistance?”
These are the voices one interacts with when they call the USIU-Africa Main Line. Catherine Nyambok and Jackline Mabia, the duo behind USIU-Africa’s Customer Care Office, - located at the Administration Building, adjacent to the Admissions Office, - are the first point of contact for inquiries, assistance, walk-in visitors and general support. I sat with Catherine and Jackline, who shared a glimpse of their day to day experiences at the workplace.
A Typical Day in the Office
As the day breaks, the duo is ready to hit the ground running. Mornings are typically a flurry of activity, with students, faculty, and staff eager to kickstart their day. The phones light up with calls ranging from event inquiries, admissions questions, to faculty office contacts, and they have to ensure accurate and up-to-date responses to these. For the two, their key task is to handle these calls promptly and (re)direct them to the appropriate departments or individuals.
Throughout the day, the duo manages a multitude of information and act as a bridge, connecting people across the institution. They handle requests for interdepartmental communications, providing important messages and ensuring seamless connectivity within the university community. This role is crucial in maintaining a smooth flow of information and operations within the institution. However, this does not always go as hoped.
“We are sometimes caught flat-footed when clients walk in or call, inquiring about an event happening on campus, yet we are not aware. It is even more humiliating and embarrassing when a total stranger, - an external client is the one updating us of the happenings on campus,” they note.
Being part of the Admissions Office, Catherine and Jackline also engage in Admissions recruitment and outreach programs where they visit schools to share information about the university, process and requirements of applying and joining the university as well as the various degree programs offered and their career options. They also receive applications via email and walk-in clients, confirm applications documents and advice prospective applicants on the best career option based on high school performance.
As the day winds down, they use this time to prepare for the next day, ensuring that equipment is in order, messages are relayed to the appropriate departments, and everything is set for another day of being USIU-Africa’s communication lifeline. As they sign off, they forward all calls to the Hostel Department who handle evening and overnight calls.
What it takes to be a Customer Care/Service Executive
Becoming a customer care executive requires a combination of skills, qualities, and training to excel in this role. Here's what Catherine and Jackline share as to what it takes to be a successful in their role:
• Communication Skills: Effective verbal and written communication skills are vital as one must be able to articulate information clearly, listen actively, and respond appropriately.
“With the university becoming more inclusive, it is paramount that we incorporate sign language to be able to communicate with persons with disability. I am glad that we are scheduled to be trained in the same, and this will enhance our ability to communicate with our prospective clients”, said Catherine.
• Empathy, Patience Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Resolution:
“We sometimes encounter and deal with frustrated or upset customers who come out explosive, irritated and combative. We have learnt that patience is key to remaining calm and professional while working through issues, and with such clients. Empathizing with customers and understanding their concerns is essential as this can diffuse tense situations and build trust. Should tactical and diplomatic conflict resolution mechanism fail and the situation goes overboard, we escalate that same to our supervisor,” Jackline said.
• Problem-Solving Skills:
“We encounter a variety of customer issues, and the ability to analyze these problems and find solutions is crucial to making a happy client. Part of this solving Being resourceful and creative in resolving customer concerns is valuable.
• Product/Service Knowledge: As the first contact point to the university, a thorough understanding and knowledge of the university and its services is critical in making a lasting first impression on callers and visitors.
• Time Management and Multitasking: Efficiently managing time to handle multiple customer inquiries or tasks is essential. This sometimes involves managing multiple tasks simultaneously, such as answering phone calls, responding to emails, and resolving customer issues.
• Continuous Learning: With the advent of AI, and smart PABXs, the customer service landscape is constantly evolving. However, being open to learning and adapting to new techniques and technologies is crucial to enhancing the service to our clients.
By Diana Meso
In a bid to upscale the university’s research output as per the USIU-Africa 2022-2026 strategic plan, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension (SGSRE), has contracted the services of Research Beeline to streamline, improve and intensify the search for grant seeking opportunities aligned to our research needs as a university.
Speaking during an online training on how the platform works held on Wednesday, October 27, Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dean SGSRE said that through the Research Beeline platform, the university will be able to get more targeted research opportunities as well as save on time required to source and apply for the grants.
Research Beeline provides the shortest and most direct connection between grant-makers and researchers in Africa by providing a reliable and comprehensive flow of research funding information. It connects thousands of grant makers and sponsors availing funds for researchers in Africa to eager and capable cohort of researchers ready and willing to conduct life-changing research from their institutions across the continent.
For more information contact Carol Yogo on coyogo@usiu.ac.ke or +254 730 116 351.
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is pleased to invite you to a Virtual Stakeholder Roundtable forum hosted by the Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) Center at the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) for the project; The Gender Sensitive Policy Implications of COVID-19 on Youth Agripreneurship Resilience Project funded by (IDRC). The roundtable will take place on Thursday January 28, 2021, from 8.00AM to 11:30AM with presentation of the findings, a moderated discussion of policy implications and key stakeholder observations. See attached concept note for more information.
The forum will be attended by our funders, the International Development Research Center (IDRC) and the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Ministry of Agriculture, the Council of Governors, Respective Participating County Officers, the Association of Media Women in Kenya, the media, researchers, the general public, and other key stakeholders. We will therefore be honored to have your presence as one of our key guests.
This research project sought to determine how the COVID 19 pandemic has affected young agripreneurs and to help determine business resilience approaches that could be infused in capacity building initiatives to help current and aspiring youth entrepreneurs deal with similar challenges in the future as they build profitable agri-business enterprises. You, can register in advance for this webinar through this link.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. We look forward to welcoming you.
By Bernadette Kiarie
The Regional Business Lead (Africa) at Anthology, Ntathakusa Portia Nkehli, recently embarked on a mission to engage with higher learning institutions utilizing the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) across the continent. As part of this strategic initiative, her visit to USIU-Africa marked a pivotal moment in fostering collaborative advancements in digital education.
Portia's itinerary included a crucial meeting with the DVC Academics - Transformative Teaching, Learning, and Research, where the focus was on delineating how USIU-Africa could effectively leverage the capabilities of Blackboard Learn Ultra and other Anthology solutions for its digital transformation endeavors. The discussions aimed at ensuring student success and strategically driving increased enrollment across all university programs.
Accompanying Portia were representatives from key industry players, Bancy Njuguna from OneConnect East Africa and a notable representative from Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Kenya Winfred Ng’ang’a. Their presence underscored the collaborative nature of the discussions, bringing diverse perspectives and expertise to the table. The objective was clear: to explore opportunities that would enhance the university's educational technology landscape and seamlessly integrate innovative solutions into its academic framework.
The engagement not only emphasized the commitment of Anthology to catalyze educational advancements but also highlighted the collaborative spirit among industry leaders and academic institutions. As USIU-Africa continues its journey towards digital transformation, the insights gained from this meeting are poised to play a pivotal role in shaping USIU-Africa’s educational technology roadmap. The collaborative efforts of Anthology, One Connect Kenya, and Amazon Web Services are set to contribute significantly to the evolution of USIU-Africa's digital academic landscape.
By Christine Kamala
In a bid to foster community safety and enhance collaboration, a pivotal security engagement meeting took place on Thursday, February 22. The event, which was organized by a dedicated team of stakeholders, saw a significant turnout of participants from the vibrant Kasarani neighborhood including shopping malls, schools, universities, hostels, hotels, transport, religious institutions, private security firms, community leaders and law enforcement.
The gathering, the first in the year 2024 quarter, provided a platform for a comprehensive update on prevailing security challenges within the Kasarani area. Through Mr. James Lelesara, the Security Manager from ICIPE, attendees were briefed on ongoing and potential threats, reinforcing the need for a united front against crime. Initiatives such as neighborhood watch programs, community patrols, and enhanced communication networks were applauded as successful ongoing steps towards bolstering security.
Mr. James Nzomo, the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit Commander, Kasarani Sub County emphasized the importance of community involvement and shared responsibility. He acknowledged the strength of community unity and the commitment of Kasarani stakeholders to actively contribute to the well-being of their neighborhood. By working hand-in-hand with local authorities, community leaders, and law enforcement, the event demonstrated the power of collaboration in creating a safer living environment for all.
During the engaging session, participants actively contributed ideas for future endeavors aimed at ensuring the safety of Kasarani residents. The consensus was to organize a public lecture in the month of May, that would serve as an awareness creation platform, educating constituents on the importance of collective security efforts. This educational initiative is anticipated to empower community members with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate and respond to security concerns effectively. This forthcoming event aims to bring together various constituents, providing them with valuable insights into security challenges, prevention strategies, and the importance of a collective approach.
Stay tuned for updates on this vital community-driven initiative as Kasarani residents continue to unite for a safer and more resilient neighborhood.
By Michelle Oyiolo
As I sit here, fresh from my graduation, I can't help but look back on the transformative journey that brought me to this moment. My four-year stint at this university has been nothing short of remarkable, marked by numerous challenges, unwavering support, and personal growth.
The first time I visited USIU-Africa was on August 11, 2018. My sister was graduating with an MBA and we attended the commencement ceremony. I looked at the graduating class as they received their degrees. Everybody looked smart and focused, like they knew what they wanted and weren’t afraid to go for it and I knew that I wanted to be a part of that. I turned to my mother and said, “I’m going to go here one day.”
Sure enough, in 2019, I embarked on my university adventure, brimming with aspirations. However, beneath that enthusiasm lurked a formidable adversary: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The transition to university life was fraught with obstacles, and I found myself struggling to balance academics and emotional well-being. The constant battle with my own mind, the self-doubt, and the feeling of never quite measuring up weighed me down. I always felt like I was lagging behind my fellow students and needed to put in more effort to keep up.
As time went on, I made two of the most crucial decisions of my life: I visited the university counseling center and joined the gym. These steps were a turning point, a lifeline extended to me in the sea of self-doubt and uncertainty. The counselors provided a safe space where I could candidly discuss my struggles, offering invaluable guidance and coping strategies with no judgment. They taught me the importance of self-compassion and mindfulness, tools I carry with me to this day. On the other hand, joining the gym was a transformative decision that not only improved my physical health but also gave me a means of quieting the thoughts racing through my head. The gym became my sanctuary, a place where I could refocus and regain my energy. It gave me a sense of accomplishment that can be hard to find elsewhere.
In the midst of my university journey, the world faced an unprecedented challenge - the global pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak drastically altered the landscape of education, as universities transitioned to virtual learning environments. This sudden shift to online classes brought its own set of challenges. Staying motivated and focused in the isolation of a virtual classroom was a new test of determination and resilience but I had a lot of support from my fellow students, with whom I shared a lot of late nights and online study groups just to get by.
In 2022, my world took a devastating turn when my father was diagnosed with cancer. The news was a profound shock, and I found myself struggling to balance the demands of my studies with being there for my family. As his condition worsened, I had to confront the looming reality of his eventual passing. In 2023, he left this world, and I lost not just a father but a pillar of support.
Amidst the trials and tribulations, my university experience was enriched by the wonderful people I met along the way. Lifelong friendships were forged, and it was their unwavering support that carried me through the darkest days. Together, we navigated the complexities of academia and life, sharing both laughter and tears.
As I reflect on my journey, I can wholeheartedly say that joining USIU-Africa was the best decision I made in my life. This is more than just an institution of higher learning; it's a supportive community, a world of opportunity, a home. It’s a place that welcomes you and allows you space and time to discover who you are and where you want to go in life. It’s played a pivotal role in my journey towards becoming the person I am today.
Though my path to graduation was far from conventional, marred by adversity and loss, it is precisely those experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. I am a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of reaching out for help, and the invaluable role of personal connections in our lives. It’s been a true privilege to study at the United States International University-Africa.
By Sarah Marondo
Photography by Willy Nyanumba and John Kennedy Otieno
The Spring Semester 2022 has been nothing short of eventful, and what better way to bring it to a close than bringing all clubs together. Last week, the Student Affairs Department hosted Clubs Week, which took place from March 30 to April 1. The purpose of the event was to encourage the inter-mingling of clubs, creation of awareness on what different clubs are about, as well as being a recruitment drive for the clubs.
Some of the clubs that were featured included: AIESEC, SADS, Speak-Up, Hult Prize, Film Club, among many others. The excitement was at an all-time high as this was the first ever Clubs Week event since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
It was amazing to see the revival of clubs like the Visual Arts Club as well as USIU Radio which has been making notable steps to restore its former glory.
Attendees got to see performances from upcoming artists like Benaia, courtesy of the Music Club. The International Youth Fellowship (IYF) encouraged us to participate in the spicy food challenge, which was no walk in the park for those who do not enjoy spicy food. The film trivia by the Film Club brought back our love for films, and we could not be happier.
The events ended with a bang as we all got to take part in a team building seminar on Friday which was conducted by Mr. Chris Ayuoyi.
We had different presentations from the Placement and Career Services by Dr. Edgar Githua and Ms. Lucy Kung’u from the Counseling Department. We also had a session facilitated by Centonomy, which touched on the management of personal finances.
It was such an honor to have the eminent Centonomy which is a financial literacy institution that teaches individuals about management of their personal finances being brought to enlighten the student body.
The Spring (January) 2021 virtual Undergraduate orientation was held at the beginning of the semester to take the incoming class of freshmen through the basics of what was required of them to excel at USIU-Africa.
Speaking during the opening session, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. Munyae Mulinge noted that the orientation sessions were an opportunity for students to connect with their future classmates, prepare for academic and non-academic life, and learn to navigate campus prior to starting their classes.
“At USIU-Africa, we value community, and this virtual orientation session is an opportunity for you to build a connection to your peers, as well as to faculty and staff. These sessions are also important because they will help you navigate the process of being an incoming student, “he said.
In his welcome address to the new students, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza welcomed the students to USIU-Africa, noting that they had made the best choice for a truly unique learning experience in the region.
“We are excited to welcome you to the USIU-Africa community. USIU-Africa is a place that you can dare to do more, push your boundaries and create your future. We are deeply invested in your success, and we look forward to working with you to make sure that you have the vest university experience,” he said.
“As our students, you must remember that you are not alone. Although every individual has a different experience, we are all being affected by this pandemic one way or the other and talking about it in a supportive environment, such as the orientation will help you build connections and strengthen your readiness to learn,” he added.
The Chandaria School of Business also held an orientation session for the inaugural class of Online MBA students, which took place on Friday, January 15. In her presentation to the class, Acting Dean of the Chandaria School of Business, Dr. Teresia Linge noted that the course was designed to equip students to be ‘future ready’.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the fourth industrial revolution, which is heavily technology driven. As such, it was high time that we thought about how we could equip our students to be ready for the next global disruption,” she said.
“47 percent of people who study online do so due to existing limitations such as work and life commitments; 21 percent enroll for online studies because their employees encourage them to do so because it is efficient and effective for both parties. The Online MBA will be able to fill this gap,” she added.
Upcoming events
By CTW Team
On Monday, July 31, the newly- elected Student Council Representatives were sworn in at a ceremony held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The swearing-in was conducted by Ms. Helen Ambasa, the Director, Legal Services and witnessed by the Dean of Students Mr. Ronald Kimani, the Senior Clubs Coordinator Mr. Chris Ayuoyi, Staff Council representatives and the Electoral Commissioners, among others.
The newly- elected Representatives pledged to improve the student body and steer the Council to bring about positive change on campus. The elected Representatives are:
By Oscar Uwimana
Following the position of Treasurer in the Student Council falling vacant, the treasurer position in the student council, the Electoral Commission conducted an election to fill this position where a total of 5 candidates ran for the position. There was a debate scheduled to present manifestos and this was held and supervised by the Electoral Commission officials, with Uwimana Oscar being the moderator of the debate that was held on November 14, 2022.
The debate was a success and in presence were different Electoral College members and students and of course the candidates, Student Council members and the Electoral Commissioners. The election was held that same afternoon on Blackboard, with Patel Vraj Prakash emerged as the winner with 88.2% of the vote, accounting for 15 votes out of 17 voters.
The swearing in ceremony was held on the last Friday in TV room 1 at 11:00am in presence of the Electoral Commissioners, the Dean of Students Mr. Ronald Kimani, the Senior Clubs Coordinator Mr. Chris Ayuoyi, and the Director, Legal Services, Ms. Helen Ombima. In her remarks, Ms. Ombima encouraged the newly elected treasurer to stay committed and serve the Student Council in the best possible way and not give up or resign along the way. Her remarks were reiterated by the Dean of Students, Mr. Kimani, who encouraged the new treasurer to serve to the best of his ability and not use the office for personal gain.
By Sebit Justin Lavirick
In a dynamic gathering of student leaders held on February 16, the spirit of empowerment and collaboration permeated the atmosphere. Led by the Chair of the Student Association Council, Judethedeus Ong’ondo Odinde and the Secretary General, Tasha Mapenzi, the event aimed to address pertinent issues and foster a sense of unity among the student body. With a diverse array of representatives present, including the Dean of Students, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC), and other staff from different Departments, the meeting provided a platform for open dialogue and proactive problem-solving.
The meeting commenced with a gracious welcome from Tasha Mapenzi, expressing gratitude to all attendees for their commitment to student leadership. Following this session, the Dean of Students extended a warm welcome to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Victor Boiyo setting the stage for a productive session.
Student leaders were allowed to voice their concerns and suggestions, with a representative from the Red Cross club raising an important query about the employment of external first aiders during events. In response, the Dean elucidated the necessity for such measures, particularly during high-risk activities like rugby games and the graduation ceremony.
The DVC, Student Life, Dr. Victor Boiyo in his address, lauded the leadership potential inherent in USIU-Africa students, emphasizing the university's commitment to nurturing and elevating its future leaders. He commended initiatives such as the Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) for their inclusivity and encouraged active participation in university affairs.
Patrick Obel from the Counseling Center provided valuable insights into effective leadership, stressing the importance of honesty, accountability, and transparency. His words resonated with the audience, reminding them of the inherent challenges and responsibilities associated with leadership roles.
Various Departmental representatives addressed concerns raised during the meeting, outlining plans for improvement and soliciting feedback from the student body. From addressing issues within the Sports Department to enhancing club operations and fostering team-building activities, the discussions underscored a commitment to continuous progress and student welfare.
The meeting also served as a platform to highlight upcoming events and initiatives, including the much-anticipated Culture Week and the Disability Office's upcoming event aimed at promoting inclusivity and accessibility.
As the meeting drew to a close, Dr. Victor Boiyo reiterated the significance of such gatherings in fostering student networking and leadership development. The Dean affirmed the university's dedication to open communication and collaboration, inviting further engagement from the student body.
In conclusion, the Chair of the Student Association Council expressed gratitude to all participants and emphasized the ongoing availability of the SAC office for further discussions. The meeting exemplified the university's commitment to student empowerment and collective progress, setting a precedent for future collaborative endeavors.
By Tiffany Wangari
Tiffany Wangari, an International Business and Administration student is the founder of Knot Donuts, which she founded after taking a gap year in 2021.
“The concept of donuts in form of knots came to me while I was making the regular American donut on one of my ‘I should probably do something productive today’ days during my gap year in 2021. Baking has always been an interest of mine and as I grew older, I got more in touch with my creative side and took up drawing and painting. Therefore, I like to think that Knot donuts is a result of both those interests combined,” she says.
“Before starting the business, I often gifted these donuts to close friends and family and each time they enjoyed them. I was determined to share this donut experience with more people and started improving the recipe to make it the best it could be. I shared the idea with my mom, who despite her initial hesitation, ended up being my biggest supporter. Her concerns were around if there was really a market for donuts in Kenya and how I would be able to sustain the business, which now when I think about it are things everyone should do great research on before starting any kind of business,” she adds.
At the time, she didn’t think about it much and went ahead and created an Instagram page and posted that the donut shop was open. Tiffany hoped that she would get a good reaction and that donut lovers would find her, and they did.
“I forgot about the part of the business where one buys supplies and plans orders therefore I only had the two boxes I had put the donuts for the content I used to advertise and my mom’s house ingredients. This of course was barely enough because for that weekend only I got about fifty orders! I was between being extremely happy and extremely overwhelmed, but I got all the orders done,” she notes.
The turning point for her business came when she came across an advert for a flea market, which gave her a platform to introduce the business to more people. The decision to take part in the flea market was made on the go, and she decided that she would take part in it by making 100 donuts that she would sell at the weekend event.
“I was unsure because I remembered how stressful the launch weekend was but with a small push from friends and family, I did it. The flea market was amazing and that is where I met Regina Newman, John Newman and Ronnie. Later, I came to find out that they were the owners of Kazuri Beads and they presented me with an amazing opportunity to partner with them. I appreciate them because they have supported me as I opened the shop and although it is up and running, they have continued to mentor me,” she says.
The success of the shop, which opened on December 2022 pushed me to change my major from Data Science to International Business Administration because it was more aligned with my interests. .
“It feels amazing to have a space where I can be expressive through my donuts. There is definitely a lot of skills that I have learned in school that can directly be applied when it comes to running a business which makes me very glad I am doing a business course. This pushes me to work very hard in school because I know how useful what we are learning in the classroom is. I’m excited to see Knot Donuts grow, I’m excited to take the lessons as they come and most importantly I am excited to complete my degree at USIU-Africa,” she concludes.
By Beryl Kamusinga
USIU-Africa has consistently worked in ensuring that differently-abled students have ease of movement and suffer very few inconveniences in their day-to-day activities. Medical conditions such as Cerebral Palsy need not be a reason to forgo a university education. Movement can be improved through surgeries that are expensive and multiple surgeries might be needed. One such student who has experienced this is Vihir Sumriya, who has undergone about ten surgeries in his life to enable him to walk.
Vihir Sumriya is a fourth-year student of Applied Computer Technology student concentrating on Cybersecurity. He chose to attend USIU-Africa because of its facilities and in particular the infrastructure that the University has put in place to ensure that the campus is convenient for differently-abled students.
“USIU-Africa has been conducive for my studies because it has made it easy for me to get around campus. The Faculty members have been keen to assist me in any capacity required, any requests that I have made have been swiftly handled,” he said.
Vihir, who has consistently been on the Dean's list for academic achievement, found the atmosphere of USIU-Africa welcoming from the moment he first got into the institution.
“USIU-Africa has been welcoming to my needs. One of the most important ways that the University supported me was by switching my classes to a more accessible classroom to make it easier for me to attend my classes. The University also fixed an elevator in one of the buildings to make attending classes more convenient. I have built good working relationships with my lecturers, who have been accommodative of my needs,” he added.
He notes that the University can continue to improve its facilities by making more provisions for students who have hearing and sight impairments.
By Ernest A. Mwanzi and Vivian Lisper
Every spring semester the University’s Electoral Commission conducts elections to usher in a new set of leaders of student organizations and government between the fifth and twelfth week of the semester.
This year’s Commission was led by Faculty Council Chair Dr. Naom Nyarigoti, and included Staff Council Secretary Ms. Faith Mugambi, three student commissioners (International Relations Sophomore Vivian Lispa Kiberenge, Psychology Junior Samuel Maina and International Relations Sophomore Hannah Wasidiwa) who together they planned, conducted and oversaw the elections.
The vigorous exercise that is the electioneering period started right after the Annual General Assembly which was held on February 14, when aspirants for both the Electoral College and the Student Council picked then presented their nomination papers to the Electoral Commission within a period of one week.
Following vetting of the nomination forms, eligible candidates with the approval of DVC – Academic and Student Affairs Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono, conducted campaigns and sold their agenda to fellow students for another one week. Electoral College aspirants were then required to present and defend their manifestos in a debate-style town hall meeting at the auditorium prior to Election Day.
This year’s election had a total voter turnout of 1333 students who voted electronically over a two day period, from among 29 student aspirants for the Electoral College representing the five schools. The Electoral Commission announced the newly-elected Electoral College representatives, who were then sworn in on March 12at the auditorium by the Director - Legal Services/Company Secretary Ms. Helen Ambasa in the presence of senior university officials, and their fellow students.
Afterwards, the Electoral College proceeded to elect members of the Student Council as required by the constitution, following another debate-style town hall presentation of manifestos. The council is set to be sworn in the first week of Summer 2019 semester.
The table below pesents the newly-elected members of the Electoral College and Student Council.
To view the list of elected student leaders please click here
By Fenny Muthusi, Catherine Nyambok & Christine Missoy
24 students in Form 3 pursuing the 8-4-4 curriculum, joined by four teachers from Light Academy, Mombasa were hosted by the Admissions Office on Saturday, March 5 to discuss and learn more about the process and requirements of joining the university as well as the various degree programs offered and their career options. Additionally, the team were taken on a campus tour to experience USIU-Africa’s world class facilities.
The students showed interest in our various programs including B.Sc. International Business Administration, B.Sc. Finance, B.Sc. Accounting, B.Sc. Information Systems & Technology and B.Sc. Software Engineering.
Mrs. Fenny Muthusi, Ms. Catherine Nyambok and Mrs. Christine Missoy all from the Admissions Office facilitated the visit.
By Wangui Githinji
Last week, students from the Department of Cinematic Arts hosted Nick Wambugu, an award-winning Director, Producer and Drone Operator at Folklore Ltd. In his talk to the JRN 1100 students, he spoke of his journey producing and directing his documentary, titled Street Dreams. He shared key highlights of his experience making the documentary, which was focused on the lives of street dancers in Nairobi.
“The documentary making process was both challenging and exciting, and I have overcome many hurdles, including the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, trying to finish the documentary which I started in 2018. One of the main challenges I faced was how to finance the filmmaking process, but I was able to partner with BBC, who gave me enough funding to finish the project,” he said.
The students listened intently as he spoke of his passion project and he emphasized on importance of knowing your subject when telling a story.
“I spent almost every day with the street dancers and became one of them. I enjoyed the stories they gave and captured them on video as he had already gained the trust of the street dancers. As much as I did the story, the documentary has created more opportunities for the dancers,” he added.
Born and raised in Nairobi, Nick won a Kalasha Award in 2015 for Best Director Diaspora category for a Short Film. Previously he has also been nominated at the Cinemadamare Film Festival 2018 for Best Short Documentary for DEMLA which was produced and directed in Sicily, Italy. DEMLA explores the human perseverance of migrants who travel through the rugged unforgiving sea from the shores of Africa to Europe.
He also served as the Drone Operator for the Student Academy Award Winner and Academy Nominated Film “Watu Wote” in 2017. He has also worked as the Drone Pilot for the Sundance 2020 Documentary, Softie, which won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Best Editing. He has also worked in 3 films with the BBC Africa Eye Series including his latest release Street Dreams.
By CTW Team, Michelle Oyiolo, and Mercy Cheptoo
Two students from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mercy Cheptoo and Michelle Oyiolo took part in this year’s edition of the Sub-Saharan International Model United Nations (SAIMUN), a five-day international relations simulation for both high school and university/college students that is held annually at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON), Gigiri. Students who attend the conference get a chance to debate various issues affecting the world. This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, the event was held virtually.
In her comments to CTW, Mercy Cheptoo, who was Sweden’s delegate at the conference noted that the conference was a learning experience for her, as she had no previous experience with Model United Nations and its activities.
“SAIMUN was a learning experience for me. As delegates, we are expected to put together various position papers regarding the issues that were discussed in the duration of the conference. The chairs of DISEC Committee guided us through every step of the conference from General Speakers list, how to raise a motion to writing the resolution,” she said.
“Most of the delegates including me who lacked previous experience in Model United Nations found it really tough to come together to formulate resolutions because what was implemented in one country was hard to implement in another. Despite this challenge we formulated a resolution taking up a social cultural approach towards combating religious discrimination that was centred on the youth. Our resolution passed with 89% votes for, 9% against and 2% abstaining, as a result of which I was granted Honourable Mention by the chairs,” she noted.
On her end, Michelle Oyiolo, who was Danish delegate at the conference, noted that participating in the conference, while nerve wracking, was an exciting experience for her.
“I went into the SAIMUN 2021 conference nervous, but excited to have the experience. I have always enjoyed a spirited debate and I knew that it would be a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and exchange ideas on how to resolve important issues facing our societies. The experience brought me out of my comfort zone and forced me to consider the big picture and the long-term effects of decisions made today. The UNDP committee was fortunate enough to have enthusiastic and encouraging chairs who were very patient in training us and making the experience as enjoyable as possible. I appreciated the different points of view and enjoyed the interactions I was able to have with the different members of the committee,” she said.
“Collaborating with my fellow member of the USIU IMCC club, Esther Gichini, who was representing Egypt, and working with our fellow delegates within the UNDP committee, we were able to construct a draft resolution on how to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations within our society. I gained some confidence in public speaking when, as sponsor of the resolution, I had to read and defend it before the entire general assembly. Despite being nervous, my presentation proved successful and was passed in the General Assembly with 93% of the votes for, 6% against and 1% abstaining,” she noted.
“Denmark was also named as the best delegate of the committee, which means that I will be attending next year’s conference for free. It was a wonderful experience and I gained a deeper understanding of how important it is to have open discourse in solving the problems facing the world,” she added.
By Safari Etien
Black History Month is an annual event that celebrates people of African descent. The story of Black History Month began in 1915, a half century after the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery in the United States of America. The Harvard trained historian Carter G. Woodson and Jesse Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). Due to the civil rights movement and giving awareness of Black identity, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976.
The students of USIU-Africa, joined by the African American community in Kenya, are coming together to commemorate Black History Month through our artistic expressions. Aligned with the global theme of ‘African Americans and the Arts’ and the locally contextualized theme of ‘Africans, Black identity and the Arts,’ we are proud to showcase and present a diverse array of talents within our community.
During this celebration, we aim to shine a spotlight on the rich cultural heritage and creative achievements of people of African descent. Through various art forms such as visual arts, music, dance, literature, and more, we seek to highlight the contributions of African and African American artists to the global artistic landscape.
Our gathering on February 12 and 13, 2024, serves as a platform to not only celebrate our collective heritage but also to promote understanding, appreciation, and recognition of the profound impact that African and African American artists have had on society. Through our creative endeavors, we hope to inspire future generations to embrace their cultural identities and express themselves through the arts.
As part of cerebrating the Black History Month (BHM), there will be a screening of Woman King. The movie will focus on theme resilience, and struggle for equality, all of which are relevant to BHM. Additionally, Woman King will provide a platform for understanding the contributions of Black women to history, society, culture, and the art industry which are often overlooked or underrepresented in mainstream narratives. Therefore, watching this movie will serve as a means of celebrating and honoring the diverse stories and achievements of Black people, particularly women, and promoting understanding and appreciation of their experiences.
Through the imaginative power of film as an art form, Woman King will hopefully inspire attendees, provide insight into underrepresented perspectives, and celebrate the immense achievements of black people and culture. This special screening event will be a memorable and thought-provoking way to recognize black excellence during this commemorative month.
Kenya Education Network (KENET) in partnership with Microsoft Corporation and Intel is pleased to announce the KENET Student Laptop Purchase Program (SLPP), created to provide Kenyan Universities’ students, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to purchase business class laptop computers from multiple vendors at significantly discounted prices.
Benefits of the Students Laptop Purchase Program
More information on the Program can be accessed on the portal on this link: https://slpp.kenet.or.ke
KENET is conducting a survey of all university students mainly on laptop ownership and their off-campus Internet access options. As an incentive, KENET shall guarantee the purchase of laptop using the lease-to-own arrangement for some 10 students from 10 different universities who book a laptop on the Students Laptop Purchase Program (SLPP) portal at https://slpp.kenet.or.ke during the survey window (July 1 – 10, 2022).
Kindly take part in the survey through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KENET-Student-Laptop-Purchase-Program_SLPP_20226PHVPTM. The survey takes approximately 5 minutes.
The students during the donation drive with the Missionaries of Charity – Langata held on campus. The Community Service course gives students an insight into the lives of people in the community around the university. Photos courtesy of Franklin Rashid
By Antonio Longangi
Concluding their community project under the Community Service course (CMS 3700), a group of USIU-Africa students donated several items to the Missionaries of Charity – Langata in a handover ceremony held on Friday, March 26, 2021 on campus. The group consisted of 11 students from various undergraduate disciplines in their final year.
The project was aimed at alleviating some of the needs for the charity, which looks after hundreds of vulnerable and disabled individuals. Primarily funded through individual contribution from students, the project was able to offer three electric massage machines, sets of pegboards for motor skills, diapers, and a supply of toiletries worth over KSH 30,000 donated to the project by Chandaria Industries.
The Missionaries of Charity – Langata is a local branch of the international catholic congregation Missionaries of Charity that was established in 1950 by Mother Teresa (1910-1997) beatified as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The organization operates in various countries in the world on a mission to provide “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.” It consists of members who have taken vows of chastity, poverty and obedience dispensing care to vulnerable individuals in various communities around the world. The local branch exercises the same mandate providing care to hundreds of people aged between 12 and 50 and living with disability without caregivers.
The project was supervised by the course instructor Dr. Robi Koki (Lecturer, Journalism Department) who hoped that the project would initiate her students to a culture of service to the community.
“The project was more than an attempt to get good grades, and more about extending our humble privilege and learn how to practically serve the community,” said Nicole Njambi, a group member. Another group member, Michael Appia noted that the charity had a powerful story and engaging them during the project was an honor and a motivation to do more. “It was about supporting the work of one of the most selfless humans the planet has known, Mother Teresa,” he added.
As a university requirement and part of its core values, students engage the community through a mandatory course Community Service (CMS 3700) acquiring an insight into the lives of people in the community around the university. It is also an opportunity for students to exercise their ability to think globally and act locally.
By Bonface Inganga
On Wednesday, November 27, the Housing department together with hostel residents held the annual Hostel Awards ceremony on campus. The event provides a platform for residents to network, showcase their various talents and be awarded for their contribution and participation throughout the year. During the event, the following students were awarded. In the academics category, Elizabeth Warindi (IBA) was awarded the Best GPA (Freshman), Best GPA (Overall) and Best GPA (Female), Caren Mmasi (IBA) received the award for the Best GPA (Sophomore), Sylvie Sarabwe (APT) received the Best GPA (Junior) award, Beryl Akinyi (IR) received the Best GPA (Senior) award, Timon Onyango (IBA) received the Best GPA (Male) award and Members of the Old Block were crowed as Winners of the Trivia Challenge (Summer semester).
In the fashion and social category Masawi Washingtone (IBA) received the award for the Most Resourceful Resident and Best DRAB (Dean’s Residency Advisory Board) Member, Appia Michael (IR) was awarded the Best Entertainment Committee Member, Mohammad Abdulhakim (Finance) received the award for the Best Resident Assistant, Wanyana Belinda (EpiBio) and Mbiglo Gabriel (IBA) received the award for Potential Couple, Mugisha Lindsay (IR) was awarded the Most Attractive Female, Dlamini Tandzile (IBA) was crowned as the Most Fashionable Female, Safiatu Abubakar (IR) received the award for Most Social Resident, Kenan Russell (Freshman) was awarded the Most Attractive Male and Umri Gasper (Finance) received the award for the Most Fashionable Male. In Sports, Members of the Old Block won 12 Medals (Basketball) and 11 Medals (Football).
In attendance was Ms. Nancy Snider (Visiting Lecture, Creative Arts) who performed 3 classical Achelon pieces, Mr. Fred Kariuki (Principal Officer- Gender Equity and Protection) who highlighted the importance of reporting any forms of sexual harassment, representative from 2nd Option Fashions among others.
Participants were also treated to performances such as poetry, rap as well as a live band music, and a fashion catwalk by the 2nd Option Fashions.
Lynne Aswani (International Relations Major) performs during the USIU Got Talent event on Thursday, July 18 at the auditorium. PHOTO: Diana Meso
By Sarah Masila and Diana Meso.
A total of Ksh.51, 000 was raised from the 2019 USIU Got Talent competition organized by the Student Affairs Council in partnership with USIU Radio and Mr. and Miss USIU-Africa beauty pageant at the auditorium on Thursday, July 18.
The event aimed to grow and celebrate all artistic disciplines within the USIU-Africa community, and provide artistes with a platform to showcase and nurture their talents. It was attended by over 300 participants who were entertained through singing, dancing, comedy, magic, juggling, stunts and other variety genres.
Ms. Lynne Aswani (International Relations, Major) who performed a South African song won the competition followed by Mr. Massanga Marcelin (MBA) who performed a rap and dance and Mr. Baraka Munene (International Business Administration, Major) who sang a self-composed song.
All the proceeds from this event will be channeled to Educate Your Own (EYO) student initiative to ensure zero dropouts among continuing USIU-Africa students due to financial constraints.
By Prof. Damary Sikalieh
Research degree supervision is a bi-lateral process, a complex interaction between the supervisor and the student. This interaction plays a significant role in affecting the quality of the supervisory process and was designed to investigate the behaviors of supervisors and supervisees involved in the graduate research process and how these influence the supervisor-student relationship. It was necessary, to investigate this relationship in order to identify what activities supervisors and supervisees are delivering. This study was guided by specific research questions: What activities and roles do the supervisor and supervisee undertake when in a supervisor- supervisee relationship and what expectations do they have of each other? What do these activities and roles mean for the supervisor and supervisee? What challenges exist in the supervisor – supervisee relationship and how can these be effectively addressed? Do the supervisor and supervisee reflect on their research capability and what is the learning thereof?
Using the phenomenological and the competing values frameworks, the proposed study adopted a mixed method design. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from 22 senior faculty and a total of 150 graduate students spanning a variety of disciplines from 3 private and 2 public universities. The questionnaire and in-depth interviews were used for the process. The findings showed lack of and/or inadequate preparation of both the faculty and the students for the research process. There hardly existed harmonized guidelines. This cut across all the 5 universities irrespective of the discipline.
While the majority of the students indicated that they had a good experience with their supervisors, a significant number cited delayed feedback, a lack of a proper strategy to guide the research process, failure to encourage students to present and publish their findings, as well as enable them make contact with other researchers and research networks. A majority of the students felt that they did not have a good experience as some of the things that hindered a good experience with their supervisors. However, the findings on the challenges encountered in the process of research supervision contradict these findings as they indicate that most of them agreed and strongly agreed with the availability of the supervisor, was friendly and approachable, provided guidance in the effective use of their time and listened to them. These findings were corroborated by the supervisors although a majority of them had challenges with students’ ability to find the relevant literature, referencing, critique the literature and the time demands for the supervision process. Both faculty and students were aware of their responsibilities and adhered to them and were aware of their expectations, roles and responsibilities of each other.
It can be concluded that graduate students and their supervisors understand their relationship and know their roles and responsibilities. Once in the research process they encounter challenges which could be attributed to inadequate supervisor and student preparation. Another challenge supervisors encounter with their students is that of plagiarism. However, there is some kind of support for both the supervisors and students. The study recommends that research departments should establish research guidelines and also adequately prepare both the students and supervisors.
By Grace Waihuini
Clubs Week, organized by the Student Council Secretary General with the assistance of the Clubs' Week Committee, proved to be a resounding success. The three-day event held from Wednesday, June 7 to Friday, June 9, showcased the wide range of extracurricular clubs and societies available on campus while promoting student engagement and celebrating diversity.
The primary objectives of Clubs Week were multi-fold. Firstly, it aimed to promote club participation and encourage students to engage in extracurricular activities. By showcasing the diverse range of clubs available and highlighting the benefits of club membership, students were inspired to get involved and explore new interests. Secondly, Clubs Week aimed to foster a sense of community spirit among students by bringing together individuals from different backgrounds and interests. Through group activities, students were able to forge new friendships, develop teamwork skills, and cultivate a stronger sense of belonging within the campus community.
Additionally, the event aimed to increase awareness of club activities, thereby boosting participation in future club events and generating excitement around extracurricular activities. Furthermore, Clubs Week served as a recruitment platform, attracting new members and providing increased opportunities for students to engage in school activities. Lastly, the event aimed to encourage leadership and responsibility among students, empowering them to take on active roles within their respective clubs.
With the theme of "Diversity Meets Unity," Clubs Week fostered a sense of inclusivity and cohesion among students, encouraging them to explore various interests and become active participants in school life. With an impressive turnout, this year's Clubs Week witnessed the participation of 20 clubs, marking a significant increase compared to the previous year.
To make the event even more exciting, clubs organized engaging activities and captivating performances to draw students to their booths. Notably, the dance club and IYF club (K-Connect) wowed the audience with their impressive performances, showcasing the talent within our student body.
By the Counselling Department
The risk of suicide is a major global health concern. Suicidal thoughts can happen to anyone – the strong or the weak, all races, nationalities, ethnicity, careers and different walks of life.
Suicide is reported to be among the leading cause of death for teens and young adults. September is a Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In this month we encourage us all to shift our perception, spread hope and share vital information on suicide. In line with the theme of the month “Together for Mental Health,” the goal is to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help.
Suicidal thoughts, attempts and death by suicide is an indication of a serious mental health problem that needs intervention for those that struggle with suicidal thoughts, the survivors of attempted suicide and for family and friends of those who die from suicide. This is an appeal to all of us to bring our voices together to advocate for better mental health care, including an effective crisis response system.
Perception or meaning of death by suicide
It is worth noting that the meaning of suicide for a given individual can vary from one person to another. How people perceive death by suicide matters. There are people who will perceive it as rejection, abandonment, betrayal, disloyalty. For some the death is perceived as a choice with a critical interpersonal message from the deceased about the lack of worth or value of the relationship.
Effects of death by suicide on survivors of the loss
Death by suicide causes long lasting psychological experiences of distress, pain, anger, rage, directed at self or the deceased, self-doubt, guilt, anxiety, fear of being misjudged especially for parents, struggle with thoughts of being a failure, struggle with the why questions e.g. why didn’t he/she come to me for help? Why was I not in a position to keep him/her from dying? Struggle with meaning making, was this really a suicide or was it an accident, it puts other people at risk of suicide as well, it alters the quantity and quality of connection between the mourners and the social networks, in case it is a child, it strains the relationship between partners, erodes family cohesiveness and can bring about conflict, there is also a struggle with the stigma that the family/friends face as a result of the suicide. It can lead to feelings of alienation and estrangement from the deceased.
Some of the activities one can do;
Letter writing to the deceased or initiating a conversation with the deceased using “an empty chair” and more important going for counseling or therapy.
Warning signs for suicide – How we can tell someone is in danger of suicide
Talking to someone you are worried about
If you notice any of the warning signs or if you’re concerned someone is thinking about suicide, don’t be afraid to talk to them about it.
Focus on being understanding, caring and nonjudgmental, saying something like:
“You are not alone. I’m here for you”;
“I may not be able to understand exactly how you feel, but I care about you and want to help”;
“I’m concerned about you and I want you to know there is help available to get you through this”;
“You are important to me; we will get through this together.
Remember that speaking up when suicidal isn’t attention seeking and having mental health issues or stressors in your life doesn’t make you weak.
Seeking professional help
There is need for seeking professional help when one has experienced death of a loved one or an important person in their life through suicide. Counseling helps with:
Healing after suicide loss requires that survivors find reason to go on with their life and focus on the existential questions and reasons for survival.
By Ernest Andugo
The second round of placement tests are scheduled as indicated below for ONLY those students who are yet to attempt.
SUBJECT | DATE | TIME | VENUE |
MATH | Friday, November 3, 2023 | 11.30am-1.00pm | Lillian K. Beam Labs |
ENGLISH | Friday, November 3, 2023 | 2.00pm-3.30pm | Lillian K. Beam Labs |
IST | Friday, November 24, 2023 | 11.30am-1.00pm | Lillian K. Beam Labs |
Students are advised to follow the instructions below to prepare:
Note: Step No.2 will only work if you followed step No. 1.
For further assistance, kindly contact the ICT Helpdesk on phone: +254 730 116 333 or email: helpdesk@usiu.ac.ke
By Diana Meso
On Saturday October 16, Mr. Uvyu Mbole and Ms. Catherine Nyambok, Admissions representatives attended the Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls High School Annual Career and University Fair, aimed at educating students on the importance of furthering their education and the vast career opportunities that are available to them.
Over 200 students ranging from Form 1 to Form 4 visited the USIU-Africa stand to enquire about the programs offered, entry requirements, scholarship opportunities and career opportunities. The most inquired programs were Bachelor of Pharmacy, Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing and Bachelor of Arts in International Relations.
The students further asked about our dual accreditation and the benefits that comes with that for students who are interested in joining the university. The Admissions department will continue organizing and attending school visits, education exhibitions and open days as part of their marketing initiative.
By Diana Meso
Last week, representatives from the Admissions Department led by the Chief Admissions Manager Dr. George Lumbasi visited the St. George’s Girls Secondary School in Nairobi to encourage, advice and create awareness on the various Undergraduate degree programs and scholarships offered at the university.
The team met with 400 Form 3 students who are set to sit for their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams early next year. Dr. Lumbasi gave a brief history of the successful long standing relationship the university has had with the high school, pointing out that many students have been admitted to the university and some have already graduated. He went on to explain the various scholarships offered at USIU-Africa and what it took for one to qualify for any of them.
Dr. Lumbasi also gave a brief background of USIU-Africa and explained to the students why USIU-Africa programs are the most sought after in private universities, noting the holistic experience provided by USIU-Africa, which focuses both on academic and personal growth in such areas of student life as sports, and student club activities. He urged the students to continue working hard in their studies in order to be eligible to join USIU-Africa.
Mr. Samuel Irungu, an Admissions Officer who was also present at the event, expounded on the minimum entry requirements for every undergraduate program, the application process, the deadlines for every semester and the exciting careers there after the students can engage in.
Ms. Linet Aguko, the Program Director, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program gave insights into the scholarships, taking the students through the key things to consider for them to be successful in the application to the program, what the scholarship covers and the benefits of being a scholar of the program. Ms. Aguko went on to elaborate how important the scholarship is, since it is only offered in partnership with one university in Kenya, USIU-Africa.
Also present at the event was Mrs. Regina Gacheru (Form 3 Coordinator) and Mr. Julius Ng’ang’a (Teacher, also in charge of sports) from St. George’s Girls Secondary School as well as Ms. Faith Mugambi (Program Officer, MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program).
By Jane Asava and Faith Ojwang
On Friday February 4, the Admissions Department hosted an open day for 45 Year 13 students from Oshwal Academy to discuss and inform them about the different degree programs offered at the university, the entry requirements and the career paths they could venture into after graduation.
Participants interacted with representatives from various schools and departments including Mr. Chris Barak, Academic Advisor- School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS), Prof. Kefah Njenga, Chair, Department of Business Administration - Chandaria School of Business (CSOB), Dr. Ermias Terefe, Lecturer - School of Pharmacy and Health Science (SPHS), Mrs. Virginia Thuku, Academic Advisor - School of Science and Technology (SST), Dr. Dorothy Njoroge, Ag. Chair Department of Journalism & Corporate Communication, School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts (SCCCA), Dr. Edgar Githua, Career and Placement and Dr. Uvyu Mbole, Principal Admissions Officer.
Most pupils showed interest in Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Science in Epidemiology & Biostatistics, and they were able to sit in a laboratory classroom session at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences during the campus tour. The open day is part of the outreach initiatives planned by the Admissions Office.
By Taigu Muchiri
The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) has organized a series of dialogues that will run from April 29 – July 8, 2020 to discuss how to deal with and find solutions to the challenges in higher education since the onset of COVID-19. The speakers will include Vice Chancellors, researchers and other relevant staff at AAP consortium universities, as well as representatives of the public and private sector, funding partners, think tanks, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), among others. The series will be moderated by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, who is also an AAP Advisory Board member.
The objectives of the proposed dialogue series are to: strengthen collaboration of AAP consortium work during the crisis; catalyze dialogue and share research and innovative thinking around key issues in the age of COVID-19; increase awareness of African universities as knowledge brokers and leaders on the continent, ensure that investment in universities post COVID-19 is on the agenda of African governments, the private sector, and donors; establish a small group within the AAP consortium to lead follow up actions; and identify funding opportunities that will support identified activities.
The first installment of the series titled ‘COVID-19 Pandemic: Responses and lessons learned from African universities’ was held on April 29, and the panelists included Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University, Prof. Ibrahima Thioub, Rector, Cheik Anta Diop University, Prof. Rose Mwonya, Vice Chancellor, Egerton University, Prof. David Norris, Vice Chancellor, University of Botswana. The discussion provided overview of how several universities have responded to the pandemic in terms of teaching and research, including their contributions at the societal level, challenges presented by the pandemic and provide solutions as the world continues to suffer from devastating effects of the pandemic.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza noted that the pandemic had revealed glaring inequalities within institutions in terms of capabilities to handle this crisis. “Most universities were not prepared in terms of infrastructural capacity to conduct online and teaching, access to gadgets and internet for students and faculty is still a challenge for most learning institutions in Africa,” he said. He added that the crisis has also presented challenges of internalization, international collaborations and the flow of international students citing that international students were the most affected by the pandemic because they had to move back home at a moment’s notice.
Prof. Nawangwe from Makere University admitted that they were not able to transition online apart from the few courses that are designed as online courses. But the university supporting hospitals by providing medical students and supervisors to assist manage and fight the spread of the virus in Uganda. The university was able to continue with research activities such as development of a rapid diagnostic test kit for COVID-19, validation of non-WHO accredited tests, develop and test low cost ventilators, and the development of the EpITent which will be used as an isolation unit and a combined hospital for COVID-19 patients.
In Senegal, Prof. Ibrahima Thioub mentioned one intervention that has been identified is the development of robots that will be used to deliver food to people infected with the virus. At the University level, the medical and social welfare institute that was responsible for the health and wellbeing at the university and their role was to communicate measures put in place by the government to stem the spread of COVID-19 on campus. They also mobilized their social anthropologists to assist the government to enhance communication on COVID-19 in the country. The School Science and Technology produces 6, 000 liters of alcohol based gel daily for distribution to the community.
Prof. Rose Mwonya stated that the Department of Chemistry at Egerton University embarked on producing hand sanitizers and face masks through the Department of clothing and textiles. The university will be collaborating with the County Government of Nakuru to ensure that they reach out to the community to ensure that they have access to hand sanitizers and face masks.
The University of Botswana is working closely with telecommunications companies to provide students with laptops and finalizing modalities of providing zero rated tariffs for students in order for them to access online classes. In addition, the university is providing clinical care specialists, specialized nurses, pharmacists, critical care specialists, emergency physicians through the department of medicine and health sciences to provide much needed care to patients in the teaching hospital. It is working with the Ministry of Health to provide psychosocial care for all who need these services through psychologists, social workers. In addition, they have partnered with the Ministry of Health to develop a dashboard to monitor and manage the spread of the virus using 3 software tools. The university is also producing face shields, sanitizers, masks, and a prototype ventilator to help alleviate the burden of the pandemic in the country. The university is also focusing on research areas by exploring options for COVID-19 testing in order to increase testing capacity to 3, 000 tests per day.
Other dialogues will discuss the economic, food security and livelihoods impact of COVID-19 in Africa and will be held on May 27; on June 10, the dialogue will highlight potential challenges of student recruitment in the age of COVID-19; on June 24, the panelists will explore the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on university faculty and students; and the final dialogue will be held on July 8, that will show the impact of COVID-19 in Africa by exploring the opportunities for partnership and engagement.
AAP seeks to promote sustainable, effective, and equitable long-term partnerships among African institutions, Michigan State University, and other international collaborators. It strives to build networks across all sectors (universities, NGOs, government, and private sector) to engage with development challenges that fall within six thematic areas which include agri-food systems, water, energy, and the environment, culture, youth empowerment, education, health and nutrition. AAP is a consortium of 11 universities – Michigan State University (MSU) in the United States; Egerton University in Kenya; Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi; Makerere University in Uganda; Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako in Mali; United States International University-Africa in Kenya; Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal; University of Botswana; University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
The media partner for the dialogue series is University World News (UWN) to increase awareness of the event and engage a wider audience to participate.
Additional reporting by University World News
By Shyat Lemoshira
USIU-Africa students recently gained valuable insights into the burgeoning creator economy during an insightful CEO Roundtable hosted by Wowzi Technologies. This interactive session, part of the university's ongoing alumni engagement initiative, allowed students to learn firsthand from the experiences of successful entrepreneurs.
Wowzi, a leading African technology platform, connects creative individuals with brands and agencies, fostering job creation and income generation across the continent. The roundtable featured three prominent figures: Dr. Hassan Bashir, the Chairman of the Board of Wowzi, Brian Mogeni, CEO, Mike Otieno, President, and Maina Mwangi, Head of Commercial Unit, all alumni of USIU-Africa.
The discussion delved into various aspects of building a successful startup in the dynamic creator economy. Mogeni and his team shared their journey, from the initial idea sparked during the pandemic to Wowzi's impressive growth, expanding exponentially in 2021 and on track for continued success. Students were captivated by their ability to attract renowned brands like Netflix and Coca-Cola through captivating presentations and strategic partnerships.
One key takeaway for students was the importance of leveraging technology to reach a wider audience and connect creators with clients seamlessly. Wowzi's platform demonstrates the power of digital solutions in driving growth and creating opportunities across geographical boundaries.
Beyond technical aspects, the discussion highlighted the importance of passion and perseverance in the entrepreneurial journey. Mogeni and his team emphasized the value of turning passion into profit and transforming talents into sustainable businesses. The story of a content creator who benefited from Wowzi's platform to collaborate with Coca-Cola on a popular marketing campaign resonated deeply with students, showcasing the platform's real-world impact.
The event also fostered a sense of collaboration between the company and the university. Michael Kisilu, Principal Alumni Officer, and Christine Nyzoka, USIU-Africa Internship Coordinator, expressed their appreciation for Wowzi's commitment to engaging with students through internships and career talks. This collaboration opens doors for practical learning and career development opportunities, bridging the gap between academics and the professional world.
In conclusion, the Roundtable served as a valuable learning experience for USIU-Africa students. By providing insights into the creator economy, the challenges and triumphs of building a successful startup, and the power of collaboration, the event empowered students to envision their own entrepreneurial journeys and utilize their education to create positive impact in the world.
By Shyat Lemoshira
The USIU-Africa Alumni Relations Department continued their CEO roundtable series at the Parliament of Kenya on Friday, November 10. The roundtable was an opportunity to engage with the current USIU-Africa student leaders from the Student Association Cabinet (Student Council and the Electoral College), clubs and the Dean’s Residents Advisory Board (DRAB) who were present during the event.
Ms Serah Kioko, Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, welcomed the group and spoke on the significance of exemplary service and leadership at all levels. Ms. Kioko also praised USIU-Africa for molding competent professionals, noting that a large number of USIU-Africa alumni work as Parliamentary staff. "The USIU-Africa alumni that serve as Parliamentary staff are dependable, organized and diligent”, she elaborated. She also underscored existing avenues of collaboration, such as internships and attachments, and encouraged student leaders to identify other areas of collaboration for the mutual benefit of all parties.
Ms. Christine Nderitu, a USIU-Africa alumni class of 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism addressed the role of the Clerk's Chambers and other administrative entities in supporting the National Assembly's mandate. Ms. Nderitu previously worked as a reporter for the Standard Group (KTN) before becoming the National Assembly's Principal Clerk Assistant. She emphasized how she applies the knowledge and expertise she gained at USIU-Africa and after graduation in her current role. The Clerk Chambers are focused on following aspects: legislation, supervision, and presentation. These characteristics allow them to manage information flow in a communication chain, analyze committee documents, and examine audited finances.
Furthermore, Dr. Donald Manyala, Principal Research Officer and USIU-Africa alumnus class of 2007, delivered a presentation on the role of Parliamentary Research Services in supporting the National Assembly's mandate. Mr. Edwin Gichane (alumnus class of 2020) and Ms. Elizabeth Kibati (alumnus class of 2010) also shared their thoughts on how all research officers should be assigned to one of the 44 committees that focus on various fields. The Parliamentary Research section assists these committees by preparing bills, motions, and statements for debate on the National Assembly's request. Dr. Manyala also mentioned that the department prepares committee reports with recommendations and indicates how funds are utilized. In accordance with the Kenya Constitution of 2010, the Research Department ensures public participation and stakeholder engagement in Parliamentary documentations by posting research documents on the Parliament's website and social media platforms, as well as participating in forums with citizens, the private sector, and academia.
Ms. Catherine Gathura, a USIU-Africa alumna of the class of 2023 with a Master of Arts degree in International Relations spoke about the essential role of Hansard and audio services in supporting the National Assembly's mandate, drawing on her experience as an editor in both the National Assembly and the Senate. As Hansard records all Parliamentary sessions, these services allow Members of both Houses to review their past statements on issues raised by their respective houses. Ms. Gathura further stated that Hansard accurately transcribes all recorded statements in Parliamentary duties to avoid indirect miscommunication between the Upper and Lower Houses.
Ms. Florence Chemutai, Senior Food and Beverage supervisor, and Mr. Robert Masongo (Alumnus class of 2018) outlined the Hospitality Service Unit's role in carrying out the National Assembly's mandate. Ms. Chemutai stressed the importance of offering exceptional hospitality, sufficient food, and water during Parliamentary functions so that the Legislature can perform efficiently and in a congenial environment. Finally, before the roundtable concluded, Mr. Jumanne Shangirai, the Principal Sergeant-at-Arms, led the participants on a tour of Parliamentary buildings.
The activity created opportunities for not only networking on professional matters but also demonstrated the quality service and experience of USIU-Africa alumni in Parliamentary staff. In conclusion, the USIU-Africa Alumni Relations Department empowers alumni to fuel innovation and opportunities for future graduates as the USIU-Africa community celebrates their excellence in the world.
By Foda Michael
On December 2, the Alumni Association participated in a meaningful engagement in Juba, South Sudan. Besides the Principal Officer, Alumni Relations, the USIU-Africa delegation also included the Chief Manager - Admissions, and the Chair, USIU-Africa Alumni Association. More than fifty USIU-Africa alumni gathered and shared over a sumptuous dinner event at the Pyramid Continental Hotel, under the theme “Network, Conceptualize, Reconnect”. Organized by an interim executive body and volunteers from the SSD alumni, the event included alumni from various sectors in South Sudan including the public and private sectors.
Mr. John Makur leads the alumni association in South Sudan as the Interim Chairperson. He warmly welcomed the alumni to the gala dinner and gave an overview of the USIU-Africa alumni activities in South Sudan. John Makur applauded the alumni in South Sudan for their achievements in the public and private sectors, highlighting the diversity and harmony among the South Sudanese alumni who studied at USIU-Africa. He also mentioned that in 2024, the USIU-Africa alumni in South Sudan will elect to office an executive who will carry on with the activities of the association in the country. John Makur encouraged the alumni to attend such events as the gala dinner provides a platform for professional/social networking and celebrating their achievements.
During the event, Mrs. Aker Deng was celebrated for her resilience, strength, and compassion for having battled and overcome a life-threatening illness. Aker did not stop there but rather opened a state-of-the-art health facility in Juba, South Sudan. The facility, Iteru Medical Center, is the first of its kind to offer physiotherapy. While making her remarks, Mrs. Deng’ invited all the SSD Alumni to a cocktail that she’ll host at the facility.
During his speech, the Chairperson of the USIU-Africa Alumni Association, Mr. James Gathere, appreciated the efforts of the alumni in South Sudan. He expressed gratitude for the guidance, leadership, and support provided by the USIU-Africa Management Board, the Alumni and Admissions Department. James Gathere particularly touched on the role of the alumni in giving back to USIU-Africa and announced the goal of creating an Alumni Memorial Park with a Juba Corner in honor of our dearly departed alumni. He additionally gave an update on the achievements of USIU-Africa Alumni including a partnership with Jubilee in healthcare for alumni. He concluded his speech by challenging each of the Alumni present to give back to their alma mater by recommending to USIU-Africa at least five SSD nationals in the next one year.
To demonstrate USIU-Africa’s Motto “education to take you places”, Madam Victoria Otieno, Managing Director of Alpha Bank, spoke about the importance of networking, career development, and the activities of the alumni. She supported the initiative to give back to her alma mater by promising to avail internship opportunities and job placements for USIU-Africa students and alumni.
Honorable Atong Kuol, the Minister of Animal Resources, Fisheries and Tourism in Jonglei State attended the event and reminisced together with the alumni the memorable moments at USIU-Africa in the years gone by. She stressed the importance of always moving on professionally and discouraged the youth from relying too much on technology rather than engaging their mind in learning. Hon. Atong finished her speech with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr, “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. Whatever you do, keep moving.”
Honorable Philip Aguer Panyang, the Guest of Honor, took the alumni down memory lane. He is the former army spokesperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), now known as the South Sudan People's Defense Force (SSPDF), the former Governor of Jonglei State, and a founding member of the South Sudan Students Association in Kenya (SSSAK) and to date, SSSAK remains in existence due to his efforts. He inspired and motivated the alumni with an account of his military service to the country and how he courageously decided to stop his studies at Alexandria University (Egypt) to join the guerilla movement in South Sudan during the liberation war. It was during this war that Hon. Deng committed himself to complete his education should he survive the war. Rather than go back to his former University, he opted for USIU-Africa. He concluded his remarks by thanking the alumni for the invitation and declared his continuous support to promote the values and principles of USIU-Africa.
Flare, glamour, and elegance indeed defined the colorful night! The alumni were not shy to put their best foot forward and highlight their achievements and ambitions. The gala dinner was a successful event that not only set the precedent for annual galas but also hinted at a promise by the alumni in South Sudan to give back to their alma mater and the communities in South Sudan.
By Solomon Mainye
On Tuesday February 1 and 15, the Alumni Relations office hosted two teams: Egerton University’s Alumni Relations Department and Tangaza University College Alumni Association respectively in a benchmarking exercise.
Both teams were excited to learn about best alumni engagement practices adopted by USIU-Africa in management of its alumni as well as programs that impact fundraising from the alumni. Additionally, the teams were oriented on the Raiser’s Edge Advancement system which facilitates USIU-Africa's alumni relations, engagement and fundraising activities.
Notably, the team from Egerton University acknowledged the importance of giving students a good university experience as it establishes a foundation to always want to come back and contribute in developing the university. On the other hand, the team from Tangaza University was able to realize various programs that can impact alumni participation with their university and presented areas of collaboration with USIU-Africa.
The team from Egerton University was led by Dr.Chakava Hillary (Coordinator-Alumni Relations Department) together with Dr. Owen Ngumi (Executive Treasurer, Alumni Association) Prof. Paul Kimurto (Director, Marketing and Resource Mobilization) Rachel Litter (Alumni Executive Board Member) and Fridah Murugi (Secretary, Alumni Association) while Stephen Muinde (Interim Chairperson), Winjoy Mukami (Alumni Relations Officer) who is also a USIU-Africa Alumna and Brenda Kyama (Member, Alumni Committee) represented Tangaza University College Alumni Association.
The benchmarking activity was organized and coordinated by Mr. Michael Kisilu, Principal Alumni Relations Officer, Mr. Solomon Mainye, Development Officer and Lihavi Dainah, International Relations Senior and a student volunteer at the Alumni Relations Office. Through this benchmarking the Alumni Relations Office identified more opportunities of how they can engage and support the alumni in future.
By Esther Lihavi
The USIU-Africa Alumni Relations Office recently hosted Mr. Lu Ntenya, the Alumni Relations Officer of the University of Cape Town (UCT), on Friday, May 19, for a benchmarking exercise. The event was attended by members of the USIU-Africa fundraising team, Mr. Eannes Ongus and Mr. Solomon Mainye. Ms. Linet Aguko, the Director of the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa, and Ms. Eunice Madzo, the Program Coordinator of the Transitions Office, also graced the occasion. This gathering followed a networking dinner organized by the UCT alumni office on Thursday, May 18, for their alumni based in Nairobi, to which the USIU-Africa Alumni department was invited.
During the benchmarking session, Mr. Lu expressed his enthusiasm to learn about the best alumni engagement practices implemented by USIU-Africa, as well as the programs that impact fundraising from the alumni. He was also introduced to the Raiser's Edge Advancement system, which facilitates alumni relations, engagement, and fundraising activities at USIU-Africa. Furthermore, the USIU-Africa team briefed Mr. Lu on the interconnected platforms they utilize for networking within the alumni community and automatic data updating, namely Graduway and DevMan. Graduway allows alumni to communicate with each other, post opportunities, and update their contact information.
Both teams also exchanged information about various alumni engagement programs featured in their respective calendars of events. UCT organizes events focused on Youth Month, Women's Month, Heritage Month, and others. They also participate in lifestyle events in which their alumni are involved, such as marathons, and share the highlights with other alumni through their monthly newsletter. To support these events, UCT partners with corporations like Cars Jaguar for sponsorships. Similarly, the USIU-Africa Alumni Relations department also seeks sponsorships for its events. They also engage with student activities such as orientation week and graduation, similar to the USIU-Africa Alumni Office.
Mr. Lu was particularly impressed by how the USIU-Africa Alumni Office utilizes its merchandise to promote itself through the USIU-Africa brand store. He was also amazed by the level of social media engagement demonstrated by the office. Recognizing that social media is an effective tool to reach a majority of UCT's over 200,000 alumni, he acknowledged it as a valuable resource.
The benchmarking activity was organized and coordinated by Mr. Michael Kisilu, the Principal Alumni Relations Officer, along with Lihavi Dainah, the Alumni Relations Officer, and Winnie Tewendi, the MasterCard Graduate Associate at the Alumni Relations Office. Through this benchmarking exercise, the Alumni Relations Office identified new opportunities to engage and support alumni in the future, as well as explore potential partnerships with UCT.
By CTW Team
The Chandaria School of Business has formally received accreditation to offer Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) courses. The courses are designed to offer students cross-sector accounting and finance knowledge, skills and professional and ethical values needed in all organizations and every industry.
By receiving the accreditation, exemptions will be granted to USIU-Africa students who are enrolled (or have completed) the following programs - BSC. Accounting, BSc. Finance and BSc. International Business Administration.
Speaking to CTW, Dr. San Lio, who is the program coordinator at USIU-Africa, notes that the ACCA accreditation is an indicator that students in the Business and Accounting programs at the Chandaria School of Business receive professional knowledge that equips them to be competent candidates in the regional and global job market.
“The ACCA accreditation reflects the strength of the programs being offered by USIU-Africa. By undertaking the ACCA courses, our students will continue to enjoy an education that incorporates practical and professional aspects which will help our students to become knowledgeable accounting professionals,” he added.
According to ACCA, its qualifications open doors for students to access satisfying, strategic work all over the world, while employers have a pool of strategic professionals required to grow businesses and organizations.
For additional information on the program, please contact Dr. Sammy Lio on slio@usiu.ac.ke, Mr. Shadrack Lomoywara on slomoywara@usiu.ac.ke or Prof. Amos Njuguna on amnjuguna@usiu.ac.ke.
By Counselling Department
Grief is the emotional suffering you feel when something you value or someone you love is taken away from you. This pain can be overwhelming resulting in the experience of unexpected and difficult emotions. Grieving is a highly individual experience; there's no right or wrong way to grieve. Even then, it can still be incredibly challenging to navigate through the process.
This past week, the Counseling Center hosted a webinar on getting through grief, providing an opportunity for individuals to delve into the complexities of coping with loss. The session aimed at providing education on the different types of losses, the various factors influencing how we grieve, stages of grief and the strategies and support for individuals navigating through the challenging journey of grief. Some of the strategies outlined included; acknowledging your pain, accepting that grief can trigger many different and unexpected emotions, understanding that your grieving process will be unique to you, seeking out face-to-face support from people who care about you, supporting yourself emotionally by taking care of yourself physically and recognizing the difference between grief and depression.
The presenter, Ms. Adolphine Nyandoro (Senior Counselor), also encouraged the participants to share ways through which they can grieve in a healthy way and the need to seek therapy to be able to navigate through the stages. The Counseling Center will also facilitate a virtual support group every Friday, from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, in the month of February to provide more support to the participants.
By Counseling Department
The Counseling Department’s mandate is to provide comprehensive, quality, sustainable, preventive, supportive, and curative psychological services to the university community with a variety of personal, academic, social, and emotional concerns that could affect their ability to function at their optimum. The Department collaborated with the Counseling Center’s Open Week committee and the Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) in organizing a two-day event on February 13 & 14 to create awareness to the community about the services it offers. The main objective of the event was to demystify stigma surrounding mental health in order to increase the number of people seeking counseling services to mitigate, manage and restore individual’s mental well-being.
This event attracted more than 300 people who came to engage in the activities that were being offered such as numerous personality and self-awareness tests, love languages tests for both singles and couples, temperament tests, attachment styles, time management test etc. The event organized de-stress fun games such as what do you meme, connect, scrabble, chess & checkers and art therapy. This two-day event was successful since the community gave positive feedback of how thrilled they were to have participated in the different assessments and de-stress activities available at the tents. During the event, besides encouraging partners to shower their partners with love, there was a lot of emphasis on self-love and self-care among singles and even those in relationships.
By Lauryn Ojore
The USIU-Africa Criminal Justice Club recently hosted a Forensic Day on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, which was attended by club members not limited to just criminal justice majors. The event was a hands-on experience in the world of forensics and provided the students with a comprehensive understanding of crime scene analysis, interrogation techniques, and anatomy lab procedures.
The first part of the event was a tour of the crime scene house, where the club members aimed to identify the crime that was committed based on the evidence found at the scene. There were two cases and through their observations and analysis, the students came to the conclusion that the crimes were burglary and murder. This exercise helped the students understand how to analyze crime scenes and how to gather evidence, which ties back to the classes they have in school.
The interrogation room was a highlight of the event, where the students were guided by the club patron, Ms. Rachel Ngumi. She provided a criminal investigative perspective on the case, and the students learnt about different techniques and equipment used in interrogations, and applied what they learned tying it to the cases done at the crime scene house.
Finally, the tour of the forensic lab was a chance for the students to learn about various aspects of forensics such as fingerprint analysis. They were able to tour the anatomy lab and learn about proper specimen collection, embalming, pathology, and the relevance of habeas corpus. This part of the event was particularly beneficial for students who are interested in forensic science and the role it plays in criminal investigations.
The Forensic Day event was a huge success. It tied back to the classes that the students have in school and provided a hands-on approach to the subject matter, learning about aspects which will be useful in their future careers. The event was well-organized and the students gained valuable knowledge that will be useful in their future careers. The Criminal Justice Club plans to host similar events in the future to continue to provide students with hands-on learning experiences.
By Lauryn Ojore
The Criminal Justice Club hosted the second leg of the in-house Mock Trials on November 16, 2022 at the USIU-Africa Moot Court. In Criminal Justice education, the use of simulation can provide students with an exciting opportunity to experience “real world” situations in the classrooms or in extracurricular activities such as Mock Trials. It offers a chance for students to satisfy their natural curiosity through role play.
A Mock Trial is a competition in which students simulate a real trial using pure fictional cases. It allows students to practice lower-court trials where they represent a party, prepare a case for trial and try the case to a jury. The competition is made up of two teams, one side being the prosecution side and the other being the defense side.
The trial then begins with opening statements, direct examinations, cross-examinations, and closing statements. Since each team provides 3 witnesses in a round, a total of 6 witnesses will be presented in each round of competition, each requiring a direct examination (by an attorney on their team) and a cross examination (by an attorney from the opposing team). All of these are prepared prior to trial.
The case for this semester was centered on Battered woman syndrome. Presided over by the judge, Claudia Mugaki, the Prosecution team made up of Lauryn Ojore, Salma Osman and Victor Mwendwa tried to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant, “Mrs. Zalika Asani” was guilty of murder, while Defense, made up of Stacie Mwangi and Millicent Mudiwa had a goal to defend the defendant on grounds of self-defense. This was an exciting, engaging experience, not only for the attorneys but for each and every role player who brought the whole court to life. Defense attorney Stacie says, “I am more confident speaking in front of crowds. I have learned how to approach issues in a creative manner and effectively communicate my client’s position to a judge.”
Giving credit where it is due, CJC could not have thrived without the guidance and tutelage of club patron Dr. Christopher Cooper and co-patron Rachael Ngumi. As a club, CJC has witnessed immense growth this year and have plans to continue building partnerships through empowerment and strength not only in USIU-Africa, but all over the world through their associations.
By Mercy Tania
Members of the Criminal Justice club went on a life-changing trip to the US Embassy in Nairobi in an attempt to deepen their knowledge of international law and the justice systems around the world. This visit served as more than just a trip; it opened the members to the complex mechanisms of international justice.
The Embassy was filled with enthusiasm as the club members interacted with the staff and distinguished speakers. Kemunto Julie, a renowned lawyer and a lecturer of law at Kabarak Law School whose transition from Kenya to the United States was made possible when she was granted a scholarship by the Embassy, was one of the people in attendance. Her story was one of resilience, inspiration, and the transformational potential of education. The students found great inspiration from Julie's story, which provided a practical illustration of how opportunities, especially pursing educational can mold and reshape a person's path in the pursuit of justice. Her presence gave the club members a sense of purpose and ambition by illuminating the opportunities that awaited those who were passionate about criminal justice.
Additionally, the members benefited greatly from the insightful and experienced participation of Deputy Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Inspector Abubakar, whose knowledge of law enforcement in Kenya was practical. His anecdotes and first-hand stories bridged the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application by providing a vivid picture of the difficulties and victories faced in the field of criminal justice, especially from a police officer’s perspective.
The students also had an opportunity to hear from Patricia Wakushama, who is an alumna. Her distinction as one of the first people to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from USIU-Africa gave her a special viewpoint and her transition from student to practitioner was a source of inspiration. Her advice and mentoring gave the conversation a more intimate feel and promoted a culture of growth and learning among all participants.
The exchange of ideas among the club members, the Embassy staff, and the distinguished speakers went beyond national boundaries, highlighting the fact that the pursuit of justice is an international endeavor. The sharing of concepts, insights, and knowledge was more than just academic; it also served as a spark for intellectual and personal growth.
The club members left the Embassy with a deeper understanding of the global interconnectivity of justice systems in addition to newfound insights into international law and law enforcement.
By Nzilani Muthio
On Saturday July 29, The Dean’s Resident Advisory Board (DRAB) organized a day trip to Oloolua Nature Trail that was attended by both the residents, non-residents and two staff members from the USIU-Africa Housing office. Oloolua is an indigenous tropical forest in the suburbs of Karen. The objective of the trip was to unwind from a busy school schedule and have a weekend escape in the woods right before exams.
We began our adventure at Oloolua with the help of a tour guide who not only guided us throughout the hike but also explained the important history of the forest. Our first stop on the 5km trail was the watchtower, which was used by researchers to observe a Crowned Eagle that lived in the forest. The hike included a visit to a waterfall in the forest which drains into the Mbagathi River. How relaxing the sound of the waterfall was!
Our next stop was the papyrus swamp on our way to the 37m long cave. The cave is said to have housed the Mau Mau fighters during the colonial era. We were only allowed to go 17m in the cave, as beyond that, the cave was inhabited by nocturnal animals, hyenas, and snakes.
After trailing through the bushes and our feet burning after the 5km walk, we assembled at the picnic site for lunch, where we played games and socialized with each other, while others enjoyed bike rides along the forest trails.
This fantastic day was made possible by the newly elected DRAB leaders- Evelyn Mmabila Angel Musomba, Nzilani Muthio, Imani Naitore, Moses Mayen, the USIU-Africa Housing office under Mr. Geoffrey Owino, and of course the students who attended the trip.
By the Development Office
The Department of Development (Fundraising) launched the 2022 Annual Month of Giving Campaign scheduled from May 30 - June 30, 2022. This campaign themed ‘Looking Forward, Giving Back’ is an opportunity to rally the university community and its stakeholders to give in causes of their choice as maybe aligned to the 2021 - 2026 USIU-Africa Strategic Plan which has five goals of: Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Distinction in Research and Scholarship; Competitiveness in creative works; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Excellence in Service and Community Engagement and Organizational Excellence.
Through this initiative, the Office hopes to:
Some of the causes you can give to include but not limited to:
As an important university stakeholder, we invite you to participate in our Annual Month Giving Campaign and seek your partnership and that of your friends/network through:
1. Personal giving/donation
You can make your donation through:
a) MPESA Paybill (Business no: 516900, Account no: AMG2022) or
b) Giving through payroll (For employees only)
c) Debit Accounts (For students only)
d) Make a pledge here
2. Sharing about the campaign within your network/circle through Facebook, Instagram, email, WhatsApp and text.
3. Any other support that may be accorded.
For inquiries, kindly email: devt@usiu.ac.ke
Or call +254 730 116 /326 /440 /205.
By Dr. Simeon Sungi
The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice hosted the Criminology and Criminal Justice Conference (CCJC) 2021 from July 29- 30, 2021. This year’s conference was a virtual conference that brought together academics, practitioners, and students who presented academic work related to this year’s theme "Enhancing Access to Justice in the Criminal Justice System during a Global Pandemic”.
The Criminology and Criminal Justice Conference (CCJC) is a creation of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa). The CCJC’s mission is to provide a forum for academics, practitioners, and students pursuing disciplines of criminology, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, law, anthropology, political science, and others, a platform to share research and practical experiences relating to crime causation, crime prevention, criminal justice policy and reform. The CCJC is the only conference in the East and Central African region that brings together academics, practitioners, and students across the greater East African region, Africa, and the World. The inaugural Conference was held on June 19-20, 2018, and the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice has continued holding this annual conference in the Summer semester (June-July) every year.
Access to justice is a basic principle of the rule of law. In the absence of access to justice, people are unable to have their voice heard, exercise their rights, challenge discrimination, or hold decision-makers accountable. This goes hand-in-hand with the rights of the accused person in a criminal trial. The declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency forced criminal justice systems across the globe to create innovative ways in the delivery of justice. The effects of COVID-19 have been heavily borne by the criminal justice systems, most, which were not equipped to effectively function in the context of a pandemic.
This year’s conference hosted delegates from various criminal justice institutions. Among the delegates were scholars from various institutions of higher learning in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States together with criminal justice practitioners from Kenya and the East African region. The Chair of the 2021 conference was Dr. Joselyne Nkogo, the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow, 2021, and an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in the United States. The Keynote speaker was Mr. Gerard Wandera, the Director of the National Crime Research Center. Mr. Wandera thanked the conference organizing committee for hosting the 2021 conference and that the theme was timely and thought-provoking. He thanked all the delegates for making time to share their experiences and research, which related to the conference theme.
Criminal justice students and alumni also had the opportunity to share their experiences on the training they are receiving and for alumni (received) in the department of sociology and criminal justice at USIU-Africa. It was gratifying to note how the program’s alumni were contributing to the field of Criminal Justice, both locally and elsewhere.
A total of 33 presentations were made in the two days of the deliberations. The papers focused on the following sub-themes:
The organizing committee is now preparing the conference proceedings that will be disseminated to all stakeholders in the criminal justice system in Kenya so that they can form part of evidence-based decision-making in the criminal justice system in the country, in East Africa, Africa, and globally. The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice is looking forward to hosting the Conference again in July 2022.
By Aquillah Onchana
Last Saturday, the office of the Member of County Assembly (MCA) Roysambu Ward in partnership with USIU-Africa and the Kasarani Neighborhood Association (KNA) hosted a forum at the Auditorium from 9 am to 2 pm where about 150 stakeholders and residents’ associations attended.
This forum not only addressed socio-economic issues but also forged a web of strong bonds in the community. From passionate entrepreneurs to spirited community leaders, everyone found their place in this symphony of voices. The guest speaker, Mr. Njoroge Kagwe, presented a detailed presentation on the structure. Thereafter, six committees were formed to address the key challenges facing the ward. They include; Education, Public health and hygiene, Environment, Social welfare, culture, sports, and affirmative groups, Infrastructure development, lands and planning and Security. The power of collective action became the cornerstone of this newfound Roysambu spirit.
Mr. Gabriel Kanja from the office of the MCA chaired the organizing committee that comprised of Simon Kiarie and Lucy Wairimu from the office of the MCA, Jemima Oloo from Marketing and Communication office and Aquillah Onchana from Development Office. With the support of Hon. Sospeter Githahu and Mr. Eannes Ongus, Chair Development Office, the event was a success.
This collaboration exemplified USIU-Africa’s dedication to foster meaningful partnerships with the community.
By Juliet Wangui Maina
The never ending dilemma between fun nights and school days in USIU-Africa grows with each passing week during a semester. While its known that weekends are from Friday and for working people sometimes Saturday, it has become tradition in USIU-Africa for weekends to start on Thursday. Freshmen introduced to the entire idea first think it quite strange that this is an obvious party night in not only the local joints around school but in other clubs and pubs.
While this is perfectly fine and the adjustments the students have made to fit within the schedules are working in relation to the students’ commendable grades, shouldn’t we also consider the freshmen and students who might find it hard to cope with it all? More specifically what could be the next step that students could take in order to curb the issue?
Interviews with students show that most believe that the best response to the issue would be individual, that the affected students should endeavor to grow out of being ‘yes’ men and create better futures for themselves.
Do Thursday party nights have a solution or rather, do they need a solution?
Students went on to argue the fact that having Thursday nights set aside for parties does more harm than good in relation to the academic stress collected during the week. It is a means of letting loose when everything seems held up and tight, they say.
While the argument could go on over and over again about being responsible for yourself and asking for help when needed, the decision made will ultimately affect the growth of the student fraternity.
By Elizabeth Wanjiku
On November 28, the USIU-Africa Disability Inclusion office hosted the university community at a celebration of the launch of the USIU-Africa Disability Inclusion Policy as they marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities that is globally celebrated on December 3. External stakeholders were also invited to mark and celebrate the milestones that the University has taken to enhance the commitment to diversity and inclusion in the university.
The Chief Guest was Hon. Isaac Mwaura- the Government Spokesperson, former Senator and Cabinet Administrative Secretary (CAS). Other guests in attendance included the Deputy Minister in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and co-founder of the Albinism Society of Kenya Grace Okoth, Assistant Director of Education, at the Ministry of Education, Special Education Directorate who attended the event on behalf of Fred Haga, the Director of Special Education under the Ministry of Education.
In his remarks, Hon. Mwaura expressed his gratitude to the USIU-Africa community for giving him the opportunity to be part of the celebrations on the day. “We have come from far and we celebrate this day when USIU-Africa marks the launch of the Disability Inclusion Policy. This shows their commitment to the journey of inclusion and the strides made in ensuring that persons with disabilities are well represented,” he said.
He shared his experiences as a youth with albinism, noting that he faced challenges with stigma and scrimination,p; stating how he had to overcome outdated stereotypes in institutions. “I remember times when people in the parliamentary party I was in would wipe their hands after greeting me. Worst of it is that they would do it in my presence due to the belief that albinism is contagious,” he added.
But he said that this did not deter his will to purse his dreams. He has enjoyed great success and become the first ever Government Spokesperson with a disability. “I was selected on the basis of merit out of thousands of applicants. It was only after emerging as a successful applicant that anyone then thought of my names and my disability,” he concluded.
After the Chief Guest spoke, there was a panel discussion that invited guests’ panelists from international non-governmental organizations including Light for the World, UNICEF, Next Step Foundation to discuss issues around the challenges facing persons with disabilities in their access to education, transition to higher education and advocacy on funding to institutions of higher education in support of inclusive education. The discussion questions revolved around the theme, ‘United in Action to Rescue and Achieve the SDG’s for, with and by persons with disabilities.’
The guest speaker, Grace Okoth, noted that the day was one of reflection where USIU-Africa needed to look back to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts they had made on matters disability inclusion.
“Next year while celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, you should be able to look back and mark how far you have come, what measurable efforts you have made since and where you want to go. Setting targets will help you achieve your targets and those targets can be set as early as now,” she said.
USIU-Africa’s Disability Inclusion Policy was developed in 2018, reviewed and approved in 2022 and commits to provide all the structures, processes and resources necessary for the implementation of the policy.
By Elizabeth Wanjiku
The USIU-Africa Persons with Disabilities Club, in collaboration with the Disability Inclusion Office and the Sports Department hosted the Inclusive Sports Day on February 29, to mark the Low Vision Awareness month.
The day commenced with an opening ceremony presided by Ms. Halima Bakari from the Sports Department and Ms. Elizabeth Wanjiku from the Disability Inclusion Office who welcomed the guests, and also kicked-off the first game, goal-ball, with the hosting team and invited guests facing off. The game was played concurrently with inclusive scrabble and chess at the Basketball court, while adopted swimming was conducted at the swimming pool.
The sports event officiated by external experts in para-sports, provided an avenue for individuals with low vision to showcase their talents and participate actively alongside their peers, with winners in each activity receiving a medal award according to merit.
The players and participants invited from Thika primary, University of Nairobi and Machakos Teachers College, were awarded at the closing ceremony where the Guest Speaker, Mr. Henry Wanyoike, a World Record holding Paralympic made his final remarks.
“We have to show the world that we can also make it in life. The only way to demand opportunities is for us to be prepared to be excellent once the opportunities are accorded to us. I have known the power of sports and how far sports can take a person. If we want the world to know our potential, then we have to prepare and train because there are a lot of opportunities,” he said.
Metrocare Health Clinic was on ground and conducted free eye screening services in a bid to address eye health, enabling participants to check their visual health and gain insights into preventing low vision and potential blindness.
This pioneering initiative set a precedent for future events, highlighting USIU-Africa's commitment to fostering an inclusive campus environment where everyone is valued and supported.
By Elizabeth Wanjiku
On Wednesday November 15, the Disability Inclusion office organized an internal stakeholders meeting that brought staff and faculty together, as well key service providers to discuss the USIU-Africa Disability Inclusion policy, the implementation plan and the accessibility report recommendations.
The stakeholders were drawn from various Divisions and Departments such as the Academic Affairs, School Deans, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Quality Assurance, Registrar, Library, Admissions, Advancement and Partnerships, Sports, Counselling, Gender, Equity and Protection etc. In attendance also was Light for the World, who are partners in disability inclusion.
The first session began with a dissemination session of the policy, the implementation plan and review of the time frames. One participant inquired about the disciplinary actions of students with disabilities and the response was that all students with and without disabilities are governed by the Student Handbook that they abide by. Additionally, the Disability Inclusion Policy specifically stipulates the responsibilities of students with disabilities towards the university community. Another question was related to the definition of the term disability as participants noted that there are different definitions and one of the facilitators clarified that a disability results from a long-term impairment that interacts with a barrier. The stakeholders also noted the inter-change of the term disability inclusion versus the policy terms disability and inclusion. This was noted as a gap to be addressed in the next review in three years’ time.
The second session was facilitated by Light for the World, who divided the participants into four groups to discuss the three documents using the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis in these six domains: strategy, human resources management, accessibility, partnerships, student enrolment and accompaniment, curriculum delivery, development and implementation. Some of the strengths highlighted by participants included the existence of the Disability Inclusion Policy and its implementation plan, the commitment to diversity and inclusion in the University Strategic Plan Goal 4 to develop a supportive, effective, and impactful culture (We are One). Some of the weaknesses included the lack of an action plan that states the actions leading to the achievement of the implementation plan. Threats included partial accessibility of most facilities on campus as well as a gap in resource mobilization when forming partnerships, among others. The opportunities included a proposal to introduce a self-disclosure form that will help capture data of the university community of persons with disabilities to inform programming and budgeting.
The key priority areas identified are sensitization and awareness, training and capacity building, centralization of data for the university community of persons with disabilities, faculty training and skills development to support accessibility, budgeting and resource allocation, and improvement of physical accessibility i.e., maintenance of lifts, signages.
By Diana Meso
On Thursday, December 2, the Division of Legal Services partnered once again with Gikera & Vadgama Advocates (GVA) to hold the second edition of the Data Protection & Privacy (Risk Imperatives) webinar, with an aim of digging deeper into the obligations the university has, as an institution of higher learning, when it comes to handling personal data.
Moderating the event, Ms. Helen Ambasa, Director of Legal Services, welcomed the participants and facilitators to look inward or navel gaze as it were, into what kind of data the university deals with on a daily basis, as well as how to ensure that the data is collected, used and stored in a lawful way. She commended the university for developing and implementing a data protection and privacy policy long before the enactment of the Data Protection Act, 2019.
Mr. Emmanuel Ouma, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and presently an associate in the Dispute Resolution Department GVA, started by explaining the kind of data collected and processed from when a student begins the admission process and the best practices aligning to the Data Protection Act.
“Name, year of birth, gender and parents/guardian information are some of the data collected from students who are joining the university through the admissions office and then shared with the registrar,” he said.
Mr. Ouma mentioned that at the very basis of collecting this data, the university has to consider the issue of consent, transparency, limitation of retention, integrity and lawfulness. He further went on to ask the following questions that the university might want to consider regarding the same:-
Elaborating on some the legal terms frequently used when it comes to data protection, Mr. Felix Mung’ara, Associate GVA, defined Personal Data, Data Controller, Data Processor and Data Subject. Personal Data is any data that can be used to identify a natural person, a Data Controller is person or a legal entity that collects and determines how data will be used, for example, USIU-Africa, a Data Processor person or a legal entity who is under instructions from the Data Controller on how to handle the data, for example, the Finance or Human Resource departments and a Data subject is the person providing information. He also articulated the distinctions made in the Data Protection Act on personal data and sensitive personal data.
Furthering the discussions Ms. Kananu Mutea, Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution, GVA, pointed out that a university is like a city; it has different components that are data oriented and share data consistently. She said that data can be collected in form of certificates, photographs, CCTV footage, biometric and serve various purposes including finding out the suitability of a person for a certain role, pension processing, performance review, training and development among other things.
Additionally, Ms. Mutea said that the data collected can be shared with different entities like the Ministry of Education, Donors, Insurance providers, unions and security agents. However, she cautioned data controllers and processors on sharing data with integrity and for the rightful reason.
Reacting to participants questions and comments, the following points were highlighted;
In concluding, participants were informed that the Data Protection Act, 2019 provides for sanctions in the event of unlawful disclosure of personal data: said sanctions include a fine not exceeding three million shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or to both a fine and imprisonment.
By Anne Nakhungu Cheloti
On the 18th of October 2023, Ms. Helen Ambasa, Director of Legal Services, moderated a panel discussion on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) whose main aim was debunking the myths surrounding the subject. The panel included a team from Gikera and Vadgama Advocates, led by Kananu Mutea, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution, Julie Mulindi, and Luke Ong’wen, who are both Associates in the Dispute Resolution Department.
Some of the myths surrounding Alternative Dispute Resolution that were debunked during the panel discussion were: Mediation always leads to compromises, Mediation leads to a verdict, ADR is expensive, It is not always worth going to court if you have a good case and, whether mediation is effective for big cases. The panelists assisted in debunking these myths and providing a better understanding of the role of ADR in dispute resolution as depicted in the sections below.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) can be defined as a means by which parties to a dispute can resolve the dispute and reach an agreement without trial. There are various forms of ADR. These include: Arbitration, Negotiation, Mediation, Conciliation. Article 159(2)(c) of the Constitution of Kenya provides that these alternative forms of dispute resolution shall be among the guiding principles for courts and tribunals.
The panelists provided insight on the key differences between the various forms of ADR. Arbitration was described as the most formal. It requires parties to a dispute to agree to submit their dispute to arbitration. A third-party individual is then selected who will act as the arbitrator in the matter and eventually reach a decision on behalf of the parties that will be binding on them. Mediation was described as a form of ADR which involves the facilitation of discussions between the parties in dispute. A neutral third party known as a mediator is selected and they assist the parties to communicate and understand each other’s perspective. The mediator unlike the arbitrator, does not issue legal advice or impose a decision on the parties. The mediator allows the parties to reach an agreement acceptable to both parties. Conciliation is similar to mediation in the sense that it is a voluntary process which involves a third party known as a conciliator. The panelists stipulated that Conciliation can be applied where a trade union has a dispute with an employer. The conciliator acts in the same capacity as a mediator by facilitating the discussion between the trade union and the employer. Negotiation unlike arbitration, mediation and, conciliation does not involve a third party. The parties to the dispute have to agree to negotiate. It is a voluntary process meaning that both parties have to be willing to engage. Negotiation can be either direct or indirect. Direct negotiation involves the affected parties, while indirect negotiation involves their representatives.
The panelists also emphasized that for ADR to be effective certain fundamentals had to be present. These were: Trust in the process, Trust in the outcome and Honesty.
Additionally, the panelists provided some advantages associated with the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution. These include: ADR gives the parties more control over the process and the solution, there is no publicity meaning that it is private and confidential, ADR is less formal and could sometimes involve non-legal discussions especially in Negotiation and Mediation, that the third parties in ADR do not have to be lawyers, they can be trained persons from other professions, and lastly, some forms of ADR such as Negotiation, are less costly. The panelists further elaborated on the conversation surrounding confidentiality. They clarified that maintaining confidentiality is intended to allow for open and unrestricted communication between parties. To preserve privilege, parties are required to sign a confidential agreement. Therefore, if either of the parties proceeds with the matter to court and produces the documents, the court will expunge the documents from the record. It is only in the event that an agreement cannot be reached and/or one of the parties has failed to fulfil the terms of the agreement that either of the parties may file a suit in court.
The panelists further spoke on ADR in the criminal justice system. Some of the matters discussed were: The diversion policy which was introduced by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in 2019. The aim of this policy was to give offenders a second chance. The offender is first required to be taken through a victim impact assessment and if successful, the agreement is then prepared by the prosecutor and signed by the offender. Thereafter, they are to sign an agreement that sets out the terms of the diversion which if breached will bear particular consequences, including prosecution. Further, the panelists emphasized that such agreements, if procured by fraud or misrepresentation, can be cancelled. Diversion is achieved through reintegration of the individual back to society such that they avoid a criminal record but are still held liable for their actions. Nonetheless, there are some instances when diversion cannot be applied such as in cases of rape and murder, defilement as well as capital offences.
Additionally, the panelists discussed the use of Traditional Dispute Resolution Mechanisms (TDRMs) in court. They stipulated that the Constitution makes provision for the application of TDRMs in so far as they do not contravene the Bill of Rights, are not repugnant to justice and morality and, are not inconsistent with the Constitution or any other written law. They further made reference to the SM Otieno case where the court allowed for the application of TDRMs. Lastly, they added that TDRMs are typically applied in misdemeanors.
Finally, each of the panelists offered key points concerning ADR. These included: that ADR when properly used is a very welcome tool; it is a friend, that ADR is not a universal remedy for all disputes but it is useful in certain situations, and lastly, that ADR allows parties control to participate in creative solutions that allow them to think outside the box and weigh their choices wisely. They concluded by informing participants about where they can gain certification in Arbitration and Mediation.
By Diana Meso
Just how well do you understand the borders of Intellectual Property (IP)? In a webinar dubbed “Entertainment and Copyright Law-The New Frontier” organized and moderated by Hellen Ambasa (Director Legal Services and Company Secretary) on Wednesday, June 24, four great minds came together to give insights on matters IP.
The event which was live-streamed on Facebook saw close to 1000 participants get engaged about what it means to have an idea, how to express it legally and make a living out of it, and when, where, and how it should be used. Kicking off the discussion was Sharon Chahale-Wata (Advocate of the High Court) who explained what Copyright Law entails.
Advocate Chahale-Wata said that Copyright Law is the right to protection of someone’s moral and material interest resulting from any scientific, literary, or artistic production of which he/she is the author. In simple terms, the law gives you the right to control the use of your work, to control who can reproduce it and who can distribute it. It is considered a fundamental human right and has provisions in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In Kenya, this is recognized and supported by articles 11, 40, and 69 of the Kenyan Constitution (2010) and the Copyright Amendment Act (2019), which recognizes and enhances intellectual property, and states that Copyright encompasses moral and economic rights.
Advocate Wata also noted that copyright is supposed to be a bridge between the creator and the user and should not be viewed as a way to punish one party, because the idea is not to bar people from accessing and using someone’s work but for the creator to receive some reward for what they have created.
On the other hand, Liz Lenjo Kags who is also an Advocate of the High Court took on Entertainment law stating that among other things, this protects one’s idea after it has been expressed in a material form. The law governs the transactions with your idea; how it is shared, marketed, distributed, broadcasted, and so on.
From the discussion, it is important to take note of the following key points;
Also present as a moderator was Advocate Susan Obunga Guya who specializes in Intellectual Property and Data Protection.
By Ashil Lakhani
The Electoral College and the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences organized a Basic Life Support Training on March 4, 2023 in partnership with Medswipe Africa. The training, which attracted 11 students also included the participation of two USIU-Africa Alumni, Dr. Nur Said and Dr. Ashna Maru, who together with our 2nd year student Joy-Frida Kendi are now part of the Medswipe Volunteer program. In attendance were the Electoral College representative, Ashwani Hirani and two other instructors from Medswipe, Dr. Fred Mboya and Dr. Niharika Mukherjee.
The Basic Life Support (BLS) is a course that is designed to teach a variety of healthcare professionals how to recognize a number of life-threatening emergencies, how to provide CPR, how to use an AED and how to relieve choking in a safe, timely and effective manner.
Medswipe Africa is a Kenyan based organization whose goal is to empower those working in the health sector and connecting them to each other and the community. We work to achieve this through our innovative training programs. We believe that taking care of healthcare professionals' needs and offering medical education to the community goes a long way in ensuring a robust healthcare system.
By Wanjiku Thuku and Jordan Githire
The Environmental Society (ENSO) Club had a jam-packed Friday of activities as they headed to the Nairobi National Park for a game drive on Friday, February 10, 2023. The group was taken around the park in a full circuit by two guides who took them on a very insightful and educational journey as they learned how some of the animals, which included white rhinos, lions, and elephants (which are not found in the Nairobi National Park) as well as giraffes are endangered species as well as how the other animals co-exist in a delicate harmonious habitat.
The group was also driven to a picnic site as well as an ivory-burning site to see an oasis made up of palm trees in the center of the park where they learned about the various indigenous trees/plantation that serve as a water source to keep the animals and vegetation hydrated.
We also noticed that some breeds of animals live amongst others that are not of their caliber, some of this wildlife having suffered severely from the drought going into hibernation or leading to their demise whose carcasses are then fed on by scavengers like eagles, marabou storks, and hyenas.
One of the Club members, Jordan Githire, noted that the trip was an eye-opening experience which gave him insights into how the Park’s ecosystem worked.
“Through the Environmental Society, I got to witness the beauty of the park and gain firsthand insight into the dangers that climate change poses to the environment. I remember a very sad scene of a single antelope hiding under a very small tree in a vast Savannah with scorching heat. Nature showed us her wild side through several carcasses scattered all over the park and I even remember one we could smell from inside the bus!” he said.
Overall, it was a sunny day full of many life and conservational lessons, fun, and laughter. We look forward to the next exciting adventure courtesy of ENSO.
By Patience Chelimo
The Environmental Society Club (ENSO) held a week long Environmental event dubbed ENSO Week from Tuesday, 4- Friday, 7, October, 2022. This event was held in celebration of World Animals Day, World Oceans Day, World Environment Day and World Giraffes Day which all took place on various dates this year.
ENSO week kicked off with various activities being held such as: upcycling and painting single use plastic bottles into pots for growing succulent plants, making environmentally themed stickers, adopting trees, and peer to peer discussions on environmental issues and what kind of action can be taken to help save our planet.
Tashley Riiba, a lead volunteer at ENSO, led a discussion aimed at raising awareness on ocean pollution in the Taiwan Sea and on the endangered marine life at the Kenyan coast. The discussion highlighted the importance of reducing and properly disposing single use plastics which has been polluting our oceans.
Day two saw the club partner with local activists from the Growth 4 Change Community who gave a talk educating the students on their Hydroponics farming project dubbed ‘Food is Politics’. This sustainable project has been made available by various groups under the Growth 4 Change platform to communities in neighborhoods such as Dandora, Baba Dogo and Korogocho to help them grow healthy and fresh foods.
In the final days of ENSO Week, the members as well as other USIU-Africa students who adopted trees convened and walked to the USIU -Africa sports grounds to planted over one hundred trees of various species, including Eucalyptus, Cypress and assorted fruit trees. This initiative will indeed increase the University’s tree cover, countering the effects of deforestation.
The Environmental Society club also invited the Africa Collect Textile, a community that collects textiles and shoes for reuse and recycling from around the country. Africa Collect Textile installed a textile bin drop off point in USIU-Africa where students can now make a sustainable change and donate their textile waste in a more sustainable manner.
The ENSO Vice-Chair noted that these events were just the beginning of the Society’s activities for the semester, adding that there were more activities in the pipeline, including the introduction of new recycling bins on campus to help with waste management and recycling at the dumping sites.
The event ended with a day trip to The Giraffe Center to celebrate World Giraffe Day which helps raise awareness on the endangered Rothschild giraffe, one of the 3 giraffe species found in Kenya.
For more information on the Society and how to become a member, click here.
By Jordan Ndirangu Githire
Standing amidst the rain-soaked beauty of Ngong Hills brought forth a profound sense of accomplishment. After weeks of meticulous planning and preparation, the club members had an opportunity to enjoy nature as the hiked Ngong Hills.
The resilience displayed by the team in the face of challenges, the camaraderie forged during the bus rescue mission when it got stuck in ditch, and the shared awe at the Ngong Hills majestic landscapes created a tapestry of memories that will linger in their minds for a long time. The feedback from our fellow students spoke volumes, with resounding expressions of anticipation for our next adventure.
A special note of gratitude extends to Noontlanta Tamia, whose unwavering commitment and assistance in piling rocks behind the bus in the pouring rain were instrumental. Noontlanta's dedication truly exemplified the spirit of teamwork and solidarity that defines our society. We are immensely grateful for her invaluable contribution.
The enthusiasm exuded by the members fuels the passion that drives our environmental initiatives. As we look back on this wet and wild journey, the shared joy and anticipation for future trips are a testament to the success of our collective efforts. I am proud to lead a society that not only advocates for environmental consciousness but also creates experiences that resonate with our community.
This is just the beginning, and I am eager to see our society continue to grow, evolve, and inspire positive change. Here's to more adventures, shared accomplishments, and a future filled with meaningful environmental impact.
By Evan Kamau
In learning, certain comparisons help and others hurt. Don't compare yourself to experts or your teachers. The worst comparison is to compare yourself to your ideal type, because you always lose. Don't compare yourself to other people because they are different types. They can do stuff you can't do and vice versa. Your only comparison should be between yourself and where you were when you began.
We take in information in two ways: through our senses and through intuition. Once we take in the data, we evaluate it in terms of thinking or in terms of feeling.
There are two axes. The vertical axis goes from concrete experience (feeling) to abstract conceptualization (thinking). The horizontal axis goes from reflective observation (intuition) to active experimentation (sensing).
In a problem solving cycle, the Diverger compares whatever it is to reality and identifies any differences. Then the Assimilator selects the problem and considers alternative solutions. The Converger evaluates the consequences of the solutions and selects one solution. Lastly, Accommodators execute that solution and choose a model or goal.
As a student you should realize that you are good at different things and you should organize tasks based on what you are best at. We all have a learning style that's useful for some things and not useful for other things.
For further insights, contact Evan on kamauevan@gmail.com
By CTW Team
On Tuesday, February 20, a Tripartite Collaborative Agreement between the Free Pentecostal Fellowship in Kenya (FPFK), University of Nairobi (UoN) and USIU-Africa was signed. The collaboration provides an opportunity for sharing of knowledge through joint research, training and publications through a five-year project dubbed Linda-Mtoto.
Linda Mtoto Project is founded on research findings that 1 billion children globally experience violence, exploitation and abuse. The United Nations Social Development Goals (SDGs) global agenda 2030’s clarion call to ‘leave no one behind’ appreciates children as a critical mass not to be left behind in the drive towards realization of global development.
The project will be implemented in Busia County, Kenya, which is the gateway to East Africa with two major border points at Busia and Malaba towns. This makes it prone to cross-border child trafficking among other forms of child abuse. The project will benefit both faculty and students who will be directly involved training, research, conferences and publications. Graduate students will use the data collected to write their Master’s theses and PhD dissertations.
The project is domiciled in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the faculty and staff involved in the five-year project include; Dr. Mercy Kaburu, (Co-PI), Professor Martin Njoroge, Dean SHSS, Professor Josephine Arasa, Dr. Francis Khayundi, and Senior Researcher Carol Yogo.
By Lauryn Ojore
March heralds Women's Month, a time when the global community unites to honor the indomitable spirit, resilience, and invaluable contributions of women worldwide. March 25 thus marked a significant moment at the university as the International Women’s Month (IWM) committee hosted the inaugural Women's Cafe event. The Women's Cafe initiative was born out of the recognition of the importance of providing a nurturing space for female students to engage in meaningful conversations. In a world where women's voices are often marginalized or silenced, this platform aims to challenge the status quo by offering a supportive and inclusive environment where every voice is not only heard but valued.
The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers, each bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. Beatrice Gachenge, the Head of Communications for the sub-Saharan region at Novartis, shared insights on navigating growth with a focus on the importance of ambition, belief in oneself, and unwavering commitment. Priscilla Muhiu, the Country Director at MYDAWA, inspired attendees with her journey of leadership and career development with a goal to create positive impact. Diana Sifuna, CEO of the Jonathan Jackson Foundation, emphasized the importance of finding one's voice and embracing opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The audience comprised not only USIU-Africa students but also girls from Garden Estate High School, reflecting the initiative's commitment to inclusivity and reaching out to young women from underprivileged backgrounds. For many of the high school girls, attending an event at a prestigious institution like USIU-Africa was a rare opportunity, one that opened doors to new possibilities and horizons. The Women's Cafe provided them with a glimpse into a world of higher education, professional development, and female empowerment, igniting aspirations and dreams that transcended the limitations of their immediate circumstances. Their presence emphasized the significance of intergenerational dialogue in fostering empowerment and social change. Despite their youth, their voices radiated resilience and determination, instilling hope for a more equitable and inclusive future.
The Women's Cafe event transcended its role as a mere gathering; throughout the event, participants were not only listeners but active contributors to a tapestry of narratives, experiences, and aspirations. Akosa Wambalaba delivered a powerful message, emphasizing the importance of self-perception and inner strength encouraging the audience to believe in themselves wholeheartedly, stressing that self-belief should precede societal expectations. On the other hand, Dr. Fatuma Ali shared insights into the privilege of education, stressing its transformative potential. She urged the audience to recognize the privilege of education as a gateway to opportunity and empowerment. She reassured them that uncertainty about the future is natural but encouraged them to pursue their passions relentlessly, further accentuating the value of living authentically and embracing one's unique experiences as a key to personal growth and fulfilment.
The success of the event would not have been possible without the outstanding work ethic of the IWM committee. Their hard work and dedication were instrumental in making the event a great success. More Importantly, the committee extends gratitude to Dr. Njoki Wamai (a USIU-Africa professor on politics, gender, and international studies) and Ms. Rachael Ngumi (Principal Officer Gender Equity and Protection- USIU-Africa) who provided invaluable support and guidance
As the curtains close on this inaugural event, its impact reverberates far beyond its conclusion. The Women's Cafe stands as a testament to the potential of collective action in championing gender equality and fostering a more inclusive society. It serves as a catalyst for ongoing dialogue, inspiration, and empowerment, paving the way for a brighter future where every woman's voice is heard and valued.
The UC Davis Pallet Dryer under installation. It uses solar energy to dry goods to enable farmers store goods for sale when conditions are favourable.
The USIU-Africa GAME Center was privileged to host an open forum where agribusiness entrepreneurs/experts shared their experiences on how they are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a practical, interactive and informative session that provides entrepreneurs an opportunity to learn and if applicable implement the lessons shared. The webinars provide opportunities to get real time data on how agribusiness entrepreneurs are coping with COVID-19 and mechanisms to become a resilient agribusiness entrepreneur now and in the future. Speaking during the webinar, Mr. Eston Muriithi from the Kenya Network for Dissemination of Agricultural Technologies (KENDAT), shared about the Heshimu Punda (Respect the Donkey) Programme which encourages donkey owners and users to value them as important animals which need to be taken care of considering the vital role they play in improving people's lives. KENDAT with the support of the Brooke Hospital for Animals advances capacity for humane utilization of Equines (horses, donkeys and mules) with particular attention to the highly neglected donkey.
The Heshimu Punda Programme advances practical community knowledge transfer efforts in donkey health & husbandry management, preventive care and policy influencing, among other livelihood interventions. KENDAT works through catalytic development interventions calling communities into action, to meet their own challenges, as they make informed demands on their development supporters, including the Government. Participants who joined the webinar learnt the importance of being part of KENDAT which offers agribusiness training, teaches farmers how to manage risks not only now but in the future, the need to diversify by working on perennial and bi-annual crops such as fruits, vegetables and rearing of animals.
Mr. Eric Ochola, the Managing Director and Founder of Better Crops Ltd shared how his organization has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that they were able to offer assistance to farmers through their new post-harvest management technologies.
“Our new post-harvest management technologies, provides solutions to small holder farmers by drying their commodities well and faster for safe storage, hence enabling them sell when the market is favorable thereby increasing household income, and also a technology that makes farmers have an accurate way to determine product dryness for safe storage, guaranteeing safe food to consumers and high quality yields to farmers,” he said.
“Our technologies include the UC Davis Pallet Dryer, an affordable technology for drying suited to use with crops such as maize, peanuts, chick-peas, beans, roots/ tubers, chillies and even specialty crops like coffee and cacao and the DryCard- a simple and affordable technology for measuring moisture content in a given commodity,” he added.
By Njoroge Chege
As we integrate 21st-century technology into our daily lives, we ought to be aware of the effects online social media platforms have on our university students. Social media is one of the best tools for students when it comes to networking, content creation, and a means of cash generation, even though it can be time-consuming, damaging, and practically vulnerable when it comes to bullying at universities and colleges.
The Good
In today’s world, social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, etc., are some of the most relied on tools by university students to generate revenue. If you have a smartphone, internet connection, and an account set up with one of the platforms, you can easily launch your channel and start creating income-generating content- it’s that simple.
Students utilize social media to network among themselves, discuss class assignments, and share about events taking place on campus and in the surrounding community. An example of this is how the student community was notified of the recent mugging of one of our students on USIU Road through WhatsApp.
Since they feel more at ease on social media platforms, many students tend to participate in online debates and conversations regarding their academics and any other grievances they may have. Students have also been able to enhance their reading and communication skills as well as stay up to date with current events across the world as seen in the infamous case of the late George Floyd and what has just transpired in Sri Lanka.
The Bad
Many university student lead lives where who they are is not as important as what they represent. What they represent on the social media is their new reality. Living a lie is the norm to the vast majority of them.
Society on the other hand is turning a blind eye to the issue rather than trying to comprehend how students are coping with social media, train them on how to audit their social media consumption and develop a preventative strategy on how not to overuse social media lest it becomes detrimental in their formative years.
F.O.M.O, the “fear of missing out” on social media has become the number 2 anxiety-inducing among many university students after the exam. Due to students’ incessant urge to post, check their status and share their feed, some individuals think social media is the most harmful tool for students.
The Ugly
Some lecturers have alleged that some students are selfies addicts and are constantly taking selfies, whether in class or outside class. On the other hand, experts have noted that social media has raised the prevalence of bullying among college students.
Tyler Clemnit committed suicide after going viral on social media after his roommate secretly filmed him kissing another boy and making his sexual orientation public.
Anita Sarkeesian, a Canadian-American student experienced another incident of cyberbullying when she got murder and gang-rape threats for expressing her strong feminist views on her website.
In conclusion, I think that students should assess their social media intake, students should develop a preventative strategy to avoid using social media excessively, and even though abstinence is not for everyone, we can at least practice safe “social media distancing,” especially with those who are close to us.
By Bonface Inganga
The housing department recently participated in a hike at Mt. Longonot in Naivasha, with 62 students and staff participating in the activity, which is held every semester. The hike, which is done to promote bonding among hostel residents saw students climb for three hours to the peak of Mt. Longonot, where they had an opportunity to take photos of the scenery and enjoy their lunch. Some of the more adventurous students went around the crater rim, a distance of 7. 6 kilometers.
By HultPrize Club
On March 1, 2023, The HultPrize USIU-Africa chapter held its social entrepreneurship competition that challenges teams of 2 to 5 students to develop innovative solutions to pressing global challenges. The event was attended by 70 students from 6 institutions.
Each year, the HultPrize focuses on a different theme, and the 2023 challenge is ‘Redesigning Fashion’. The fashion industry is known for its significant environmental impact, including the use of non-renewable resources, high levels of waste, and pollution. The challenge aimed to inspire students to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to transform the fashion industry, reduce waste, and promote social and environmental responsibility.
Distinguished experienced judges consisted of Winny Chepkemoi, the Governance & Gender Specialist at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mr. Kiseli, the Principal Academic Advisor at USIU-Africa, John Kabuu, the Principle officer in Quality Assurance at USIU-Africa, Reynold Mungai, the CEO of Lukhu, a company that addresses sustainable fashion and Winnie Chepchumba, a food systems analyst at the Food and Agriculture Organization at the United Nations (UN) Kenya Country Office. These judges joined the event to listen, critique, and present the winner of the 2023 on-campus competition.
After rigorous rounds of pitching and Q&A sessions with the judges, the final 3 teams were picked and awarded. The winning team ‘Better than Before’, will go on to represent HultPrize USIU-Africa at the Nairobi regional competition that will take place in June. All the teams that participated showcased exemplary dedication, passion, and hard work. They were truly inspiring and presented proof that with creativity and determination, we can make a positive impact in the world and create a better future for all.
The USIU-Africa team takes a group photo with the Makerere team following the conclusion of their benchmarking sessions
The University’s Human Resources department recently hosted a delegation from Makerere University for a benchmarking visit to learn more about the Human Resources Management Information System (HRMIS) that USIU-Africa has in place.
The team of five spent time learning about how they could implement a similar system at Makerere in their human resource business process / functional unit, which is made up of several sub-processes including recruitment, advertising, promotions, leaves, staff development, performance and appraisals, retirement benefits and compensation, exit, among others.
By Eric Kemei
The University’s ICT Department recently hosted a delegation from the Côte d ‘Ivorian Ministry of Education on Tuesday, March 10. The delegation visited the Campus to learn more about the Biometric system implemented in classrooms, the Library and at the gate, in order to understand how the University uses the system to manage access to campus and its potential impact on student retention.
The Government of Côte d'Ivoire is currently providing financial assistance to private schools and they wanted to setup a biometric system in order to better manage the student population through real-time the monitoring of school attendance.
Part of the delegates were: Faustin Koffi; Inspector General, Ministry of Education, Côte d'Ivoire; Mrs. Valérie Zoudiet Coulibaly; Managing Partner, International Bilingual Schools of Africa (IBSA); Mr. Mme Toungara Mamenet; Director from the Ministry of Education, Côte d'Ivoire and Ambehm Kouassi Jonas; Technical Adviser, Technical Education and Vocational Training, Côte d'Ivoire
By Patrick Obel
We are living at a time when the third wave of COVID-19 has hit our country with devastating results. It is therefore vital to observe the basic Ministry of Health protocols regarding prevention of infection and its spread.
Although the COVID-19 and its effects is a new condition that the doctors and other scientists are still learning more about and with the information that it affects the respiratory system, the effect on the lungs cannot be underestimated. According to reports, it has been reported that about 14% of COVID-19 cases have been severe with an infection that affects both lungs. It has also been observed that, the infection can damage the walls and linings of the air sacs in a patient’s lungs. As the body tries to fight it, the lungs become more inflamed and filled/flooded with fluid. The outcome then is that the function of the lungs is reduced, making it harder for the lungs to help oxygen enter the Red Blood cells which carry oxygen around the body and to get rid of carbon dioxide as we breath out, without oxygen there is no life.
According to David M. Guidot, and Ashish Jayant Mehta, authors of the book titled ‘Alcohol Use Disorders and the Lung’ research shows that alcohol abuse renders the lung susceptible to dysfunction in response to the inflammatory stresses of sepsis, trauma, and other clinical conditions recognized to cause acute lung injury.They further explain that alcohol consumption accompanied by other drugs makes the situation worse for the health of the consumer. When the lungs have been affected due to substance abuse, it predisposes the health of the consumer to more severe effects should they get COVID-19 infection.
Therefore, as part of our precautionary measure against severe effects of the COVID-19, especially to our lungs, a big part of the respiratory system that involves the exchange of gasses in our body. When an individual smokes, the cells that produce mucus in the lungs and airways grow in size and number making the amount of mucus to increase and thicken. Once this happens, it predisposes the lungs to negative impact that is worsened should the individual contract the COVID-19 virus. A study conducted by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) showed that there was a significant positive association between the alcohol consumption of the parents and that of their children. Parents should specifically take care of their influence upon their children.
The Counseling Center provides information and education communication (IEC) materials and offers support to those that are struggling with alcohol and substance use and or abuse. Where and when necessary we make referrals appropriately. As USIU-Africa, we care and urge us all to be aware, knowledgeable and careful about excessive and irresponsible alcohol consumption and other drugs such as marijuana and tobacco in their different forms that are easily abused. Join us in this year’s Alcohol and Drug Awareness Campaign with the theme: ’Not the Virus, Not the High- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Not for Us-Be Smart‘.
By Gathoni Matemo
Following the recurrent opportunities for USIU-Africa students to participate in international conferences, such as the Harvard Model United Nations (HNMUN) and International Model African Union, hosted every year in the United States during the spring semester, a group of students came together to register and launch the International Model Conferences Club(IMCC). The club was launched to create a formal forum that would expose more students to these opportunities and create elbow room to explore more similar learning opportunities all year round.
The Club is envisioned as one that will shape attitudes, instill confidence, and promote introspection and connections to the global community to ensure that members are exposed to different views and agendas. In addition to this, the club hopes to stimulate a deeper knowledge of International Organizations; to develop and establish a working understanding of the political, military, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian problems of the world, and to provide free and open forum for the study and discussion of these problems.
Members of the Club will have an opportunity to act as diplomats, researching a country, and proposing solutions to the problems of the day. Through debate, deliberation, and compromise delegates attempt to draft resolutions with clauses that address and mitigate or resolve the stated issues. Delegates then face the challenge of getting their resolution passed by a majority within the committee they are simulating. They also gain to experience a wide variety of delegate educational and social events to vitalize a robust, well-rounded experience.
Matching the school spirit, IMCC prides itself in the responsibility that has been taken up by devoted students who have been well primed to pilot and maintain the substantive operation and excellence of the club and its delegates. Fully supported by the department of International Relations, the Club’s current Faculty Advisors are Dr. Mercy Kaburu and Dr. Aleksi Ylönen.
All registered undergraduate students interested in the International Model Conferences Club are eligible for membership; regardless of major. Membership shall be granted by an application and interviewing system that has been ongoing for the past few weeks. Regular meetings shall be held weekly on Friday mornings at 9:30 am throughout school sessions.
IMCC is not only a platform for acquiring and applying knowledge of the world, but also an opportunity for members to develop their skills in public speaking and presentation, persuasion, analysis of situations, research and critical thinking that are invaluable virtues to be desired by the fledging leaders in our midst.
Feel free to send an email for more information and clarifications: sandrinewambura@gmail.com
By Fredrick Adika
University libraries are not mere repositories of books; they play a multifaceted role that deeply influences academic success and research advancement. These centers of knowledge go beyond storing information, offering a diverse range of resources and services that significantly impact students' educational journeys and scholars' research endeavors.
In the realm of academic support, university libraries provide an expansive array of resources including books, journals, periodicals, and digital materials. These comprehensive collections cover a vast spectrum of subjects, ensuring students have access to essential materials for their coursework and research projects. Moreover, they serve as havens for focused study, providing tranquil spaces amidst the bustling campus environment, enhancing students' concentration and productivity.
For students embarking on research ventures, the library serves as an indispensable asset. Librarians with expertise in information retrieval guide students through databases, aiding in the discovery of pertinent literature and research materials. Additionally, academic support services such as workshops and tutorials equip students with vital research methodologies and citation skills, further enriching their academic capabilities.
Beyond supporting students, university libraries play a pivotal role in empowering researchers. They offer a wealth of global academic resources through interlibrary loan networks, enabling scholars to conduct comprehensive literature reviews and groundbreaking studies. Libraries curate specialized collections, housing rare manuscripts and unique materials tailored to specific fields of study, enriching scholarly inquiries and facilitating in-depth research.
Libraries also foster an environment of collaboration and networking. Serving as meeting points for scholars, they host discussions, seminars, and forums that encourage intellectual exchange, facilitating knowledge sharing and research insights among researchers.
Embracing the digital age, modern university libraries provide access to cutting-edge technologies, digital databases, and online journals. These resources enhance researchers' abilities to explore and analyze data, significantly expanding the scope of academic inquiry.
In essence, university libraries are integral components of the academic ecosystem. They not only provide information but also cultivate a culture of learning, critical thinking, and academic excellence. As educational landscapes evolve, these libraries stand as pillars, shaping the minds of future scholars and driving the frontiers of knowledge forward. Their role remains indispensable in fostering an environment conducive to intellectual growth and academic achievement within universities.
By Brenda Odhiambo
The Kenya Education Network Trust (KENET) has partnered with Telkom to offer an internet access bundle to USIU-Africa staff and faculty who are currently working remotely. The 4G LTE SIM cards are loaded with 30GB monthly bundles and they can also be loaded with airtime if staff need to use them for ordinary calls. The SIM cards work best with 4G LTE devices (tablet or MiFi) and in major towns in Kenya.
This comes a few weeks after the University partnered with Safaricom to offer the ‘Remote learning Mobile Data Bundle Subsidy’, which enables students and faculty access 10 GB data bundle at a discounted cost of Ksh. 500 for a period of 30 days to enhance their access to e-learning platforms, and with Telkom to provide the ‘Soma na Telkom Bundles’ will allow both faculty and students to purchase 30 GB of data bundles at Kshs. 999 to access the University’s online learning platforms such as Blackboard, the library video conferencing and the Student Information System.
Speaking after the unveiling of the partnership, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Ruthie Rono noted that the partnership was among the many initiatives the University was working on to ensure that online learning remained as seamless as possible.
“The University is committed to ensuring that its core mandate of teaching and learning continues, even as we continue navigating the Coronavirus pandemic. We were able to successfully complete the Spring semester, and even administer the examinations, with the Summer semester currently underway. Our aim is to continue offering our students the world-class education which USIU-Africa is known for,” she said.
Access to the bundles will give priority to full-time or part-time faculty who are currently teaching remotely. Other priority staff include researchers and employees who are required to work remotely from home. Authentication shall be either against databases used for Eduroam or other automated university identity management databases.
By Horace Okoth
On Monday, October 23, the Library commenced its one-week International Open Access annual celebration, aimed at highlighting the transformative impact of open access, to research and knowledge as well as celebrate, educate and advocate for the advantages of access across sectors from academia to the public.
The event’s main theme “Community over Commercialization”, encouraged conversations about the approaches to open scholarship, that prioritize the best interests of the public, and the academic community - and which do not. Additionally, the discussions captured the influence that open access has on research, education and societal advancement.
The Open Access Week 2023 featured a wide range of activities, including:
International Open Access Week is a global initiative. It extends an invitation for individuals from all walks of life; academics, students, librarians, researchers, policymakers and anyone who believes in the potential of access to participate actively, and have their voices heard.
In 2023, International Open Access Week continues its mission of spreading awareness about access as a pathway, to knowledge and innovation. We are encouraged to join the open access community beyond this important week of celebration and advocacy and work together to unleash the potential of knowledge and promote innovation, for a better future.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Last week, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa formally commissioned the fifth cohort of 138 Scholars who joined the university at the beginning of the Fall semester. The Scholars are drawn from 20 African counties, with Scholars from Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Eswatini and Ethiopia represented in the Program for the first time.
In her comments, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign thanked the Mastercard Foundation for their partnership, noting that they were instrumental in the achievement of USIU-Africa’s mission of creating leaders of the future.
“To our students: The world is ahead of you, and we are here to support you in any way that we can to make sure that you are the future leaders of your country, of your continent and the world,” she said.
She also spoke about the overall performance of the Scholars, noting that 98% of the Scholars were in good academic standing, while 31% of Scholars were on the Dean’s list.
The event, which was the first in-person event since the inception of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa, also saw 12 Scholars receive awards for their achievements. The awards recognized the best students across all the four cohorts: the most improved Scholars across all four cohorts, the best overall Scholar, a Community Service Award and an award for the Best Leader in 2022.
In her comments, the Mastercard Foundation Program Director, Ms. Linet Aguko congratulated the Scholars, noting that they exemplified the all-round excellence that was part of USIU-Africa’s core values.
“Each of you here today are an exemplification of what being a student at USIU-Africa is about. You have demonstrated that you are engaged, both amongst yourselves and your communities, and that you have learned and are applying the values of contributing to important intellectual discourse, and being independent learners who are both curious, resilient and adaptable,” she said.
The students awarded at the ceremony were Silas Ooko (top Scholar, Cohort 1), Maureen Agwona Obondo (top Scholar, Cohort 2), Mohamed Abdallah Awad (top Scholar, Cohort 3), Caroline Awuor Odenga, Delicia Queen Mumbe, Joyceline Ngum Ambe, Manjoh Lorantine Zheutikang (top Scholars, Cohort 4), Kharis Ilunga Ntanga (Most Improved Scholar, Cohort 1), Irene Mugeni (Most Improved Scholar, Cohort 2), Raba Abdurahim Hakim (Most Improved Scholar, Cohort 3), Gerald Augustino (Community Service Award, 2022), and Brian Anyika Muchesia, who was named as the Best Overall Scholar, 2022 and the Best Leader, 2022.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program recently marked 10 years of developing young leaders at the annual Baobab Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda. Over the last decade, the Mastercard Foundation has deployed $1.7 billion through the initiative to benefit nearly 40,000 young people, over 72 percent of whom are young women. To date, 18,544 young people have graduated from secondary and higher education.
By Cynthia Achola
Last Friday, the Transitions Office in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa in collaboration with the Alumni Relations Office hosted an alumni mentorship session for 95 Scholars featuring six USIU-Africa alumni from Stanbic Bank, accompanied by three graduate trainees and a colleague from SCANAD Marketing Ltd, who included: Catherine Njoroge- Senior Manager, External Affairs, Reputation, and Communications, Michael Gichaga- Manager, Ecosystem, Products, Jean Opiyo- Manager, Applications Development, Adelaide Mbagaya- Specialist, Trade Finance, Trade & Africa China Banking, Grace Wambunya- Officer, Product Control, CIB Finance, and Prudence Sembua- Officer, Tax, Indirect Tax.
In attendance from USIU-Africa were representatives from the Transitions Office, Wycliffe Ochieng and Dolly Mwiti, and the Head of Admissions, Dr. George Lumbasi, with Winnie Tewendi representing the Alumni Relations Office.
The theme of the session was ‘Leadership and Career Development Dynamics in the 21st Century,’ with Catherine Ngina Njoroge, Senior Manager, External Affairs, Reputation, and Communications at Stanbic Bank, serving as the keynote speaker. The session, which was moderated by Ritah Mbabazi, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar in her third year of the BSc. Finance program, aimed to discuss essential leadership qualities needed in the workplace, how to navigate challenges and seize opportunities, strategies for successful job searching and networking, and steps to become effective leaders and develop careers.
In her comments about the book titled ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Leaders as written by Stephen R. Covey’, Catherine emphasized the crucial leadership qualities needed for success in today's workplace. "In addition to that, developing strong communication and collaboration skills is essential," she noted, highlighting the importance of teamwork in a dynamic environment. She also addressed challenges and opportunities in the workplace, and shared insights with the Scholars on how to navigate them effectively. She also offered practical tips on how to stand out in the job market, while other alumni shared personal experiences of overcoming obstacles and achieving career goals.
"A key takeaway for me was the emphasis on continuous learning and adaptability," said Ritah Mbabazi. The session provided valuable insights into the ever-changing job market and the skills employers seek, and these insights will no doubt prove to be critical as we work towards joining the job market,” she added.
The session closed with a vote of thanks from Silas Ooko, a fourth-year Mastercard Foundation Scholar in BA. Film Production and Directing program, who expressed his thanks on behalf of the Scholars, expressing their appreciation for the mentorship and guidance offered by the Stanbic Bank alumni.
By Brenda Odhiambo
On Friday, September 29, 2023, representatives from the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (known as the President’s Award in Kenya) took 120 Award participants through an induction training designed to introduce the participants to the Award activities, fellow Award participants as well as sharing of information required for them to attain the Gold Award.
In his comments, the training manager, Mr. Christopher Barak, noted that participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award was designed to equip students with additional skills outside the classroom that would make them all-rounded individuals capable of making a difference in their communities.
“Taking part in the Award will help you stand out from your peers because it will demonstrate your individual prowess outside the technical prowess you have in your area of study. The award will be evidence that you have developed critical life skills, including confidence, a sense of purpose, resilience, problem-solving, compassion, and respect for diversity, which are important for navigating the world,” he said.
“The Award will help you discover your capabilities fully, thus making you capable of bringing about change in your communities,” he added.
The Award participants, who include 100 Scholars drawn from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa will be taking part in the Award at Gold level. The combination of technical expertise and the skills acquired in the pursuit of the Gold Award will mean that the students will be recognized as transformative leaders.
Gold Award participants will be expected to take part in activities focused around four sections, comprising physical recreation, voluntary service, skill development and challenge through Adventurous Journey. They will also complete the Gold Residential project, which is a community service activity designed to broaden the participants’ experiences with their community as they work towards a common goal that they will have identified at the beginning of the Award.
Upon completion of the Award after 18 months, the participants will receive the Gold level certificates from the patron of the President’s Award- Kenya, H.E. Dr. William Ruto.
By Faith Mugambi
On October 9, 2023, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa hosted Mr. Khuboni Sifiso, the Recruitment Lead for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Pretoria. Mr. Khuboni was on campus to benchmark and explore best practices in the recruitment of Scholars, with a specific focus on Youth with Disabilities and Refugees and Displaced Youth.
During his visit, he paid a courtesy call to the Director of Advancement and Partnership, Mr. Eannes Ongus, the Director of the Scholars Program, Ms. Linet Aguko, the Chief Admissions Officer, Dr. George Lumbasi and the wider Scholars Program team. He spent the day with the Recruitment and Selection team, where he was able to gain a deep understanding of the recruitment strategies tailored to these unique categories. The team also provided detailed insights into the selection and interview process, as well as the onboarding process and the support accorded to the Scholars during their time at the University.
The visit also included a comprehensive campus tour, during which Mr. Sifiso had the opportunity to explore the Disability and Inclusion Center. Here, he met with the Disability and Inclusion Officer, who gave a presentation on the various assistive devices and resources available at the Center. He also had the chance to engage and interact with the Scholars as they used the devices and facilities.
Mr. Sifiso commended the team for their work and noted that he looked forward to more engagements and collaborations with the university focused on the recruitment of these key Scholar demographics.
By Brenda Odhiambo
On Wednesday, November 22, 2023, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative held its second cohort content development workshop, as part of the ongoing training of faculty for the development of course content of 17 new online programs that will be launched by the university next year.
The three-day workshop brought together faculty from the Chandaria School of Business (Online MBA revamp), the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (Online BSc. Epidemiology and Biostatistics), the School of Science and Technology (Online BSc. in Data Science and Analytics), School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Online BA Criminal Justice Studies) and faculty developing online General Education courses. Other departments represented at the workshop were Quality Assurance, USIU-Africa Online and Mastercard Foundation e-Learning initiative.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Transformative Teaching, Learning and Research (TTLR) Professor Amos Njuguna noted that the workshop was in line with the University’s strategic goals, namely education for complex global challenges and the development of programs that would boost employability and contribute to global citizenship in addition to being fully inclusive.
Prof. Njuguna further emphasized the importance of adopting transformational teaching methods aligned with the evolving needs of students in the digital age. He highlighted the role of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning initiative in supporting the delivery of high-quality education at USIU-Africa by bolstering the university’s capacity to deliver high-quality and inclusive online instruction.
In her remarks, the Director, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative at USIU-Africa, Ms. Everlyn Anyal noted that the workshop underscored the need to have a truly inclusive education that would cater to all learners regardless of their backgrounds.
“Right now, with all the challenges going on in the world, many learners are not able to access higher education. As educationalists, we have a right to engage in this exercise that will mitigate these challenges and enable us to take USIU-Africa’s quality education beyond the confines of our institution. Through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative, we have the chance to create innovative online programs that will also contribute to the achievement of Social Development Goal (SDG) 4, inclusive, quality and equitable education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all learners,” she said.
“Online learning has become increasingly vital to higher education. These workshops will therefore ensure that our faculty are equipped with the necessary pedagogical skills to support seamless delivery of online instruction,” she added.
Dr. Philip Machoka, Director, USIU-Africa Online, shared valuable insights into the role of online learning in expanding access to quality learning opportunities. He discussed the innovative strategies employed by the university to ensure that online courses maintain the same high standards as traditional face-to-face classes, focusing on the Online MBA, the only fully-accredited online course in the country. His presentation emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to enhance accessibility, inclusivity and quality delivery in higher education.
Over the course of the workshop, participants engaged in insightful sessions designed to explore innovative approaches to content development, focused on creating transformative and impactful learning experiences for students. By the end of the workshop, the subject matter experts in each of the represented online program areas will be able to develop the complete course Detailed Design Document (DDD), as a roadmap to guide the content development process.
By Brenda Odhiambo
On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative at USIU-Africa hosted its first ever Online content development in preparation for the development of 15 fully-online Programs that will be launched by the university.
The three-day workshop brought together faculty and staff members from various schools and departments, including the e-Learning Project, the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, General Education, USIU-Africa Online and Quality Assurance.
In her remarks, the Director, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative at USIU-Africa, Ms. Everlyn Anyal noted that the e-Learning Initiative was an opportunity for the University to be pioneers in the provision of online learning both regionally and globally.
“The launch of these programs will make USIU-Africa a pioneer in the provision of online programs, and pave the way for the university to offer a truly global and world-class education accessible by all,” she said.
“Through the development and launch of 15 high quality and inclusive online programs, the eLearning Initiative will make USIU-Africa’s quality higher education accessible to more learners especially those who face additional barriers in accessing education,” she added.
In his remarks, Dr. Philip Machoka, the Director, USIU-Africa Online noted that the workshop’s focus was to formally embark on the process of developing online course content for Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, Master of Arts in Communication Studies and General Education (GE) courses.
“USIU-Africa has invested in scaling its internal expertise in eLearning by providing various certifications to faculty through various trainings. These include Masterclass for teaching online, faculty development programs and Quality Matters (QM) track, which ensure that we have the relevant skills to develop and facilitate the delivery of these online programs,” he added.
He also noted that the launch of the Online MBA positioned USIU-Africa as an industry leader in the regional higher education sector, stating that the university had hosted several institutions looking to develop online programs to benchmarking sessions.
The three-day workshop will culminate in the development of a Detailed Design Document which will guide the development and population of content on the Learning Management System (LMS).
By Linet Aguko
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program hosted its biannual Scholars Council meeting in Nairobi from February 10 – 12, 2023, at USIU-Africa. The Scholar’s Council is a representative body of Mastercard Foundation Scholars from all Mastercard Foundation partner universities. They serve as student leaders of the Scholars Program at the Mastercard Foundation partner universities, representing and championing the needs of Scholars and liaising with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program teams at each institution, as well as with alumni of the Scholars Program.
The event was attended by 40 Scholar leaders from 25 Partner institutions and several officials from the Mastercard Foundation including Ms. Pauline Gangla, the Head of Scholars Program, Eastern & Southern Africa at Mastercard Foundation. USIU-Africa was represented by Eric Ayamba who is the current Scholar Council Representative for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars at USIU-Africa and Brian Anyika who is the Inclusion Representative for all partner Universities.
By Silas Ooko
Last Friday, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Transitions Office hosted Ms. Cynthia Asimbi, the East Africa Manager of Sciences Po University to an information session that detailed the graduate opportunities available at the university. The session, which was attended by 38 Scholars from Cohorts 1-7.
During the session, Ms. Asimbi shared insights into several key areas, including the array of Graduate programs available at Sciences Po. She also shed light on the graduate admission requirements, the application process, key timelines, eligibility criteria, scholarships and other forms of financial aid that were available to students to support their educational endeavors.
Cynthia's personal journey as a Scholar at Sciences Po added a unique dimension to the session. Her own experiences navigating the academic landscape proved invaluable to the Scholars, who were interested in learning more about the various opportunities that were available to them at the University. Additionally, she also shared more insights from her previous role as a Program Coordinator at the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Sciences Po, which allowed her to support more than 100 African students on their academic journeys and post-university transitions.
Cynthia's passion for Africa's education sector and her unwavering commitment to empowering its youth was evident through her session. She reinforced the notion that success is attainable through dedicated effort and hard work. In closing, she encouraged all attendees to pursue their aspirations with resolute determination, stressing the importance of exploring various scholarship opportunities and strongly recommended Sciences Po for its wealth of resources and support for its students.
By Dolly Mwiti
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Transitions Office had the honor of hosting Dr. Akofa Bentsi-Enchill on Friday, October 13, for a mentorship session with 113 Scholars drawn from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa. The session covered a variety of topics, including social entrepreneurship, career development, leadership and community building, overcoming challenges and preparing for college and beyond.
Dr. Akofa Bentsi-Enchill is an esteemed Social Entrepreneur and transformative change leader, currently holds the position of Executive Director at the Akua Kuenyehia Foundation. Prior to this, she garnered a decade of professional experience at Barclays Bank (ABSA), where her responsibilities spanned across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Furthermore, she contributed to the field of mentoring as a Program Manager and volunteer with a national mentoring consortium in the United Kingdom.
The Akua Kuenyehia Foundation (AKF), a non-profit organization based in Ghana, was established in honor of H.E. Judge Akua Kuenyehia, the first Vice-President of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, by her children. AKF is on a mission to provide qualitative educational scholarships, offer individualized and focused mentoring sessions, cultivate and develop entrepreneurial abilities, and enhance the life and interpersonal skills of underprivileged and talented Ghanaian girls.
Dr. Akofa Bentsi-Enchill’ s insights and experiences shared during the session proved invaluable in equipping the Scholars with the knowledge and expertise needed to establish successful social ventures, thereby enhancing their understanding of the field of social entrepreneurship.
Since its inception in 2006, AKF has been unwavering in its support of 22 undergraduate students, 8 senior high school students, 47 university graduates, and 4 beneficiaries pursuing postgraduate studies.
By Caleb Klein
On July 13, 2023, the Music Club hosted the Music Night Event, a remarkable celebration of melody, rhythm, and the unifying power of music. The evening developed into an extraordinary symphony of happiness and creativity, with soul-stirring performances and ardent audience participation.
The event began with a riveting opening act that immediately established the mood for the evening. The MC brought liveliness by engaging the crowd with various activities such as song playbacks that captured their attention. The Chairperson kicked off the event by welcoming the audience and thanked them immensely for showing up.
The collaborations between musicians from many musical genres, who set the scene with enthralling music sets that the audience would never forget, were one of the evening's highlights. Some of the performers who were able to make the event a success included Brokuod Entertainment, a popular singing trio in Kenya today with hits like Kwetu and Soko.
Other musicians who took the stage during the night included Eric Peter, also known as Maluku, a student with a passion for music, the Official Chicha Band, who perform live music and Benaia, another USIU-Africa student with hits like Nectar under his belt.
The event encouraged collaboration among the musicians, resulting in an atmosphere of creativity to produce impromptu jams and fusion works, surprising the audience with their seamless chemistry, demonstrating the power music has to bridge divides and unite people.
By Fred Kariuki
As part of its mandate to create awareness, encourage openness and reporting as well as mainstream gender equity and equality to the entire university community in order to ensure an environment that is secure, inclusive, free and conducive for academic and service excellence, the Gender Equity and Protection Office has been carrying out various trainings to faculty, staff and students in USIU-Africa.
On Tuesday, March 10, a training was held for the faculty and staff members of the School of Science and Technology, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts, in order to create awareness of the University’s Sexual Harassment Policy and the reporting mechanisms available to the University Community.
During the training, attendees were taken through the Sexual Harassment Policy, which prohibits and strongly condemns acts of sexual harassment committed either by students or employees whether on or off campus, or by any individual on campus or within its programs or activities. The policy clearly defines what constitutes sexual harassment, the applicable laws both national and international against sexual offenses, the reporting framework for cases when they occur, how the cases should be handled in regard to investigations, adjudication and penalties to culprits, the duties and responsibilities of everyone. The policy is a clear fulfillment of an obligation to protect, prevent and manage sexual harassment within the university.
Speaking after the training, one of the participants praised the trainings, noting that the University was indeed committed to the wellbeing of its members. ”It is gratifying to see that USIU-Africa appreciates the complexity of handling sexual harassment issues especially those related to sex for grades as they tend to happen in confidence of those involved. These trainings are making us more empowered to come out and share our experiences of sexual harassment without fear.”
By Sharon Kibaara
With the acknowledgement that peers are best placed to identify with and offer support to their own, especially at this time when the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way people live and learn, and in a bid to enhance a safe learning environment through peer support within the university, the Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) held a training for interested students to be Peer Educators and Counselors. The trainings were held over the course of the month, on Friday, October 1, Saturday, October 2, Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9.
The training was designed with the objective of providing peer counselors and educators with skills needed to provide peer support to their fellow students. Other aims of the training included:
The training was carried out both physically and virtually to allow students who were out of the country to take part in the training. During the sessions, the Associate DVC Student Affairs, Mrs. Ritah Asunda emphasized the role of the PECC, noting that the Club was important in ensuring the well-being of their peers during their time at the university.
Apart from the educational and skill enhancement activities undertaken in the training, the students had a bonding experience (especially over lunch at the university cafeteria) and they were reminded of the good old times of face to face learning with physical social interactions.
After the training, the trainees are expected to participate in at least one club activity, 5 group supervision and 10 individual therapy sessions after which they will be certified through a graduation ceremony.
All the trainees agreed that PECC is the place to be, considering that even during the pandemic PECC continued its vibrant online activities. To join the PEC Club, you can email: peercounseling@clubs.usiu.ac.ke
To contact the Counseling Centre, call +254 730 116 750 /748 /797 or email: counsel@usiu.ac.ke
By Karungari Nduba
On Friday, July 21, 2023 the Peer Educators and Counselors Club (PECC) had an opportunity to take part in a mentorship collaboration with Nova Pioneer Girls Secondary School. The main objective for the Club was to share with the students messages of hope and resilience. Those in attendance were able to do this by providing a space where the students at Nova could talk about some of the mental challenges they are facing. The team that went was made up of a total of 34 people; 30 PECC members alongside 3 practicum students from the counseling center and the Club Patron Ms. Lydia Winda who joined us in the groups and professional counsel on sensitive issues that came up during the group interactions.
On arrival at the school, amidst a few nerves mixed with excitement the entire team from PECC was split into pairs and each pair went and engaged a class in icebreakers and then delved deep into talking about mental health related topics.
We were able to go to all 16 classes from form 1-4 and interact with their student population of about 400 girls. Some of the topics that were addressed during our time there revolved around suicide triggers, family related stresses, academic pressures, post high school anxiety, hopelessness and rejection just to name a few.
A good surprise that the team faced even amidst the nervousness was that all the students were so receptive and engaging to what was being talked about with a lot of them opening up about some of their own struggles. After having the sessions in the pairs, we were then offered some refreshments and were able to continue bonding with the students over laughter, one on one and small group interactions and real life stories. Our main objective of passing on a message of hope and resilience was further cemented through these interactions and the one-on-one conversations we were able to have during this time.
Although the time felt short, it was an impactful visit with positive feedback from both the PECC and the Nova Pioneer teams. We look forward to continuing this collaboration with this school and to what the future has in store for PECC even beyond this.
By Pearl Nganga & Priscillah Zoe
All gears shifted from student politics to career tips from July 11- 13, 2023, when the Placement and Career Services Department held the annual Career Fair. The event generated a lot of enthusiasm from students as they sought to develop their professional skills and network with employers.
The theme of this year’s fair was “Disrupting and Shaping the Future” which aimed to challenge students to think differently about their careers and how they can help shape the world's future. The Career Fair served as a platform for students to explore various career opportunities, network with professionals, and gain insights into various industries. The Fair boasted an attendance of 41 top-tier companies that participated, with 29 of them setting up at the exhibition village.
Students got the opportunity to attend over 17 talks led by inspiring industry experts that shared meaningful insights on the evolving world of work. Multi-sectorial companies including NCBA, Vivo Energy and Jubilee Insurance were on site ready to give insights and opportunities to the students while NCBA Bank shared information on the entry-level and senior-level employment opportunities available for students and alumni. For more information, you can refer to their career portal.
Vivo Energy, represented by their HR team, Valentine Maingi, Geofrey Oyoo, Marriam Suleiman, and Kennedy Dwallo, shared tips on crafting applications to impress prospective employers. Vivo Energy frequently recruits for internships, which was a plus for students looking to build their experience.
Renowned companies such as Open Capital, represented by their senior consultants; Aditya Shah, Brian Lang’at, Magdalene Muthoni and Marion Githiri, provided amazing insight as they spoke about management consulting and financial advisory. Open Capital frequently recruits for their entry level analyst program and also offers employment opportunities to experienced students and alumni. Further, Mr Aitor Maguna and Ms Jennifer W. C, from the HR department at the United Nations Office in Nairobi offered a masterclass that allowed students to gain more information on the nature of employment in their fields of study.
Industry-specific talks were also held by companies such as Harpie HR, Suzie Beauty, Yusudi and ISA where students were taught how to navigate the job market to find a job suited for them. Additionally, PACS in collaboration with the department of psychology, Fine Mind Psychology and Mulberry Wellness held a Psychology masterclass that revolved around the necessity of adapting mental health care and services to accommodate the challenging landscape of the internet. These interactions, in general, enabled students to learn more about the hiring practices in these companies, and the skills and qualifications they seek in their candidates.
Students had an additional opportunity to meet top companies like ICRC, Odoo, Workpay, Unilever, Swiss Contact, Kenya Airways Fahari Innovation, Jubilee Insurance, L’Oreal and, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) among others that were actively seeking talent, and also to expand their professional network by making valuable connections. They got the chance to engage in face-to-face conversations with industry professionals, by asking questions whilst gaining a deeper understanding of the industries they were interested in, and the specific job roles.
The library parking lot was packed with exhibitions, where students could approach relevant companies and expand their network. Further, they were able to seek advice and receive valuable feedback and information from hiring recruiters about the steps they needed to take to be the industry-shakers of tomorrow.
Our innovative and entrepreneurial students were also not left behind. Students with small businesses and companies of their own had the chance to showcase their products in the student exhibitions. From cosmetics to clothing brands, not forgetting those talented in the cooking space, all were able to market their products and showcase their brand. A team of innovative students behind QPID, a revolutionary dating/social app also had an opportunity to showcase their app before the scheduled launch. From their interactions with students, the students behind creating the software were able to create a forum where they could acquire valuable insights from their target market, and the trends they could incorporate into their app.
The Fair was an absolute success, with students receiving clarity on their pathways, and gaining encouragement and motivation about their futures. It was well-received, with students receiving potential internship and professional opportunities, and forming networks that would propel them into their careers. It served as a powerful platform for students to learn, connect and pave the way for a successful career journey.
By Patricia Gichuki
On Thursday, November 23, 2023, the Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department welcomed a team from Adam Smith International (ASI) for an engaging employer information session. ASI, a certified B Corp global company, offers technical assistance, consulting, and project management services to foster economic and social development initiatives. Collaborating with governments, businesses, and NGOs, ASI tackles a wide range of challenges in governance, economic development, poverty reduction, and public sector reform. Over the past three decades, the company has made a significant impact in over 100 countries, developing strategies and implementing programs to address pressing global issues.
Three managers from ASI's Kenyan office – Sharon Chesire, Stephanie Akweyu, and Bhabra Mburu – shared their firsthand experiences in international development with the students and alumni present. They shared insights into the company's work with various government and international organizations, providing a realistic glimpse into the field of international development.
The managers emphasized the dynamic nature of international development work, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between supporting clients' development agendas and maintaining ethical boundaries. Bhabra and Stephanie also shared their personal journeys, transitioning from accounting and statistics backgrounds to successful project management careers in the international development sector. Sharon, an alumna of USIU-Africa, also shared her post-graduation experiences with a B.A. in International Relations. They encouraged students to explore their interests and not limit themselves to their academic disciplines.
Attendees gained a valuable peek into the daily life of an ASI manager and were encouraged to apply for the company's open corporate and project vacancies. The session provided students with a deeper understanding of international development as a career path and inspired them to consider pursuing opportunities in this impactful field.
By Patricia Gichuki
On February 7, the Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department hosted a fun filled vision board workshop. The event was designed to foster an environment to plan for personal and professional development by providing participants with a unique platform to explore their goals and aspirations.
The workshop was a blend of fun and activity-based learning, where students were encouraged to reflect on their dreams and create visual representations of their future aspirations. Through various interactive exercises and guided discussions, attendees were able to gain clarity on their long-term goals and identify the steps needed to achieve them. The workshop not only sparked creativity but also empowered them to take ownership of their career paths and strive towards success.
The event was facilitated by Mercy Sitima, a renowned creativity coach, business and leadership development trainer with over a decade of experience in the business and social sectors. Her expertise added a layer of depth to the activities that enriched the learning experience for the participants. Mercy encouraged students to think critically about their goals and the steps needed to turn them into reality. Her approach not only inspired the students but also equipped them with practical tools and strategies for success.
Students found the activities enlightening and expressed that they had learned something new while having fun. At the end of the session, they developed their own vision boards that represented their goals in various categories. Overall, the workshop left a lasting impact on the students, empowering them to take charge of their own success and confidently navigate their journey towards achieving their goals.
The Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department assists students in developing career plans and provides resources that enable students to hone their skills and boost their chances of success in their chosen career paths. To schedule a session with a career advisor or career peer advisor, kindly contact: careeroffice@usiu.ac.ke
By PACS Team
On Thursday, February 29, the Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department hosted a CV & cover letter writing webinar. The session aimed to provide valuable insights and practical tips for students and alumni seeking internships and jobs.
Patricia Gichuki, a PACS officer, expertly guided attendees through the intricacies of crafting effective CVs and cover letters. She emphasized the importance of clearly articulating one’s unique value proposition. Participants learned how to highlight their skills, experiences, and achievements in a way that would resonate with potential employers.
Beyond merely listing experiences, Patricia underscored the significance of accomplishment statements—quantifiable achievements that demonstrate an individual’s impact. She shared examples of impactful CVs and cover letters, providing practical advice on tailoring them to specific job applications. Participants also gained insights into structuring their CVs effectively, emphasizing relevant skills, and showcasing their professional journey.
The session included an engaging question-and-answer segment, where attendees actively sought guidance on CVs, cover letters, and job applications.
The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing increased confidence in their ability to craft impactful CVs and cover letters. Overall, the webinar provided valuable information and tools for enhancing job application materials.
The PACS Department supports students and alumni in their job search journey by providing one-on-one and group sessions for CV/resume critique, cover letter review, interview coaching and mock interviews. For any assistance with a job application, kindly contact careeroffice@usiu.ac.ke or book an appointment directly with a career advisor or career peer advisor using this link .
By Maureen Ochola
Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department in collaboration with faculty and the Electoral College representatives of the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences hosted an impactful mentorship session for students and alumni.
The event brought together solid technocrats from industry and research who shared their experiences in the corporate, research and teaching fields. The guests included: Dr. Anthony Yiaile - Consultant Pharmacist and Lecturer of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Dr. Gladys Njoroge - Assistant Professor and a researcher in Biostatistics, Dr. Lucy Ng'ang'a - Epidemiologist and Public Health Practitioner, Dr. Naftaly Githaka - Senor Scientist & Team Leader at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Dr. Vitalis Wekesa - Head of Production at Bioline Agrosciences Africa trading in Kenya as Dudutech IPM Limited, and Dr. Calvin Omolo – Chair of Department, Pharmaceutics & Pharmacy Practice, USIU-Africa.
The speakers emphasized that discipline and skills development were vital for success in job searches and career advancement. Students were encouraged to leverage on technology to access knowledge through online courses some of which are available at no cost.
The audience was challenged to be proactive in managing their careers and build networks with their peers, faculty and relevant professional associations in order to have visibility over changes and developments taking place in their careers of interest.
Alumni of the Bachelor of Pharmacy, Class of 2021 weighed in on discussions and attributed their success to the education they acquired at USIU-Africa. The students were assured that indeed USIU-Africa education takes them places.
Dr. Victor Boiyo, the Deputy Vice Chancellor-Student Life and the Dean of the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences both graced the occasion. The overarching take home message was ‘in order to see far, stand on the shoulders of a giant by finding a mentor’.
By Angela Osodo
On Friday, October 28, 2022, the Placement and Careers Services Office (PACS) conducted a CV, cover letter writing, and interview skills workshop in collaboration with Yusudi, a sales enablement community that enables and accelerates the growth of high potential talent and businesses. Yusudi highlighted that its focus is to build sales careers of fresh graduates through training and link them to employers at the same time.
The main speaker was Ms. Susan Wawira, a recruiter as well as the Project Lead for Yusudi. She highlighted that some of the factors which influence candidate selection include the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), company hiring needs, and other external factors. She also provided a step-by-step guide on the contents of a CV and emphasized important sections like the personal statement and professional experience.
The discussion also involved interview preparation, dress code, how to respond to questions and common interview mistakes made by candidates. The keynote speaker was assisted by Ms. Maria Nyaga, Ms. Margaret Wairimu and Mr. Michael Kagera, who emphasized the importance of networking with recruiters through social media platforms like LinkedIn as well as personal branding.
The workshop closed with a Q & A session where the team responded to questions on part-time employment opportunities, CV structure for fresh graduates, communication etiquette, career goals and CV making software.
The Placement & Career Services (PACS) department will also be holding a workshop on Job Search Strategy and Workplace Etiquette on Friday, November 11 from 2pm to 5pm. Kindly register using the following link https://linktr.ee/usiucareers. In case you need any assistance with your CV, cover letter and an upcoming interview, kindly contact the PACS office on careeroffice@usiu.ac.ke
By Sharon Kibaara
On June 3, 2022, the Placement and Career Services held the first training session of mentees ahead of the Alumni-Student Mentorship Program that begins in July 2022. The Department started off with the orientation of mentees. This will go on throughout the month of June 2022. In this session, the mentees were given a basic introduction to what mentorship is and the importance of having a mentor. Some of the purposes of mentorship discussed were training, motivation, advice, and coaching.
There was a detailed presentation of the overview and structure of the program from its conception to termination after six months, which is the duration of the program. The mentees were also informed on the guide that will be used in the mentorship program along with the specific areas the program aims to focus on. These areas include; personal growth, career development, time management, and creating meaningful networks.
The presentation also included detailed information about who a mentor is and what qualifies a person to be a mentor, an example is the willingness of that person to help with their time and expertise to train and guide those who are in need. The mentees were also trained on what is expected of them throughout the program and given tips on what makes a good mentee and ways in which the mentee can fully benefit from the program.
The presentation ended with the discussion of the code of conduct of the mentee and the mentor, and the measures that are in place to deal with the breach of the code of conduct by either party. There will be training sessions held throughout the month in preparation for the launch of the mentorship program in July.
By the Placement and Career Services Department
The Placement and Career Services Department kicked off its Annual Career Fair, which will run from July 5- 15. The first part of the Fair, which is already ongoing, features employment engagement talks and on-ground activations.
This year’s Career Fair is themed Reimagining the Future of Talent. In her comments to CTW, Ms. Cecilia Waihenya, Principal Officer, Placement and Career Services noted that the theme was designed to encourage students envision their careers with a new perspective.
“The labor market has changed significantly over the past decade, but even more, since early 2020 when the pandemic became global. New ways of working have become the norm across sectors; from remote working to blended learning and bespoke service provision. This year, as we continue hoping for improved overall national and global health, we want to spur our students and alumni to think globally, to reject all limitations and to pursue their individual missions unapologetically by changing their worldview,” she said.
Below is a brief snapshot of how the two weeks will look like:
You can sign up for the event here.
By Kemigisha Agnes
The Red Cross Club at USIU-Africa successfully organized a blood drive in collaboration with the Red Cross Kenya on November 15 and 16. The primary objective was to collect 100 units of blood, and the drive managed to collect a total of 101 units. This remarkable outcome highlights the efficacy of the blood drive and underscores the community's commitment to contributing to a noble cause. The club extends heartfelt appreciation to everyone who participated, including those who generously donated blood despite not being members of the club. The overwhelming response from the University community demonstrates the collective spirit and dedication to supporting crucial initiatives that benefit society at large.
In addition to the successful blood drive, the Red Cross club is actively contributing to the well-being of the community by providing first aid services during weekend games. Serving as first aiders reflects the commitment to not only respond to immediate health needs but also to actively engage in community service beyond our primary focus. The dual success of both the blood drive and our volunteering efforts as first aiders reaffirms the club's mission to make a positive impact on the well-being of the community and beyond.
By Racheal Ngumi
This Day is an opportunity to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. This year, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS) will focus on the role of Women and Girls in Science as relates to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Particular focus is on SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG17 (means of implementation). In effect, how the contribution of women and girls in these areas will affect sustainable development in their respective countries.
The IDWGIS aims to connect the International Community to Women and Girls in Science, strengthening the ties between science, policy, and society for strategies oriented towards the future. The IDWGIS will enable demonstration and illustration of best practices, strategies, applied solutions in addressing SDGs challenges and opportunities.
Some of these best practices extend to aspects of gender equality which has been a core concept to enhance empowerment of women and girls that will enable economic development and growth. Bridging gender gaps to enhance accessibility to innovation and technology will enhance women and girls participation and decision making on themes at all levels of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world. This will ensure that steps are made towards increasing their participation in higher education, while still being represented in these fields.
Diversity encourages sustainable development which in turn expands the research pool of talented researchers, bringing in fresh perspectives, talent and creativity. Women and girls participating in these programs encourages new ideas and gives solutions to problems in the community and the society. This Day is a reminder that women and girls play a critical role in science and technology communities and that their participation should be strengthened.
L-R: USIU-Africa Chief Manager, Human Resources & ACU HR in HE Steering Committee Member& East Africa Regional Representative Yusuf Saleh, ACU Head of Human Resources Tarrance Ryder-Downes, ACU Chief Finance Officer Keith Stephenson, Chair ACU HR in Higher Education Community Jennifer Ellis, Commission for University Education Chairman Prof. Chacha Nyaigotti-Chacha and Dean, School of Graduate Studies Research and Extension Prof. Amos Njuguna.
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and USIU-Africa held the first human resources convention in higher in education in Kenya. The convention discussed trends in human resources across the world that will improve the quality of education in institutions of higher education by strategic positioning their role in higher education. Human resources in an organization’s success is increasingly gaining traction as employee satisfaction and retention in institutions of higher education becomes a topical issue world over. The African Union Agenda 2063 titled the Africa we want envisions that institutions of higher education are expected to lead and contribute to this goal and work towards providing quality tertiary education. The convention envisioned to expand the important conversation surrounding leadership organs in order to build their collective daily workings but also inform their contributions towards academic, operational and service excellences. This engagement will lead to student retention, diversification and internationalization, build capacities and mobilize resources within institutions of higher education.
The convention comes at a time when universities globally are facing many challenges such as funding, low enrollment ratios (below 14 per cent against a global acceptable average of 38 per cent) and now the growing threat of staff cuts. Most public universities in Kenya have challenges submitting statutory deductions for their employees as a result of lack of funds and others are considering reducing number of staff members. This means that most institutions will be operating with minimal staff numbers hence compromising on quality. Commission for University Education data shows that Kenya has 16, 000 teaching staff in universities who make up 33 per cent while 77 percent are indicated as support staff.
Speaking during the convention, the chairman of the Commission for University Education Prof. Chacha Nyaigotti-Chacha mentioned that institutions of higher education must hire quality staff who will contribute to the quality of education. He said that professionals in higher education have a responsibility of preparing graduates for the job market. Most graduates are not able to execute their roles effectively and require additional training. According to research conducted by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) indicate that over 50 per cent of graduates are ill-equipped for the workplace in East Africa. This paints a grim picture for the human resources in these countries. A well-prepared and highly trained work force is required in order to ensure continuous growth of institutions of higher learning.
Jennifer Ellis, a consultant in human resources in higher education and chair of ACU human resources in higher education community mentioned that institutions of higher education need to create an effective system that is predictive, affordable, equitable, accessible and enables institutions of higher education to succeed in their role of providing quality education and producing high quality graduates for sustainable social and economic development.
By Prof. Amos Njuguna
The Kenya Constitution (2010) provides for gender equality in that either gender (male or female) must take at least one-third of all elective and appointed public positions. It also guarantees everyone equal opportunities in political, economic, cultural, and social spheres. A decade after the constitution was promulgated, women remain significantly disadvantaged. In the 2013 and 2017 general elections, no woman contested for the presidency, and none was nominated by any political party or coalition to contest as deputy president. Women comprised 9.2% of the 1835 elected office bearers in 2017 (7.7% in 2013) despite having 47 seats exclusively reserved for them and accounting for 46% of the registered voters.
The many reasons that have been cited to explain these appalling results are inadequacies of the legal framework, lack of previous experiences in political office, and gender-based violence. One reason that has not attracted much attention is gender stereotyping and patriarchal structures propagated through the media. In 2018, the National Democratic Institute noted that gender bias contributed to the application of double standards for men and women and resulted in too much political correctness in what women said when invited in public discourses.
The interaction between gender and leadership and the exemplification of this relationship by the media is a major determinant of representation (or underrepresentation) of women in leadership positions at the political level. The arena of politics is perceived to be masculine hence good political leadership, might, and experiences are associated more with men compared to women. Voters attribute good political leadership to men hence paucity in the number of women running for office and eventual election. When the stereotyped gender of a professional role does not ‘‘fit’’ with the gender of the person seeking the role, discrimination often occurs.
The origins of gender biases have been associated with the 1750-1850 agrarian revolution that gendered labor roles where men engaged in fieldwork and women in child-rearing, branding women second-class citizens. It is during this time that roles such as administrators, servants, priests, and soldiers were invented. Since then, gender roles and gender gaps have been perpetuated through generations and unfortunately, the media has been used as the propagating tool. Journalists would ordinarily be expected to be cautious, rational, and ethical individuals who understand that gender biases once scripted, read, or cited have the potential to influence the judgment and mindsets of the consumer of the information.
Gender bias puts women in a paradox – if they conform to the societal stereotyping, they are not seen as strong leaders yet if they exemplify agentic qualities associated with sturdy leadership, and they are evaluated negatively and branded as “unfeminine”.
Sadly, the perpetuation of negative gender sentiments entrenches a culture of negative social attitudes against women and is thought to be one of the root causes of violence against women and discourages victim reporting and participation. For instance, a 2016 study conducted by the Department of Justice in the United States indicates that 42.3% of domestic violence and 67.5% of rape and sexual assault victims in the US do not report the incidences.
Journalists need to be made aware of their responsibility in avoiding intentional or unintended gender bias in reporting. It would therefore be prudent to ensure that gender aspects are incorporated in the curriculums for journalism studies. Media houses also have a role to play in ensuring that editors are cautious of gender bias in reporting.
By Anne Gichini
On Friday, February 9, the Rotaract Club of USIU-Africa held a members’ induction ceremony at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The purpose of the meeting was primarily to uphold Rotary and Rotaract traditions, which play a crucial role in fostering a sense of identity, belonging, and continuity within the club. By participating in the induction ceremony, members honor the rich history and values of Rotaract, connecting them to a network of service-minded individuals who have come before them.
Additionally, the ceremony aimed to inspire and motivate both new and existing members, reminding them of the club's impact and their roles within it. It also served to set expectations for conduct and participation, reinforcing the responsibilities that come with Rotaract membership. Furthermore, the event provided an opportunity for new members to witness leadership in action and aspire to take on leadership roles themselves.
Among those present were the Charter President for 2022-23, various leaders within board of the club, a few existing members, and the new members being inducted. The ceremony was officiated by the Charter President as dictated by the New Member Induction Oath of Rotaract District 9212. The new members proceeded to take the New Member Induction Oath and after, they were ushered into the club by the leaders and the existing members present in the ceremony. The event ended with the President’s Toast and after the inducted members had a chance to interact with the existing members and the leaders as well.
By Ashley Koki
On Friday, 29 September, 2023, the Rotaract Club of USIU-Africa held an installation for the President elect, Ashley Koki and the Board of Directors. The installation ceremony is a Rotaract tradition that is held to signify change of leadership from one Rotaract President to the next one. In attendance were the Rotary club of Gigiri, Rotary club of Ruiru, Rotaract club of Muthaiga North, Rotaract of Technical University of Kenya, Rotaract club of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Rotaract Club of Nairobi-Thika Road, the hosts, Rotaract club of USIU-Africa members, and Mburu Machua an advocate of the High Court and an environment conservation enthusiast.
The event was also graced by Rotarian Esther Gachagua, the Chief Executive officer and Founder of Square foot Group companies and also the East African Representative at the Women Lobby Group based in Sweden. She also served as the guest of honor for the installation and as the officiator as well.
The ceremony started off with entertainment from an upcoming singer Lukundo, followed by Rotaract formalities. After a brief information session about Rotaract, the induction ceremony took place led by Rotarian Esther Gachagua. The incoming President Ashley took the oath of office as well as the Board of Directors. The brief induction was followed by a talk on essential soft skills in the workplace delivered by the guest of honor Rotarian Esther Gachagua. To crown the event, there was cake cutting ceremony and immediately after that session, guests and club members had their lunch as they interacted.
By Claude Tuyisenge
The Rwandan community at USIU-Africa, led by Claude Tuyisenge, Sophomore (International Business Administration major) and Prince Shema, Senior (Applied Computer Technology major) embarked on a semester-long series of activities, culminating in a heartfelt outreach program aimed at supporting the Happy Life Homes, a haven for abandoned children on Lumumba Drive. These efforts were a testament to the community's dedication to impactful engagement beyond the campus. The initiative sprang from within the community itself, buoyed by overwhelming support from its members. Financial contributions, organizational assistance, and robust mobilization efforts formed the backbone of this endeavor. The collective enthusiasm and unity within the community propelled the initiative forward, emphasizing their commitment to making a tangible difference in the lives of others.
Following a month-long fundraising campaign, the community eagerly prepared for their visit to Happy Life Homes. Arriving promptly at 3 p.m., they delved into a range of activities designed to lend a helping hand to the children's home. From food preparation to cleaning and engaging in various nurturing tasks, the Rwandan community showcased their dedication and readiness to directly impact the lives of the children. This hands-on approach facilitated interpersonal interactions, allowing the community members to learn about the children's individual stories, experiences, and the challenges they faced. Engaging with the children was an eye-opening experience that underscored the need for continuous support and care for these vulnerable members of society.
The immersive experience at Happy Life Homes left a profound impact on the Rwandan community at USIU-Africa. Understanding the children's backgrounds, their daily lives, and the love they earnestly seek highlighted the importance of advocacy and awareness within the broader community. Motivated by compassion and a newfound understanding, the community resolved to continue championing initiatives that benefit underprivileged individuals. This commitment reflects their unwavering dedication to fostering a more compassionate and supportive society, where every member, especially the most vulnerable, receives the love, care, and attention they deserve.
The team was grateful to USIU-Africa for their community service initiatives and especially the Community Service Learning course (CMS 3700), which inspired the students to participate in the outreach.
By Rebecca Prefina
The Scholar Council at USIU-Africa recently hosted its annual General Assembly, which brings together Scholars to celebrate their achievements and discuss ways to support each other. The assembly, held on November 24, served as an opportunity for the Scholar Council to share their achievements since coming into office on April 12.
Ms. Faith Mugambi, the Scholar Recruitment and Selection Officer, kicked off the event with her remarks, which set the tone for the rest of the engagement.
Following the protocol outlined in the Scholars’ Constitution, the assembly was skillfully moderated by the Financial Advisor, Agnes Bulege, while Rashid Wamela, the Scholar Representative/ President, took the audience through a meticulously organized presentation. This comprehensive session comprised twelve segments, encompassing introductory elements, a reflection on the inauguration, a summary of achievements, discussions on pending issues, insights into extracurricular engagements, and culminated with a documentary highlighting the Council's endeavors over the year. The interactive nature of the assembly encouraged Scholars to pose questions, making it a truly transparent and inclusive discussion.
Emphasizing the Council's commitment to its vision and mission, President Wamela reiterated the essence of being a Scholar-centric Council, dedicated to representing Scholars' interests and serving their needs.
Lenora Kelen, the Vice President, spoke on the Council's efforts in strengthening institutional capacities, introducing new leadership categories such as Country Representatives to aid international Scholars with embassy-related challenges, and fostering academic groups and support systems. She expounded on the Council's collaboration with the Baobab platform, enhancing support during pre-orientation sessions for Cohorts 6 and 7. She also led an in-depth discussion on entrepreneurship and transition initiatives, specifically the Resolution Project, which saw over 50 Scholars participate. Thirteen Scholars progressed to the finals, securing funding for innovative projects, marking a significant stride in fostering entrepreneurial initiatives within the Scholar community.
Rebecca Prefina, the Scholar Support Representative, highlighted the impactful journey of the Scholar Council. She specifically emphasized the success of the vibrant African Day event, which focused on promoting unity through team-building activities and cultural showcases. Notably, the Council significantly expanded its awards program, elevating Best Families from 1 shield to 2, live goats and 3 shields, enhancing Top Performance for Best Countries from 3 to 5 shields, and elevating Outstanding Individuals from 5 medals to 10 gold medals. Additionally, she elaborated on the evolution of the Scholar Connect event, which transformed into a three-day extravaganza, uniting over 700 Scholars. This event served as a benchmark for future interactions, evolving through continuous improvement inspired by valuable Scholar feedback.
Agnes Bulege, the Financial Advisor, delved into the enhancements made in meal provisions and stipends, focusing on initiatives aimed at easing Scholars’ challenges by liberalizing meal cards, implementing cash distribution for meals, and proposing stipend enhancements to alleviate living costs.
David Ndayizeye, the Inclusion representative, emphasized the Council's dedication to supporting Scholars with disabilities, ensuring their integration into all activities and providing essential services such as funding for laundry services, highlighting the Council's commitment to fostering diversity and inclusivity within the Scholar community.
The President also addressed the ongoing efforts of the Scholar Council, encompassing initiatives such as the Scholar-led Sacco registration, a constitutional review, and the implementation of a Swahili language program for international students facing language barriers. These initiatives reflect the Council's commitment to addressing critical issues faced by Scholars.
The Scholar Council also went the extra mile and conducted hostel check-in sessions in collaboration with the Liaison Committee member Rodrigue Irampa, reinforcing their dedication to building strong connections with Scholars, actively addressing concerns, and welcoming suggestions to enhance the Scholars’ experience in their residential areas.
Collaboration between the Scholar Council and the Transitions Team has successfully facilitated Scholar access to the African Career Network (ACN) platform. This platform provides a broad network for Scholars to engage with professionals, access mentorship opportunities, and explore various career pathways.
Furthermore, the Council took proactive measures to ensure international students' embassy registrations by facilitating formal visits to embassies. Scholars interacted with embassy officials, at the Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia embassies, with the final visit to Malawi taking place on December 1, marking the Council's commitment to fostering a supportive environment for international Scholars.
By Patel Yesh Dineshbhai
The USIU-Africa School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHS) in collaboration with the Pharmacy Students Association (UPSA) recently held a momentous White Coat Ceremony to warmly welcome the incoming first-year Pharmacy students. This cherished event took place at the university grounds and was graced by distinguished representatives from various pharmacy sectors.
The White Coat Ceremony is a significant rite of passage in the field of pharmacy, symbolizing the beginning of students professional journey, it emphasizes the importance of professionalism, ethics and the responsibility that comes with being a healthcare provider.
The event was attended by esteemed guests including representatives from the Director of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, the Dean of SPHS, Prof. David Ombengi (USA), the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics- Transformational Teaching, Learning & Research, Prof. Amos Njuguna and several faculty members.
Dr. Francis Ndemo, the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, delivered an inspiring message underscoring the critical role of professionalism in the pharmacy field, setting the tone for the incoming students’ academic journey.
The UPSA club Patron, Dr. Ermias Terefe, extended a warm welcome to the new students, ensuring they felt embraced and part of the vibrant pharmacy community at USIU-Africa.
Prof. Amos Njuguna stressed the importance of aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He highlighted how USIU-Africa’s faculty is committed to equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to contribute significantly to achieving these global goals and making a lasting impact in the pharmacy field.
The ceremony of donning the white coats was officiated by distinguished faculty members, including Dr. Larry Kimani, Dr. Max Muniafu, Dr. Amsalu Defergsha, and an esteemed alumnus, Dr. Gitau. Dr. Larry Kimani also led the students in taking the pledge of professionalism, emphasizing the ethical foundations of their future careers.
Prof. David Ombengi elaborated on the evaluation of pharmacy practice in the USA and how USIU-Africa can aim to learn from international best practices to position Kenya as a leader in pharmacy practice, thinking ahead of other nations by two decades. He emphasized the shift from traditional pharmacy to pharmaceutical care, highlighting the importance of patient-centered healthcare.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the incoming pharmacy students. As they embark on this transformative journey, we have no doubt that they will make a significant mark in the field of pharmacy and healthcare, guided by the values and principles instilled during this meaningful White Coat Ceremony. We wish them success and fulfillment in their pursuit of excellence in pharmacy.
By Humphrey Muchuma and CTW Team
The School of Science and Technology recently entered into a partnership with EDU Plus Africa to offer Cyber Security training to 15 students from the School of Science and Technology for a period of 4-6 months. The training will equip the students with the skills to explore the vast opportunities in the digital space.
Speaking to CTW, EDU Plus Africa Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Humphrey Muchuma noted that the partnership was a representation of the core of EDU Plus Africa’s operations- creation of employment opportunities for African youth.
Economic inequality is one of the most threatening global challenges of our time compromising on stability and social progress. More than half of the world’s poorest people are in Sub-Saharan Africa and are earning less than a dollar a day. EDU Plus Africa is dedicated to filling this employment gap by employing an inclusive employment practice that is at the core of our business. We hire and provide career development opportunities to people who otherwise would have limited prospects for formal employment. We have and continue to transform the lives of young men and women. In return these young people are benefiting the communities they live in,” he said.
“Our strategic partnership with USIU-Africa provides students and alumni with a meaningful career path, leading to a lifetime of fulfilling opportunities in the digital space. In the next 2-3 years we are looking at recruiting at least 500 youth to work in Cyber Security and Software Development space with our tech partners in the United States,” he added.
Over the next five years, EDU Plus Africa hopes to have a team of at least 2,000 youth working in Kenya.
“The creation of youth employment is a sustainable means of reducing income inequality, as it ensures that marginalized and vulnerable populations have access to formal employment and training, giving them the opportunity to lift themselves and their families out of poverty,” he notes.
For more information on EDU Plus Africa, you can reach them here.
By Taigu Muchiri
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in partnership with Henry Luce Foundation announced a call for proposals from across the social sciences and related fields that address the social, economic, cultural, psychological, and political impact of Covid-19 in the United States and globally, as well as responses to the pandemic’s wide-ranging effects. The SSRC’s COVID-19 Rapid-Response Grants supports innovative research projects that deploy remote research methods to shed light on both the short and potential long-term effects of COVID-19 across a range of issues. The deadline for application is June 1. For more details, visit https://covid19research.ssrc.org/rapid-response-grants-on-covid-19-and-the-social-sciences/
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) together with Sida (Sweden), Wellcome Trust, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have called on African scientists to prioritize the Research and Development (R&D) needs of the COVID-19 outbreak for the continent. The deadline for application is June 30, 2020. For more details, visit https://www.aasciences.africa/calls/funding-covid-19-research-development-goals-africa.
In the current context of the pandemic, social sciences scholars have had to grapple with a series of questions regarding how to explain but also to innovate on solutions that would inform policy and related policy actions by governments, intergovernmental organizations, donors and related players. The questions that social scientists are grappling with include the restrictions put in place such as physical distancing and their impact on the quality of human interactions, the mechanisms of working from home, measuring the impact on livelihoods broadly brought about by disruptions in the global supply chain, modalities of the ‘new normal’ and how it will look like post COVID-19.
By Lauryn Ojore
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) in conjunction with the African Debate Academy, hosted the Nairobi Schools Open Tournament at USIU-Africa campus on February 11 and 12. The Nairobi Schools Open Tournament is the first of a series of championships set to be held in the coming semesters and years. It attracted 800+ students from over 25 high schools from Nairobi and beyond to engage in debate, public speaking and quizzes.
The core objective of the program was to get young students to engage in meaningful discussions about world affairs and matters that affect the society, as well as market the school to potential future USIU-Africa students through the aid of the Admissions Office. The participants competed in various categories, including junior and senior categories, to showcase their public speaking and debating skills.
The tournament was more than just a competition; it was a platform for young students to engage in meaningful discussions and express their ideas on important issues affecting society. For SADS, hosting the tournament was crucial as it showcased their dedication to nurturing critical thinking, communication skills, and leadership qualities among high school students. Through the tournament, SADS was able to create an environment where students could learn and grow beyond the classroom, by providing them with opportunities to sharpen their public speaking and debating skills, build self-confidence, and develop a passion for leadership. The tournament was a stepping stone for SADS towards achieving its goals of empowering young people through the art of speaking, and it is a clear indication that the club is committed to making a positive impact in the community.
The students showed great enthusiasm and were highly engaged throughout the tournament. Their passion and dedication to the art of public speaking were evident in the way they participated in the various events. The level of competition was high, and the students' performances impressed the judges and spectators alike. The debates required participants to engage in both prepared and impromptu debates. The students displayed impressive research skills, persuasive speaking, and teamwork, which were evaluated by experienced judges.
The public speaking activities allowed students to showcase their skills in delivering speeches on various topics. Public speaking is a vital skill that plays a significant role in communication and self-expression. The competition provided an excellent platform for students to develop their public speaking abilities and build their confidence. Furthermore, the quiz competition was another exciting part of the event. The quiz tested students' general knowledge, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. It was an excellent opportunity for the students to demonstrate their knowledge and compete in a friendly and supportive environment.
After a series of intense debates, the winners of the debate competition were announced, and Kinderworld school emerged as the champions. The competition was intense, and all the schools that participated deserve praise for their hard work and dedication. The public speaking champion overall, hailed from Kianda School.
The success of the event would not have been possible without the outstanding work ethic of the SADS committee. They worked tirelessly to ensure that the event ran smoothly, from the registration process to the closing ceremony and that participants had a positive experience. Their hard work and dedication were instrumental in making the event a great success. More Importantly, SADS extends gratitude to the club coordinators Chris Ayuoyi and Jane Nyaga as well as the club patron, Dr. Quin Juma who provided invaluable support and guidance for the Nairobi Schools Open Debate Championships.
The Nairobi Schools Open Debate Championships was a testament to the power of collaboration, hard work, and dedication. We look forward to more successful events in the future, and we encourage all students to continue honing their public speaking and debating skills.
Variety best defines the latest edition of the Mashujaa Open Tournament. Hosted at Strathmore University on April 2-3, the debate championship brought together almost 20 universities in Kenya to compete and show off their verbal prowess.
Representing USIU-Africa at the 7th edition of the Mashujaa Tournament, SADS was part of the tournament’s Adjudication Panel, with Sam Kagia, Jeremiah Kashaka and Victor Mwendwa acting as the tournament’s adjudicators. The Society also took part in the tournament, fielding Bryan Muchesia, Mariam Rajabu, Joshua Wambugu in the Novice category, where the team emerged as 1st runners up.
Through the guidance of our club patron, Dr. Quin Juma, SADS seeks to not only achieve proper articulation in speech, but also arm USIU-Africa community a global recognition in the debate society. With the support of the USIU- Africa community, SADS has more upcoming projects even as the Spring Semester comes to an end. These projects include:
By Lauryn Ojore
The USIU-Africa’s Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS), in collaboration with the African Debate Academy, once again brought together young minds from across the nation for the Nairobi Schools Open Tournament. Held on February 10 and 11, 2024, this event marked the third leg of a series aimed at nurturing the communication skills and leadership potential of high school students.
With over 1,000 participants representing various schools, the tournament served as a platform for students to showcase their talents in rhetoric, debate, public speaking, and critical thinking. What started as a modest initiative in 2023 has now evolved into a highly anticipated event, attracting students driven by a passion for effective communication and a desire to make a difference.
At the heart of SADS lies a simple yet profound motto: ‘Speak to Empower.’ The Nairobi Schools Open event thus is more than just a tournament; it's a testament of SADS unwavering commitment to nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. It's about empowering young minds to articulate their ideas, challenge the status quo, and effect real change in their communities. And nowhere is this commitment more evident than in the vibrant tapestry of activities that unfolded over those two exhilarating days.
Beyond mere competition, the tournament served as a catalyst for personal and intellectual growth. Participants immersed themselves in a diverse array of activities, there were the debates, public speaking engagements, and collaborative quizzes. Each challenge presented an opportunity for students to expand their horizons, sharpen their intellect, and build confidence in their abilities.
The success of the event would not have been possible without the outstanding work ethic of the SADS committee, their hard work and dedication were instrumental in making the event a great success. More Importantly, SADS extends gratitude to the university’s Club Coordinators Chris Ayuoyi and Jane Nyaga as well as the Head of Admissions Dr. George Lumbasi who provided invaluable support for the event.
As the club continues to grow and soar, exciting upcoming projects to wrap up the semester awaits such as the Ubuntu Opens 4th Edition to be held on February 24-25, and the East African Universities Debate Championship which will be held here at USIU-Africa in August 2024.
By Fresher Diana and Chantelle Mukabi
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) started the year on a high note by travelling to Kampala, Uganda to participate in the Olympia Open. Olympia is an annual invitational debate championship that is organized and hosted at the Cavendish University. The objective of the tournament is to bring together best speakers from university debate unions across East Africa, to engage in formal debate on matters of social, political, cultural, and economic relevance to the region.
SADS was invited on merit to participate in the tournament and was granted four slots out of the 32 invited teams. Travelling to Uganda accompanied by chaperone Jane Nyaga, were four teams of 8 members and a judge namely: Sam Kagia, Jeremiah Kashaka, Fresher Diana, Louis Gitu, Elsie Sirengo, Victor Mwendwa, Candy Margret and Stacy Anyango. It was an avenue for the USIU-Africa students to foster youth relations in a process of integration as well as building a ‘Culture of Students’ engagements within the East Africa Community.
The tournament saw the coming together of 11 universities from 3 different countries that is, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda to represent competitively to emerge victors. Spending time in different parts of the world can provide people with unique insights on cultural differences and a deep appreciation for ways of life other than their own and that is what SADS is promoting to the USIU-Africa students.
Notably among the chief adjudicators was Mashama Fanelesibonge of Harvard University. He was Thessaloniki’s World Universities Debate Championship 2016 winner and a master debater. USIU-Africa was recognized as the most outstanding university to prevail and keep the debating spirit alive during the pandemic, by actively engaging through online platforms such as Discord and Zoom.
SADS soared through the challenges to become a name to associate with and has yet to achieve more in the new year. The SADS club patron, Dr. Quinn Juma has been at the forefront to propel the club to greater heights and amassed the support of the USIU-Africa community to rally behind the SADS club.
Some of the projects set for the year on the club calendar include:Participating in the Pan African Universities Debate Championship in Kenya that will be held from December 8-15 at Strathmore University;
By Fresher Diana
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) began the Summer semester on a high note at the Ubuntu Opens. Organized and hosted by Kenyatta University, the first edition of the Ubuntu Opens brought together universities from across the county. Showcasing through ability to use the voice, the tournament created a platform for university students of diverse backgrounds all over Kenya, where one can fully demonstrate and articulate the power of the tongue.
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society is at the forefront of equipping the USIU-Africa community with skills of speech and articulation. SADS was well represented at the Ubuntu Opens, with Sam Kagia serving as the Chief Adjudicator. SADS also took part in the competition, fielding novice teams (Bryan Muchesia, Joshua Wambugu) and Open teams (Louis Gitu, Fresher Diana, Victor Mwendwa, Elsie Sirengo).
SADS emerged as 2nd runners up in the Open category, where it was represented by Victor Mwendwa and Elsie Sirengo. Joshua Wambugu emerged as the 5th best speaker in the Novice category, while Victor Mwendwa was named as the 5th best speaker in the Open Category.
Through the guidance of our club patron, Dr. Quin Juma, SADS seeks to not only achieve proper articulation in speech, but also earn the USIU-Africa community recognition in the debate society. SADS has more upcoming projects including:
By Stecy Onyango
Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Chair) and Kagia Samuel (SADS Vice Chair) were recently named as winners of the annual Uhuru World Debate Championship (UWDC), which saw 44 countries taking part in the competition, bringing together 400 debaters, 100 judges, and over 40 countries from across the world.
The competition was held across two time zones and three divisions, namely the Open Category (the highest category for the highest skilled and most fluent debaters), the ESL (English as Second Language being the second category), and the Schools Category (for students at secondary education level). Kagia and Chantelle signed up as ESL speakers, like most African debaters do, but they had such high scores in the preliminary rounds that they ended up breaking through to the Open Category as the 9th breaking Open team out of 32 selected teams for the Out Rounds (octo-finals, quarter-finals, semifinals and the grand finale). They proceeded to win all the out rounds and were able to emerge as the World Champions of the Uhuru World Debate Championship through a unanimous decision by the Global Chief Adjudication Panel. In addition to this, Chantelle was named as the 7th Best Speaker in the Open Category and the 4th Best Speaker in the ESL Category, with Kagia Samuel named as the 8th Best Speaker in the ESL Category.
This marks one of the many wins by the pair at various competitions, including:
In recognition of their achievements, the Pan African Universities Debate Championship Council (PAUDCC) nominated Chantelle and Kagia as Director of Recruitment for East Africa and Director of Sponsorship & Funding for the Council respectively.
Following these wins and global exposure, the Society has seen an influx of requests for partnerships and multiple requests to join and train with SADS form debaters across the world including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, India, UK, South Africa, and others. It was this winning streak that saw Chantelle partner up with renowned South African debater, Anam Azhar, to win the Vanderbilt Open Tournament.
These wins have also seen Chantelle and Kagia being sought out to participate in prestigious global tournaments like the upcoming Olympia 2021 Invitational Tournament of 32 of East Africa’s best speakers, and the African Nations 2021 Invitational Championship of 40 of Africa’s best speakers, among others, which are yet to be announced.
The Society hopes to soar to even greater heights this year, and thanks its patron, Dr. Quin Awuor for her relentless support and encouragement.
For further information on SADS, you can contact us at: sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke
By Hafsa Abshir
The novice duo Hafsa Abshir & Hasritha Sunnam caused a jubilant stir at this weekend’s 3rd leg of the Ubuntu Opens breaking to both the novice semi-finals and the finals, taking home the trophy. To add to their victory, they effectively claimed 1st and 2nd in the top novice speaker’s category respectively.
Hosted by Kenyatta University, the tournament was attended by a number of institutions and drew a multitude of debaters where SADS made yet another exulting supremacy. The two-day event (February 25 & 26), was attended by 3 teams; Hasritha Sunnam (SADS member) & Hafsa Abshir (SADS member), Wanjiru Nganatha Karugu (SADS member) & Joshua Wambugu (SADS Inter-club Coordinator), Maria Marenga (SADS member) & Suliat Oleyede (SADS member) alongside Kashaka Jeremiah (SADS Vice-Chair) who represented as a judge.
Causing a stir of their own were debaters Wanjiru Nganatha Karugu & Joshua Wambugu who broke to the open’s semi-finals, with Joshua claiming 3rd best speaker in the top open speaker’s category.
Ubuntu Opens served as an introduction for some of the society's new members and provided them with new and invaluable experiences to new and victorious debater Hasritha Sunnam. The tournament delivered a wide variety of interplay with its engaging theme ‘The Ethos of a Changing World’.
The club’s upcoming activities include:
By Lauryn Ojore
SADS made waves in the 2nd leg of The Ubuntu Opens. The tournament, hosted by Kenyatta University, was attended by over 100 speakers from 12 universities across the country. This tournament served as the first appearance for new SADS debaters who participated in the novice category.
USIU-Africa was represented by Maria Marenga and her Partner from Africa Nazarene, Solomon Mwangi. Other teams who participated include Joshua Wambugu (SADS Inter Club Coordinator), Aisha Hassan Ahmed (SADS Member), Rachel Binoy Varghese (SADS Member), Amy Wanjiku (SADS Member), Angel Musomba (SADS Member), Juliet Musyoki (SADS Member), Adeniji Abdur Rahman (SADS Member), Simon Kamau (SADS Member), Samuel Lymok (SADS Member) and Fred Baden Eric (SADS Member). Judges representing the society included Lauryn Ojore (SADS Secretary) and Kashaka Jeremiah (SADS Vice-Chair), who served as a member of the Chief Adjudication Panel.
Despite the intense competition at the tournament, SADS Novice debaters, Aisha Ahmed, and her partner Joshua Wambugu emerged as the Winners of the Open Category, breaking twice to Open Semi Finals and Finals, beating out other experienced debaters in her first tournament. The team's accomplishments didn't stop there, both speakers emerged as the top 5 best open speakers with Aisha being named as the 5th best speaker and Joshua being named as the 3rd best speaker. A SADS member, Maria Marenga, and her partner broke into the Novice semi-finals, securing her spot in the out rounds in her very first debate competition.
Ubuntu provided valuable experiences for the new members of the Society. Through the guidance of our club patron, Dr. Quin Juma, SADS seeks to not only achieve proper articulation in speech, but also earn the USIU-Africa community recognition in the debate society. SADS has more upcoming projects including:
By the Spoken Arts and Debate Society
From September 1 to 3, USIU Africa’s SADS attended the prestigious EAUDC which was hosted in the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda. The university hosting the tournament was the esteemed Rwandan Independent University, while the well-respected Aspire Debate Rwanda–a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the Rwandan youth with the power of public speaking– was the main organizer of the tournament.
As the name of the tournament indicates, EAUDC brought together the best debaters in the East African region to participate in a three-day-long tournament to reach the finals and claim the title of the EAUDC 2023 champions. The tournament primarily utilized the British Parliamentary style of debate, the most common and highly regarded format for university debate.
USIU-Africa was represented in the EAUDC tournament by Wanjiru Karugu and Joshua Wambugu, two talented debaters in SADS who were the recent champions of the Ikenga Debate Tournament. After enduring the extensive preliminary rounds of the tournament, the two debaters qualified for finals after being the best team post-preliminaries.
USIU-Africa emerged as first-runners-up for this tournament, showing the debaters Wanjiru and Joshua’s exceptional skill in debate. Moreover, Joshua and Wanjiru would tie as second-best speakers of the tournament and Wanjiru would be awarded as the best female speaker. The champions of the EAUDC tournament was the African Leadership University while the second runners-up were Strathmore University.
The EAUDC has continued to show its capability to the platform and encourage debaters in the East African space to continue homing in on their debating and public speaking skills. Thus, we believe that our debaters were able to gain valuable skills in oration and critical thinking skills that they can utilize not only in their future tournaments but for their future academic and professional endeavors. Furthermore, with USIU-Africa once again showing its prowess in the public speaking and debate space, we believe that the SADS will continue to show the academic excellence of our prestigious institution.
By Joshua Wambugu
USIU-Africa hosted the Ikenga Opens Tournament last weekend. Considered one of the most competitive university tournaments in the Kenyan circuit, we had participants from a plethora of institutions from all around the country.
The competition followed the British Parliamentary format, which requires participants to debate against 3 other teams, there were five preliminary debate rounds, all of which were impromptu allowing for maximum competition before teams reached the first break to the semifinals. After which, the top 2 teams from each semifinal round progresses onto the final, with the team winning the finals being crowned the overall winner of the tournament.
A total of 20 teams, 18 judges and 5 universities were represented at the tournament. USIU-Africa had 6 teams made up of Hafsa Abshir and Hasritha Sunnam, Wanjiru Karugu and Joshua Wambugu, Angel Musomba and Maria Marenga, Amy Njenga and Francis Chege, Pearl Nganga and Billy Kinyanjui and Samuel Lyomoki and Trevor Mwembesa. SADS also had six adjudicators in the event, namely Victor Mwendwa, Lauryn Ojore, Kashaka Jeremiah, Elsie Sirengo, Louis Gitu and Kagia Samuel.
USIU-Africa emerged as the tournament’s winner, with Wanjiru Karugu and Joshua Wambugu taking first place, followed closely by Strathmore University. Wanjiru and Joshua were also named as the fourth and third best speakers at the tournament, with Elsie Sirengo and Louis Gitu voted as the best judges.
This was the first local university debate tournament in over 4 months, therefore we were able to cement Ikenga, and by extension SADS, as a mainstay of the Kenyan debate circuit. We were able to attract 40 debaters, and 52 overall participants to the event, where they were able to engage with each other, share ideas, and foster stronger interpersonal bonds through the art of debate.
By Joshua Wambugu
On November 4 and 5, SADS club hosted the 3rd edition of the prestigious Mbokodo tournament, a tournament birthed by SADS aiming to spark discussion and create a platform to discuss women’s rights and empowerment.
The tournament's organization and planning was meticulously executed by the SADS committee consisting of Joshua Wambugu, Angel Wambugu, Francis Chege, Victor Mwendwa, and Wanjiru Karugu. This planning proved to be successful in the smooth running of the tournament during its two-day period.
The tournament was a huge success with several institutions within Nairobi making an appearance as well as thirty-two teams attending the tournament. Amongst the thirty-two teams, eight USIU-Africa teams participated in the tournament. USIU-Africa showed their debating prowess during the tournament and demonstrated excellent performance.
Novice debaters Geoffrey Gikungu and Simaloi Kahara emerged as the winners of the Mbokodo tournament in the novice category. Additionally, Angel Mala and Francis Chege emerged as the runners-up in the novice category. Angel Mala was awarded the third-best novice speaker in the tournament.
The incredible performance from SADS in both debate performance and organizing tournaments is proof of the club's excellence and dedication. Thus, SADS has continued to show its prowess within the debate circuit in Kenya and in the region.
By John Sande and John Kabuu
The COVID-19 pandemic caused great havoc in the sports arena with many learning institutions putting on hold their sports and games activities. With the pandemic contained and the resumption of learning having gone back to fully physical, the sports activities section in the Student Affairs division embarked on a 4-day recruitment drive targeting the western region of Kenya from November 16 – 19, 2022.
The decision to target western Kenya was informed by the changes in this year’s secondary school national games that saw the shifting in dominance from, and dethroning of perennial household names such as Kakamega School, Kamusinga School, Upper Hill Secondary School and Nairobi School to new comers such as Butula School, Koyonzo Boys, Sinyolo Girls to mention but a few. This elicited interest from the USIU-Africa Sports section who wanted to understand and tap into this new and raw talent that had also excelled in the East African games held in Tanzania in the same year.
The recruitment team comprising Bonifas Salano (Senior Sports Coordinator), John Kabuu (Senior Quality Assurance Office and Hockey Patron), John Sande (Senior Digital Marketing Officer), Atanus Awiti (Rugby Coach) and Sidney Muniafu (Rugby Coach) visited a number of schools addressing the students including:
St. Anthony’s Boys School, Kitale
With 75% of the students scoring a mean grade of a C+ and above, St. Anthony’s Boys School, Kitale is an academic powerhouse within the region. The recruitment team got an opportunity to speak with the candidates and shared highlights why USIU-Africa was a preferred higher education destination upon successful completion of their secondary school studies.
The decision to settle on St. Anthony's Kitale was not surprising given their past excellent track record. The school is Kenya’s Secondary School games football and hockey champions, with the hockey team having won the national games for a record ten times, including the current year, 2022.
Butere Girls High School and Koyonzo Boys School
The second day of recruitment saw the team travel to two institutions: Butere Girls High School and Koyonzo Boys Secondary Schools. These two schools were triumphant during the national games, where they depicted their prowess in ladies’ basketball and men’s rugby respectively. At Butere girls, the team was accorded a chance to speak to over 50 top student candidates who were largely impressed with the endless possibilities of pursuing education at a world-class university.
At Koyonzo Secondary School, the team was warmly welcomed by the School Principal and the Deputy Principal – who were humbled by the visit. The administration scrambled to congregate over 500 form 3 and 4 students to listen to the USIU-Africa officials who underscored the importance of the school working hard to match their sports exploits with their academic achievements.
Tunza Sports Academy
The third day of the recruitment involved collaborating and coordinating with Tunza Sports Academy to coalesce students and teachers from 8 institutions in a well-orchestrated effort to recruit brilliant students from across the Nyanza region. Tunza Sports Academy is a not-for-profit sports-based organization for youth development. The program harnesses the power of sports to reduce poverty, promote health and inspire academic success for kids in under-served rural areas. The students converged at the Museum View hotel conference room where the recruitment team shared the highlights of the university, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Scholarship opportunities and application procedures. Among the schools that were represented included:
Butula Boys Secondary School
The climax of the recruitment drive saw the team visit Butula Secondary School during their sports and cultural day. This was an excellent platform to market the university as three other schools namely: St. Mary’s Yala Secondary school, Nanyuki Secondary school, and Nduru Boys’ Secondary school had been invited to compete in a rugby tournament. The team set up a tent and managed to talk to well over 2000 students drawn from the four schools.
Speaking to the multitude, the Senior Sports Coordinator, Mr. Bonifas Salano clarified that academic ability is usually the most important factor when scouting for athletic talent.
“You may be a star athlete, but if you do not have the requisite university entry requirement, there’s nothing a coach can do to guarantee your acceptance to the university. Character interlocks with the above two and together will determine successful recruitment” he added.
By Diana Meso
In the past two weekends, our sports teams recorded mixed results in the ongoing Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) University league that took place in Kenyatta University and Mt. Kenya University.
On Saturday, November 13, the ladies’ basketball team trounced Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology (KWUST) 82- 8, while their male counterparts beat Kenyatta University (Ruiru Campus) 53-44.
Additionally, the men’s hockey team crushed St. Paul’s University 5-0, as the Soccer team beat Daystar University 3-1. However, the Netball team was thoroughly beaten 3-61 by Mt. Kenya University.
The men’s hockey team lost to Kenyatta University 47-57 on n Sunday, November 14. Meanwhile, the Soccer team tied with Daystar University and St. Paul’s University on Sunday, November 14 and Saturday, November 20.
Both the ladies and men’s hockey team emerged victorious after beating Daystar University 4-0 and 2-1 respectively on Sunday, November 21. On the other hand, the Handball team lost 12-26 to St. Paul’s University.
By Jemima Oloo
USIU-Africa hosted a glamorous graduation dinner to celebrate the university’s latest cohort of graduates, as they marked a significant milestone in their educational journey, the celebration took place on Thursday, October 12, at the Trademark Hotel, Village Market.
The occasion was graced by USIU-Africa Alumni, Director Portland Communications Mr. Joel Chacha who was the guest of honor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Transformational Teaching, Learning and Research, Prof. Amos Njuguna and the Deputy Vice Chancellor, student life Dr. Victor Boiyo among other guests.
The evening was packed with insightful messages for the graduands as they open a new leaf and transition into the next chapter. “Leverage on your social capital” Mr. Joel urged the excited graduands to harness the power of their social networks while being their most authentic self, to be bold in the pursuit of their dreams and the power of humble beginnings.
Prof. Amos Njuguna in his address marveled at the grit and resilience of the graduating class. He acknowledged their commitment and determination since most of them had studied during the COVID 19 pandemic but soldiered on to finish. He like Mr. Chacha, urged the graduands to maintain the networks they formed in their time on campus because they will eventually be vital in their future endeavors.
“We provide you with the courage to move to the next step pf your life,” encouraged Prof Njuguna with beautiful words of motivation “what you have within you is capable of achieving what you need to, walk the talk,” said Prof. Njuguna.
The evening was a culmination of beautiful stories of unwavering determination of the graduating class. Congratulations to class of 2023.
By Anena Cynthia Treasure
Welcome to the Fall Semester and I hope you are excited for another ride of experiences. I thought about writing something for the start of the semester and after much thought I finally settled on unintended consequences of university. If you are new to the school, this article would be a good place to start. What do I mean by unintended consequences of university? I will give you a sociological answer.
In sociology, every institution has two functions: Manifest functions (intended consequences) and latent functions (unintended consequences). Manifest functions are the most basic functions that is expected outcomes from university for example graduating with a good GPA. The opposite of manifest functions is latent functions, the unexpected outcomes for example self-management, meeting the love of your life, making meaningful connections, expanding your cultural view, developing a lifestyle, time management, hard work, honesty, among others.
It's been three years for me here at USIU-Africa and I’ve learned so much, which I highlight in detail below:
Intercultural relations/ creating meaningful connections. If you leave USIU-Africa without this skill, then you haven’t utilized your tuition to the fullest. Intercultural relations are a skill you teach yourself when you get here. There so many people from different cultures and backgrounds, it’s up to you to form those connections.
Leadership. I’ve been class representative and club leader for two clubs, Speak-Up and Journalism clubs and I can say I’ve grown as a leader while holding these positions. With class leadership, I have learnt the critical skill of managing people. On top of learning how to communicate with your lecturers and classmates, and building a good reference for your CV, you also get some additional marks to your grade. As a club leader, I have learnt how to draft proposals, take meeting minutes, come up with a budget, draw up club activities for the semester, and sharpen my communication skills.
Confidence. I grew up shy and as life passed, I made a decision to work upon it. Participating in Mr. and Miss USIU pageant was just the beginning. Throughout the competition, I built my confidence. Nobody is born confident. Confidence is a skill that must be built and consistently nourished for it to become second nature.
Teamwork and hard work. There is no class you are going to finish alone. I mean to say there are people going to contribute to your final grade. Through class presentations and group work. Trust me, this is where you will meet different characters, the determined ones, and the lazy ones. Pray to God, your lecturer lets you choose your teammates otherwise if you land in a group with lazy people, don’t be afraid to hand over their names to your lecturer because you will be saving everyone including that lazy person. Finally, you must love the hard work, you have no choice but to!
Resilience. Resilience is one thing university is going to teach you. In all areas of your life, the relationships, and academics. Relationships will form and get broken in this place so do not break in the process. Academics will put your brain to the test with a lot of stress so don’t break when you feel overwhelmed. Carry resilience with you wherever you go.
Financial Intelligence. The most important unintended consequence is financial intelligence. You will learn how to manage your money from here. Whatever you do, be smart with your money. Do not borrow money from friends and fail to pay back. Also, there many negative unintended consequences that may arise but be wise we cannot avoid negative experiences because it’s where the learning happens.
Have a lovely semester, this is your journey, so get as many experiences as you can!
By Winnie Tewendi | Photos: Justin Kimathi
The USIU-Africa Alumni Association, representing more than 25,000 alumni across the globe, has partnered with Jubilee Insurance to introduce AlumniCare, a transformative healthcare initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare access in Kenya.
The alumni community as well as panelists Vimal Shah, Linus Gitahi, Antony Irungu Wagema, and Health CEO Njeri Jomo were at the launch event held on Friday,8,2023 at the Nairobi Serena Hotel. The focus of the panel discussion was, "Health Insurance; Do or Die: Enhancing Healthcare Access for Kenyans." The partnership marks an important development in Kenya’s pursuit of universal healthcare.
AlumniCare is evidence of unwavering commitment of both USIU-Africa alumni and Jubilee Insurance to delivering to all Kenyans a comprehensive healthcare solution. This innovative strategy highlights the immense impact that partnerships can have in enhancing access to healthcare.
Jubilee Insurance Group CEO, Dr. Julius Kipng’etich, pointed out the changing insurance industry and the value of peer-to-peer insurance in ensuring that more people and communities have access to economical and extensive insurance coverage. AlumniCare intends to support the USIU alumni community by combining their resources to effectively deal with healthcare access issues.
This groundbreaking healthcare solution is set to benefit over 25,000 members of the USIU-Africa Alumni community. AlumniCare stands as a symbol of hope, showing the beneficial results that can be attained when people and organizations band together with a common goal of enhancing healthcare access. The USIU-Africa Alumni Association and Jubilee Insurance invite all alumni to embrace the "Alumni Care" concept and share this exciting news within their networks.
By Ajua Salomon
The USIU-Africa Chapter of the World Youth Alliance (WYA USIU- Africa), one of the youngest clubs in USIU-Africa held a forum on Friday, March 10, 2023 from 2pm to 4 pm, around the theme: ‘Building Youth Capacity for Active Participation in Policy Formulation’.
The event was facilitated by three key speakers. One of them who was from the WYA headquarters in New York made an online presentation, while the others from the WYA Africa Regional Office staff were physically present. Dozens of participants attended the hybrid even, the majority of them joining via the webinar platform. Different nationalities were represented.
After an introductory overview of the topic “Advocacy”, participants learned through concrete examples how WYA empowers the youth and supports their participation in policy formulation at the national level (in the case of Kenya), in the European Union and at the United Nations.
The forum culminated in a very lively question and answer session on concrete ways in which youth can bring an effective contribution towards policy-making in their respective countries and at the global level. At the end, a QR code was provided to help participants share their feedback for further discussion.
As a club, WYA USIU- Africa is part of a global non-profit coalition of young people committed to building free and just societies through a culture of life, a culture based on the dignity of the human person, family cohesion and individual holistic growth.
By CTW Team
Mrs. Maureen Jura Ochola, Principal Career and Placement Officer in the Student Life Division passed away on Sunday, November 19, 2023. Maureen joined USIU-Africa as an Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor on March 1, 2016 and was redeployed to the Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department in November 2022. She was an integral part of the USIU-Africa community, and her contributions were invaluable. She will be remembered not only for her professional skills but also for her kindness, warmth, and positive spirit.
Maureen was a loving and cherished wife to Mr. Clement A. D. Ochola - State Department for Trade, Nairobi, and mother to Bianca Grace Mary Ochola and Bradley Paul Jura Ochola - both of United States International University-Africa and Lavine Ochola.
Here are some tributes from the PACS Department and students she mentored:
By Diana Meso
They say “old is gold” and indeed this was seen during Prof. Freida Brown Homecoming event, that took place on campus on Saturday, October 16.
The event saw over 300 students, staff, faculty and alumni welcome Prof. Brown with pomp and color. Organized by the Student Affairs Division in partnership with the Alumni Association and other departments in the university, the event saw participants plant trees as part of community services, play various games and enjoy performances from different cultures; Indian, Rwandese, Cameroon, Congo and Uganda.
Dr. Maina Muchara, Faculty Council Chair gave heartwarming remarks, reminding the university community of the initial vision and mission of the university and encouraging them to push towards the same. He further thanked Prof. Brown for accepting to come back and hold fort, pointing out that her kind gesture proved her love for this institution.
Additionally, Mr. James Cutha, Chairperson of the Alumni Association and Director, Maverick One Ltd, Mr. Joel Chacha, Member of the Alumni Association and General Manager Tell-Em Public Relations, Ms. Faith Mugambi, Program Officer Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Staff Council Secretary, and Mr. Bernard Opondo, Student Affairs Council thanked Prof. Brown for accepting to come back to lead the university and assured her of their full support as she worked with the university community to realize the dreams of the university.
On her part, Prof. Brown, thanked the organizers and all participants for such a warm event and urged them to look forward as there is a lot to be done if the vision and mission of this university is to be realized. She further thanked Mrs. Ritah Asunda, Interim Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (Interim A-DVC SA) who was present at the event, for accepting to come back and work for the university.
Also present at the event was Mr. Geoffrey Odundo, Chief Executive Officer, Nairobi Securities Exchange, Mrs. Night Nzovu, Director Administration, and other distinguished guests.
Prof. Freida Brown will be heading the university as the Interim Vice Chancellor for a period of 9 months.
We wish her all the best!
By Azenath Ateka
The Library and Information Center has teamed up with The Consulate Magazine which is a start-up run by our alumnus, Susan Muriuki, to present a series of events titled ‘Meet the Author’. Through these series students, staff and faculty have an opportunity to meet recently published authors from within and out of Kenya and engage in conversation about and around the book(s).
Just last week, on Friday, February 10, the team hosted Irungu Houghton, author of Dialogue and Dissent and Executive Director of Amnesty International, Kenya. In his remarks, Irungu explained that he started to write the book after being challenged by one of his friends who told him, ‘You are too old to keep writing tweets, we need something bigger’.
Through Dialogue and Dissent, Irungu shares vivid insights and bold perspectives from some of Kenya's boldest advocates of democracy and respect for human rights in a world where these conditions are rapidly diminishing. Apart from discussion around the book, Irungu urged students to register as members of Amnesty International.
Going forward, the Library and the Consulate intend to keep the campus lit with such events.
We are currently exploring the possibility of bringing in the celebrated author of ‘Americana’ among other books, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The aim is to promote not just the reading of books but also the writing of books.
By Fredrick Adika and Azenath Ateka
The USIU-Africa Library boasts volumes and volumes of information resources presented in a variety of formats. Most of these resources are in the traditional print which continues to be overtaken in number by the growing electronic and online formats. These information materials cut across the disciplines on offer in our campus to related disciplines and general readers like novels and biographies.
It is a fact that when information is in large amounts finding what is needed requires time and skill. Discover Your Library Day is an opportunity for USIU-Africa students and faculty to interact with library staff at an individual level. It is expected that this interaction will lead to an acquisition of skills that enable the discovery of information in a fast and easy manner. It is our endeavor that all members of the university community are sufficiently equipped to:
To develop and foster these skills, we invite each student, each faculty member to this desk at the Library Lobby every Thursday this semester. The library team says it is ready, available and excited to present to each and every one:
The weekly library discovery day commenced on Thursday, January 25, all students and faculty are encouraged to participate and make the most of this enriching opportunity.
Also, we are available to come to your desk, just send an email fadika@usiu.ac.ke
By Joy Macharia
In the heart of the vibrant academic campus at the United States International University-Africa lies a night that students eagerly anticipate every year, a night that transcends the boundaries of ordinary university life and transforms into an extravagant celebration of talent and creativity. This night, known as the Mr & Miss USIU-Africa pre-judging night is an enchanting extravaganza that brings together an array of talents, from melodious music and electrifying dance to mesmerizing performances and dazzling modelling.
The event is a testament of the diversity and artistic prowess of the student body. It is not merely a competition but a celebration of the multifaceted talents that thrive within the university's community. Each year, students pour their hearts and souls into crafting remarkable performances, designing stunning outfits, and perfecting their acts to deliver a night that leaves everyone in awe.
One of the driving forces behind the grandeur of the event is the dedication of individuals like Annabelle Nyambura, who played a pivotal role in organizing this spectacular event. Annabelle, a member of the organizing committee, poured her heart and soul into ensuring that the night would be a resounding success. Her meticulous planning, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment helped bring to life an evening that students and attendees alike will treasure for years to come.
The event was a true testament of the university's diverse and inclusive spirit. Among the standout performances was the Korean dance which left an indelible mark in our hearts. These incredibly talented dancers not only graced the stage once but wowed the audience with not one, but two remarkable dance acts. Their performances blended a fusion of traditional and contemporary Korean dance styles, leaving the crowd mesmerized by their precision, grace, and the sheer energy they brought to the stage.
During the event, the MCs play a pivotal role in keeping the audience engaged, and this edition was no exception. Kosh, the reigning Mr. USIU-Africa, took on the role of one of the evening's charismatic hosts. Kosh, with his magnetic stage presence and charming personality, brought an extra layer of excitement to the night. Joining Kosh in the role of MC was Kendi Q Christine, a multi-talented individual who not only commanded the stage but had previously participated in last year’s pageant. Kendi's experience in the pageant undoubtedly played a significant role in her confident and poised presence as an MC. Together, Kosh and Kendi formed a dynamic duo that added vibrancy and a touch of sophistication to the night.
As the event's photographer, my perspective on the event highlighted its spectacular nature. Capturing every moment, emotion, and detail, my lens immortalized the diverse talents, vibrant performances, and the unified spirit of the USIU-Africa community. The photos serve as a timeless testament to the night's beauty, creativity, and unity, ensuring its memory endures.
Congratulations to all the contestants who participated and to the ones who are proceeding to the next level, all the very best.
By Precious Wangu
2020 has been the most challenging year for all the university students’ clubs globally, and the USIU-Africa Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) was not exempt from the disruptive nature of the outlined activities for the year. The Society’s leadership together with its members quickly saw opportunity to explore, to be more innovative and to embrace technology and today as we publish our last article of the year, we can truly say, WE DID IT!
SADS remained the most active club during the pandemic with active student membership and online participation, with its various activities and events taking place online with the utmost goal of growing the club’s membership in speaking, creative and critical thinking skills. Each branch of the Society, from Debate, Public Speaking and Spoken Arts, held a unique introductory session for all new members, welcoming them to the Society and equipping them with the fundamental knowledge and skills they needed in order to build reap maximum growth from our activities and events.
Led by Jeremiah Kashaka (SADS Logistics Officer) and Precious Wangu (SADS Executive Secretary), the Spoken Arts branch has held biweekly activities that have enhanced the members’ creativity, critical thinking and presentation skills. Members went through sessions like ‘Realizing my source of inspiration’, which entailed discussions on personal interests, sources of motivation and being in a state of flow, enabled the members discover their unique sources of inspiration. The session helped members come up with rhyming lyrics and lines, which helped them in the composition of poems, songs and spoken word.
These trainings culminated in an event, the Poetry Slam 2.0, which was held on Friday, November 27, 2020, and brought students from all over Africa to perform spoken word pieces, poems and songs. The event was hosted by Jeremiah and Precious, with Effie Okolla from Strathmore University attending as a guest speaker.
The Public Speaking team also had similar biweekly events, such as ‘How to become a public speaker’, in which attendees were taken through the basic elements of public speaking, various forms of public speaking, elements of a good public speaker and how to manage speech anxiety. Grace Kinyua had a training session with the members as well on the elements of a good speech, in which she discussed at length the purpose of a speech, developing the topic, investigating the subject, structuring the message and converting the message for oral presentation. Two of the major events from this branch included:
A Call to War, where members had to apply the skills they had previously learnt to come up with speeches encouraging a target audience toward a certain course of action. The activity focused on tonal variation, empathy when communicating, voice projection and owning your speech.
Recite Your Piece, a viewing and critiquing session where members presented monologues from different artists and actors and critiqued them as a group. In this session members presented monologues and speeches by their favorite actors from various movies. They analyzed the method of speech delivery, the power of a speech and how to analyze and engage with one’s audience.
The Debate team, led by Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Chair) and Kagia Samuel (SADS Vice-Chair) – has been able to flourish throughout the semester with weekly debate training sessions held to continually train and engage debaters. This semester, the Society’s debaters have represented the university at various online global debate tournaments, including the Pretoria Parley Intervarsity Debate Championships (PPIV), African Intervarsity Debate Championships, Jozi to Accra Debate Championships, Brand Arguments International Debate Tournament (BAIDT), and African Nations Invitational Debate Championships, managing to be among the top speakers at these tournaments as well as Semi-Finalists.
SADS also hosted the final tournament of the In-House Debate Series (which began in the Spring Semester, and ran from January to April), the In-House 4.0 Debate Championships held from November 2 to November 8, 2020 in which SADS members managed to top the leaderboard as well as become partial semi-finalists, semi-finalists and finalists as well as winners of the tournament. Currently, the SADS debate team is training for the imminent Pan African Universities Debate Championships (PAUDC) – an annual high-level debate tournament hosted in a different African country each year, and will now be held online. Beginning on Tuesday, December 15, 2020, USIU-Africa will be represented for the first time ever in the week-long PAUDC tournament, and the following teams have been selected to participate:
Along with the following judges:
1. Stecy Onyango (SADS PR Officer)
2. Faith Musumba (Former Public Speaking Vice Chair)
3. Lucy Njeri (Former Public Speaking Member)
SADS continues to shine in this time of adversity seeking to demonstrate the core values of USIU-Africa: integrity, life-long learning, social responsibility, academic freedom and innovativeness.
By Precious Wangu
The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) recently planned and hosted the In-House 4.0 Debate Championship which was held on the Discord application. The tournament had 5 preliminary rounds which ran from Monday to Friday at 9:00pm EAT each round, followed by a partial semi-final and semi-final on Saturday, 7 November at 1:00pm and 6:00pm respectively, and a grand finale on Sunday, 8 November at 2pm. This was the fourth and the biggest leg of the In-House Debate Series as it had the biggest turn out of all the four tournaments. Debaters and adjudicators came from Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Congo, South Africa, Botswana, Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, UK and India, with 28 teams taking part in the events.
USIU-Africa was represented by Jeremiah Kashaka (IBA Sophomore), Bienvenu Faraja (APT Sophomore), Louis Gitu (Film Production, Sophomore), Chut Giet (Freshman Pharmacy), Fresher Diana (IR Sophomore), David Odhiambo (IBA Junior), Shalom Kimani (IBA Marketing and Management, Senior), Kagia Samuel (Finance Junior), and Chantelle Mukabi (APT Sophomore).
The Chief Adjudication Panel (CAP) consisted of highly experienced judges from East Africa, Nigeria and the UK, with the Independent Adjudicators drawn from the wide array of countries listed above. The debates were high quality right from the speeches, adjudicating and adjudicator feedback. The event took the random pairing format of the previous In-House tournaments to enable diversification of knowledge, debate skills and allow for an opportunity to network and make meaningful connections on a global scale.
The Partial Semi-Finals break was done by advancing 12 teams: the top 4 teams who broke first advance straight to the semi-finals and do not debate in the partial semi-finals. The SADS debaters in the top 4 teams included Chantelle Mukabi and Bienvenu Faraja along with their partners. The remaining 8 teams debated against each other in the partial semi-final, and the top 2 teams in each room then advanced to the semi-finals to debate with the top 4 teams. The 8 teams battled it out and eventually, 4 teams proceed to the grand finale.
The results were as follows:
PARTIAL SEMI-FINALISTS:
1. Louis Gitu (SADS, Kenya) and Marvelous Splendor (Nigeria)
2. Jeremiah Kashaka (SADS, Uganda) and Grace Chidinma (Nigeria)
3. Kagia Samuel (SADS, Kenya) and Maxwell DeLorenzo (UK)
SEMI-FINALISTS:
1. Chantelle Mukabi (SADS, Kenya) and Pule Mmula (South Africa)
2. Bienvenu Faraja (SADS, DRC Congo) and Kelvin Damptey (Ghana)
3. Jeremiah Kashaka (SADS, Uganda) and Grace Chidinma (Nigeria)
SADS GRAND FINALISTS AND RESULTS:
3rd Runners Up: Jeremiah Kashaka (SADS Uganda) and Grace Chidinma (Nigeria);
Winners: Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Kenya) and Pule Mmula (South Africa).
Kagia Samuel was named as the tournament’s eighth best speaker, with Chantelle Mukabi recognized as the tournament’s best speaker.
The Society will also be representing Kenya and USIU-Africa at the Pan-African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC), scheduled for Monday, December 14, 2020. This will be the first time USIU-Africa will be debating in this prestigious annual tournament in which we will be representing Kenya. SADS has registered 4 teams and 3 highly experienced and vetted adjudicators for the online tournament:
TEAMS:
1. Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Chair) & Kagia Samuel (SADS Vice Chair);
2. Jeremiah Kashaka (SADS Logistics Officer) & Bienvenu Faraja (SADS Inter-Club Coordinator);
3. Louis Gitu (SADS member) & Chut Giet (SADS member);
4. Shalom Kimani (SADS Treasurer) & Fresher Diana (SADS member).
ADJUDICATORS:
1. Stecy Onyango (SADS PR Officer);
2. Faith Musumba (Former Public Speaking Club Vice-Chair);
3. Lucy Njeri (Former Public Speaking Club member).
For more information on the club, please contact us on sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke .
By Taigu Muchiri
The annual Mwalimu Nyerere Intellectual festival was held at the University of Dar Es Salaam in May. This year’s theme ‘Pan-Africanism and the quest for unity, democratization and development: The state, markets and knowledge society’ saw a guest list of intellectuals from East Africa headline the event including Prof. Patrick Lumumba, the former President of the Republic of Tanzania Dr. Jakaya Kikwete and Prof. Paul Zeleza.
Speaking during the event, Prof. Paul Zeleza addressed the Higher Education of the future and its importance in solving challenges in the sector. He mentioned that universities in Africa need to adopt new ways of teaching through technology otherwise they might be rendered irrelevant and unable to compete on a global scale. He added that the fourth industrial revolution is inevitable and was upon us and Africa should play a part in promoting the revolution. He reiterated that the higher education of the future in Africa need to restructure their curricula that is inclusive, innovative, intersectional and inter-displinary.
The Vice chancellor also urged African governments to support and invest more in universities. He said that universities in Africa are currently struggling to raise sufficient resources to be able to deliver on their key mandate. Most institutions are closing down because the financial obligation is too much for them to continue running. Other institutions have resulted to diversifying revenue streams in order to keep their doors open. This strategy is not recommended as it compromises on the quality of education and graduates. He mentioned that the main activity of a university should be to impart knowledge to young people who are going to take over the running of their respective countries and organizations. He closed his speech by urging universities across the globe to cooperate and ensure that every young person will have access to education at the university level.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Bottom row from L-R: Titus Ayieko, Lenora Kelen, Lilliane Ashimwe, Virginia Wanjiku, Dorcus Kwagalakwe, Mercy Mulenga, Silas Ooko.
Top row from L-R: Samson Kahindi, Oladayo Olatunji, Pride Nyando, Abdur-Rahman Adeniji, Isaac Wandeto.
Caption: The thirteen Mastercard Foundation Scholars and winners of the 2023 Social Venture Challenge which was held from September 16-17 in Nairobi. The Challenge is part of the Mastercard Foundation’s annual Baobab Summit. Photos: Erick Macharia.
Thirteen Mastercard Foundation Scholars at USIU-Africa have been selected as winners of the 2023 Social Venture Challenge that the Mastercard Foundation recently hosted as part of the annual Baobab Summit, held at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi.
The Social Venture Challenge, a collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and the Resolution Project, is an initiative designed to identify young leaders focused on making a difference in their communities and equip them with the resources to implement their ideas through innovative social entrepreneurship.
A total of seven projects from the winning pool of 13 Mastercard Foundation Scholars were shortlisted for this year’s competition, with six projects eventually emerging as the winners of this year’s Challenge, marking the first win for USIU-Africa in the Challenge. The six projects will receive a total of $26,000 to support their initiatives across Inclusion, Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, and Clean Eco-Fuel.
Linet Aguko, Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa, highlighted the importance of projects and opportunities such as the Social Venture Challenge for Mastercard Foundation Scholars.
“Congratulations to our Mastercard Foundation Scholars who have emerged as the winners of the 2023 Social Venture Challenge. These projects are a reminder that positive change and impact can start with the vision, determination, and a commitment to making the world a better place, one community at a time,” she said.
“The execution of these projects will give our Mastercard Foundation Scholars the opportunity to refine their leadership and entrepreneurial skills as they work towards driving lasting change in their communities,” she added.
For Rashid Wamela and Lenora Kellen, the team behind the MbuziBora initiative, empowering vulnerable widows and single mothers was their top priority when they conceived the project. Their initiative is among the six winning Social Venture Challenge projects.
“We wanted to create a sustainable economic empowerment model involving exotic goat rearing by widows and single mothers, which would ultimately propel them toward self-reliance and building their ability to fend for themselves and their families,” they said.
Since 2016, 267 Mastercard Foundation Scholars have won the Social Venture Challenge. In addition to funding, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars are also provided with mentorship and networking opportunities with global industry leaders. The 2023 winning projects are:
Eliseus Bamporineza, Victor B. K. Bol and Bryan Muchesia Anyika, the authors of 'All About Her & Me', 'Tales of Drunken Nights' and 'Stars Aligned' respectively, launched their books at an event held on Wednesday, January 25, from 11 am- 2pm at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign congratulated the three authors for their achievements, noting that writing a book took passion, determination and courage to create a book, and commended the trio for putting out their various works for consumption by the public.
“By writing these books, you have reinforced what the university aims to achieve in terms of empowering its students. Your books are indeed important, and they are critical to nurturing a reading culture at the university,” she said.
Speaking of their inspiration for their books, Victor, an author of two other books, Times are turbulent and Land of Exile mentioned that the book was inspired by Matthew 12:25, and that the journey of becoming an author was inspired by his father and grandfather, who were both teachers.
Mr. Dennis Bukhala, Victor Bol's former English teacher noted that he was an exceptional student of Literature, who had put in practice what he had learnt. He encouraged the youth to take time to learn the art of reading and writing, which were slowly dying in society.
Bryan on the other hand, mentioned that his book, which was published in 2021, was a work that he had begun working on in high school.
“Stars Aligned was written in 2017 when I was in Form 2 at the Nairobi School, reflective of some of my life experiences. The book was eventually published after I chanced upon a copy of Victor’s first book, Land in Exile, and I was very fortunate to have him walk me through the journey of becoming a published author,” he said.
Eliseus, who was launching his second book, shared that 'All About Her & Me’ was inspired by a need to have conversations around relationships and sex spoken about honestly without being regarded as taboo.
The event was closed with a keynote address from Ms. Hannah Githuku, author of Flaunt Your Genius, who urged the audience to find their purpose and work towards achieving it. She further stated that it was critical for everyone to find the one thing that made them unique that could be leveraged to make them stand out from others.
To inquire further about the purchase of the books, reach out to the authors: Eliseus Bamporineza (eliseusbampora1@gmail.com), Victor B. K. Bol (victor.bkmudiir@gmail.com) and Bryan Muchesia Anyika(bryananyika042@gmail.com).
By the USIU-Africa Library Office
Remote working—or flexible working arrangements—is becoming increasingly popular in scientific research, driven by both social trends and advances in technology. In the past, major benefits have been the ability to continue careers while starting families or avoiding the stress of moving for a temporary position. COVID-19 has seen a marked reduction in working face to face. Many researchers cognizant of the value collaboration brings into research work, have embraced a number of approaches and tools. Here are 4 tools that you could consider using to strengthen collaboration in your work:
1. LabArchives Digital Research Notebooks
LabArchives is a cloud-based electronic lab notebook that can be used by researchers, instructors and students for input and organization of laboratory data, information sharing and collaboration, and for saving historical versions of files. It is appropriate for use in a wide variety of laboratories, including biological sciences and chemistry. LabArchives offers versioning for all entries in the notebook, documenting who made a change, what change was made, and when it was made. It allows for reverting back to earlier drafts.
2. Open Science Framework (OSF)
An OSF platform for researchers can be used to create public projects such as collaboration wikis and components for research questions, data collection and analysis protocols, and data. OSF is free, open to support your research and enable collaboration.
3. Covidence
Covidence is a web-based software platform that streamlines the production of systematic reviews. It is easy to learn. The collaboration is seamless allowing the entire team to collaborate from anywhere and suitable for all levels of experience.
4. Overleaf
Use Overleaf for collaborative writing. It offers real-time track changes, unlimited collaborators, and full document history. It can be linked to other services such as reference managers to best fit into your workflow.
Other research resources offered at the Library
In a bid to improve our offering to you, the Library has recently acquired additional research resources to expand its database. These include:
By Brenda Odhiambo
The Study Space Initiative, led by Confidence Tamunobelema Joseph-George, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa began with a simple yet profound goal: to replace 20 completely dilapidated desks in the senior secondary classrooms at Government Secondary School, Borokiri, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
These desks were more than just furniture; they represented an opportunity to create a conducive learning environment and promote student well-being and engagement. The project addressed safety concerns associated with the previous dilapidated desks. By mitigating the risk of injuries, it promoted a safer educational environment, positively impacting the physical well-being of the students.
As the project unfolded, it became evident that the impact would extend beyond the immediate need for new desks. The introduction of high-quality desks transformed the learning space, reducing disruptions and distractions in the senior secondary classrooms. Students reported increased comfort, reduced physical strain, and improved posture, leading to better concentration during lessons.
The visible improvements in the school's infrastructure elevated its standing within the community, fostering a sense of pride and engagement. Local stakeholders, including parents and community leaders, recognized the importance of investing in education, leading to increased support for the school.
The project's impact extended to the broader community, attracting more students and improving the overall standing of the institution. It aligned with two Sustainable Development Goals, Quality Education (SDG 4) and Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), showcasing the power of thoughtful infrastructure improvements in fostering a conducive and impactful learning experience.
Looking ahead, Confidence notes that for the project to be sustainable, there will need to be a maintenance plan for the desks. This will be complemented by conducting workshops for teachers, parents, and community members on fostering and maintaining a positive learning environment. She also hopes to identify the remaining challenges within the School and devise appropriate interventions for them.
The Study Space Initiative Project at the Government Secondary School showcased the transformative power of thoughtful infrastructure improvements, emphasizing the crucial role they play in fostering a brighter and more sustainable future for individuals and communities.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Last Friday, the transitions office in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa held an internship information session for 22 Scholars in cohorts 2 and 3 of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program. The session, facilitated by Ms. Dolly Mwiti, served as an introduction to the prepare level (non-academic internship), which is taken by all Scholars in 2nd and 3rd year.
The information session delved into the structure, objectives, and expectations of the prepare level internship. Scholars have the opportunity to gain insights into the real-world application of their academic knowledge, setting the stage for a seamless transition from the academic realm to practical, hands-on experiences.
In her remarks, Ms. Mwiti noted that the internship was critical as it provided an avenue for the Scholars to start clarifying their professional interests, as well as building professional networks and basic workplace skills.
The session concluded with a testimonial from Pride Nyando, a Cohort 1 Scholar in the Pharmacy program, who shared his experience during his industrial manufacturing and community pharmacy internship. He shared with the Scholars about the expectations of pharmaceutical organizations, and how best they could align their knowledge to the skills that were needed of them in the workplace.
"My internship was a transformative experience that allowed me to bridge the gap between theory and practice," he shared. "It's crucial for Scholars to recognize the real-world needs of pharmaceutical organizations and actively develop their skills to meet these expectations,” he concluded.
By Rolex Otieno
In a celebration of innovation and the pursuit of solutions to some of Africa's most pressing challenges, the Twende Afrika Innovation Challenge took center stage on December 2. The event, which unfolded on a Saturday, marked a significant milestone in the quest to address issues related to health, poverty, and the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the lens of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The Twende Afrika Innovation Challenge spanned four major African countries, namely Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Nigeria, engaging teams of talented individuals in a competition that sought groundbreaking solutions to real-world problems. The challenge, which officially opened for applications on October 10, received an overwhelming response, with teams from various universities eager to showcase their ingenuity.
In Kenya, a total of 23 teams, representing different universities, registered for the competition. These teams embarked on a journey that tested their technical prowess and challenged them to think critically about issues affecting their communities and the continent at large. The selection process was a meticulous and collaborative effort. The top 10 teams, chosen through a comprehensive evaluation, showcased remarkable innovation and unwavering dedication to addressing real-world problems.
USIU-Africa, Inland Africa Technologies, and Africa Leadership University played pivotal roles as sponsors in the success of the Twende Afrika Innovation Challenge. Their generous support and commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa significantly contributed to creating an environment conducive to the development of the next generation of leaders and problem solvers. Their combined sponsorship underscored the importance of collaboration and investment in initiatives that drive positive change across the continent.
As the competition unfolded, three standout teams emerged as the frontrunners, earning the opportunity to represent Kenya in the final competition in Rwanda. The stakes are high, with a $30,000 prize awaiting the winning team. The teams heading to Rwanda include Eco Clean Fuel from USIU-Africa as the 2nd runner-up, Taka Points from KCA University as the 1st runner-up, and Sophia from JKUAT as the 3rd runner-up.
These three teams will carry the hopes of Kenya into the final round of the Twende Afrika Innovation Challenge, scheduled for March, 2024. The stage is set for them to compete against the top teams from Uganda, Rwanda, and Nigeria, as they vie for the prestigious title and the substantial cash prize. The Twende Afrika Innovation Challenge serves as a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and the potential that lies within the minds of Africa's youth. By harnessing the capabilities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, these young innovators are paving the way for a brighter future, one solution at a time. The journey has just begun, and the impact of this event is sure to reverberate across the continent for years to come.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Twenty students from USIU-Africa have been selected to be part of the United Nations Millennium Fellowship program that partners with the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI). The United Nations Academic Impact is an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realization of United Nations goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution. The fellowship which unites and supports undergraduate leadership for the UN Sustainable Development Goals runs for two months, starting in September and ending in November.
This year, over 25,501 applicants from 2,209 campuses applied to join the program, and after a competitive recruitment process, only 120+ campuses worldwide (just 6%) were selected to host the 2,000+ Millennium Fellows, who have been selected from a range of academic institutions - large and small, public and private - affirming the fact that there are student leaders in every community committed to localizing the SDGs and strengthening communities.
The 20 students representing the University are Anais Teta, Angela Osodo, Anindo Murunga, Bertina Kombo, Brenda Formin, Christine Kariuki, Cynthia Micheni, Elisha Kimanzi, Emmanuella Ochieng', Frank Okoth-Menya, Gaurav Karey, Gloria Ng'etich, Jeff Okanga, Joy Magaju, Joyce Nguttu, Juliana Kitamirike, Katrina Mwenda, Melvin Wao, Mitchelle Ndunda and Mona Manyasa, who are drawn from various programs across the University. They will be working with other Fellows to collectively advance every Sustainable Development and every United Nations Academic Impact Principle.
In his comments to the incoming Class of 2021, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon noted that the Fellowship was an opportunity for students to lead by example.
"As Millennium Fellows, we need you to lead by example - with empathy, humility, and inclusion as guiding values. You can embrace global citizenship, building a strong global network to learn from and support each other. We are all counting on you to affirm the dignity of people and our planet, now and for years to come.”
The complete list of the Millennium Fellowship class of 2021 can be found on this website: https://www.millenniumfellows.org/meet-the-fellows.
To mark International Day of the Girl Child, we share the stories of two inspiring young women and their admirable efforts to empower other young women and girls.
Dorcus Kwagalakwe
Dorcus Kwagalakwe is a young woman from the Nabitete community in Uganda. Her journey embodies the transformative power of education, and its power to create a better future for girls.
Dorcus’ educational journey was far from easy, especially coming from a family of eight siblings with limited resources. She was able to defy the odds and complete her high school education, thanks to the support of her school, parents, and a scholarship from Fields of Life, an East African organization, which supported her in the completion of her high school education. Her journey to higher education started when she was selected as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at USIU-Africa, where she is a second-year student in the Bachelor of Science in Accounting program.
Her interactions with peers from different nationalities and backgrounds inspired Dorcus to give back to her community. In 2021, prior to joining USIU-Africa, she founded The Empower Her Initiative, which initially faced financial challenges that hindered its operations. However, her participation in this year’s Social Venture Challenge saw her win funding for the Initiative, that aims to support vulnerable young girls facing violence and abuse due to unplanned pregnancies by providing mentorship, vocational training, and re-enrollment in schools.
Dorcus has also been involved in various community give-back projects, including the provision of bedding to Zion Children’s Home, and desks to Kavilinguni Secondary School in Kenya. Her participation in the Rotaract and Red Cross Club projects underscores her desire to use education as a tool to break down societal barriers, empower girls, and engage communities to bring about positive change.
“My story is an example of the positive impact that young girls and women can have in their communities when they embrace their path with an unshakeable self-belief. Discover resilience in every obstacle and strength in every setback. Dream for the community they want to improve as well as for yourselves. Keep in mind that education is a lighthouse that illuminates the path for others, not only a means of personal improvement. Be the example to demonstrate how you can leave a legacy of change that will improve your communities and the world as a whole by having faith, perseverance, and big aspirations,” says Dorcus.
Lenora Kelen
“Being a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Scholar has been a transformative journey that has empowered me because it has given me a platform for academic and personal growth. Taking part in various mentorship and leadership programs as well as the exposure to a diverse community of Scholars have given me the confidence and the skills to pursue my education and career skills with vigour,” says Lenora Kelen, a third-year student at USIU-Africa majoring in International Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Lenora, who hails from Cameroon, is the co-founder of MbuziBora, a project founded in 2023 that aims to empower widows and single mothers through exotic goat rearing. The project, which was among those that won the 2023 Social Venture Challenge was conceived to promote gender equality, women's financial independence, and empowerment in her community.
A passionate advocate for girl child education, Lenora works tirelessly to break down barriers and create opportunities for girls to access quality education, which she does by serving as a mentor to young girls and sharing her insights on how they can also pursue their educational and career aspirations.
After graduation, Lenora hopes to continue using her knowledge and skills to contribute to her community and country, fostering positive change through ethical business practices.
“To the young girls out there, embrace your dreams with unwavering determination and let no obstacle deter you. Education unlocks opportunities, and passion and commitment are key assets. Seek knowledge to enrich yourself and others, and strive to be a change and empowerment beacon. Be resilient, and courageous, and never underestimate your potential,” she says.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
Two students from the Confucius Classroom have been awarded scholarships to study in China to strengthen their proficiency in the Chinese language. The news comes one year following the establishment of the Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa.
The two students, Cho’olle Wario and Whitney Ngigi, received six-month fully paid scholarships each to study at Qingdao University and Shandong Normal University, respectively. Cho’olle took up her scholarship in September 2020 and concluded her studies last month. Whitney, on the other hand, is expected to begin her studies from March to July 2021.
The Confucius classroom offers students paid scholarships to China, to expose the students to Chinese culture, including learning Chinese songs, cuisine, Chinese calligraphy, poetry, among others. The scholarships also give the students a chance to improve their proficiency in Chinese.
The Confucius classroom was established through a partnership with publicly funded Kenyatta University's Confucius Institute to help expand the scope of teaching Chinese language and culture to Kenyan youth. Over time, the classroom is expected to become a training hub for future Chinese language teachers, diplomats and entrepreneurs amid robust Sino-Kenya trade and cultural ties.
Taigu Muchiri
The third edition of the continental universities 3x3 basketball tournament known as the Afro-Varsity 3 X 3 challenge was held on April 27 and 28, 2019 at the USIU-Africa basketball court. Uganda Christian University (UCU) emerged winners in both the men’s and women’s categories. In the men’s final, UCU Canons defeated the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Management (ISEG) 14-13 in a closely contested encounter while the women’s finals, the UCU Canons defeated ISEG 13-8 points.
The event attracted a total of twelve teams from Africa. Two teams from South Africa were be represented by Stellenbosch University and University of Johannesburg, Senegal was represented by the International University of African Diasporas (UNIDAF) and the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Management (ISEG), while Uganda was represented by Makere University, Ndejje University and Uganda Christian University. Kenya was represented by five universities drawn from Kisii University, Technical University, University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and USIU-Africa.
This event was organized by the Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) and hosted by Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA).
By Nasri Hassan
Edited by the Gender Equity and Protection Office
Domestic abuse is a pervasive societal problem that cuts across national boundaries and affects people from different cultural backgrounds. While acknowledging that the influence of culture is important, it is also important to understand that culture does not necessarily lead to domestic violence. Instead, abusive behaviors can be sustained and perpetuated through the interaction of cultural variables with other social dynamics. To properly handle domestic violence, it is essential to comprehend these complexities.
Gender roles and cultural norms: Culture has a tremendous impact on how people see gender roles and the dynamics that arise in relationships. Rigid gender norms and expectations might support the normalization of domestic violence in particular cultural situations. Intimate relationship abuse and power imbalances can be sustained by traditional ideas of male authority, female submissiveness, and the idea of upholding family honor.
One compelling example is the story of a woman who endured two years of physical abuse and mistreatment in her marriage, driven by the desire to preserve family honor and adhere to traditional gender roles. The fear of societal judgment and gossip was overwhelming, leading her to suffer in silence rather than risk tarnishing her family's reputation. The weight of external perceptions and the fear of being labeled as someone who failed to fulfill societal expectations hindered her from seeking help.
Socialization and the acquisition of learned behaviors play a significant role in the connection between culture and domestic violence. When individuals are socialized within cultures where violence is prevalent or accepted, they may internalize the belief that such behavior is normal or even desirable. Witnessing violence between parents or experiencing it firsthand can lead to the normalization of abusive behavior, perpetuating the cycle of violence in their future relationships.
Normalizing domestic violence shows how the behavior and act has been justified in some communities to the extent that spouses, partners view it as an act of love and not an act of abuse or harmful practice that can not only affect a person’s mental well-being but also their physical health.
Cultural Practices and Customs: Certain cultural practices, traditions, or rituals can inadvertently enable or mask domestic violence. Practices like early marriages, forced marriages, female genital mutilation, or honor-based violence are examples where cultural norms and customs intersect with domestic violence and continue gender based violence. These practices reflect deeply ingrained social structures that can be resistant to change, perpetuating violence within communities.
Stigma, shame, and silence are significant challenges that victims of domestic violence face due to cultural norms. In some cultures, there is a strong emphasis on preserving family reputation, which can make it difficult for victims to seek help. They fear being judged, isolated, or rejected by their communities. The pressure to maintain the appearance of a harmonious and united family often outweighs their urgent need for support and intervention.
In a survey that was carried out by the afro barometer surveys of 2021, Kenyans overwhelmingly opposed the use of physical discipline against women. 88% of women did not justify the use of physical discipline while 75% of men were of the same view. Despite that many Kenyans said that gender based violence is not a common occurrence and that it should be treated as a private matter and resolved within the family.
Afro barometer Surveys conducted another survey in 2021 on the same topic in Kenya following the death of the world class runner Agnes Jebet Tirop attributed to domestic violence. The survey was asking Kenyans on whether domestic violence is a private matter. 55% of Kenyans strongly agreed while 15% just agreed. Secondly, on the question of whether domestic violence is a criminal offence,22% strongly agreed while 7% disagreed.
Changing Cultural Norms: It is important to remember that culture itself is not to blame for domestic violence. However, some cultural practices and beliefs can contribute to harmful behaviors. To address domestic violence, we need to challenge and change these cultural norms. This means promoting equity and equality between genders, breaking down traditional structures that favor men, and educating, sensitizing and creating awareness in communities about healthy relationships, consent, and the importance of non-violence in relationships.
Being Respectful of Culture: When dealing with domestic violence, it is crucial to consider cultural contexts and be sensitive to them. Interventions should be tailored to respect the diversity of individuals' experiences. Support services, programs, and campaigns should be designed to be culturally appropriate, helping to bridge gaps and encourage open discussions within communities. Engaging community leaders, religious institutions, and cultural organizations can foster understanding, challenge harmful norms, and promote positive change from within.
In Summary culture is a complicated part of our lives that shapes how we think, act, and live together. It's important to remember that culture alone doesn't cause domestic violence, but can contribute to it. By being sensitive to different cultures, challenging harmful beliefs, and empowering individuals and communities, we can make progress in ending domestic violence and also respond to gender based violence. We strive for societies that value respect, equality, and non-violence for everyone.
#standupspeakout
By Patrick Obel
Since March 2020 when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID - 19 a public health emergency of international concern and the first case was diagnosed in Kenya, life has never been the same again for everyone. The ongoing pandemic has affected people differently depending on the effects, be they economic, social, political and health.
One of the effects of COVID -19 has been sleep disturbance. Sleep is a biological need for life and health, similar to the need for food. Sleep affects your mental and physical performance as well as long-term health. The longer you go without sleep, the more you are prone to slow thinking, confusion, and making mistakes. This could put you and others around you at risk of injuries and death.
The Royal Society for Public Health notes that it is important that we all understand the purpose of sleep. Sleep is responsible in helping with restoring and organizing the brain networks. Laboratory studies have shown that any single cell taken from the body will maintain a stable 24-hour pattern, which is a demonstration that sleep is a force to be harnessed rather than challenged. Sleep is therefore a natural process that plays a significant role in human existence. Whereas we are able to make deliberate choices on other biological drives like hunger and thirst, we don’t have such luxury with sleep because it is involuntary.
There are medical causes that can affect sleep, however there is a significant number of people that may be struggling with sleep as an effect of the pandemic which has made many people anxious because of the unpredictability of the future which includes fear of income losses or real losses, death, contracting the virus and many other such cases. If you find yourself sleeping less than you should, this will lead to an accumulation of lost sleep hours and is likely to result into negative consequences such as cognitive impairment, or even medical conditions of ill health.
The table below shows recommended hours of sleep:
Age Group (Years) | Hours of sleep per day |
1-2 | 11-14 |
3-5 | 10-13 |
6-13 | 9-11 |
14-17 | 8-10 |
18-25 | 7-9 |
26-64 | 7-9 |
65+ | 7-8 |
Adapted from National Sleep Foundation Recommendations 2015.
According to a study by the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, sleeping less than five hours per night may increase mortality risk by up to 15 percent.
More effects are seen in the following diagram:
Adopted from Healthline.
Signs that you are not sleeping adequately include:
If sleep deprivation continues long enough, you could start having hallucinations — seeing or hearing things that aren’t really there. A lack of sleep can also trigger mania in people who have bipolar disorder. Other psychological risks include: impulsive behavior, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and paranoia.
Ways of improving our sleep
Even though our lives have changed because of the associated effects due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we can do something to restore our sleep to a place that it can give us maximum rest. There are several things that we can try and incorporate in our lifestyle for adequate rest. Some of these will require you to be able to:
a) Create a relaxing evening ritual. Do things that relax you to create a pre-sleep routine to remove some of your daily stress.
b) Stick with a routine that includes a predictable sleep schedule. Keep your meals, bedtime and morning alarm consistent, even on weekends. Maintaining your sleep patterns conditions your body to expect and react accordingly to appropriate times of rest and wakefulness.
c) Use your bed for sleep and sleep alone. Keep electronics, food and any other stimulating activities out of your bed.
d) Remove electronics from your bedroom. Screens and electronics are an integral part of our daily lives. Keeping them in your bedroom may be a major hindrance to sleep.
e) Keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark. Removing light, sound and keeping your space at a constant temperature to mimic your ideal sleeping conditions.
f) Get up after 30 minutes if you’re unable to sleep. If you can’t sleep after a half hour, leave your room for a while and go back to some of your pre-bedtime relaxation activities or rituals before heading back to bed and trying again.
g) Steer clear of caffeine and alcohol. In the hours before bed, especially, but also throughout the day, be mindful of your caffeine intake.
h) Exercise. However, be sure to get in that workout at least a few hours before bedtime.
i) Cut out napping. While a quick ’power nap’ may work wonders for some, when there are issues with sleep, it’s best to stay awake during the day.
j) Avoid going to bed on a full – or empty – stomach. Balanced, healthy meals during the day will help keep your body and blood sugars balanced for optimal sleep (Homewood Health, 2017).
References
Healthline, (2020). The effects of sleep deprivation on your body. Retrieved July 28, 2020. From https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-deprivation/effects-on-body .
Homewood Health. (2017). The impact of sleep on your health. Retrieved July 28, 2020. From https://hr.mcmaster.ca/.../SUPPLEMENTS_AUGUST_2017_EN_ HOMEWOOD.compressed-1-37.pdf .
Royal Society for Public Health. (2016). Waking up to the health benefits of sleep. https://www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/files/news/sleep-report-rsph.pdf (accessed July 2020)
By John Sande
Learning institutions across the globe continue to suffer from the impact of COVID-19 as infections continue to rise. Most students have not been able to return to school since the beginning of the year with over a billion children and young adults unable to continue with their studies. As traditional institutions of learning were shut down, far-reaching economic and societal consequences emerged including interrupted learning, compromised nutrition, healthcare challenges, widespread insecurity, childcare problems, and consequent economic cost to families who could not work. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) March 2020 report, this impact was more severe for disadvantaged children and their families.
In order to limit the disruption of education because of the unprecedented closure of schools, UNESCO recommended the use of distance learning programs and open educational applications and platforms that schools and teachers could use to reach learners remotely. As a result, many embraced new innovative ways and models of learning, including online learning.
As many schools, colleges and universities prepare to transition more programs online, it is critical to understand who the online learner is and what their preferences are. The Online College Students 2020 report released by the Wiley Education Services and Aslanian Market Research shares great insights that can help colleges and universities recruit, retain, and conduct virtual graduation ceremonies online. The report mentions three critical areas that institutions should consider in order to improve their academic offering during these times, and which the University has been implementing:
Tuition/Cost
More than half (51%) of the respondents in the report cited affordability as their most important factor when evaluating online programs. In the past seven reports, affordability ranked as the most significant factor for online college students.
Like many other institutions across Kenya that transitioned to online classes, USIU-Africa adjusted its fees to accommodate the shift from face-to-face programs to the online platform. Given the importance of affordability for online college students, transparency about costs, showing students exactly how their tuition bill breaks down cultivates and maintains trust with our students.
“We continue to engage openly with our stakeholders, and therefore, these cost reductions have enabled us eliminate a set of fees mandated for every student. We will however continue to provide the best international education at the most affordable prices of any American accredited tertiary institution in the world,” wrote the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul T. Zeleza in a communique to students.
Half of the respondents in the report indicated they would look for a similar online program elsewhere if their online program were not available at their chosen school. Moreover, they would not consider enrolling in an on-campus program or pursue another field of study at their chosen college or university.
“To remain relevant and attract more students, USIU-Africa is developing cutting edge programs in STEM and the Health Sciences designed to respond and tap into the current demands of the digital revolution. The skills acquired will enable a successful career in this digitalized economy and society of the 21st Century,” stated the Vice Chancellor during one of his recent keynote addresses.
University/Program reputation
According to the report, reputation consistently featured as the second most important factor for online college students when selecting a school or program, with 36% of the respondents quoting it. For over 51 years now, USIU-Africa had built a brand for herself and has continuously attracted quality prospective students due to its unparalleled reputation, and its status as a dually-accredited institution.
The institution’s faculty, who are among some of the best in the region, have been active in taking part in the University’s efforts to not only retain its student body, but to also attract potential students. They have participated in lecture series, webinars, and student and faculty meet-ups to engage with the online student who values connections, reaching out to them enhances prospects of positive decision-making.
Photo: Enrollment infographic
Although online students are seeking the convenience of learning off-campus, they still want to be a part of the university and the virtual tour, which is accessible on the website, bridges the gap by generating interest in prospective students. It also compels alumni to participate in campus-wide activities, donate to their alma mater, and entices enrollment in additional courses once students complete their degree.
Credit transfers
The report noted that twenty-nine percent of the online students were looking for the quickest path to acquiring a degree. Combining it with affordability, the ability to transfer credits toward one’s degree program ranked third most important factor for online college students.
USIU-Africa scores big here through the provision of information to prospective students about credit transfers, and any other additional information they may require, thereby allowing them to make the best-informed decisions possible.
These post-traditional students value speed throughout their enrollment process and studies. The University’s knowledgeable Academic Advisors ensure that they maintain consistent contact with the students on University policies, which ensures that USIU-Africa remains attractive to prospective students seeking transfer of credits.
Other areas in which the University is exploring in order to ensure a more holistic offering include:
Flexibility and Convenience – Whilst programs need structure to keep learners accountable and thriving, offering ways for students to tailor a program to meet their individual needs is essential for online learning. In its proposed 2020-2025 Strategic Plan currently under formulation, USIU-Africa is mulling over the possibility of online and hybrid courses setup in order to accommodate students who are always on the go, due to various personal and career commitments. With greater interconnectivity and accessibility, interactions with faculty or classmates are crucial to student success as they progress through coursework irrespective of their physical location.
Career Services – USIU-Africa prides itself on having a host of excellent student support services that complement and support the academic pillar of the student while enrolled. Through the Placement and Career Services (PACS) office, students can access résumé creation services, work with a career advisor, carry out self-assessments for job shadowing, and network with alumni, among others.
Alumni Engagement – The report showed eighty-six percent of current online students plan to have relationships with their schools after completing their online programs. Like many other institutions, USIU-Africa leverages on these relationships. Alumni are valuable marketing sources by recommending their alma mater to others during college search process. Alumni also help form partnerships with companies where they work, create employment opportunities, and donate to their institutions. Educate Your Own (EYO) and the Alumni Endowment Fund are just two examples the University’s alumni initiatives.
Universities across the world are facing insurmountable tests in terms of how they respond to the unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic by addressing issues that affect them directly. Online learning is one of the solutions embraced by many learning institutions. Forward-thinking leaders must realize that the pool of traditional students has shrunk. As such, the survival of many institutions will depend on making post-traditional students the central pillar of enrollment strategies.
Given the sustained growth of online programs, competition will abound as more institutions launch online offerings to attract this new crop of students eager to keep learning. Standing out among competitors in terms of affordability, reputation, credit transfer, speed of completion and more will guarantee sustained growth and success.
By Yviona Musa
Representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Phoebe Mwangi and Jennifer Githu, visited the USIU-Africa Business Club on March 24, 2023. The Club, which has its own constitution, boasts 150 registered members and is rapidly expanding. The meeting, chaired by Debra Kyalo, a member of the club committee, was attended by more than 50 members. During the forum, UNODC was open to hearing various business ideas from the students. Melchizedek Michira presented an idea on the challenge of lack of access to good schools for children with autism, while another idea was to partner with successful alumni who are willing to support business ideas financially.
The meeting also discussed efforts to recruit more members to the business club. One proposal was to engage more in school and fun activities that could serve as both idea-generating workshops and team-building activities. Additionally, the business club proposed collaborating with the film club to create streamlined content that would be essential in the rebranding process.
Dennis Miano, a lecturer, explained UNODC's project, designing modules and training faculty members. He emphasized the need for modules that ensure continuity and intrinsic motivation. UNODC offers free self-paced business courses, scholarships, competitions, and other opportunities for the business club members.
The meeting ended with Prof. Allan urging members to put into action all that was discussed. He advised them to be vigilant in detecting societal problems and providing possible solutions that would empower themselves and others. Additionally, he stressed the importance of building networks while in university, as change begins with individuals and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
By Ernest Mwanzi
On Tuesday, January 22, 2019 the University through the Health Centre launched a state of art ambulance, which will aid in rapid response of emergency cases within the university and its environs. This will be a big boost to the Health Center which is a Level 3 medical facility and their mission of taking care of the USIU-Africa community with a focus on providing timely diagnostic, curative and preventive medical services to both the students and staff community.
Speaking at the launch, the Principal Medical Officer Dr. Tasneem Yamani said the ambulance will help to handle all medical situations including advanced care for any cardiac issues.
The ambulance is fitted with on board oxygen supply, storage for an assortment of lifting/carrying devices, a wheeled stretcher, external cardiac defibrillator, medical suction, first aid and trauma supplies and medical communications equipment.
The Ambulance will play a vital role for the University as it aims to strengthen sense of community, inclusion, and responsibility by continuously improving the health services provided.
By CTW Team
The Security Department has finalized the preparations to switch registration details from the Biometric control feature that was used at the gate and the Library pre-COVID-19, to the new RFID card feature, which was rolled out from Wednesday, February 24. The system will replace the manual register that was adopted to ensure that the University adhered to Government regulations for contact tracing, which requires that all businesses, workplaces and premises must request each person visiting the premises to provide their contact details, as well as record their arrival time to monitor and manage the number of people on campus at any time.
The system will ensure tighter security on campus, in addition to helping in the fulfilment of the Government regulation of having a contact tracing system in place, as the card will collect up-to-the-minute information on faculty, staff and students who access campus.
Issuance and registration will run as follows:
The process will be carried out daily, from 9 am to 12 pm until Monday, March 15, 2021.
For students, priority will be given to those who are currently having their practical classes on campus. The rest of the students undertaking their studies remotely will be notified in April on when the next round of registration is expected to begin.
Please ensure that you carry your current employee or student ID card which you will be expected to surrender in exchange for the new RFID card. Once you pick up the card, you can get it registered immediately at the Library. Once you have the new RFID card, please carry it with you at all times to enable you access the campus via the gate as well as the Library.
Should you have any concerns that you may wish to have addressed, please reach out to Peter Omusula at pomusula@usiu.ac.ke.
By Jacqueline Lidonde
On March 16, USIU-Africa was honored to host Ms. Francoise Tengera Kayitare, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Rwanda. Her visit marked a significant milestone in fostering international collaborations and partnerships between USIU-Africa, and the esteemed University of Rwanda.
The visit, provided an invaluable opportunity for Ms. Kayitare to familiarize herself with the campus and explore potential areas of collaboration between the two institutions. Accompanied by a delegation from the East African Community (EAC) Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization & Health Supply Chain Management (RCE-VIHSCM) at the University of Rwanda, the visit was marked by fruitful discussions and insightful exchanges.
During their time on campus, Ms. Kayitare and her team engaged in discussions with the Interim Vice-Chancellor, delving into areas of mutual interest and exploring avenues for future collaboration. The discussions focused on leveraging the respective strengths to address pressing challenges in education, research, and community engagement.
One of the highlights of the visit was a comprehensive tour of the campus facilities, allowing the guests to witness firsthand the state-of-the-art infrastructure and resources available at USIU-Africa.
From cutting-edge research labs to innovative learning spaces, the tour showcased the university’s commitment to academic excellence and student-centered learning. The delegation was graciously hosted by Prof. Shital Mahindra Maru (B.Pharm, M.Pharm, MBA, PhD.), Dean of the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. Prof. Maru provided valuable insights into the innovative programs and initiatives undertaken by USIU-Africa in the field of healthcare and pharmaceutical sciences.
The meeting also served as a platform to exchange ideas and best practices in higher education, laying the foundation for potential joint initiatives and research partnerships. By fostering cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration, USIU-Africa aims to enrich the academic experience for students and contribute to the advancement of knowledge on a global scale.
As we reflect on the success of Ms. Kayitare's visit, we look forward to nurturing and deepening the collaboration with the University of Rwanda and the broader East African community. Together, we are poised to make meaningful strides in advancing education, research, and innovation for the betterment of society.
The university extends its heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Kayitare and her delegation for gracing us with their presence and for their commitment to strengthening academic partnerships across borders. May this visit mark the beginning of a fruitful and enduring collaboration between the two institutions.
By CTW Team
As a new student at USIU-Africa, you may have questions about course offerings, campus resources, and various aspects of student life. To ensure you have accurate and up-to-date information at your fingertips, we encourage you to utilize the USIU-Africa Academic Catalogue as your ultimate source of knowledge.
The Catalogue is a resource that is:
By the Library Team
Following the announcement by the University management regarding the partial reopening of the campus, the Library is pleased to announce that we will be open during the Summer semester 2021.
How we are adhering to COVID-19 protocols
The library just like other places in campus has put in place a number of measures to ensure that staff and clients alike observe COVID-19 regulations of social distancing, masking and sanitizing.
Right at the entrance you get to check your temperature, then scan your ID to gain entry, no finger print needed. Once within the space, there are various warnings throughout the building indicating where to sit, where to stand in the queue, where to sanitize and even reminding you not to touch the hand rails at the stairs and to mask-up. To avoid overcrowding, the total number of clients within the library is closely monitored.
We are also making efforts to reduce contact when returning or picking books. It is possible to make an order of the books you intend to borrow by filling this online form. The librarian will assemble these orders and communicate when they are ready for collection. The order must be made 24 hours in advance. For those wishing to do a face-to-face consultation, the booking option is available to them via USIU-Africa Library Attendance/Usage Form so as to reduce the waiting time.
Support available online
Online services are not new to the library. You can access online support via LibChat – a live chat service accessible via the library platform and AskALibrarian which is email based – askalibrarian@usiu.ac.ke. We have recently added a WhatsApp line - +254 782 620858 and another helpdesk – service libraryhelpdesk@usiu.ac.ke. The pandemic, online learning and teaching, has had clients rely heavily on these platforms to get support from our very committed team of librarians.
We also offer information literacy training virtually via Zoom. This can be organized by an individual, a group with common interest, a faculty for his/her class or one can attend the scheduled trainings that take place every semester by registering here.
To support online access to resources, librarians have developed over 110 subject guides which serve as pointers to key resources – print and electronic books, e-journals and e-databases, video and image repositories, as well as professional sites so that clients do not feel lost at any one time. We are proud to announce that in the past year we have increased the number of e-books and e-journals just so that the online experience is rich.
By Dr. Paul Okanda
As you may be aware, we are entering the final phase of our recruitment effort for the next DVC-Academic & Student Affairs which includes an invitation to the finalist candidates to visit campus. We are in discussions with a number of candidates and have thus far invited three finalists to visit campus.
Last week, we hosted one of the finalists, Professor Deo Jaganyi to a tour of the campus, where he had several meetings with various stakeholders over a two day period, followed up by an open forum at the Auditorium on Thursday, 16 January, where he had the opportunity to field questions from staff.
Thus far, we have two finalists scheduled to visit campus as indicated below:
• Candidate Two: 27-28 January
• Candidate Three: 29- 30 January
A secure link to each of the finalists’ resumes will be provided on the intranet for about 24 hours before each candidate visits campus. We have scheduled opportunities for various campus constituent groups to meet with each of the candidates and encourage all interested members of the campus community to participate where possible.
Throughout the search process, the Search Committee has pledged to protect the identity of the candidates. While we can no longer promise complete confidentiality to these finalists as they present themselves on campus, we urge you to bear in mind that each of them holds a significant position elsewhere, and we urge you NOT to make personal inquiries about them but rather to communicate your comments, questions, or concerns, to a member of the Search Committee. The Search Committee believes that these candidates are capable of providing effective leadership for USIU-Africa and are excited for you to have the opportunity to meet them.?
Following the meetings with each of the candidates, participants will be asked to complete an online or physical form that will allow us to capture your feedback on each of the candidates. This information will be tabulated and shared with both the Search Committee and the Vice Chancellor as they deliberate on the strengths and limitations of each candidate.
After this, the Search Committee will share its collective thoughts with the Vice Chancellor – who, having full information on each candidate, will make the final decision. We will announce the selection of our next DVC-Academic & Student Affairs once a contract has been signed.
If you have any questions or concerns about this final phase of the search, please feel free to contact Dr. Paul Okanda on pokanda@usiu.ac.ke
PHOTO: Courtesy
By CTW Team
We celebrate our alumnus, Mr. Francis Msengeti, who has been appointed the General Manager of Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa in Mombasa. He has an extensive knowledge of the local hospitality industry, with a career spanning over 20 years- 14 of which have been spent at Sarova Hotels.
He has held various positions at Sarova Hotels, including Lodge Manager – Sarova Shaba Game Lodge and Sarova Mara Game Camp and Operations Manager – Sarova Panafric and Sarova Stanley Hotels, among others.
He holds a Diploma in Hotel Management from Kenya Utalii College and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management in 2017.
Hongera!
By Ernest Mwanzi
Mbuki Mburu, a Public Policy and Youth Development advocate and a Bachelor of Art in International Relations graduate, Class of 2014 was recently named as a Laureate; Top 35 under 35 change makers in Africa for creating platforms and avenues where young people speak out.
Africa’s 35 Under 35 list recognizes young talents that stand out on the continent and in the world and some of Africa’s leading young change makers.
Mbuki has been commended for Co-founding the Youth Serving Organization Consortium, an association that strives to unify diverse youth voices through strategic collaboration and partnerships to make their voices heard at the highest political levels. The organization also seeks to increase the representation and participation of youth in policymaking structures and decision-making bodies in counties.
The consortium was also applauded for contributing to the design of the Affirmative action fund – Biashara Kenya fund to ease youth access to finance.
Mbuki has worked at national, regional and International levels where she has, among others, addressed the United Nations General assembly during the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD @25) , spoke at High Level Political Forum (HLPF) during the review of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations headquarters and selected by United Nations department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) to speak during UN@75 celebration while discussing ‘Navigating Uncertainties’’; an intergenerational dialogue on COVID-19 and youth employment .
Locally, she has co-founded youth initiatives, led successful campaigns and lobbying initiatives such as #ShuleYanguCampaign and #NYCTuitakayo and also participated in development and review of policies affecting young people and championed public interest litigation in favor of young people’s interest.
To add to her numerous accolades, Mbuki is trained in Communications for Development, Monitoring & Evaluation, Adaptation & Learning and Programme Planning & Management from MS Training Center for Development Cooperation.
USIU-Africa Hockey players pose for photo after the end of the 2018 season, the team was second in the league.
By Diana Meso
USIU-Africa alumna, Ms. Beatrice Mbugua emerged the second-best premier league player of the year, under the women’s category during the Inaugural HockeyKE awards that took place at Hillcrest International School on February 1, 2020.
Ms. Mbugua who graduated with a BSc. International Business Administration was a beneficiary of the Sport Scholarship program that assist needy students with sporting talent pay part of their tuition costs.
HockeyKE awards provided a platform for hockey players and coaches to network and also to ensure that the success and achievements of Kenyan hockey is celebrated globally.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Photo: ITANYA
Caption: The trainees and the facilitators show off their vision boards at the end of the training session. Photo: Courtesy.
Daphne Mukami Kimani, an Alumni of the United States International University- Africa, is a young, passionate empowerment advocate with a heart to develop and transform lives especially of people living in slum communities. Daphne's brainchild, The Itanya Youth Network, based in Githogoro, was birthed with the objective of creating access to life changing opportunities for underprivileged individuals that they otherwise may not have.
Githogoro, located on the Northern Bypass neighboring the afuent Runda estate is a prime target for this development initiative to help alleviate prevailing challenges such as unsanitary living conditions and rising unemployment. Itanya is a native Kenyan word from the Kikuyu tribe that means sincere intention. It was birthed from the passion to see lives transformed and empowered in communities. Itanya seeks to give hope by building local capacity for leadership development, entrepreneurial skills and creating educational and employment opportunities to ensure that under privileged individuals can also be agents of change within their own communities
It is against this background that Daphne has rolled out a 30-day Leadership Training Program throughout May 2023. This program kicked off on Monday, May 8, at the Tribe Hotel. USIU-Africa alumna, Ms. Hannah Githuki, spoke to the youth numbering about 50, on “Visioning”. Hannah is a Business Trainer, Personal Branding Coach, author, a sought after Vision Board Facilitator and Founder of Inside Out Development.
The Vision Board Party was not only an impactful event, but also transformative to the lives of the young people from the slum of Githogoro. Besides learning how to develop their own vision boards so as to intentionally pursue their dreams, the youth were also imparted with skills on Leadership and Economic Empowerment. Other keynote speakers of the day included:
From left Principal Alumni Relations Officer, Michael Kisilu, USIU-Africa Alumna, Hannah Githuki, Principal Librarian - Cataloguing, Daniel Okumu and USIU-Africa Alumni Association, Public Relations Committee Chair, Ann Mbaru pose for a photo during Ms. Hannah’s book donation. The book is her first one as a published author.
Hannah Githuki, a USIU-Africa alumna from the 2009 International Business Administration class and the 2012 Master of Business Administration class donated copies of her debut book, Flaunt Your Genius, to the USIU-Africa library on Friday, October 30, 2020.
The book
The book is intended as a guide for the young and old alike on the key aspects of how to build a credible personal brand, even when the odds are against you. The book is timely, especially in the era of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, where many individuals and companies have been thrown into disarray by the ravages of the pandemic.
Speaking to CTW, Hannah notes that she would not be where she is without the education and professional guidance that she received during her time as a student at USIU-Africa. It was for this reason, she says, that she was inspired to give back to the University.
“Our years in USIU-Africa really did add value to our careers and lives. As I launched my first book, I could think of no better way of marking this milestone than sharing this gift with the USIU-Africa, through donating a few copies of the book to the USIU-Africa library, “she says.
The book, she notes, was born as a result of her own personal experiences, and through studying several Kenyan individuals who have been able to build a strong personal brand.
“Flaunt Your Genius is intended to challenge the reader to build a strong personal brand, both in the personal and professional spheres of their lives. As someone who has been through some overwhelming situations, I was able to extrapolate the lessons learnt into an eight-point guide on the basics of personal brand building, “she said.
“The book also features several case studies and examples from celebrated figures like Oprah, Richard Branson, Julie Gichuru, and Churchill Ndambuki, who are a testament to the tangible, pragmatic ways that personal branding does not just work, but pays,” she added.
In addition to writing, Hannah is also an entrepreneur, business trainer, keynote speaker, and a toastmaster with a passion for mentoring young people through college skills-gap training programs. She does this with different universities and colleges. She is also a highly skilled training consultant who works with individuals, and companies as well as other stakeholders in developing training programs suitable for their needs and delivers with excellence.
In her parting shot, she says that true genius is facing off against a storm of pandemics, natural disasters, and other problems, in order to emerge with a personal brand that can withstand every challenge thrown its way.
“Flaunt Your Genius is not just a book relevant for 2020 but for as long as people desire to establish their place in the world even in the midst of crisis, “she notes.
Agatha Berya, (L), receives her Award during the Financial Women Forum held in Tanzania last month.
By CTW Team
Agatha Berya, a BA Journalism graduate from USIU-Africa was recently named as the recipient of the Young Achievers Award at the Financial Women Forum held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, last month. The Forum provides women at mid-career level with relevant insights from industry leaders and knowledge exchange from peers, providing a framework to accelerate their path to senior leadership.
The award was given to Ms. Berya in recognition of her exemplary leadership and significant contributions to the business and to enhancing the Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, in addition to the demonstration of the desire to achieve excellence in the workplace.
Speaking following her award, Agatha registered her appreciation to the judging panel and to her company, NCBA Tanzania, for nominating her for the award.
“I am truly honoured to be part of the winners who scooped various prizes during this year’s Forum, which brought together all the best minds in the Tanzanian business sector. At NCBA, I strive daily to ensure that my work tangibly contributes to the Bank’s mission and vision,” she said.
“I am happy to be part of the team at NCBA, working daily to ensure that we deliver value to each and every one of our customers, by tailoring our products to empower our customers, businesses and communities,” she added.
Agatha holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism with a double concentration in Public Relations and Broadcasting Media. She is currently pursuing her Post Graduate Diploma studies in Tanzania at Center for Foreign Relations, in addition to her Master's degree in Communication from Walden University in United States. She is an Assistant Brand Manager in NCBA’s Communications and Citizenship Department.
Mr. David Thiru, who has been appointed as the manager of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League. Photo: Courtesy of the Star Kenya.
By Ernest Mwanzi
USIU-Africa Alumni Mr. David Thiru, has been appointed the manager for the newly merged Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL). He will now be tasked with managing the Kenya Premier League's operations, which kicked off on November 28, 2020.
Thiru graduated from USIU-Africa in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration (currently referred to as Bsc. International Business Administration). He is also currently an adjunct faculty teaching Entrepreneurship at the Chandaria School of Business.
In an interview with the Star newspaper, he said that with the experience he has, both in the management of football and in education, he believes that he is well prepared to serve. He added that he was not there to earn a salary but to expand opportunities for the youth and for the country to benefit. “I also have a passion to improve on the Kenyan football product out," concluded Thiru.
David was part of the team that spearheaded the launch of Alumni Endowment fund which aims at raising funds through the Alumni Association and well-wishers to support gifted but underprivileged students.
40 Sticks is the fourth Kenyan film to debut on Netflix in the past two months. The film is produced by among others, the Chair of the USIU-Africa Alumni Association, Mr. James Cutha Gathere. Photo: Courtesy.
By Brenda Odhiambo
The Kenyan film industry recently received a big boost as one more Kenyan film was featured on Netflix. The film, 40 Sticks, is a thriller that premiered on the global streaming platform on Friday November 20, 2020, and lists among its executive producers, James Cutha Gathere, the current USIU-Africa Alumni Association Chairperson.
The film, directed by Victor Gatonye and based on a fictional story created by Frank G. Maina and written by Voline Ogutu, the story revolves around a group of death row prisoners trapped in a crashed prison bus and their fight for survival, while a mysterious killer is lurking in the shadows. Speaking to CTW, Mr. Gathere noted that the recognition of Kenyan films by Netflix was a sure sign that the local film industry was rapidly evolving.
“The fact that in the past few months, we have had three Kenyan films feature on Netflix is a true testament that the Kenyan film industry is growing. It is exciting to see what other Kenyan stories will be featured on the global stage,” he said.
“So far the film has received amazing reviews from a cross-section of Kenyans, and it’s currently sitting at the top, number 1 movie in Kenya on Netflix (3 days running) after debuting at number 3,” he added.
“What makes this debut even more exciting is the fact that not only will the film be shown across Africa, US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but also that it has garnered 12 nominations in the Kalasha Awards, making it one of the second highest nominees this year,” he noted.
“We are excited to be part of the films that will be honored at the 2020 edition of the awards, alongside other Kenyan productions that have made waves in the local and global scene,” he added.
40 sticks stars Robert Agengo, Bilal Mwaura, Andreo Kamau, Xavier Ywaya, Shivisike Shivisi, Arabron Nyyeneque and Cajetan Boy.
To watch the film trailer, click here. For more information about how to vote for the film at the Kalasha awards, click here.
By Michael Kisilu
The Alumni Association formally launched the USIU-Africa South Sudan Alumni Chapter at an event held at the Pyramid Continental Hotel in Juba, South Sudan’s capital city. The event, attended by about 80 guests, was graced by Hon. Madam Awut Deng Acuil, South Sudan’s Minister of Education, Prof. Freida Brown, Vice-Chancellor, USIU-Africa, and Mr. James Gathere, Chairman, USIU-Africa Alumni Association, among other dignitaries, drawn from the public and private sectors in South Sudan including the Government; international development groups; diplomatic missions; financial institutions; local corporates and multi-national corporations; and charitable institutions and causes.
Some of the notable alumni from South Sudan who attended the event are:
Members of the media were invited and the event was covered by South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC). Besides the chapter launch, attendees were treated to a sumptuous dinner and shortly after to a networking cocktail.
In his remarks, Mr. John Makur, the Interim Chairperson of USIU-Africa South Sudan Alumni Chapter, noted that the Association was ready to hit the ground running and work on several long and short-term activities that it would be involved in.
“The Alumni Association plans to organize the Association with the necessary documents, procedures and executive team in order to design short to long-term strategies including activities that the association will organize e.g. colloquium talks, networking initiatives, fundraising activities, internships and mentorship programs, and community service/CSR activities; and design a fundraising plan that will finance the activities of the association. The alumni in South Sudan value professional diversity, philanthropy, and unity,” he said.
In his remarks, Mr. James Gathere, Chairperson, USIU-Africa Alumni Association, challenged the alumni present to give back, monetary or in kind, to their alma mater. He invited them to always feel free to visit their alma mater and pledged the support of the Association towards the South Sudan Chapter.
Prof. Freida Brown, Interim Vice-Chancellor, USIU-Africa thanked the South Sudan Alumni for not only inviting her to the auspicious event, but also for a very warm welcome extended to her and her delegation from Kenya. She acknowledged many familiar faces in attendance who passed through USIU-Africa during her 21-year tenure and have now excelled in various fields including, business / entrepreneurship, the corporate world, NGOs, diplomats and politics.
She underscored several roles that alumni play in university development, fundraising, curricular development, employability, transformation of higher education and continuous quality improvement.
Further, she acknowledged that alumni could also be involved in a variety of other ways such as mentoring students, providing assistance to students, recruiting prospective students, and providing valuable feedback to the institution. She concluded her remarks by urging the alumni to make use of their extensive network and keep in touch with their alma mater, live by the values that USIU-Africa inculcated in them.
Hon. Madam Awut Deng Acuil, the Chief Guest, congratulated the alumni for organizing a magnificent event, and challenged them to keep the fire burning. She acknowledged the challenges that have bedevilled the higher education sector, but indicated that most of the solutions could easily be availed by alumni.
The incoming and outgoing Alumni Association Executive Committee during the AGM. The election of new Executive Members was a historic one, seeing 6 out of the 8 positions being taken by ladies.
By Diana Meso and Kevin Mudavadi
The much awaited USIU-Africa Alumni Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held at the Laico Regency Hotel in Nairobi on Thursday, February 27, to present the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Associations financial reports and winners of the newly elected officials.
The elections were conducted between February 20 and 23, through an online system, Lime Survey, where participants were sent a link and a special code to vote. This provided the members located outside the country with an opportunity to vote. The system, once used in the US elections and currently by the Australian government provided voters with an opportunity to vote at a place convenient to them.
Out of the total eligible voters and paid up members of the Association, 42 percent full responses were received and considered as full votes. The election results were formally presented by the Nominations Committee and ratified at the AGM.
Below is a list of new officials:
1. Chairperson - James Jason Cutha Gathere, IBA (2007)
2. Vice Chairperson – Major (Rtd) Lucy Wairimu Mukuria, Psychology (2004)
3. Treasurer – Caroline Muhonja Mugadi, MBA (2019)
4. Secretary – Evelyne Njiri, GEMBA (2015)
5. Chairperson, Fundraising Committee – Gladys M. Vundi, MOD (2019)
6. Chairperson, PR Committee – Ann T. Mbaru, MBA (2018)
7. Chairperson, Membership Committee – Daphne Wanja Maina, IBA (2008)
8. Chairperson, Academic Committee – Joseph Ndung’u Gathu, MA (2014)
This election that saw ladies outweigh males, was historic in a number of ways: it was the first ever to be conducted under the Association’s new constitution (adopted in 2017), it was the first to request for nominations, where, an impressive 58 nominations were received, first to be conducted by a Nominations Committee, first to be conducted online, first to be conducted outside the AGM, and recorded the highest voter participation in the history of the Association.
Previous leaders of the Association promised to work hand-in-hand with the new regime to ensure smooth transition. Out-going Chair, Dolly Sagwe, was keen to note that she was impressed with the elections process and the effort to ensure a vibrant Alumni Association. The new officials, notably Daphne Wanja, Chair-Membership Committee, promised to spur members to be active and part of the Association’s operation.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza, also in attendance, took this opportunity to underline the salience of the alumni towards the operations of USIU-Africa. He reminded them that they are ‘the brand ambassadors’ and that they are always welcome to their institution to be part of its growth. The VC in his speech, presented the university’s score card that underlined the healthy financial status of the school and its growth in terms of research and education.
By Esther Lihavi
On Friday, June 30, the USIU-Africa Alumni Association hosted its much-anticipated Annual General Meeting (AGM) and networking event that provided a platform for alumni to reconnect, share their stories, and expand their professional networks. While the AGM faced a setback due to a lack of quorum, the networking event turned out to be a resounding success, rekindling the spirit of camaraderie among the alumni.
In attendance was Prof. Munyae Mulinge, the Deputy Vice Chancellor - Academic & Student Affairs, members of the Alumni Association Executive Council, the Alumni Office representatives and our distinguished Alumni. The Chairperson of the Alumni Association, Mr. James Cutha Gathere emceed the networking event, giving alumni a chance to share their stories.
The event provided a unique platform for alumni to catch up with old friends, reminiscing about their shared experiences on campus and celebrating the successes achieved since graduation. The joy and warmth in the room were palpable as stories were exchanged, memories were revisited, and laughter echoed through the halls. For many, this gathering brought back cherished memories while also creating new ones.
In his remarks, Prof. Munyae Mulinge thanked the alumni for honoring their alma mater. He insisted on the spirit of oneness, encouraging alumni to not only be there for each other but also for USIU-Africa. Speaking passionately about the quality of education in USIU-Africa, the diverse culture and the co-curricular activities, he acknowledged that USIU-Africa is proud to see alumni successful in different fields. In the spirit of giving back, the alumni were encouraged to sign up for the areas they want to collaborate with the University, such as mentorships.
The USIU-Africa Alumni Association has long been committed to nurturing strong bonds among its graduates, fostering a sense of belonging and pride in their alma mater. This event was a testament to the association's dedication to creating opportunities for alumni to engage and grow both personally and professionally. Graduates from different programs and graduation years shared their experiences, achievements, and challenges. The diversity in the attendees' backgrounds, ranging from business executives and entrepreneurs to artists and government officials, sparked fascinating conversations that inspired new ideas and collaborations.
Looking ahead, the USIU-Africa Alumni Association aims to build on the success of this event and continue fostering a strong network of alumni. They plan to organize more gatherings, workshops, and mentoring programs that provide ongoing support and opportunities for growth. By doing so, the association will further solidify its position as a catalyst for personal and professional development among its graduates.
By Esther Lihavi
The USIU-Africa Alumni Association held its inaugural webinar of the quarterly series ‘Mental Health and Wellbeing’ on Thursday, March 23. Joan Thuo, popularly known as Joan the Career Coach (Class of 2009, BA Psychology) was the guest speaker and Hannah Moturi, the Vice Chairperson of the Alumni Association was the moderator.
The session themed "Navigating career and life transitions and changes in a post-pandemic World" started with Joan expressing her gratitude for having a platform to give back to her Alma Mater. She further explained that she helps people navigate through their career lives by offering coaching services, writing CVs, creating LinkedIn profiles and preparing people for interviews.
She then gave a background of the theme, highlighting the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to peoples’ careers, with several still struggling to date. Further, she expressed the concern of the prospective path to a global recession, posing the question ‘how safe is your career?’.
Some of the key things she emphasized during her address were having a career map, having a mentor and having a professional brand. The career map will act as a guide, the mentor as support and the brand as a distinctive factor from the rest. She noted that the professional brand includes having an updated CV and LinkedIn profile that matches current standards. This way, one is able to stay relevant after inevitable circumstances such as the pandemic.
During the Q&A session, she answered questions from the attendees on how to choose a mentor, how to explain a career break, how to know it’s time to quit a job and how to grow in an organization without burning bridges.
The session ended with a vote of thanks from the Chairperson of the Alumni Association, Mr. James Cutha Gathere who also invited the attendees to the upcoming webinars on Mental Health and Wellbeing.
By Alumni Relations Office
On Tuesday, July 13, 2021, a delegation of USIU-Africa alumni drawn from the graduating classes of the ‘80s and ‘90s visited the campus for a familiarization tour, noting that most of them had not been to USIU-Africa since it relocated to its current location almost 40 years ago.
The group, whose leader and convener is Dr. Vimal Shah, Chairman of Bidco Africa Group, also included Dr. Manoj Shah, Group MD, Kingsway Group Limited; Sunil Moraria, MD, Abacus Property; and Mr. Ndirangu Maina, Group CEO, Consumer Insight. Also in the delegation were Mr. Kevin Mutiso, Founder and CEO, Alternative Circle; Kush Bhardwaj, MD, Optica; and Bipin Mawjee, Director of Finance, Edifice, among others.
They were given an extensive tour of the campus by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza, assisted by Ms. Leah Gichuki, Clerk of Works and Mr. Michael Kisilu, Principal Officer, Alumni Relations, and were visibly exhilarated by the infrastructural developments undertaken by USIU-Africa over the years.
In the evening, the high-profiled alumni hosted both the VC and Principal Officer, Alumni Relations, to a dinner at the Trademark Hotel. After the keynote speech by the VC, and having noted the tremendous growth of the university over the years, the alumni committed to partner with USIU-Africa in its various endeavors.
By Caleb Mukhwana
In a spectacular showcase of educational excellence and commitment to bridging the gap between training institutions and the labor market, the just-concluded East Africa Employability Summit witnessed USIU-Africa clinching several prestigious awards. Among the accolades, the university proudly secured the coveted ‘Alumni Association of the Year’ and ‘Student Career Ambassador of the Year’, which was bagged by Caleb Mukhwana, an International Relations student and lead Career Peer Advisor.
The two-day summit, a dynamic platform for sparking crucial conversations among stakeholders, brought together top industry leaders, government officials, and representatives from over 20 universities and colleges across the Eastern Africa region. The agenda focused on addressing the persistent mismatch between training institutions and the labor market, as indicated by compelling statistics.
Notable figures in attendance included the esteemed Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports, and the Arts, Hon. Ababu Namwamba, officials from the Ministry of Education, representatives from the Federation of Kenya Employers among other industry stakeholders. The collective goal was to delve into comprehensive discussions around vital topics such as innovation and incubation, entrepreneurship, soft skills development, mental health issues, curriculum reforms, and policy advocacy.
The summit's highlight was a two-day exploration of groundbreaking ideas and strategies, culminating in the second edition of Uongozi Career Awards by the Cooperate Career Academy. The gala recognized outstanding individuals and organizations dedicated to championing youth employability through essential support services such as mentorship, employment opportunities, incubation, and startup funding.
USIU-Africa's triumph in securing the ‘Alumni Association of the Year’ and ‘Student Career Ambassador of the Year’ awards underscores the university's commitment to producing graduates who not only excel academically but are also well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the professional world.
As the summit concluded, the spirit of collaboration and commitment to closing the training-labor market gap echoed through the air. With USIU-Africa leading by example, it is evident that these discussions and recognitions are not merely symbolic but represent a concrete step toward creating a more seamless transition for students from the classroom to the workplace.
The East Africa Employability Summit served as a powerful catalyst for change, bringing together diverse voices and perspectives to shape a future where education and employment align seamlessly. As we celebrate the successes of institutions like USIU-Africa, we also acknowledge the collective responsibility to continue fostering an environment that empowers the next generation for success in the ever-evolving job market.
Linus Gitahi, Chairperson DTB: Photo Courtesy
By Beatrice Munyiva
Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) has named our alumna Mr. Linus Gitahi (MBA ’94) as its new chairperson. Mr. Gitahi has been serving as a director on the DTB Board and has taken over from outgoing chairperson Abdul Samji who has served the organization for the last nine years.
Mr. Gitahi was first appointed to the DTB Board in April 2017 and serves as the Chairman of Tropikal Brands (Africa) Limited, Chairman of Oxygène Marketing Communications Limited and is a Trustee of the Management University of Africa. He is also an independent Board director of Simba Corp, Outspan Hospital and Medical College as well as Allianz Insurance (K) Limited.
Mr. Gitahi previously served, as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nation Media Group and prior to that was the Group Chief Executive Officer for West Africa at GlaxoSmithKline after holding diverse management positions with the company.
Linus Gitahi served as a member of the Board of Trustees at USIU-Africa from 2011 to 2017.
By Brenda Odhiambo and Kevin Mudavadi
USIU-Africa alumnus, Jimmy Ochieng (MA in Communication, Class of 2019) has in conjunction with Dr. Kioko Ireri, been published in the International Journal of Press/ Politics. Their study, titled ‘Politicians in Newspaper News: Who Attracts Coverage in Kenyan Politics’ examines the coverage of 349 Kenyan politicians in four English national newspapers (Daily Nation, The Standard, People Daily, and The Star) between 2013 and 2017.
Within the contexts of media coverage based on news values, and reporting as a mirror of political reality, the study investigates whether gender, tribe, party size, seniority, committee or party leadership, commenting on corruption and devolution, and criticizing the government predicted the visibility of members of parliament (MPs) in newspaper news. Findings show that seniority, committee or party leadership, commenting on devolution and corruption, and criticizing government emerged as the main predictors of the parliamentarians’ coverage in news media. You can find more of this study on: https://rb.gy/ck2xyu
Last year, Jimmy was published in the Oxford Handbook of Kenyan Politics, where he co-authored a chapter titled ‘East Africa: Regional Politics and Dynamics’, with Walter O. Oyugi, a retired Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at University of Nairobi. Focusing on Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the authors point out that the three countries inherited similar political systems and all governance institutions at the sub-territorial level operated in line with centrally determined guidelines.
Congratulations, Jimmy!
By the Alumni Relations Office
Dr. Veronicah Kaluyu together with the Alumni Office invited Mr. Douglas Owino to guide Senior students on career development. He gave his success story, belaboring the power of seizing opportunities and taking risks. The Placement and Career Services Office, represented by Maureen Ochola also gave a presentation on career development and personal branding.
Douglas Owino is a former recipient of the USIU-Africa Scholarship. He studied IBA Finance, graduating Cum Laude in 2012. While at USIU-Africa, he served as the electoral commissioner, one of the peer group leaders of the USAID- sponsored peer education program ‘I Choose Life’. He was also a member of the Resident Entertainment Committee. Douglas further pursued his MBA International Business in South Korea, on a Korean Government Scholarship, a scholarship he was awarded before his graduation in August 2012.
While in South Korea, he got short term assignment with National Institute of International Education (NIIED) under the Ministry of Education, he worked for Daejeon Support Center for Foreign Residents (formerly Daejeon International Centre), he was an elected leader of Kenyan Community in South Korea, and was very instrumental in facilitating and supporting three USIU-Africa GeMBA classes during their Global experience in South Korea.
Currently, Douglas is the Sub-Saharan African marketing manager for Australian based Curtin University, which has campuses in Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka.
He is also the founder of MyFutureapp.org, a web-based studies, careers, university scholarship advising platform used by more than 16,000 parents and students in more than 30 African countries. MyFutureApp has been nominated as the Best Newcomer 2023 (EduTech) for the 2023 Eastern Africa Startup Awards. Additionally, he founded ThinkGlobal.Africa to help students and young people identify the immerse opportunities to study, work, live, exchange and travel across the World. He is also the author of ‘How to Win & Retain A Scholarship’ a comprehensive guide for university scholarship applicants.
Douglas is now a notable speaker and trainer on global opportunities for young people. He has successfully assisted hundreds of students to get opportunities in many destinations in Africa, Australia, United States of America, Europe and Asia. He has been invited to speak at local and international events including EduTech Africa Conference (South Africa), St. Mary’s University (Texas, USA), UN Climate Change Conference (South Korea), EAY Summit -European Economic and Social Committee (Belgium), among others.
His work has been noted globally and received several local and international awards and recognitions including being a nominee of ‘Top 35 under 35 Kenya’ (Education category)- The Agenda Kenya, British Council Global Changemakers (Belgium), Top 30 Inspirational Young People in Africa under 30 years (Youth Village, South Africa). Indeed, Douglas has lived out the USIU-Africa slogan ‘Education to Take You Places’.
To give back to the USIU-Africa community through mentorship like Douglas, reach out to the Alumni Office at alumni@usiu.ac.ke
By PR Week Global
Joel Chacha, General Manager and Chief Strategist at Tell-Em was last week announced as a judge for the annual PRWeek Global Awards. The awards program, which honors the best in public relations, marketing, and communications, is among the most prestigious in the industry.
As a judge, Joel will evaluate entries worldwide, providing insight into the most innovative and effective campaigns and strategies. He is excited to be part of the judging panel and looks forward to recognizing the best of the best in the industry.
“I’m honored to be part of the judging panel for the PRWeek Global Awards,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to serve as the first Kenyan judge, and I look forward to learning from the best in the industry and recognizing the amazing work that’s being done.”
Joel has strong brand leadership experience acquired over many years as an integrated marketing and communications leader. Having tested his capacity to inspire and lead at the highest senior level of organizational leadership, shaping strategy, engaging senior government officials, inspiring large teams of employees and shareholders, and offering strategic counsel and support on media, reputation, and issues management.
Joel serves on several boards. He is a member of the African Marketing Confederation (AMC), where he is tasked with exploring opportunities to advance the sector by leveraging on the opening up of the continent via the Africa Continental Free Trade. In addition, he has previously served as the chair of the Media Relations Expert Advisory Panel at the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK). And at the Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK), he is currently the Chairman of the Marketing and Gala Committee, where he steers portfolio clarity leading to the execution of award-winning campaigns. In 2019 and 2020, he sat on the jury of the MSK Awards, the most coveted marketing award in the region, before being elected as a corporate board member representative in 2021.
Joel is finalizing his Master of Arts in Communication Studies concentrating in Strategic Corporate Communication from USIU-Africa.
For more, visit: PRWeekGlobal
Ian Vale, Regional Director, Save the Children International exchange MoU documents with Prof. Paul Zeleza, Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa has partnered with Save the Children to enhance a graduate trainee program as part of the process to attract and develop top talent in education. While signing the partnership Save the Children Regional Director Ian Vale said the program which focuses on faculty of business graduates, aims at building professional skills in the business and operational support.
Vale said the program which will be a joint venture between the two institutions will provide unique opportunities and equip the students with the right set of skills that prepares them for a competitive job market.
USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza lauded Save the Children for its gallant effort in improving the children’s lives through better education, health care and economic opportunities. He said USIU-Africa will play its rightful role in enhancing the development of graduates by promoting the discovery and application of knowledge besides the acquisition of skills required for the job market.
The Graduate Program is part of the Save the Children Talent Development strategic objective of being an organization that attracts and develops top talent. It aims to build professional skills in the Business and Operational Support Functions in an INGO setting. The program focuses on attracting fresh faculty of business graduates with a passion for working in non-profit sector, to spend a year in the Save the Children Regional Office supporting the Finance, IT, Supply Chain, Administration and Human Resources Management functions. The graduates learn on the job and benefit from mentorship from our diverse and highly experienced team of professionals.
At the end of the program the trainees will be well equipped with a set of skills that will prepare them to be competitive in the job market. High achieving trainees will get a great opportunity to apply for ongoing roles at Save the Children at the Regional Office, Kenya Country Office or the Somalia
Country Office (based in Nairobi).
Save the Children is one the world’s leading independent and non-profit organization for children with operations in 120 countries globally.
By the CTW Team
The University has recently announced that it has begun the process of searching for a new Vice Chancellor. Reporting to the University Council, the Vice Chancellor will be responsible for the University’s successful and sustainable operation. The successful candidate will set out a vision for USIU-Africa’s next chapter and work collaboratively with the Management Board to deliver it with energy, sound judgment, and integrity, thinking creatively about opportunities for growth and income diversification.
The new Vice Chancellor will be expected to bring a track record of successful leadership and academic achievement, as demonstrated in a doctoral degree and ideally at full Professorial level.
The University is being supported by the executive search firm Oxford HR in this recruitment. For more information about the role or an informal conversation, you can reach the Consultants at usiu-a@oxfordhr.co.uk. The deadline for applications is Friday, November 26, 2021.
By the University Council
The University Council of the United States International University-Africa is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Margee Ensign as the new Vice-Chancellor of USIU-Africa with effect from September 1, 2022.
Prof. Ensign has an outstanding track record with a stellar academic career including 12 years as a successful Vice-Chancellor in Nigeria and in the US, where she was a formidable ambassador and successful fund-raiser. Her experience leading two very different organizations as Vice Chancellor will enable her to address the challenges and opportunities for USIU-Africa. She brings an undoubted commitment, passion and vision around deepening international and intercultural education in Africa: it has been at the heart of her teaching, research, publications, and administrative life, and has led her to experience working in numerous international environments including Rwanda, Uganda, and Nigeria.
Prof. Ensign currently serves as the President of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, where she had been President from 2010 to 2017. She was requested to return to AUN in 2021, having assumed the position of Vice Chancellor (or President) of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania from 2017 to 2021. Prior to her AUN Vice-Chancellorship, Professor Ensign was Associate Provost for International Initiatives, Dean and Professor, School of International Studies, University of The Pacific (1999-2010), work in Rwanda & Uganda (2003-9), and she held administrative and faculty positions at both at Columbia and Tulane Universities. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in International Politics and Economics.
A well-respected scholar on development, on Africa, and - growing out of her experience in Rwanda - on genocide, Prof. Ensign is the author and editor of six books, including Rwanda: History and Hope, and Confronting Genocide: Dehumanization, Denial, and Strategies for Prevention. She has presented at numerous international fora, including the World Economic Forum, the American Council on Education, and US Congress, and most recently was a panel member at the Commonwealth Women's Forum in Rwanda which focused on gender equity and education. She has received many awards including Distinguished Leadership Award for Excellence in Education; African Leading University of the Year; African Leadership Award from the World Center for Corporate Social Responsibility. She holds Honorary Doctorates from the American University of Paris and New College.
Exuding energy and optimism, her leadership style and experience are to work hard to bring people of many different backgrounds and perspectives together to work for the common good, fostering a spirit of enthusiasm, of collaboration and of cooperation.
Building a sense of common purpose, and of a shared vision, both within the institution and in conjunction with its host community, has been one of the most rewarding parts of her jobs in the USA and Nigeria. Social responsibility, or ‘civic learning and action’ are key values and high priorities for Prof. Ensign. At AUN, her mission was to create a “development university,” very much in line with USIU-Africa’s focus on community and sustainable development. She is excited by the tremendous potential of USIU-Africa to have a much bigger reach.
Prof. Ensign will work in close alignment with the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and other members of the Management Board, to oversee a broad spectrum of activities including the five academic schools, student affairs, admissions, registration, library, faculty development, information technology, operations, and the implementation of the 2021-2026 strategic plan. Prof. Ensign particularly enjoys interacting with students and with all members of the university and is looking forward to engaging with the USIU-Africa community when she arrives in September.
Finally, the University Council would like to take this opportunity to thank Prof. Freida Brown for her magnanimous facilitation during the transition between our former Vice-Chancellor and Prof. Ensign. Words cannot express how grateful we are as the University community for your selfless service to this institution.
USIU-Africa will now host all its Policies and Sop’s (Standard Operating Procedure) on the intranet. The address is Webapp and users will be able to access the polices by navigating to Organization policies. They will be required to log in using their USIU-Africa credentials before they can read or download these documents.
Each Division will be managing their respective policies through an administrator. Administrators will be able to pull reports showing how many people have been able to read the policies/sops.
The ICT Division has also developed a Business Intelligence platform that aids in Data driven decision making for Senior Managers. The platform gets data from different systems among them the ERP and the LanSupport System.
Here is one of the visualizations from the platform that shows the number of students, (International or Kenyan, Gender and Majors) for Fall semester 2021. (Click on the image to enlarge)
By Prisca Akinyi
Late last month, USIU-Africa attended the Flutter Forward event organized by the Google team. The event was an invite-only gathering of Flutter developers, product managers, and the Google Flutter team.
The event provided attendees with a unique opportunity to interact with an incredibly talented and diverse group of Flutter developers and learn from the experiences of product managers. Notable speakers included Ander Dobo, Leigha Jarett, and Zoey Fan, who shared invaluable insights and tips on product management.
The real highlight of the event for many attendees was the Flutteristas panel. The panel comprised of women in tech who shared their experiences and perspectives, providing inspiration and motivation for other women in the community. I got a chance to be a part of the event and even participated in the Flutteristas panel which held discussions on how women in tech could be empowered and their talents grown.
Attendees walked away from the event feeling empowered and motivated to continue growing and contributing to the Flutter community. The event was a testament to the organizers' commitment to creating impactful events for Flutter developers.
The Flutter Forward event was an absolute game-changer for all attendees. It provided attendees with a valuable opportunity to network, learn, and grow, and left them with a renewed sense of inspiration and motivation to continue their work in the Flutter community.
By Lola Hannigan
USIU-Africa was among the 75 universities from across East Africa that attended the 17th Higher Education, Science and Technology Exhibition in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania from Monday, July 18 to Saturday, July 23.
Bearing the theme Higher education that meets the needs of the labour market for social and economic development, the Exhibition provided a platform for institutions of higher learning to promote mutual understanding on quality assurance issues in higher education as well as enhance collaboration and partnerships between higher education institutions, research and development Institutions among other key players in the education industry.
Over 200 participants visited the USIU-Africa stand where they were educated on the various courses offered, scholarship opportunities and extra-curricular activities. Dr. Francis K. Michael, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, The United Republic of Tanzania also visited the USIU-Africa stand and appreciated the university for its participation in the exhibition and its contribution to the education industry. Additionally, Prof. Penina Mlama, Chairperson, Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) visited the USIU-Africa stand and congratulated the university for its dedication in providing excellent education.
Seven representatives from the University, Dr. George Lumbasi, Isaac Chuma, Stephen Kiseli, Jackline Mabia, Fenny Muthusi, Sheryl Kamonya and Diana Meso were present at the Exhibition.
By Taigu Muchiri and Brenda Odhiambo
For the first time in its 51-year old history, USIU-Africa awarded 27 Bachelor of Pharmacy degrees during its 42nd virtual graduation ceremony. During the ceremony, the university awarded a total of one thousand one hundred and sixty-six (1166) degrees, out of which eight hundred and twenty-one (821) were Bachelor’s Degrees, three hundred and thirty-five (335) were Masters Degrees and ten (10) Doctoral Degrees. The Pharmacy program was launched in 2015 and it aims to provide diverse, state of the art, rigorous and innovative approaches to healthcare training, practice and research through the use of a holistic view of health, focus and commitment to excellence.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza congratulated the graduates adding that this graduation ceremony was particularly a first in many ways for USIU-Africa.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Class of 2020 for being pioneers, as the first class in our University’s history to graduate virtually, and highlight the achievements by the Bachelor of Pharmacy students, which could not have come at a better time, as you now join the frontlines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
He congratulated the students for achieving this critical milestone and admired their unrelenting will to forge forward and especially recognized the role that will be played by the first cohort of Pharmacy students even as the world is battling a global pandemic.
“I am glad to know that today, we commission the first cohort of Pharmacy students who will be joining the healthcare workforce as they find lasting solutions to deal with this pandemic and future pandemics,” he added.
Following the prolonged closure of learning institutions in the country due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the government directed universities to continue learning using online learning platforms and conduct virtual graduation ceremonies. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) estimates that over 17 million enrolled learners across the country are affected.
Globally, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reports indicate that close to 90 percent of the world’s student population continue to suffer because of prolonged closure of learning institutions across the world affecting over 1.2 billion children and youth.
The chief guest, the President of Malawi, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera observed that most learning institutions have shifted to online learning in order to continue learning but the digital divide has made it very difficult for learners to access online classes.
“The challenges of infrastructure and access, equity, quality of teaching and learning and assessment are alive now more than ever as the world moves to embrace online teaching and learning. These challenges have far-reaching impact in Africa where majority of learners do not have access to internet services and IT learning devices,” he said.
Once Kenya confirmed its first case in Mid-March, USIU-Africa immediately shifted to online teaching and learning, which is supported by robust ICT systems to ensure that students continued learning throughout the year by injecting Kshs. 63, 524, 571 annually to expand the e-learning infrastructure and an additional Kshs. 30, 000, 000 to boost e-resources at the Library. The university was among the first institutions to put in place examination protocols that accommodates the changed mode of learning through a combination of two solutions on the Learning Management System, Blackboard: Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor. In order to ensure a seamless transition, USIU-Africa partnered with internet service providers, Safaricom and Telkom to offer subsidized mobile data bundles to students and faculty to enhance online learning and teaching.
By Cecilia Waihenya
In December 2022, USIU-Africa bagged three awards during the Uongozi Awards organized by the Corporate Career Academy. Cecilia Waihenya, Principal Placement and Career Services Officer won the Director of Career Services of the year, while her department took home the Office of the Career Services of the year award. Additionally, our Alumni Association won the Alumni Association of the year award.
By Whitney Akinyi
The County Pension Fund (CPF) Financial Services in partnership with the USIU-Africa Business Club held a financial literacy talk on Thursday, February 29, focusing on the vital topic of youth engagement with the saving culture. CPF Group have rolled out a premium pension plan product targeting people who have been left out by traditional forms of pensions schemes. These are mainly the youth between the ages of 18 to 35, the unemployed, and those in the informal sectors of employment who are looking for a flexible way of saving.
Dubbed Linda Kesho, the Individual Pension Plan is a voluntary individual savings plan that is open to young individuals encouraging them to save regardless of income or age. Linda Kesho signifies not just a conversation but a movement towards empowering the youth to secure their financial futures through proactive engagement with pension services.
The session ignited insightful discussions surrounding the importance of financial planning, particularly in the context of youth and pension. Members actively engaged in exploring innovative strategies to bridge the gap between young individuals and pension schemes, with a specific emphasis on leveraging the offerings of CPF Financial Services.
This engaging conversation served as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and collaboration on the intersection of youth, pension, and financial empowerment. The collective commitment to driving positive change underscored the club's dedication to advancing socio-economic development and fostering a culture of financial responsibility among today's youth.
The club looks forward to further engagement and collaboration with stakeholders to realize the vision of a financially inclusive and empowered youth population.
By the CTW Team
More than 300 guests converged at the Villa Rosa Kempinski on Friday, 8 November to celebrate USIU-Africa’s 50th Anniversary celebration dinner, the finale of the year-long activities to mark the finale of the year-long celebratory activities.
Speaking at the event, Chief Guest, Dr. Kevit Desai congratulated the University on the milestone, noting that USIU-Africa’s aspirations as an institution of higher learning were in line with the five year Education Plan (2018-2022) that had been put in place to guide the realization of quality higher education in Kenya. Other speakers at the event, including the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza encouraged USIU-Africa’s stakeholders to recommit themselves to the mission and vision of the University, in order to propel USIU-Africa to even greater heights over the next 50 years.
Below are some of the highlights of the event:
By Winnie Nyakio
USIU-Africa kicked off Valentine’s week in style, with the Valentine’s Committee organizing several activities to spread some love to the University community. Some of the activities included the blind date session where two students were blindfolded to get to know each other. The aim of this game was to have students get to know each other using their hearts and letting the chemistry flow. Some of the students who tried the game exchanged numbers after a great conversation, others enjoyed it especially the shyer ones and for some it was hard to start a conversation with someone you had never seen before.
Students also had a chance to purchase gifts for themselves and their loved ones from vendors who had been specially invited to showcase their wares during the week, including several businesses owned by students, like Remy’s vegan delight who sold cookies and Valentine’s gift packs targeting vegans and Wence who sold flowers. There was also a photo booth where you could take photos, which people were encouraged to share on their platforms using the hashtags #redefininglove, #loveisaworkofheart and #USIUvalentine2020.
Let the spirit of love carry you through the rest of the year. Happy Valentine’s Day!
By Brenda Odhiambo
Last week, USIU-Africa was represented at the Zero Project Conference (ZeroCon24), which took place at the UN Offices in Vienna, Austria. The conference is a unique global meeting place to innovate for disability inclusion. This year's topics were Inclusive Education, and ICT, with sessions revolving around the 77 Zero Project Awardees’ innovative solutions, complemented by contributions from Inclusive Education and ICT Experts, and representatives of the global Disability Inclusion Community.
Mr. Eannes Ongus, Director of Advancement & Partnerships at USIU-Africa, shared the university's ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive campus environment. Emphasizing the high priority placed on accessibility and support for students with disabilities, Mr. Ongus highlighted some of the university's key successes in this area, including: the establishment of a Disability Inclusion Resource Centre filled with assistive technology and staffed with sign language interpreters, disability experts and other support staff, mainstreaming of a Disability and Inclusion Policy, which has transformed the university into a truly inclusive institution, the recruitment of students with disabilities, with 72 students with disabilities currently enrolled at the university, which has been achieved through the support of key partner institutions, including the Mastercard Foundation and Light for the World and the establishment of a Sign Language Club, which has membership from across the campus community.
The session also featured various speakers who highlighted different strategies to enhance university inclusion in their universities in Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America.
"For universities to truly embody inclusivity, it requires a multifaceted approach. This involves investing in capacity building initiatives, allocating sufficient budgetary resources to support the promotion of on-campus accessibility, establishing clear policies and procedures around Disability Inclusion, fostering strategic partnerships, and unwavering support from organizational leadership,” he said.
A recording of the session can be watched here.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
On Thursday, September 21, 2023, students of the Chinese Club and the Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa celebrated the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is a day for friends and family to gather, offer thanks for the fall harvest, and pray for longevity and good fortune. This holiday falls on the day of a full moon. Traditionally, the festival was a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice and wheat with food offerings made in honor of the moon. Today, it is still an occasion for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the moon, a symbol of harmony and unity.
This event promoted student engagement between learners of Chinese Language at USIU-Africa. The students engaged in various activities such as, storytelling, singing and Chinese folk art (Chinese paper cutting, Chinese paper folding and opera face painting). The festival celebration was also an opportunity for students to sample mooncakes that are round in shape and are the most famous delicacies eaten during the festival. The mooncakes symbolize a family reunion. In Chinese culture, roundness symbolizes completeness and togetherness. A full moon symbolizes prosperity and reunion for the whole family.
By Solomon Mainye
The USIU-Africa Month of giving that kicked off on June 22 has seen encouraging participation from the University community network through generous contributions. The donations realized will allow students to continue with their studies that are delivered remotely through the Learning Management System, Blackboard. In addition, financially constrained students will be able to receive scholarship grants, enabling them to continue with their education uninterrupted.
There has been significant involvement from various stakeholders within the USIU-Africa community. Students, staff, faculty, alumni, parents and the leadership have even come together, appealing to their respective constituents to take part in this noble cause through the hashtag #EducateYourOwn. You can find the campaign videos from staff and alumni by visiting the links: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2k-sFgkGMk and www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2d5Rqrl2xE&t=4s.
The campaign has realized significant donations with 68 percent of total donors so far comprising of students and alumni. Below is a breakdown of what has been raised so far:
DONOR DEMOGRAPHIC | AMOUNT CONTRIBUTED % | DEMOGRAPHIC PARTICIPATION % | NOTABLE DONORS |
Students | 33% | 36% | Kes 71,000 |
Staff & Faculty | 16% | 12% | Kes 20,000 |
Alumni | 20% | 32% | Kes 20,000 |
Parents | 13% | 19% | Kes 7,000 |
Leadership | 18% | 1% | Kes 50,000 |
The campaign is still ongoing and we would like to encourage you to continue supporting and impacting a student’s life through:
2. Sharing the campaign within your network/circle through Facebook, Instagram, email, WhatsApp and text.
For queries or more information, contact us at 0730 116 640 or email devt@usiu.ac.ke.
Be inspired. Great things happen when you give!
By Idah Munyiri
This past Saturday, the University grounds witnessed a blossoming display of environmental commitment as the USIU-Africa community came together for an impactful tree-planting event. This initiative, spearheaded by dedicated University Council member Ms. Minal Vohra of Aion Properties, and executed with passion by the USIU-Africa’s Environmental Society (ENSO) club, aimed to strengthen community partnerships and increase native tree cover towards sustainable ecosystems.
Ms. Vohra generously donated 500 diverse tree seedlings, encompassing both fruit-bearing and indigenous varieties. Her unwavering dedication resonated deeply, reminding us that true harmony with nature leads to a life that flourishes. Beyond the number, each carefully chosen seedling symbolized a powerful promise and represented a step towards a more sustainable future. It was a potent show of shared commitment, collaboration, and environmental responsibility.
The event enjoyed the presence of esteemed representatives from prominent organizations like KCB Bank, G&A Advocates, I&N Advocates, CSI, DPO, and Johnson & Johnson. Additionally, we were honored to have the support of University leadership, the Interim Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lola Odubekun, DVC Student Life, Dr. Victor Boiyo, Student Council President Judethedeus Odhiambo, and the dedicated members of the ENSO community. Their presence not only solidified the collaborative spirit that fueled the event's success but also served as a powerful testament to the widespread support for the pursuit of environmental sustainability.
Saturday's tree-planting event wasn't just a day of planting; it was a day of sowing seeds of change. It was a day of forging a greener future and leaving a lasting positive impact on both the environment and the community spirit. This collaborative effort serves as an inspiration to all, reminding us that even small actions, multiplied, can truly make a world of difference.
By Racheal Ngumi
Last month, the Taskforce Committee led by Dr. Josephine Arasa handed over the USIU-Africa Disability Policy 2022 that will work towards ensuring an inclusive environment and quality provisions for Persons with Disabilities, and other Special Needs (PWD’s &SN).
The taskforce, formed in May this year sought to revamp the USIU-Africa Disability Policy in fulfillment of one of the University’s strategic goals, delivering quality service to internal and external stakeholders to achieve 80% satisfaction. The Taskforce was composed of 11 members namely:
The team was tasked with reviewing the 2018 Policy on Access for Persons with Disabilities and other Special Needs. They were also tasked to propose recommendations for amendment to ensure inclusion and compliance. The updated Policy was handed over to the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs, Professor Munyae Mulinge for further approval by the university. Major highlights of the review process were ensuring that the university progressively makes adjustments & accommodations to include Persons with Disability and ensure students access quality education and services.
By Lydia Winda
From July 3 to July 7, 2023, USIU-Africa's Counseling Center and the VCT-Week Committee organized the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Week, held every Summer and Fall semester to raise awareness and prioritize students' health and well-being. The event took place at Parking Lot B and provided a safe and confidential space for students to undergo free HIV testing, free Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening, and receive professional STIs & Contraceptive Counseling services. The university collaborated with healthcare professionals and organizations to ensure competent testing and comprehensive counseling on sexual and reproductive health-related issues for the USIU-Africa community.
Throughout the week, a series of informative sessions, workshops, and engaging activities were organized to educate students about HIV prevention, abstinence, safer sex practices, the importance of regular testing, and access to inclusive medical services. The VCT Week Committee played an active role in organizing the event, fostering a culture of openness, acceptance, and responsibility. This empowered individual to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and actively contributed to building a healthier campus community.
The primary objectives of VCT Week were clearly defined. The first was to raise awareness among students about the importance of HIV testing and Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening, emphasizing the significance of knowing one's HIV status and the benefits of early detection. The event also aimed to reduce the stigma associated with HIV testing by creating a supportive and non-judgmental environment, promoting acceptance, and fostering understanding.
VCT Week provided comprehensive services to students, including HIV testing, Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening, pre- and post-test counseling, and access to relevant information about prevention, treatment, and support services. The event aimed to empower members of the USIU-Africa community by providing them with accurate and up-to-date information on HIV&AIDS, promoting responsible sexual behavior, and fostering a sense of personal responsibility for their health and the health of their community.
The impact of VCT Week was evident throughout the event. Despite Tuesday being a public holiday, the uptake of VCT services and breast and cervical cancer screening was high, indicating progress towards meeting the set targets. Various activities were organized to engage the community, including a balloon popping game where questions were placed inside balloons. Participants were encouraged to pop the balloons, read the questions, and respond. This game served as a vital educational tool on sexual and reproductive health-related issues. A photo booth was set up with thematic messages encouraging people to spread hope to those infected and affected by HIV and to motivate individuals to know their HIV status. Colorful post-it pads were also provided for community members to write messages of hope and encouragement to those affected by HIV.
In addition, the event included edutainment games such as the condom game, aimed at normalizing conversations about condom usage and teaching correct protection methods for those unable to abstain. Visitors to the event were sensitized about various HIV prevention methods, including abstinence, condom use, faithfulness, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP), post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and the importance of adhering to antiretroviral medication.
With the reported increase in HIV prevalence among youth, it is crucial to continue conducting sexual and reproductive health sensitization activities. The organizers expressed gratitude to their partners, including AHF-Kenya, FHOK, USAID Fahari ya Jamii, Youth Changers, and KISS Condoms, who played pivotal roles in the success of Reproductive Health Week through their support, both in cash and in kind. The collaboration and support of these organizations contributed to the overall impact and effectiveness of the event in promoting awareness and ensuring the well-being of the USIU-Africa community.
By Lydia Masabarakiza
USIU-Africa brought its highly anticipated Culture Week 2024 to a close with a dazzling gala evening, uniting a tapestry of cultures under the theme ‘Global Fusion Fiesta: A Celebration of Cultural Harmony.’
The gala evening held on March 7, marked the conclusion of the four-day Culture Week, designed to celebrate diversity and foster cultural integration. The event drew over 3,000 attendees, including students, faculty, and distinguished guests from various embassies and organizations.
The gala evening also featured captivating performances from various cultural groups, live music, and a multicultural fashion show that showcased the diversity of traditional attire from around the world.
The highlight of the gala evening was the acknowledgment of outstanding contributors in different categories, showcasing the remarkable talent and cultural richness within the USIU-Africa community. The cultural performance of the night award was presented to the Kenyan community, South Sudan & Sudan community won the best cultural exhibition booth, while the best cuisine award went to the Indian community. The best small community was awarded to Sierra Leone while Ghana won the best research paper. The winner of the USIU-Africa World Cup was Somalia.
Addressing the audience, Dean of Students, Mr. Ronald Kimani expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support and active participation of the university community. He emphasized the importance of celebrating diversity and fostering cultural understanding within the campus.
The success of the Culture Week 2024 gala evening reflects the university's commitment to creating an inclusive and culturally vibrant community. As the event concluded, attendees left with a deeper appreciation for the rich tapestry of cultures that make up the USIU-Africa family. The memories of this extraordinary evening will undoubtedly resonate throughout the campus, fostering a sense of unity and pride in the diverse heritage shared by the university community.
From left to right: David Odhiambo, Lucy Irungu, Eunice Njagi, Kagia Samuel, Chantelle Mukabi, Grace Kinyua and Calvin Ganza.PHOTO: Courtesy
By Lucy Njeri Irungu
Just two weeks after the first ever USIU-Africa Inter-varsity Debate, the Public Speaking Club retained the Debate and Public speaking champions title in the Right to Food debate held on 26 and 27 July at Strathmore University. The debate was organized by the Kenya National Debate Council and Route to Food with the aim of evaluating food security as a human right as stipulated in Article 43(1) (c) of the Kenyan constitution of 2010. The tournament comprised of three categories, debate, public speaking and the quiz challenge and had approximately 300 participants from different universities in Kenya.
USIU-Africa was represented by two teams in the debate category, three speakers in the public speaking category and two adjudicators. In all categories, all the USIU-Africa participants made it to the finals after very competitive knockout rounds.
In the debate category, Grace Kinyua (International Relations, sophomore) and Calvin Ganza (International Relations, senior) emerged as the winners. Kagia Samuel (Finance, freshman) and Lucy Njeri Irungu (International Relations, senior) were the 1st Runners up.
In the public speaking category, Grace Kinyua (International Relations, sophomore) was the 1st Runners up, followed by Kagia Samuel (Finance, freshman) and David Odhiambo (International Business Administration, freshman) among the best finalists.
In the adjudication team, Eunice Njagi (International Relations, sophomore and Chairperson Public Speaking Club) and Chantalle Mukabi (Finance, freshman and secretary public speaking club) were recognized among the best finalist adjudicators in the public speaking and debate categories respectively.
After a series of 10 national debate championships since last year, the USIU-Africa team has earned the championship title at the national level. The team is looking to venture into regional debates namely the East African Universities Debate Championship (Kenya) in August, the Zanzibar Opens Tournament (Tanzania) in September and the Pan-African Universities Debate Championship (Ghana) in December this year. The end goal of the team is to earn an international championship status at the World Universities Debate Championship that will take place in Thailand next year.
USIU-Africa emerged winners in hockey and swimming competitions at the Inaugural Kenya University Sports Association-Nairobi Conference (NAKUSA) Women’s Championships held at USIU-Africa Campus. USIU-Africa’s Melissa Wambugu and Lynn Mtumbi were among the best players in tennis and hockey respectively.
Kenyatta University emerged as the overall top university followed by Mount Kenya University while hosts USIU-Africa emerged third overall.
Mount Kenya University beat Kenyatta University 1-0 in the football category while Kenyatta University beat St. Paul’s University by 3 sets to 0 to emerge tops. In the hockey tournament, USIU-Africa topped their group with 10 points recording 3 wins and 1 draw.
The event was held to celebrate International Women’s Day through sports under the theme, ‘breaking the bias through sports wellness’ saw a total of 10 universities competing in various disciplines including soccer, volleyball, basketball, netball, hockey and handball.
“It has been an honor to host the inaugural edition of this tournament which showcases women’s talents and promotes gender equality through sports. We hope that this annual event will bring together women in sports and these talents will be exposed and grow to be professionals who will represent their universities and even the country at the highest level,” said Hilda Indasi, sports coordinator at USIU-Africa.
Institutions that participated in the championships included USIU-Africa, Kenyatta University, St. Paul’s University, Mount Kenya University, Gretsa University, African Nazarene University, Kiriri Women’s University, Daystar University, Zetech University and KCA University.
By Shyat Lemoshira
The USIU Martials emerged fourth overall in the recently concluded Driftwood 7s Tournament, which was held between June 18-19 at the Mombasa Sports Club. On the first day, the team faced three teams, winning all their matches. They defeated KCA 17-14, Makueni 15-0 and Lukenya 41-0. On Day 2, they faced Embu in the main cup quarters and defeated them 12-7. In the semi- finals, they lost to Catholic University of East Africa. They battled against the Administration Police rugby team for the 3rd /4th place playoff and lost 14-29 to them, leading them to fourth place.
USIU-Africa’s Faculty members during the training for technology enhanced teaching and learning.
By Sarah Masila
USIU-Africa Faculty underwent training at the Library on November, 25-26 where they were taken through how to improve learning amongst students through the incorporation of technology in their classrooms.
The training session was supported by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) through the Partnership for Enhanced Teaching and Learning (PEBL), whose mission is helping universities across East Africa share valuable teaching resources through the development of quality assured, credit-bearing courses delivered through blended learning. In this way, PEBL will enhance teaching quality and student outcomes, and help to address the growing shortage of academic staff faced by universities.
Philip Machoka, one of the faculty members at the training noted that the session would assist both faculty and students incorporate technology in their learning, as the university gears up to fully embrace e-learning.
Also in attendance was Dr. Juliana Namada from the Chandaria School of business, who noted that the trainings would be a continuous exercise in order to build the capacity of both students and faculty in terms of technology use.
“We cannot take lightly the fact that we live in an age fraught with the need for technology. It is for this reason that we are keen to partner with ACU and PEBL. Through the partnership, we will ease the burden on teaching staff and expand the delivery methods for a range of courses for our undergraduate and postgraduate students, “she added.
By Prof. Francis Wambalaba
The Global Business School Network (GBSN) and the SWIFT Institute awarded the Case Writing Small Grant to a team from the Chandaria School of Business, USIU-Africa, led by Prof. Francis Wambalaba as the PI and Dr. Paula Musuva from the School of Science and Technology as the Co-PI. The team won all the highly competitive three case studies that were advertised.
Other research team members included Ms. Judy Ouma, Technical University of Kenya and adjunct faculty, Chandaria School of Business. Mr. William Makatian, CEO of Serianu Limited and Chair of the Kenya Honeynet Project, Ms. Brencil Kaimba, senior cybersecurity consultant at Serianu Ltd and Dr. Nicos Koussis, Assistant Professor of Finance at Frederick University and Head of the Business Department. The project partnered with Kenya Bankers Association represented by Mr. Fidelis Muia and with its CEO, Dr. Habil Olaka, a USIU-Africa alumnus as the protagonist in the teaching case study.
In 2018, losses from cyberattacks were predicted to top $1.6 trillion and could reach as high as $6 trillion by 2021. The threat of cybersecurity raises several questions for financial institutions and how they interact with each other, in particular for those based in emerging economies. Hence the need to examine ways in which these financial institutions minimize this risk, and provide a way to share best practices that these institutions use to mitigate the aforementioned risks.
The three case studies leveraged relationships within the industry to address the cybersecurity risk challenges in the region. The case studies provide deeper insights into the African cyber risk management practices, specifically in the financial services sector.
Case 1: Comparative Cyber Security Risk Minimization Best Practices: African Experiences
Case 2: Cyber Security Risks and National Policy Implications: East African Experiences
Case 3: Options for Kenyan Banks Cyber Security Risk Management: Kenyan Experience
Both primary and secondary data were collected for both quantitative and qualitative analysis including descriptive analysis, trend analysis, and correlation analysis. Key activities included,
The report generated is suitable for multi-audiences including practitioners, policymakers and academicians/researchers. The research cases will be distributed by the SWIFT Institute, while the teaching case will be available for instructional purposes.
For more information, go to:
The cast, crew and staff from USIU-Africa pose with the award following their win at the 9th edition of Kalasha Awards. The award is the 43rd won by the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts in the past year.
By Rachael Diang’a and Brenda Odhiambo
USIU-Africa was one of the big winners of the night at the 2019 edition of the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, held on November 30 at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi after one of its student- produced films, Unbalanced, won the Best Student Short Film award. The movie depicts how university students struggle to maintain a balance between their studies, relationship and work all at once. It also draws attention to the typical life of a university student.
USIU-Africa entered six films in the highly competitive awards event. These were: Mad Love (Short film), Women of Steel (Documentary), Chroma Combat (Animation), Leo and Mickey (Animation), Degraded Degrees (Documentary) and Unbalanced (Short film). Unbalanced received nominations in three categories namely Best Students' Short Film, Best Students' Feature Film and Best Production Design. Women of Steel received one nomination in the Best Students' Documentary Film. Degraded Degrees and Chroma Kombat (Animation) received one nomination each in the Best Students' Documentary and Best Visual Effects (Industry category) respectively.
USIU-Africa was the film school with the highest nominations, followed at a distance by the next Film School, which had two nominations. The films were produced by students majoring in BA Animation, BA Journalism and BA Film Production and Directing, all in the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts.
Speaking following the receipt of the award, Kevin Osoo, director of the winning film, thanked the University for the support it gave its students in the development of their cinematic talents.
“Winning a prestigious award like the Kalasha is a dream come true for us as students, because it shows that we can produce more world-class productions that can be showcased at a global stage. We would like to thank our lecturers as well as our fellow students at USIU-Africa for the support that they have given us thus far, which ensures that we always emerge as the best at what we put our minds to. This award is the forty third award we have won over the course of the past year, “he said.
In addition to the nominations, USIU-Africa was also represented at the black-tie, invite-only awards ceremony through the participation of one of its faculty, Dr. Rachel Diang’a, who was part of the eight-member Kalasha Academy, who were in charge of the selection of the winners. Dr. Diang’a was nominated to the Academy by the Kenya Scriptwriters’ Guild, of which she is a member.
Kalasha, now in its 9th edition, is the most prestigious Film and TV Awards Ceremony in the region and is hosted by Kenya Film Commission to award talent in the film, animation and gaming industries. This year, the awards were also supported by the digital Television Company, StarTimes who through StarTimes ON, enabled the viewing of and subsequent voting on the shortlisted films from 4-20 November, 2019.
The cast and crew of Unbalanced present the trophy to members of the Management Board. The film was one of the six productions nominated at the 9th Kalasha awards.
Kelvin Osoo, Director, Unbalanced, with the Kalasha award for the Best Student Short Film.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa and the Mastercard Foundation formally commissioned the second cohort of 48 Scholars under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, bringing the total number of Scholars recruited under the program to 70. The Scholars are drawn from a pool of 3,500 applicants drawn from various parts of the country, as well as from the African continent. So far, the program has recruited 68 percent women and 33 percent male into the program with 48 percent of the Scholars are enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and 42 percent are enrolled in the Humanities program respectively.
Last year, the Mastercard Foundation partnered with USIU-Africa to launch the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa, which will see 1,000 students from across the continent educated over 10 years at a cost of $63.2 million (Kshs. 6.8 billion).
The Program will recruit a diverse student body, which will include 700 women, 250 refugees, displaced youth and 70 persons with disability who will be will be placed in 11 programs which will provide skills training, leadership development, counselling, mentoring, internships and career services. The program will also educate, prepare and transition young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the labor market as leaders who can inspire socio-economic transformation.
In his remarks, USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza noted that the Scholars Program was aligned with the University’s mission of promoting discovery and application of knowledge and transitioning young people into gainful employment.
“We are glad to be part of Mastercard Foundation’s expanding global network of partners committed to developing a generation of African leaders who will use their knowledge and skills to lead change in their communities, and contribute to meaningful transformation across the continent,” he said.
“As an institution, we are honored to be part of the Scholars Program, and it is indeed gratifying to see that we have managed to recruit our second cohort of students, who will have the chance to experience a truly global education here at USIU-Africa,” he added.
Mastercard Foundation’s Head of Scholars Program, Prof. Phil Cotton congratulated the Scholars on their achievement, noting that they were now on their way to becoming catalysts for change who would now be responsible for uplifting their communities.
“As recipients of the Mastercard Foundation Program Scholarships, you are now in a position that allows you to give back to your communities, and serve as actors of change. You are our ambassadors and role models for young people across the country and across the continent,” he said.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa will provide full-cost scholarships to young Africans who are first-time undergraduate degree-seeking applicants. By completion of their studies, scholars will be required to lead changes in their communities and contribute to meaningful transformation across the continent, having been equipped with internationally recognized and locally applicable qualifications.
The first cohort of Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program students attend the Awards Evening held to welcome them to USIU-Africa.
By Brenda Odhiambo, Taigu Muchiri and Laurie Armstrong
USIU-Africa formally welcomed the inaugural cohort of Mastercard Foundation Scholars, made up of 24 students drawn from across the country. This follows the announcement of a partnership between USIU-Africa and the Mastercard Foundation, which will see 1,000 high-performing students to receive quality education and leadership development over the next 10 years under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
Through the Scholars Program, the students will receive holistic student support, including comprehensive scholarships, leadership development, and access to internships and industry-driven career services. Following the launch of the program, the University received 6,077 applications from hopeful Scholars across the country, from which the best 24 were selected.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Chancellor, Dr. Manu Chandaria started by thanking the Mastercard Foundation for selecting USIU-Africa as a partner in order to collectively achieve the goal of offering quality education to students. He called upon the Scholars to take advantage of this opportunity and become the best not only in the country but also in East Africa.
“I urge each one of you to embody the qualities of integrity, accountability, humility and the ability to serve your communities as you begin your journey here at USIU-Africa. These are the same values that have transformed this institution into a world class university,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza noted that in addition to the partnership being a milestone in the University’s history, it also presents the University with an opportunity to continue moulding the futures of bright Scholars from the continent.
“All over the world, each nation’s greatest resource is its people, and there is no better way to invest in your people than through the provision of opportunities and resources like access to quality education to position them to compete on the global stage. I am pleased that USIU-Africa will have the opportunity to continue moulding some of the best and brightest minds from across the continent to advance Africa’s development,” he said.
According to a report by the African Development Bank, one of the reasons behind the low contribution of human capital to labour productivity in Africa is the mismatch between the skills and the education that the youth have, and the needs of the employers. The report further notes that one of the critical steps that countries on the continent can take to correct this is by integrating education and skill development strategies into development plans, and ensuring that youth develop critical intangible skills critical to being part of a high quality workforce.
This sentiment was echoed by Daniel Hailu, Regional Head, Southern and Eastern Africa at the Mastercard Foundation, who noted that now more than ever, there was a need to ensure that the youth were equipped with the right skills to create solutions to the challenges on the continent.
He also noted that Mastercard Foundation continued to make investments in education based on the positive impacts that its programs, including the Scholars Program, continue to have on the lives of the Scholars, their families, and their community.
“One of our key tenets is ensuring that we support academically talented students from disadvantaged communities to attend quality educational institutions and develop the knowledge and skills they need to join the next generation of ethical and transformative leaders. Our vision is that these young people will continue to make a lasting impact in their communities, and lead the transformation towards inclusive prosperity,” he added.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is an initiative to develop Africa’s next generation of leaders by giving students, whose talent and promise exceed their financial resources, an opportunity to complete their education. The Program is a growing commitment and to date, the Program has committed over USD 1 billion to supporting the education and leadership development of more than 37,000 young people.
By Brenda Odhiambo
USIU-Africa and the Mastercard Foundation have today welcomed the third cohort under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. A total of 82 female students were recruited into the cohort, which also saw 19 male students join the Scholars Program.
Last year, the Mastercard Foundation partnered with USIU-Africa to launch the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa, which will see 1,000 students from across the continent educated over 10 years at a cost of $63.2 million (Kshs. 6.8 billion).
The program is on track to recruit a diverse student body, which so far includes 127 and 42 male in the categories of young women (75%), young men (25%), refugees/displaced Youth (13%) and, persons with disability (5%) who have been placed in 11 programs providing skills training, leadership development, counselling, mentoring, internships and career services. The program is also educating, preparing and transitioning young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into the labour market as leaders of socio-economic transformation in their communities.
In her remarks, USIU-Africa’s Interim Vice Chancellor, Prof. Freida Brown noted that the Scholars Program was in line with the University’s goal of providing a holistic education that would equip learners with the knowledge to position themselves at the forefront of economic and social change not only in Kenya, but across the world.
“The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa is a comprehensive and holistic program that supports students to become transformative leaders who will make impactful change in their communities. We are proud as an institution to be part of this prestigious program which will equip African students with the relevant tools to build a brighter future for the continent,” she said.
“The Scholars Program is designed to give academically talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to build and strengthen their academic and leadership potential. As Scholars, you are now global citizens who will have the right tools and knowledge to change lives within your communities and across borders,” he said.
The third cohort of Scholars was drawn from a pool of 5000 applicants drawn from various parts of the country, and from 19 African countries. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa provides full-cost scholarships to young Africans who are first-time undergraduate degree-seeking applicants.
Upon completion of their studies, the Scholars will be required to lead changes in their communities and contribute to meaningful transformation across the continent, having been equipped with internationally recognized qualifications.
By Brenda Odhiambo and Mimi Koranteng
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa held the Scholars Award Evening to formally welcome the fourth cohort; a total of 86 Scholars, 6 of whom are differently-abled and are drawn from different parts of the country and 13 different African countries joined the University during the May semester. The Award Evening forms part of a series of events organized by Mastercard Foundation partner universities including USIU-Africa as part of Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program’s 10-year anniversary celebrations across the globe in transforming the lives of young men and women particularly in Africa lead, pursue their aspirations, and enrich their communities.
Since the inception of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa in July 2020, the Program has recruited 254 Scholars, with 74 percent of them being women, with the remaining 26 percent being male. 50.8 percent of the Scholars are enrolled in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs and 49.2 percent are enrolled in the Humanities and Social Sciences programs respectively.
In her comments, the Interim Vice Chancellor, Prof. Freida Brown noted that the selection of the fourth cohort underpinned USIU-Africa’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
“We are proud to have recruited a diverse and inclusive student body, which includes 5.5 percent of young men and women who are differently-abled which includes physical/mobility disabilities, visual impairment and hard hearing impairment. Our goal is to recruit 10 percent (100 students) with disabilities over 6-year period,” she said.
“As the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program marks its tenth year, I am confident that our continued collaboration and our joint passion in imparting knowledge, mentoring the next generation of leaders and providing transformative education will change Africa and the world,” she added.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program was established ten years ago as an initiative to develop Africa’s next generation of leaders by giving students whose talent and promise exceed their financial resources and opportunity to complete their education. Launched with nine partners and a first cohort of 145 Scholars, the Scholars Program has enabled over 41,000 young people to pursue secondary or tertiary education and brought together a robust Pan-African and global network of partners. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program will double its target by 2030 to reach 100,000 Scholars, as it accompanies the next generation of diverse young African leaders and higher education institutions on their journey to creating a new era of equitable and inclusive prosperity and growth.
In his comments, Prof. Philip Cotton, Director, Human Capital and Head of Scholars Program, Mastercard Foundation, noted that “the Scholars Program, now in its 10th year of existence, had grown to be one of the largest scholarship initiatives of its kind, enabling over 41,000 young people to access learning and leadership development opportunities. Welcoming the 86 new Scholars at USIU-Africa, he reminded them that they had become part of a heritage and community marked by common values and a commitment to transforming their communities:
“More than 17,000 of these individuals have graduated from this program and gone on to become leaders in their families, workplaces, and communities. They are supporting their siblings. Lifting up their families. Inspiring other young people. Creating jobs. And exhibiting excellence to drive a new narrative about what it means to be young and African.”
In order to expand and strengthen the Program, last year, USIU-Africa in partnership with the Arizona State University and Mastercard Foundation launched the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program E-learning initiative, which will enable more than 600,000 university students to successfully pursue their studies online, from anywhere across Africa over the next five years.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa has gained membership into Quality Matters, an organization which helps academic institutions to deliver their online promise through a collaborative and collegial process that centers on continuous improvement. The Quality Matters process is designed to help institutions achieve their quality assurance goals for online learning.
By joining the program, the University will be able to ensure that its online courses, and learning process which is currently ongoing by undertaking course reviews, will result in better course design, make navigation easier for students, reduce barriers to student achievement, and result in better outcomes.
Speaking to CTW following the signing of the agreement, Director of Online Learning, Dr. Philip Machoka noted that USIU-Africa’s membership in Quality Matters would help the university step up the quality of its learning outcomes, in line with the University’s strategic plan.
“Learner success is a top priority for USIU-Africa. To remove barriers to success for our students, who are currently undertaking most of their studies online, the University joined Quality Matters (QM) — the international leader for quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. QM will provide the University with access to a comprehensive, research-supported quality assurance process to design and develop accessible, engaging online courses,” he said.
“QM will also give us additional tools that will allow the University to evaluate our course and program design to ensure that the needs our learners are being met. QM’s professional development opportunities provide faculty and staff with a pathway to develop and strengthen key online design and delivery skills,” he added.
“As a QM member, USIU-Africa is now part of a community of more than 1,500 organizations that put learners first. We look forward to collaborating with and learning from others in the community as we move forward to positively impact the online learner experience here and across the globe,” he noted.
By Racheal Ngumi
Last Friday, the Office of Gender Equity and Protection in collaboration with the Office of Disability Inclusion hosted a workshop on gender sensitivity and self-advocacy for students with disabilities. The workshop, which was attended by over 100 Scholars and facilitated by Ms. Racheal Ngumi and Ms. Pamela Marigu, saw the participants taken through the nuances of gender-inclusive language, providing students with disabilities a platform to cultivate skills that contribute to a more inclusive academic environment.
The Scholars were taken through the description, importance and types of gender- sensitive language, which refers to using terms and expressions that avoid bias and stereotypes based on gender. It promotes inclusivity and equality for persons with disabilities in the learning environment.
“Gender Sensitive Language is essential in shaping how people perceive the world and helps people build cultural and social understanding in society. Our communication contributes to the attitudes and norms we have in society. The use of gender-sensitive language is one way to promote gender equality, break down gender stereotypes and barriers and change social and cultural attitudes,” said Ms. Marigu.
During the session, the Scholars got the opportunity to delve into self-advocacy and how to nurture their skills in the area to better advocate for themselves.
The term self-advocacy and its philosophy was born in Sweden in the 1960s, when young adults with disabilities began speaking out and taking control of their own lives by forming their own leisure clubs. National conferences for these club members were held in 1968 and 1970, wherein participants developed statements about how they wanted to be treated. In light of this, the term self-advocacy is defined as the ability to articulate one’s needs and make informed decisions about the support necessary to meet those needs.
The facilitator, Ms. Racheal Ngumi encouraged the Scholars to practice self-advocacy, noting that it would allow them to clearly ask for what they need, which in turn would empower them to make the necessary plans to achieve their goals.
“Learning self-advocacy for reasonable accommodations ensures that you will receive what you need in order to be successful with assigned tasks not only in your personal but also your professional lives. Through self-advocacy, you will be able to enjoy a higher quality of life, as you will build your self-esteem and have confidence in yourselves, know how to properly express your feelings as you become more empowered to make your own decisions,” she said.
The workshop underscored USIU-Africa's commitment to creating an inclusive campus environment that prioritizes the needs of every student. The Office of Gender Equity and Protection Office and the Office of Disability Inclusion are committed to championing campus-wide initiatives that promote inclusivity and empower students to navigate their academic journey with confidence.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Fourteen students from USIU-Africa departed on Wednesday 31 July to represent the University at the 10th edition of the University Scholars Leadership Symposium (USLS) Conference that will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 1st to 7th August.
The conference is organized by Humanitarian Affairs Asia, a civil society organization that has for years, been encouraging young people to be involved in humanitarian pursuits. Over the years, Humanitarian Affairs Asia has proven itself to be a unique and vibrant organization that nurtures young leaders to be socially responsible.
The conference is designed to develop the leadership and social change skills of emerging leaders from around the world. USIU-Africa has represented Kenya and East Africa in previous Symposiums as one of the two delegations representing the Continent.
The USIU Africa 2018 USLS team was able to implement some of the important things they learnt about volunteerism and supporting the disadvantaged in our community by mentoring, donating books and food stuff to L’Arche Kenya, a home for differently abled youth located in Nyahururu.
Other than the delegation from USIU-Africa, the only other African country represented at this symposium is South Africa. The team is accompanied by the club coordinators Mr. Chris Ayuoyi and Ms. Jane Nyaga.
By Diana Meso.
They say learning never stops, even with the COVID-19 crisis, USIU-Africa has continued with teaching and learning through organizing webinars to talk about and educate people on various matters surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The university has held a series of webinars stemming from various departments and schools. The School of Graduate, Research and Extension has so far held over 3 webinars since March 30. The webinars focused on Technology Adoption by SMEs, SME’s Reaction to COVID-19 (First Aid Kit), Maintaining Customer connections in light of COVID-19 and an Open Forum Discussion on how SME’s are coping with COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 8, the university held a webinar on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Future Instructional and Business Models of University, which the Vice Chancellor Prof. Zeleza co-hosted with Prof. Mwenda Ntarangwi, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Commission of University Education.
Additionally, on April 21, the university in partnership with the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) held a webinar focusing on how the COVID-19 crisis has affected workers in the informal sector, how the workers have responded, the support given to them to date, how the crisis is particularly impacting on women and the inventions that are urgently required to cushion the workers against the brunt of the crisis. This was presented by Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dean, School of Graduate, Research and Extension.
The university through the School of Graduate, Research and Extension plans to hold another webinar on April 29, in partnership with Kenya Association of Manufacturers and NIERA to discuss on Re- adjusting business operations to cope with COVID-19 crisis and on May 6, hold an open discussion on the same. To join the conversation, follow https//bit.ly/2xHQwDX or get in touch with Ms. Virginia Thuku on vthuku@usiu.ac.ke or call +254723653698
By Virginia Thuku
The Academic Advising week held on Wednesday and Thursday, November 16 and 17 respectively aimed to provide academic advising to students, update the students on the progress with the degree requirements and demonstrate online registration on the CX portal.
The event also created awareness on the need for students to seek academic advising especially on the proper sequencing of courses, meeting pre-requisites, conducting degree audits to know the courses already done and those remaining, incomplete grades and repeating of failed courses, GPA projections, academic counselling for those facing academic challenges, among others.
Moreover, being the first week of pre-registration for undergraduate students for the Spring Semester 2023, the event provided a platform for the student to get advice about their academic journey and to register their courses accordingly.
The Academic Advising Week will be held every semester to offer continuous advice to students.
By CTW Team
In an effort to enhance students' academic success and provide them with the necessary guidance, the Academic Advising Week took place on Monday, July 24 to Tuesday, July 25. The primary goal of this event was to offer comprehensive academic advising to students, providing them with personalized advice on their academic journey and help them in tailoring their course selections appropriately.
The Academic Advising Week is held every semester to ensure that students have access to continuous support throughout their academic careers, ensuring that students are able to make informed decisions and optimize their learning experiences.
By CTW team
On Wednesday, November 30, staff, students, alumni, parents and friends gathered at the auditorium to celebrate six students that lost their lives in the course of the year. The six late students May Moinkett, Joy Asiba, Violet Kahumbya, Kraido Siti Maria, Allan Mwangi and Grabriel Missingi were fondly remembered with touching tributes during the ceremony by their fellow students, parents, staff and faculty.
Photo: Edson Macharia
By Diana Meso
Imagine our dynamic world without technology! Somehow impossible right? Technology is an ever-changing essential tool that we cannot avoid, it affects the way we learn, communicate and think. It is at the heart of human development and impacts greatly on our societies.
With this in mind, USIU-Africa through the School of Science and Technology (SST), in partnership with Google Africa and Africa Center for Advanced Technology (ACAT) held the inaugural Technology and Society Conference 2021 in USIU-Africa on Wednesday, November 3. Bearing the theme “The Impact of Digital Economy and Emerging Technologies on Society”, the event brought together heads of Government and technology companies, policy makers, African and diaspora academics, students, industrialists, researchers, regional and national stakeholders in the technology space, foundations, development agencies and multinational corporations to deliberate on the opportunities that technology presents for Africa’s development agenda, how to identify and maximize these opportunities and what is required to develop, nurture and sustain innovation.
Prof. Valerie P Adema, Dean, School of Science and Technology thanked all the participants and welcomed them to the conference saying that the School is privileged to host such a conference and added that the school and the university at large is promoting partnership with other institutions to promote technology advancements.
In his remarks, Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs acknowledged and appreciated technology providers like Google and promoters like ACAT who have reached out to seek partnerships to ensure that technology does not remain a misery. He further urged participants to acknowledge the role played by education sectors in maximizing access to technology, improving its quality and equity and reducing its cost.
Prof. Mulinge further said that USIU-Africa’s ability to fully embrace technology enabled the university smoothly transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. He urged participants to focus their minds on how they can make technology an inclusive tool that creates opportunities for all.
Also present at the event, Michael Murungi, East Africa Government Affairs and Policy Lead, Google Africa said that Google is honored to collaborate with USIU-Africa and ACAT in finding ways on how technology can drive digital transformation.
Focusing on the “The role of new Technologies on the future of Africa”, the keynote speaker, Prof. PLO Lumumba, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and Tanganyika. Notaries Public and Commissioner for Oaths, said that if any nation desires to grow economically or politically, it must include technology as an essential ingredient.
He agreed that technology has indeed improved and made life easy, for instance, through MPESA one can easily send money beyond geographical restrictions, also through UBER, BOLT and JUMIA one can easily request for transport or delivery of goods at the comfort of their homes. Prof. Lumumba also mentioned that technology has enabled a lecturer in University of KwaZulu- Natal in Durban, South Africa to share their lecture across the globe.
However, Prof. Lumuba expressed his disappointment that Africa is still a consumer of technology that is invented outside the continent, pointing out that until and unless Africa becomes the home of innovation and invention, she will continue to face most of the problems that are currently there. He encouraged participants to come up with technologies that are African based and tailor-made to solve the needs of Africa.
The conference saw Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension, chair a panel discussion where Prof. Meoli Kashorda, Executive Director, Kenya Education Network, Prof. Ilesanmi Adesida - Provost, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan, John Kamara, Founder, Adalabs and Dr. Abiud Mulongo, Advisor and Mentor at Human Sense discussed the application and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as trends in Research and Innovation.
Additionally, Dr. Mark Mutunga, CEO, Africa Center Advanced Technology (ACAT) led another discussion where our very own Prof. Audrey Mbogho, Associate Professor - Machine Learning, Dr. Faye Briggs, Co-Founder and Lead Technology Architect, Lunna Africa,Mr. Henry Ndede, United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and Dr. Bienvenu Agbokponto Soglo, Regional AI Policy lead, Intel Corporation discussed the Nexus of Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change.
Moreover, Ben Zevenbergen, Responsible Innovation Ethics & Policy Advisor. Responsible Innovation, Google presented a workshop by Google on Artificial Intelligence-Machine Learning for Policy Leaders.
Various faculty from the School of Science and Technology including; Prof. Jimmy Macharia Associate Professor of Information Systems and Technology, Dr. Patrick Wamuyu, Chair Department of Computing, Dr. Leah Mutanu, Lecturer, Information Systems and Technology and Dr. Collins Oduor, Assistant Professor, Information Systems and Technology moderated paper presentations from various scholars in two breakout sessions; Artificial Intelligence and Technology as a driver for economic growth.
For Immediate Release
October 14, 2023 Nairobi, Kenya – The United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) has today conferred an inaugural honorary Doctor of Laws upon its Chancellor, Dr. Manu Chandaria, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to philanthropy, business, charitable endeavors, and peace-building efforts in Kenya and around the world.
Dr. Chandaria, a luminary figure in the field of philanthropy and global leadership, was among the cohort of 1,243 graduands (872 Undergraduate, 348 Graduate and 23 Doctoral students) from 30 nationalities who received their degrees at USIU-Africa's 45th Graduation ceremony.
The ceremony was presided over by the Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. Omolola E. Omole-Odubekun who reiterated the University’s commitment to providing quality education.
“In its 54 years of existence, USIU-Africa’s discharge of its mandate of teaching and learning has been predicated on the promotion of the discovery and application of knowledge, the acquisition of skills and the development of intellect and character in a manner which prepares students to contribute effectively and ethically as citizens of a changing and increasingly technological world. This is evident in the quality of education offered here at USIU-Africa, which goes beyond the classroom and seeks to develop people who are responsible towards the community, creative and capable of critical thought on the solutions to the world’s most challenging issues. Education for us is not just about the accumulation of knowledge, but the application of that knowledge to impactful ends,” she said.
The University Council Chair, Mr. Kris Senanu expressed his gratitude to Dr. Chandaria for his unwavering support and dedication to creating a lasting impact in Kenya and across the globe.
“This year’s ceremony holds particular significance as we bestow an honorary Doctor of Laws upon our esteemed Chancellor, Dr. Manu Chandaria, in recognition of his visionary leadership and philanthropic contributions to society. USIU-Africa bestows honorary degrees selectively upon remarkable individuals whose outstanding achievements, lifetime contributions, and prominence in a particular field or endeavor align closely with the core values of USIU-Africa. It goes without saying that Dr. Chandaria’s selfless service to both the nation and the world at large are an embodiment of the values USIU-Africa holds closely in action,” he said.
In his remarks, Dr. Chandaria expressed his gratitude to the university for choosing to honor his work and service which spans over seven decades.
“I am profoundly grateful to accept USIU-Africa's inaugural honorary doctorate. This accolade holds a special place in my life's journey, one that commenced over seven decades ago. Upon graduating from university in 1951, I began my career working alongside my father, all the while harboring a deep desire to bring about transformative change in people's lives,” he said.
As the Chairman of Chandaria Foundation, Dr. Chandaria was instrumental in setting up the Chandaria School of Business at United States International University-Africa, Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Centre at the Kenyatta University, Chandaria Centre for Performing Arts at the University of Nairobi, Chandaria Accident and Emergency center and Day theatres at Nairobi Hospital, Chandaria Accident and Emergency center at Pandya Hospital Mombasa, Chandaria Medical Centre at Gertrude’s Children's Hospital, Chandaria MIHV Health Centre at Dagoretti Nairobi, Chandaria Mji Wa Huruma Clinic in Runda, Chandaria Bodi Health Centre, and Chandaria Bodi Maternity Wing Mabati Medical Centre at Mariakani. He also helped set up Mabati Technical Institute at Mariakani, a dozen Chandaria Clinics in rural areas, Chandaria Cancer and Chronic Diseases Centre at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Chandaria Secondary School Scholarship for 130 students every year for the last 35 years, Chandaria University Scholarships for 30 students every year, Chandaria Bravery Awards to Police Force, Chandaria Workshop at Langata Women’s Prison, Chandaria Incubation and Business Centre at the Kenya Methodist University, and Chandaria Jain Social Group Theatre for 800 people. In 2022, he received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in recognition of his service to humanity.
-ENDS-
Media Contacts:
Director, Strategic Marketing & Communication
Irene Onacha
Email: ionacha@usiu.ac.ke
Tel: +254 730 116 562
Listen to the congratulatory messages shared by some of the university leaders here:
By Dr. Quin Awuor and Evelyne Suleh
The International Mother Language Day was observed on February 21, 2023 at USIU-Africa. It was hosted by the Department of Languages and Literature at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS). Dr Quin Juma, the Chair of the Department of Languages and Literature gave the opening remarks. This was followed by entertainment by USIU-Africa students appreciating indigenous languages.
The Dean of School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa, Professor Martin Njoroge who is also the Chair of the Multilingual Education Network (MLEN) steering committee welcomed and introduced the guests. He emphasized that the event was to celebrate, preserve mother languages and to advocate to policy makers the importance of harnessing mother languages in education and development.
Representing the USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor Professor Margee Ensign, Professor Munyae Mulinge, the Deputy Vice - Chancellor Academic Affairs, welcomed guests to the event. He noted that it was an honour for the institution to host the event which in turn was successful. He acknowledged the role of indigenous languages in communication and urged educational institutions to restore the dignity of mother languages and their place in everyday life.
The Chief Guest, His Excellency the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Kenya, Tareque Muhammad explained the background of the International Mother Language Day. He described multilingual education as a necessity to transform education and also noted that in order to maintain culture and heritage there was a need to preserve mother languages. He affirmed that the High Commission will be happy to establish collaborations with institutions of higher learning.
The conference was officially opened by Mr Boniface Simba who represented Honourable Peninah Malonza, the Cabinet Secretary, Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage. He articulated government policies and guidelines that have been put in place to protect and promote mother languages and how they face extinction. He described language as the most powerful instrument for promoting culture in research, economic and social realms and noted that if children cannot speak their local languages as a medium of socialization, interaction and communication, then communities will lose their identity and oral history. He recommended university partnerships with the Ministry in research.
Professor Kembo Sure gave key highlights on (MLEN) while Dr Justine Sikuku gave highlights on the Language Association of Eastern Africa (LAEA). This was followed by presentations by researchers: Professors Jane Oduor of the University of Nairobi, Dr Quin Juma of USIU-Africa, and Dr Phyllis Mwangi of Kenyatta University. Mr. John Olando, CEO SIL – Kenya, and Rev. Peter Munguti, CEO, BTL-Kenya, represented practitioners. The last session was the panel discussion and plenary session moderated by Professor Angelina Kioko of USIU-Africa. The presenters included Professor Kithaka wa Mberia (University of Nairobi), Timothy Kamau (SIL-Kenya), Professor Catherine Ndungo (Kenyatta University), Dr Peter Kiarie (Council of Elders) and Professor Mosol Kendagor (Moi University).
It was noted that the issue of mother language in education is complex, and it is upon linguists to engage stakeholders like parents and policy makers to preserve languages and culture. Children should be encouraged to speak mother tongue and researchers need to collaborate with policy makers to implement their research findings. Researchers were also encouraged to apply for grants and engage in the documentation of endangered languages. Communities should also be encouraged to preserve and use mother languages in all areas of their lives. It was observed that Multilingual Education preserves local heritage and culture therefore, promoting mother tongue education.
By Elizabeth Wanjiku
Last week, the Disability and Inclusion (DIS) Office hosted Dr. Millicent Adjei, Director of Diversity & International Programs, and Mr. Casper Annie, Director of Logistics & Facilities Management, from Ashesi University, who were visiting USIU-Africa to benchmark on the disability inclusion at the university.
The 2-day visit included paying a courtesy call to the Interim VC, Dr. Lola Odubekun, and meeting with the Disability Inclusion Committee to understand the comprehensive development process of the 2022 USIU-Africa Disability Inclusion Policy. The duo also visited the Disability Inclusion Resource Center to experience accessible assistive technology and the support it affords to students with various disabilities on campus.
As part of the comprehensive campus tour, the team also met with stakeholders across various units on campus to understand their supportive work in disability mainstreaming. The USIU-Africa Disability and Inclusion (DIS) Office coordinates and facilitates services for students, staffs and faculty and USIU-Africa community with medical, physical, psychological, and learning disabilities.
By CTW Team
On Wednesday, March 23, USIU-Africa Online hosted the Eldoret National Polytechnic for an online learning benchmarking session. The team from the Polytechnic visited the University to. discuss eLearning activities at USIU-Africa. The discussions were focused on the following areas: Online content development and management; mode of lesson delivery and effectiveness on students; ICT infrastructure and support; success factors and key challenges in online learning; and capacity building for online teaching and learning. The exercise was concluded by a campus tour of our facilities.
In his comments, Dr. Peter Kigwilu noted that USIU-Africa was constantly seeking to engage with like-minded peers in the advancement of education in the country and regionally.
“We are pleased to host Eldoret National Polytechnic for this benchmarking sessions. As an institution that is always looking to improve its quality of teaching and learning, we hope that this session will be mutually beneficial,” he said.
In his presentation, Director of E-learning, USIU-Africa Online, Dr. Phillip Machoka noted that the University’s success in online teaching and learning was as a result of heavy investment in ICT infrastructure and education technology and continuous training over a period of time.
“E-learning has been in use at USIU-Africa for over 14 years now. With the growth in the number of students over the years, we began to seriously explore how it could expand its online learning offering to correspond to the pedagogical changes it was implementing in face to face teaching and learning,” he said.
USIU-Africa was represented by Dr. Peter Kigwilu - Director QA, Dr. Bernadette Kiarie - Instructional Designer, USIU-A Online, Mr. John Kabuu – Principal Officer, QA and Mr. Ernest Andugo – Principal Technologist, USIU-A Online. The team from Eldoret National Polytechnic was as follows:
1. Mr. James Mwangi-Deputy Principal, Academics
2. Mr. Shadrack Yebei-HOD, Computing and IT
3. Mr. Vincent Sabulei-HOD, eLearning and ICT Integration
4. Mr. Gregory Mutai-Driver
By Brenda Odhiambo
Last week, USIU-Africa hosted a delegation from the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, who were on campus to meet the Award participants as well as the team implementing the Award at USIU-Africa. The Foundation was represented by Rachel Kamana, the Africa Coordinator for the International Award Foundation, Wangari Kaburi-Programme Manager, the President’s Award-Kenya, Maria Birgen-Deputy Director Programmes-the President’s Award-Kenya, Abigail Gyakye, Licencing and Compliance Officer-International Award Foundation, Emma Morton, the Chief Finance Officer-International Award Foundation, and Grace Hall, Financial Controller- International Award Foundation.
The team’s visit started with a courtesy call to the Director Advancement and Partnerships, Mr. Eannes Ongus, who in his remarks shared a brief overview of USIU-Africa as well as updates on how the Award was being implemented in USIU-Africa.
“USIU-Africa was very intentional in the selection of the Award participants, who were selected due to their participation in student leadership activities, including Club participation as well as being members of the Student Council. We look forward to seeing the impact that the Award will have on our students,” he said.
Also present at the meeting were the Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa, Ms. Linet Aguko who underscored the inclusivity in the selection of Scholars into the Program at USIU-Africa, but also in the selection of Award participants.
“USIU-Africa is committed to building a truly inclusive community by ensuring that we recruit students from marginalized communities, including refugees and internally displaced youth, as well as persons with disabilities. These efforts at inclusion are also evident in the selection of Award participants, where we have 5 students with disabilities and 5 refugee students taking part in the Award,” she said.
The delegation additionally engaged with the USIU-Africa team responsible for executing the Award, comprising the Award Coordinator, Award Leaders, and Award participants. The Award Coordinator provided in-depth insights into the structure and operations of the Award program at USIU-Africa. The Award Leaders shared their experiences in overseeing participants, discussing their best practices and the challenges they've encountered. Likewise, the Award participants shared their perspectives on engaging in the Award, detailing their accomplishments and the challenges they face.
120 students are taking part in the Award at the Gold level, with 100 of them being Scholars drawn from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa. Gold Award participants will be expected to take part in activities focused around four sections, comprising physical recreation, voluntary service, skill development and challenge through the Adventurous Journey.
They will also complete the Gold Residential project, which is a community service activity designed to broaden the participants’ experiences with their community as they work towards a common goal that they will have identified at the beginning of the Award. Upon completion of the Award after 18 months, the participants will receive the Gold level certificates from the patron of the President’s Award- Kenya, H.E. Dr. William Ruto.
The Award, which operates in 129 countries and territories, is a global framework for non-formal education and learning, which challenges young people to dream big, celebrate their achievements and make a difference in their world. Through developing transferable skills, increasing their fitness levels, cultivating a sense of adventure and volunteering in their community, the Award helps young people to find their purpose, passion and place in the world.
By, Lynn Mwangi
USIU-Africa hosted the Federation of East Africa University Sports Games (FEAUS), which took place from April 7-9, 2023, that saw USIU-Africa emerge second position in the East Africa University Games. FEAUS is mandated to oversee university sports activity in the Eastern zone.
The Games had different USIU-Africa teams show up and show out in different categories: The Basketball ladies team, the USIU-Africa Flames, dribbled their way to victory after thrashing Kenyatta University in the finals earning themselves a gold medal.
The men’s hockey team, Mashujaa, travelled to Uganda for the Uganda Hockey Association Easter Cup. They split their team into two teams, the Wazee and the Vijana. The two teams were so good that they eventually battled it out in the finals after beating other teams.
The Wazee played against a Ugandan team, Wananchi, and had a 1-1draw that resulted in a penalty and win for the Wazee’s at 4-3 hence qualifying them for the finals.
The Vijana team as well faced Kampala Hockey Club in the semis, beating them 3-0 hence qualifying them for the finals.
In the finals, the two USIU-Africa teams battled it out and Wazee won after a penalty stroke scored by Lawrence Makhatsa.
The ladies hockey team, Team Spartans, had two games during the weekend; the women’s tournament and the league match. They faced Kenyatta University in the tournament where they lost in the shootouts.
In the league match, their first game of the season, they faced the University of Nairobi where they won 1-0 scored by Sheila Nazi. This was a very great start for the ladies.
Additionally, the Dolphins, USIU-Africa’s swimming team managed to win multiple gold medals in various competitions, emerging as gold medalists.
In the indoor games, our chess team participated in the Kenya Open Chess Championship 2023. The competition, which took place on April 5 to April 10, was organized by the Chess Kenya Federation and Terrian Chess Africa. Tapiwa Chibwanda, team manager, was ranked 20th with 7pts. Chitundu Limbikani, the captain was ranked 62nd with 6pts while Mutandadzi Simbarashe was ranked 69th with 5pts.In the East African Women's Games tournament, our chess club finished 7th.
The badminton team was ranked 8th, the athletics team was ranked 7th, the table tennis team was ranked 4th.
We would like to congratulate all the teams for participating and representing us well.
By Aquillah Onchana and Eunice Mwadzoya
Last Friday, USIU-Africa hosted a high-level delegation from The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation (IAF). Led by the Secretary General Mr. Martin Houghton-Brown, the delegation included representatives from both IAF and the President's Award Kenya (PA-K), the national Award operator in Kenya. The delegation also included Nellie Munala (CEO-President’s Award-Kenya), Rachel Kamana (Africa Coordinator-IAF and Project Lead for Africa), Maria Birgen (Deputy Director Programmes-PA-K), Wangari Kaburi (Project Lead-PA-K), and Neddy Mbori (Communications-PA-K), who visited the university to observe the implementation of the Going for Gold Project.
The visit commenced with a courtesy call to the university’s Management Board, who had the opportunity to engage with the delegation in regard to the ongoing collaboration between USIU-Africa and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, highlighting the importance of youth empowerment initiatives in shaping future leaders.
"We are delighted to welcome this distinguished delegation from the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award," said Dr. Omolola Odubekun, the Interim Vice Chancellor. "The Award plays a vital role in fostering leadership, self-reliance, and a sense of adventure in young people, and we are committed to supporting its growth in USIU-Africa," she said.
In his comments, the Secretary General, Mr. Martin Houghton-Brown noted that the Award was crucial in enabling youth to harness the power of their potential, which would position them to make a difference in their communities and take control of their futures.
"The Award provides young people with the opportunity to develop valuable life skills that will benefit them throughout their lives," he said. "We are confident that our partnership with USIU-Africa will help us to reach even more young people in Kenya and empower them to make a positive impact on their communities."
Additionally, in an effort to strengthen collaboration and enrich participant experiences, the team also engaged with the Award leaders and participants. During these interactions, Award leaders shared their insights into guiding and supporting participants, while the participants shared their personal development journeys and engagements in the Award.
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is a global non-formal education framework that challenges young people to develop their skills, talents, and experiences. The program operates in over 130 countries and territories, with over 1.3 million participants currently enrolled. USIU-Africa is among the centers implementing the 'Going for Gold' project, which is the highest level of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award program.
The initiative is currently in its fifth month of execution, with Gold participants currently engaged in skills development, voluntary service, and physical activities for a duration of 12 months. Following this period, they have the option to choose a specific activity to focus on for an additional 6 months. Later stages of the project will include the adventurous journey and the Gold Residential project.
By Brenda Odhiambo
On Monday, October 30, USIU-Africa hosted Mastercard Foundation President and CEO, Reeta Roy. The visit was an opportunity for the Foundation and the University to discuss the partnership between the Foundation and the University through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and share experiences.
Reeta was accompanied by Sewit Ahderom, a Mastercard Foundation Board Member; David Bagenda, Country Director for the Mastercard Foundation in Kenya; Ivy Mwai, Head of the Scholars Program Network at the Foundation; and Catherine Ndioo, Program Communications Country Lead for the Mastercard Foundation in Kenya.
During the visit, Reeta was able to engage with the University’s Leadership team, as well as the entire Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program body at USIU-Africa, including the Scholar Council leaders on campus. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars had the opportunity to share their experience at USIU-Africa and within the Scholar network.
The visit also featured a fireside chat with the Scholars, during which Reeta and the Scholars spoke on several issues, including academics, entrepreneurship, leadership, as well as the overall vision of the Mastercard Foundation in relation to the creation of opportunities for young people.
During the session, Reeta shared a few experiences that helped shape her journey over the course of her career, which also led to her role as the President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation. She urged Scholars to constantly seek ways to overcome their challenges, noting that opportunities would always present themselves as long as they did the work.
“Don’t be afraid to start on the idea you have. Your idea is going to grow; you just need to start working on it. You will be questioned, you will be challenged and tested, but that is how you will learn. Don’t be afraid to start, and remember that it is okay not to have everything figured out when you start,” said Reeta.
“What gives me heart is the kind of Scholars we have in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. You are exactly what any employer, including the Mastercard Foundation, would look for. Your experiences, exposure, and leadership are what the world is looking for. Your knowledge is exactly what the world needs,” she added.
The day’s highlight was the Scholars Awards Evening, during which the University community formally welcomed the Scholars in Cohort 6 and 7, in addition to recognizing the achievements of 38 top Scholars in the areas of academics, leadership and community service. This year, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa welcomed 383 Scholars from 19 different African countries, with Scholars from Eritrea and Benin joining the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa for the first time.
In her remarks, USIU-Africa’s Interim Vice Chancellor Dr. Omolola Omole-Odubekun expressed her gratitude for the partnership between Mastercard Foundation and USIU-Africa, noting that it was critical to nurturing future leaders on the African continent and beyond.
“I am deeply moved by the talent, dedication, and passion I have witnessed in each of you here today. USIU-Africa and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program are committed to enabling young African Scholars to realize their full potential, and the dedication of these students to leadership, academics, and community service is a testament to the bright future of Africa,” she said.
“You are the future and the now, and we are proud to be here to celebrate with each of you,” she added. Her sentiments were echoed by Ivy Mwai, who noted that the Foundation’s representatives were moved by the reception they had received from Scholars as well as USIU-Africa. She noted that she felt confident that the Scholars would go on to do transformative work within their communities.
Speaking during the session, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Director at USIU-Africa, Linet Aguko, urged Scholars to take the opportunity that had been presented to them because of the Scholarship and make the most of it.
“I am confident that with the support you will receive from the university community and its partners, coupled with the numerous opportunities and enriching experiences you'll encounter at USIU-Africa, you have the potential to turn your dreams into reality. USIU-Africa offers you an education that can truly take you places,” she said.
During the Scholars Awards Evening, Divine Mugisha, who was recognized as the Top Scholar in Cohort 6, shared her remarks during the ceremony, saying that “receiving this award is not just a personal achievement but a recognition of the support and opportunities that USIU-Africa and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program have provided. It is a reminder that we have a responsibility to give back to our communities and inspire positive change."
Participants during the Model African Union mock debate on Saturday, November 16 on campus
By Caroline Kuria and Diana Meso.
On Saturday, November 16, USIU-Africa hosted the Model African Union mock debate at the Auditorium. Themed “The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Rethinking Africa’s future under AfCFTA”, the event attracted over 50 participants from University of Nairobi, Mt. Kenya University, Pioneer International University, Strathmore University, Kenyatta University and USIU-Africa.
During the event, the keynote speaker Mr. Bernard Wakoli, an award-winning social entrepreneur and author, pointed out the viability of AfCFTA and the challenges that it might face. He further said that AfCFTA has a high potential to transform economies through land utilization, technology development, mineral resources and human resources.
The event which was organized by Africa Union Youth Club, Young Diplomats Forum, YALDA, Public Speaking Club, Criminal Justice Club, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Student Council, was an activation of the upcoming USIU-AFRICA International Model African union summit next semester.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Last Saturday, USIU-Africa hosted its first Open Day for recent Form Four Leavers and students who had recently finished their A-Levels. The event presented an opportunity for the prospective students and their parents to learn about the University's programs, campus life, and the admissions process. It was also a chance for students, faculty, and staff to showcase the University's diverse and dynamic community.
The event began with opening remarks from the University's administration, followed by a presentation by the Vice Chancellor on various facets of on-campus life. In her comments, the Vice Chancellor noted that the event was an opportunity for the students to not only connect to others, but to also put them properly on the path to beginning their journey into higher education.
Her presentation was followed by an overview of the programs and courses offered at USIU-Africa, done by the Deans of the respective Schools.
Throughout the day, visitors interacted with students, faculty, and staff, and get a sense of the University's values and culture. Prospective students also had the opportunity to have one on one interactions with faculty members based on their areas of academic interest to get a deeper sense of what the University has to offer. The University's Placement and Career Services Office was also on hand to provide guidance and advice on career paths and job opportunities.
The highlight of the day was the campus tour. Led by a team of student ambassadors, the tour provided a first-hand look at the University's state of the art facilities, including the library, classrooms, sports facilities, and student housing. The tour gave prospective students a chance to ask questions and learn more about campus life.
Participants at the Security Training
By Diana Meso and Sarah Masila.
On Thursday, January 30, the Department of Security organized the first security training in preparation of the roll out of the biometric system on February 3 aimed at improving on-campus security. The training which took place at the Freida Brown Student Center focused on Counter terrorism training, physical security measures and cybersecurity.
Conducted by representatives from the National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC) - a multi-agency instrument primarily of security agencies built to strengthen coordination in counter terrorism in Kenya, the training offered insights on how to keep safe in every environment, how to detect possible security threats and how to curb them even before they happen.
The training further delved into terrorism and radicalization, warning that children as young as five years could be radicalized into joining a terror group. Thus, it encouraged participants to be vigilant at all times to be able to notice negative or violent change in character of their friends, families or children. It further encouraged participants to report suspicious individuals to relevant authorities accordingly.
Members of staff and faculty, and students are encouraged to attend such security trainings accordingly to get knowledge and be more alert on security matters, as the university strives to offer protection for its members at all times.
By Caleb Mukhwana
Last month, USIU-Africa hosted a team of three faculty and 13 students from Mississippi State University on a 2-week study abroad program. The visiting team was drawn from various disciplines including Social Work led by Mrs. Veronica Knowels, Animal and Dairy Science led by Ms. Jessica Graves and Fashion Design and Merchandising led by Dr. Caroline Kobia, who was also the Team Leader. There were also students of English and Biomedical Engineering.
The objective of the study was to assess the progress towards attainment of the 17 SDGs with a key focus on Sustainability. Kenya was definitely the choice case as it hosts the world environment capital within the 4th UN headquarters in Nairobi.
The USIU-Africa Student Affairs Division held a short welcome ceremony for the team on Monday, May 16 on campus. Mr. Patrick Mulindi, a Tourism lecturer at USIU-Africa and associate of the Knowledge Exchange Institute (KEI) briefly highlighted the objectives of the study and outlined the two-week event schedule to be followed. Speaking at the welcome ceremony, Mrs. Ritah J. Asunda, Ag. Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor Student Affairs at USIU-Africa welcomed the team and wished them a successful and enjoyable stay at USIU-A. The visitors were later given a brief campus tour after which they embarked on a rigorous itinerary of field studies to various firms as scheduled.
The peak of the program was a visit to the UN Headquarters in Gigiri on Wednesday, May 25. Here, the team was treated to a comprehensive tour of the UN Complex and later had an open session with the UN HABITAT Officials to discuss the sustainability projects being spearheaded by UN HABITAT within Kenya and the region. The team also visited the Ministry of Agriculture Headquarters at Kilimo House, Olkaria Geothermal Power Plant in Naivasha, Kenya Leather Development Council, Export Processing Zone in Athi River, Brown’s Cheese Farm in Tigoni and an experiential learning session at Vera Beauty College in Nairobi.
They also visited the Bomas of Kenya, Karen Blixen Museum, Kazuri Bead Centre, Nairobi National Park and Orphanage, Hell’s Gate National Park as well being treated to dinners at Carnivore Restaurant, African Heritage House and an African family dinner in Ruiru.
Finally, the team got an opportunity to visit Kibera slums and Happy Life Children’s Home and School in Juja Farm. Here, the Animal Science and Dairy students trained the children on sustainable rabbit farming and demonstrated proper rabbit harvesting. The team later made some donations to the orphanage before leaving.
By John Sande
Photo: John Sande
Over the weekend, November 6-7, USIU-Africa hosted the 4th Africa 3x3 Basketball University Championship. The two-day event attracted a total of 28 teams comprising 16 men, and 12 women drawn from 6 countries across Africa including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Senegal and South Africa.
The Fédération Africain du Sport Universitaire/Federation of Africa University Sports or popularly known as FASU-Africa University Sports traces its history as far back as 1951 when two West African Universities namely University of Ghana and the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in a quest to foster brotherhood and positive competition, started a bilateral annual sporting competition. Fast forward in 1971, thirty-one delegates from seventeen universities representing 10 African countries met in Lagos, Nigerian to form FASU, and the games have been on since.
Speaking while welcoming the visitors on behalf of USIU-Africa, Dr. George Lumbasi, Chief Admissions Officer was grateful that FASU had selected USIU-Africa to host the games, for the third time in a row.
“This proves that our hospitality during the previous two sessions was well received, giving confidence to the organizers to come back again. We hope to surpass it today, so you can visit once more," he said.
The Admissions Office was also on ground to speak to the visitors, many of whom were impressed by the facilities and inquired about applying to join as students, as well as transferring on a sports scholarship.
On his part, the Technical Committee Vice Chair, and Member of FASU Branding Committee, Mr. Bonfas Salano, who is also the Sports Coordinator at USIU-Africa thanked the teams for honoring the invitation, for traveling safely and wished all teams great performance.
Speaking during the opening ceremony conducted in the Auditorium, FASU President Ms. Nomsa Mahlangu expressed her gratitude to USIU-Africa for accepting to host the games again.
“We are indeed grateful to our host USIU-Africa for having been generous to host these games for the third year running.
“I urge you to enjoy the tournament, to play well, to be fair to yourselves, and the game, and yes, to make friends. And before you leave Nairobi, ensure you have tried nyama choma, she added while declaring the games officially open.
In the preliminaries the teams were divided into four groups to battle it all out. USIU-Africa’s Team ‘A’ in the male category took off on a high note beating Stellenbosch university from South Africa, 21 - 11. Their counterpart in Team ‘B’ were not so lucky as they lost their initial game 4 - 20 to Uganda Christian University (UCU). In the other matches of the day, USIU-Africa’s Team ‘A’ won one more game 12 - 11 (Chuka University), but lost two games 6 - 12 (University of Rwanda) and 15 - 16 (Kenya Methodist). Team ‘B’ won 9 - 8 (Kisii University) and lost 9 - 17 (Ndejje University). Despite fielding two male teams and putting up a spirited fight, the aggregate points meant both teams ‘A’ and ‘B’ had to be eliminated with final standing positions 10 and 12 respectively.
The female team saw Team ‘A’ thrashing Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology 19 - 6, and Maseno University 17 - 4. They however lost two other matches versus ISEG University from Senegal (14 -15) and Chuka University (6 -7). Team ‘B’ opened its games by flogging Copperbelt University from Zambia 11 - 7. They however ran out steam and lost their subsequent matches to Uganda Christian University (7 - 14) and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (11 - 12). Both teams were eliminated at the quarter finals having garnered final position 7 and 8 for team ‘B’ and ‘A’ respectively.
Day two of the games saw the battle of the quarter, semis and final matches played. In the men’s category, UCU made it to the finals after beating University of Zambia 21 - 11, to face off with their fellow countrymen from Ndejje University, who had earlier on edged off Kenyatta University 18 - 12.
It was an all Ugandan affair as the two teams displayed skill, determination, teamwork and coordination. However, Ajak Samuel and team mates were no match to the dominant display of dexterity and power of David Deng Kongor and Titus Lual from UCU who shot canons after another, finally sinking Ndejje University’s hopes by 21 - 8.
The Lady Canons powered their way to the finals after edging out their fellow country women Makerere University to a score of 16 - 7. The UCU Lady Canons faced off with ISEG University from Senegal who had also walked over University of Rwanda 10 - 3. Despite their ferocious attempts to muzzle up the Lady Canons, 3-point shots fired from Shakirah Nanvubya, assisted by Rose Akon, Nandutu Martha and Priscilla Abey inflicted maximum damage to the ISEG team lead by Mame Coumba Fall who succumbed to a score of 20 - 12.
Both the UCU men’s and women’s teams outshone their strongest competitors and booked a place to represent Africa in next year’s International University Sports Federation or Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) 3×3 University World Cup 2022, to be held in Xiamen, China.
Giving his vote of thanks on behalf of the host university, Mr. Bonfas Salano was grateful that no major injuries or incidents were picked up during the games, and were glad to have hosted the games successfully.
“We have hosted these games for the third year in a row, with our teams playing at home. Time has come for my university to also travel and explore other African cities, he concluded.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Kyambogo University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya expressed his gratitude to all the teams and players for exhibiting sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
“I have witnessed fair play today, both from the players and the refereeing, and want to say the best team carried the day. At some point, it was actually entertaining when the referees consulted the rule-book to resolve an unclear impasse, he said.
In her closing remarks, FASU President Ms. Nomsa Mahlangu urged the teams to extend her gratitude to the Vice Chancellors of all the universities represented for supporting the teams to attend the FASU games.
“As you travel back home, carry a message to all your Vice Chancellors and thank them for availing resources to enable you represent your university in these games, and for them supporting sports in your different institution.
“To the teams heading to the World Cup, remember you carry the hopes of Africa with you. It is no longer about you or your university, but the African Continent, she concluded.
The 5th Afro-Varsity 3X3 Basketball Challenge tournament will be held in South Africa in 2023.
In other sports
The men’s and ladies’ hockey teams emerged victorious in the Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) university league that took place over the weekend. The men’s hockey team beat KCA University 2-0, while their female counterparts beat Mt. Kenya University 4-1. Meanwhile, in Soccer, the team tied with KCA university.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Last week, USIU-Africa hosted a three-day site inspection visit by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The purpose of the visit was to evaluate the university's readiness to launch six new online programs and three blended Programs across undergraduate and post-graduate levels. The CUE team, led by panel chairs, Dr. Dorcas Omukhulu and Prof. Marcela Mwaka, reviewed the program proposals for the new programs, which included:
The site inspection involved a deep dive into the facilities and equipment to support the programs, faculty quality, technological infrastructure, and systems established to enable the university to offer quality online learning in each of the programs. The inspection ensures that the new programs uphold USIU-Africa's rigorous academic standards and deliver an exceptional learning experience to learners across the globe.
In attendance were the university’s leadership team, led by the Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. Lola Odubekun, USIU Online, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative, Quality Assurance, the Deans of the six schools, the Chairs of Departments in the Schools of; Science and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Communication, Cinematics and Creative Arts, the University Registrar, and the DVC Student Life.
In her comments, Dr. Omukhulu acknowledged USIU-Africa’s dedication to providing exceptional learning experiences, as indicated by its foray into online learning.
"We remain impressed by USIU-Africa's commitment to quality teaching and learning, and quality learning outcomes for her students. The university's well-established infrastructure and resources dedicated to supporting online education are truly commendable. We look forward to working collaboratively with USIU-Africa to ensure the successful launch of these innovative programs," she said.
Her sentiments were echoed by the Interim Vice Chancellor, who noted that online learning was key in the achievement of the University’s core mandate of teaching, learning and research.
"We are thrilled to welcome the CUE team to our campus and share our vision for expanding access to quality education through innovative online programs. These new programs cater to the evolving needs of learners seeking flexibility and accessibility, while upholding USIU-Africa’s commitment to academic excellence, "she said.
The site visit featured presentations from USIU Online, the various schools presenting new programs, followed by campus tours during which the Panel was able to inspect the infrastructure put in place to support online learning at the university.
The site inspection visit ended with a plenary session, during which the CUE delegation gave a report of their findings over the three days. The CUE team acknowledged USIU-Africa's proactive approach to online learning and expressed their appreciation of the university's robust infrastructure and dedicated faculty.
"The university's investment in advanced technology, qualified faculty development programs, and strong student support services reflects a deep commitment to providing an exceptional online learning experience, “said Dr. Omukhulu.
In his remarks on behalf of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Transformative Teaching, Learning and Research, Prof. Martin Njoroge expressed his appreciation of the continued partnership between the Commission and USIU-Africa, and pledged the university’s commitment to implement the feedback received to ensure that each of the programs would be in line with CUE’s recommendations.
The site visit marks a significant milestone in USIU-Africa's journey towards expanding access to higher education through quality online learning, with the university set to launch 17 new online programs through the support of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning initiative.
By Rachael Diang’a
Photo: Greatlakes Lab
From Monday, October 25 to Friday, October 29, 2021, USIU-Africa hosted the first ever Greatlakes Creative Producers’ Film Lab in East Africa. In organizing the week long film event, USIU-Africa’s Cinematic arts department collaborated with Aftales, a Nairobi-based film organization and the French Embassy in Kenya, which funded the lab.
The uniquely structured film lab is a first of its kind in the region. It brought together twelve competitively selected film producers from Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda. Two of the film lab participants were USIU-Africa Cinematic Arts students, whose projects will be produced together with other Cinematic Arts students. Russell Matte, BA Film Production and Directing Junior who participated in the workshop says;
“In my own experience the Great Lakes Producers lab was an interesting week that was personally filled with a lot of industry experience. From the development of my characters, the story arch and putting all my ideas I had for 5 years was helpful in my final animated television show pitch. The participants where interesting to interact with building off ideas and listening to theirs as well and the networking between participants got contact and people who were willing and still are in helping me develop the characters in digital format and one was willing to produce the show so generally I’d say it was an amazing work filled week which has started to open opportunities for me even before I finish my final year.”
For his colleague at the film lab, Paul Kiama, a BA Film Production and Directing Senior the lab was very informative. He says,
“The experience was eye-opening, and extremely informative. The mentors and participants all shared about their own experiences working as Producers which was a treasure trove of tips and tricks that would probably have taken me several years of working experience to discover. The mentors also took time to go through and better our individual projects before culminating in an intense pitching session that took place on the last day. Under the mentorship of Aurélien Bodinaux, Joachim Landau and Constanza Arena, I was able to take several leaps forward in bringing my feature concept to life.”
The lab equipped the participants with skills and knowledge that contemporary creative film producer must have in order to benefit their film projects. This gap aimed at filling the currently glaring gap in the continent’s film space, where there is dire need for professional creative producers. The participants were given on-e-on-one mentorship by the experienced team of five mentors from across the world including USA, Mali, Kenya. Beyond these individual sessions, the program allowed the mentors to hold screenings and give talks to a larger audience, which largely comprised cinematic faculty, staff and students. As curtains dew for the inaugural edition of this film lab, we look forward to hosting the second edition in 2022.
By CTW Team and Jemima Oloo
Disability inclusion includes promoting equity in access to resources and services. It means including fair principles of integration for persons living with a disability.
USIU-Africa has partnered with the University of Arizona to better the experience of persons with disability and especially through Adaptive Sports. According to an article by University of Washington, Adaptive sports are sports that are modified to allow people with physical and sometimes mental disabilities to participate. This includes wheelchair rugby, Paralympics, para swimming, wheel chair basketball, hand cycling and many others.
Integrating adaptive sports in USIU-Africa is one of the golden standards for inclusion according to The Director of Arizona Adaptive Athletics, Professor Peter Hughes.
The team from Arizona University Professor Peter Hughes and Professor Amanda Kraus, assistant Vice President, Campus Life and Executive Director & ADA/504 Compliance office, Disability Resource Center, University of Arizona USA have necessitated conversations that help boost disability-specific sports and the use of sports for safety and development.
The key challenges highlighted include the need for sports administration training, better resource allocation for persons with disability, exposure and social interaction, the need for sensitization to destigmatize disability stereotypes and the need for disability etiquette education.
To overcome these challenges, we have to create a secure support system for persons with disability. Disability etiquette could be an outstanding place for us to begin as a community, this means using respectful and dignified ways to communicate with and about persons with disability.
Ask before you assist- do not assume that a person with a disability needs assistance. Do not touch one’s mobility equipment, be considerate to possible traumatic stress. In scenarios where you are a guide, offer your arm instead of pushing or grabbing the individual. If an individual uses a language interpreter, speak directly to the person, not the interpreter. Always aim to use disability pride language.
These are just but a few ways in which we can create a disability- friendly environment. Each one of us has a part to play in the cause.
Professor Amanda Kraus will provide a disability audit to the Vice Chancellor, having spent two weeks on campus interacting with persons with disability through a public lecture, basketball games and interactive sessions.
By Elizabeth Wanjiku
After implementing successful inclusion strategies and interventions at USIU-Africa since 2018, the university recently hosted a delegation of five visitors from the University of Rwanda. The purpose of their visit was to conduct a benchmarking assessment aimed at learning about best practices in inclusive education from various institutions, including USIU-Africa, KU, and KISE.
The team from the University of Rwanda, consisting of the Dean of the School of Inclusive Education, the School Engineer, and staff responsible for Student Welfare, Operations, Academic Training, and Research, were on campus on Monday and Tuesday this week. The team kicked off its visit with a courtesy call to the Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. Lola Odubekun, followed by a meeting with the Disability Inclusion Committee to gain insight into USIU-Africa's journey towards inclusivity. During this meeting, the Committee presented the USIU-Africa Disability Inclusion Policy for 2022, elaborating on its development in 2018 and the reasons for its review in 2022.
The visiting team also had the opportunity to meet with various stakeholders actively involved in supporting disability mainstreaming practices. These stakeholders shared their efforts in ensuring accessibility and successful inclusion practices. The highlight of the visit was a tour of the Disability Inclusion Lab, where they were introduced to a variety of services offered by the University. These services included providing information about assistive technology (AT) devices and software, offering training on how to use AT devices and software, making IT accessible to individuals with disabilities, conducting research on the intersection of disability and IT, loaning AT devices to students and employees, conducting accessibility audits of IT systems, developing policies and procedures to ensure IT accessibility, and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities in the IT workplace.
During their visit to the Disability Inclusion Lab, the delegation witnessed a demonstration of how assistive technology enhances accessibility of learning content and course materials for students with disabilities, even during examinations and assessments. They interacted with various assistive technologies, such as the embosser machine, optic reader, and swell form tactile graphics machine.
On the second day of their visit, the delegation toured the Student Center and Library. They were delighted to observe inclusive spaces that were accessible to learners with various disabilities. Additionally, they engaged in discussions with the Maintenance Officer and commended the efforts to automate services and systems at USIU-Africa. One member of the delegation expressed their intention to advocate for similar automation in their own campus.
At the Library, the team recommended that USIU-Africa take advantage of the Marrakesh Treaty, which facilitates access to published works for individuals who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled.
The team also met the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program team to learn more about how USIU-Africa had implemented the Scholars Program over the past three years. In her remarks, the Program Director, Ms. Linet Aguko gave the team an outline of how the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa was structured, highlighting some of the milestones that the Scholars Program had been able to achieve.
The delegation had the opportunity to meet with all team members and received insights from the Director of the Scholars Program. Prof. Evariste Karangwa praised the team, expressing his admiration for their work.
The University of Rwanda is a public, multi-campus institution offering a wide range of academic studies. Established in 2013 through the merger of previously independent public institutions of higher education, UR runs undergraduate, postgraduate, and certificate courses in the STEM and non- STEM fields at its six colleges (Science and Technology, Medicine and Health Sciences, Business and Economics, Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Education, and Arts and Social Sciences).
By Anne Nakhungu Cheloti
On November 23, Ms. Helen Ambasa, Director of Legal Services, moderated a panel discussion titled Fairness in Gender - Perspectives on making the workplace fit for women. The aim of this discussion was to share perspectives that will aid in making the workplace more conducive towards women. The panelists included Dr Njoki Fernandes who is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, HealthCare Consultant and Lecturer in Reproductive Health at the Kenya Methodist University, and Ms. Bertha Kowido who is a seasoned human resource professional with over 12 years of experience in Human Resources Management.
The webinar commenced with a discussion on safeguarding policies and their significance. The panelists stipulated that safeguarding policies are policies put in place by organizations to protect the interests of disadvantaged and vulnerable employees. They advocate for equity and equality within the workplace and ensure representation of vulnerable groups without fear of retaliation from the organization. Examples provided included sexual harassment policies, anti-harassment policies, discriminatory policies, parental leave policies, remote working policies, and recruitment policies.
The panelists stipulated that recruitment policies should incorporate a requirement for female representation, fostering confidence among women. They also recommended well-structured rewards, compensation, and recognition policies to enhance women's security within organizations. Additionally, the incorporation of hybrid/remote working policies, flexible hours, and improved maternity leave policies was proposed, particularly benefiting women in the reproductive phase. A well-structured annual succession plan was suggested for fair gender representation, enhancing confidence and increasing profitability. Additionally, the need for insurance policies tailored to address specific needs of individuals within organizations was also highlighted.
The panelists also emphasized the importance of the implementation of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) agenda within the work place pointing out that this enhances an organization’s brand and ensures retention of staff. The panelists stated that women and men cannot be evaluated equally due to differing life responsibilities. Therefore, all performance assessments carried out in the workplace should take consideration of this and provide different parameters for assessing output and productivity rather than simply relying on the time factor.
The panelists also outlined ways in which men can contribute to creating a workplace conducive to women. This includes supporting the DEI agenda, championing for policies favoring women, allowing women to lead conversations, and acknowledging their contributions. Furthermore, men in male-dominated professions were urged to mentor women in the same field. The importance of sensitivity, and kindness towards women, especially during reproductive phases, menopause, and health challenges, was also emphasized.
The discussion then delved into the twin issues of menopause and perimenopause. The panelists stipulated that menopause is a season in the reproductive life of a woman that marks the end of her reproductive capacity. Perimenopause on the other hand was described as the time just before menopause. The panelists also mentioned that men undergo a version of menopause known as andropause, however, it only occurs at the late stages of life. Menopause occurs at the peak of most women’s careers. This is the time when they have to be most active and productive as they are tasked with more responsibilities. Menopause and perimenopause could affect a woman’s work life and it is therefore prudent that women in this phase of life are considered and catered for within the workspace.
The panelists stipulated certain ways in which these women can be supported during this stage of life. They stated that organizations should ensure knowledge and awareness of these life transitions. This could be achieved by normalizing conversations all the way from top management down through the work chain. Organizations should ensure that there is no retaliation against women going through menopause or perimenopause within the organization. Further, that organizations should include a medical cover that caters for life transitions. They also emphasized the need for women to sensitize and involve others in their transitions because it is easier for others to support you when they are aware of your situation. Additionally, the panelists emphasized the need to consult with a gynecologist who can walk with you throughout the journey.
The panelists also spoke on returnship programs also known as buddy systems which have been implemented by a number of organizations to provide support for women returning from maternity leave and those battling health challenges and life transitions. They stated that work spaces can look into implementing these programs to provide support for women within their workspace. They also added that women who may be undergoing depression or any other mental challenges as a result of these life transitions, should endeavor to seek therapy. Additionally, they stated that organizations should incorporate wellness plans that speak to the needs of women, and that that they should adopt flexible wardrobe options which allow women to dress in clothes that do not aggravate the symptoms brought about by these life transitions such as hot flashes and sweats. Furthermore, they stated that organizations could incorporate regular pulse surveys that will ensure that the organizations keep abreast of their employees' needs. This will also assist in ensuring that the organization's medical insurance company customizes its services to better align with the evolving health and well-being requirements of the workforce. Moreover, for women transitioning from maternity leave back to work, well equipped lactation places could be set up within the workplaces to aid in coping with the transition back to work.
On the flip side, they stated that women should also endeavor to remain proactive even while on maternity leave or sick leave in order to ensure that the organization still feels their presence and contribution. They added that women should ensure to voice their concerns in a safe space that protects them from retaliation. It is only in doing so that sensitization and destigmatisation around these matters can be achieved.
In closing, the panelists emphasized the collective responsibility to cultivate an environment that encourages kindness, aiming to provide support for individuals navigating various life transitions. They highlighted that education and open conversations are essential tools to destigmatize these experiences, fostering a culture of understanding and compassion.
By Caleb Mukhwana
As the Spring 2024 semester unfolds at USIU-Africa, students from the International Relations Department have embarked on an enlightening journey of connecting theory and practice through experiential learning. Traditionally, USIU-Africa provides opportunity for the International Relations (IR) students to conduct mock global engagements under different themes. These simulated summits emulate real conventions which seek solutions to address actual challenges in the contemporary world. The immersive experience not only equips students with essential skills for diplomatic engagement but also fosters a deeper appreciation for the intricacies of international relations. As they prepare to step onto the global stage, the Simulation Class exemplifies USIU-Africa's commitment to nurturing future leaders adept in navigating the complexities of a rapidly evolving world.
This semester, the simulation class is modelling is modelling an African Union summit under the CAHOSSC committee. The conference is themed around Climate Change and the delegates will be deliberating on creating a sustainable future in Africa through climate-smart development programs. The exercise will take place on March 22-23, 2024, and it is expected to be graced by high profile members of the diplomatic corps as well as officers from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora affairs. Apart from the USIU-Africa International Relations students, the event organizers have invited other students and faculty from various universities and schools in the country.
As a gear up to the main event, the Simulation Class, delved into the nuances of diplomatic dining etiquette and protocol. The sessions were led by distinguished facilitators, Dr. Mary Mutisya from the Chandaria School of Business as well as Mr. Irungu J. Macharia, a State Protocol Officer from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. It was both enlightening and joyous as the class ventured into uncharted territories of formal decorum and international diplomacy. Dr. Mary Mutisya, renowned for her expertise in business etiquette, spearheaded sessions focusing on dining etiquette and business protocol. Meanwhile, Mr. Macharia guided students through the intricate realm of diplomatic protocol.
The culmination of this rigorous training was marked by a real-life diplomatic lunch setup, where students had the opportunity to apply their newfound knowledge firsthand. Against the backdrop of formal ambiance, students practiced the art of using cutlery gracefully and conducting themselves with poise during formal dinners.
The experiential learning provided a platform for students to grasp the subtleties of diplomatic interactions, emphasizing the significance of cultural sensitivity and diplomatic finesse in international affairs. Through role-playing scenarios and practical exercises, students honed their abilities to navigate complex diplomatic landscapes, setting the stage for the upcoming simulation exercise.
The upcoming simulation exercise will cast students into the roles of delegates at an African Union summit addressing the pressing issue of climate change. Armed with a deeper understanding of dining etiquette, business protocol, and diplomatic decorum, students are poised to make meaningful contributions to the discourse surrounding global challenges.
In the spirit of diplomatic camaraderie and academic excellence, the Simulation Class emerges as a beacon of innovation and collaboration, embodying the essence of USIU-Africa's dynamic learning community. With each lesson learned and each protocol mastered, students pave the way for a brighter, more interconnected future, one diplomatic encounter at a time.
United States International University-Africa has introduced new undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate degree programs to meet evolving market needs, interim Vice-Chancellor Prof. Freida Brown has confirmed.
The programs spread across business management, science and technology, leadership and governance fields will be delivered using contemporary academic models, including online options.
ast year, USIU-Africa secured the Commission for University Education of Kenya (CUE) approval to roll out the new contemporary technology and management sciences degree programs. The approval followed a series of intensive evaluation checks by the CUE and now propels USIU-Africa to the pinnacle of local private higher education institutions providing world-class market-driven degree programs.
Some of the new programs introduced include a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.) in Information Science and Technology, an Online Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Information Security, Bachelor of Global Leadership and Governance, Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry. Other new programs include Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Analytics, Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Applied Biochemistry.
Speaking when she confirmed the launch of the new programs, Prof Freida Brown said the University had invested heavily in the course development and the programs have already kicked-off successfully.
She disclosed that the investments and introduction of the new programs are geared at supplying the international job market with a pool of well-trained candidates proficient in research and information technology applications.
"The world is now a global village, and USIU-Africa is actively revising and improving its academic delivery mission to guarantee our graduates a place in the global job market table," she assured.
USIU-Africa, she added, had invested in best of class e-learning and global teaching resources to deliver world-class programs locally.
"At USIU-Africa, we are committed to facilitating a higher education paradigm shift in Sub Sahara Africa through the delivery of market-driven programs in contemporary fields," Prof Brown said. Adding, "Our academic programs are enriched by our international culture, local and international accreditation and global teaching standards that guarantee exciting learning experiences providing students with a valuable global education that propels them to the international stage.”
The new programs, she said, have been developed to shape a solid human resource base in Africa with a capacity to contribute to the global science and technology space. "We are training locally for a global market, and we have no doubt that we shall deliver well-equipped graduates ready for the competitive workforce of the future," she said.
In recent moves, USIU-Africa has heavily invested in the necessary Information Technology (IT) infrastructure to roll-out online learning modules. Through the USIU-Africa Online Directorate, the University is now a member of Quality Matters (QM), a globally recognised organisation that focuses on continuous improvement in online education. USIU-Africa's accreditation ensures that its online programs and learning process will result in better course design, easier navigation for students, reduced barriers to student achievement that result in better outcomes.
After almost one and a half years outside the pitch, our sports teams are back in the game, and have participated in various games in and outside Kenya over the past few weekends.
In the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) University league, the men’s basketball team beat Mount Kenya University (MKU) 79-33 on Saturday October 2, while their female counterparts lost 31-35 to Daystar University in the same league which took place at MKU Thika campus.
On Saturday October 9, the men’s basketball team beat Daystar University 70-26 while the ladies’ basketball team won 41-37 against MKU. In soccer, the men’s team lost 0-4 to Gretsa University.
In other matches, the men’s hockey team narrowly won 1-0 against Park Road Hockey Club in the two-day JKUAT 2nd Edition Tournament which was organized and hosted by Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT).
The men’s rugby team were ranked 5th in Africa after beating JKUAT 19-17 in the King of Rugby 7’s Federation of Africa Universities (FASU) Championship that took place in Makerere University-Uganda from October 8-10. Over 10 universities from across Africa participated in the games.
By Diana Meso
Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension (SGSRE) together with Diana Meso, Marketing and Communications Officer attended the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) strategic planning meeting that took place in Abuja, Nigeria from September 12-15, 2022.
The workshop was aimed at reviewing the AAP performance over the past 5 years and to co-create a new strategic plan with the consortium for the next 5 years. There was also a special communications workshop aimed at creating a communications strategy and implementation plan in Africa as well as discuss how AAP can improve USIU-Africa institutional ranking and performance. Prof. Amos Njuguna together with Prof. Alex Kahi from Egerton university led a robust session on the SWOT analysis process.
The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) which is hosted by Michigan State University (MSU) is a consortium of 10 leading African universities and a distinguished research network for African research institutes that aims to co-create innovative solutions to global challenges and work collaboratively with other international partners to transform lives in Africa. USIU-Africa officially joined the consortium in 2020.
By Esther Macharia
The Admissions Department attended the 3-day Nairobi International Education Fair, Sarit Expo held from Friday, February 24 to Sunday February 26. The team interacted with a population of over 300 students from Buruburu Girls High School, Highway Secondary School, Starehe Boys High School, Hospital Hill High School, Accra Crest Academy, among others.
The students were informed of the different degree programs, entry requirements and the career path to follow after graduation. Some of the students were interested in Bachelor of Pharmacy, BSc. Applied Biochemistry, BA International Business Administration, BA Animation, BA Film & Directing, BA Psychology, BSc. Applied Computer Technology, BSc. Software Engineering and BSc. Finance courses.
Additionally, the students also enquired on extracurricular activities such as sports, innovations and exchange programs abroad. The Principal Secretary State Department for Higher Education and Research, Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala visited our stand and commended USIU-Africa for their contribution to the Higher Education sector globally.
In attendance was Dr. Uvyu Mbole, Faith Ajwang, Esther Macharia, Jane Asava, Samuel Irungu, Catherine Nyambok, Christine Missoy, Sheryl Kamonya, Jackline Mabia headed by Dr. George Lumbasi and supported by their work study students.
By the USIU-Africa IT Department
Last week, the IT Department hosted the first edition of Celo Talks, an event that was facilitated by Celo and USIU-Africa. Celo is a mobile-first, open-source ecosystem of technologies, organizations and individuals that all share a common mission of building a financial system that creates the conditions for prosperity for everyone.
The session started with a talk by Martin Chege, the UI/UX designer at Kukuza DAO. His talk sought to demystify Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), and how it empowered blockchain users. He spoke about how DAOs would be critical in the larger scheme of things as the world worked towards a more financially inclusive future.
This was followed by a session with the Celo Ecosystem Kenya Lead Daniel Kimotho, who shared with the students an overview of Celo ecosystem, and its key aspiration, which is to inspire developers to create apps that would reshape the financial services landscape in Kenya.
“With the launch of our education campaigns, Celo Talks hope to ignite an interest from the student community to better understand the opportunities available on the blockchain technology. We want to build a community of designers, developers and entrepreneurs,” he said.
“Celo also hopes to host technical workshops where we will drill down on the awareness and uses of blockchain technology. We want to ensure that students have the technical know-how to be able to build applications on Celo that may be submitted for grants, especially for projects with a strong social impact component,” he added.
Standing at the center, former President of the Republic of Tanzania H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, USIU-Africa, Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza, USIU-Africa, University Council Member, Prof. Prof. Rwekaza Sympho Mukandala and Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania Amb. Hon. Dan Kazungu (far left), pose for a photo with the newly appointed officials of the USIU-Africa Tanzania Alumni Chapter. PHOTO: Ernest Mwanzi
By Joanne Alividza
On July 20, 2019, Alumni Relations Department staff, Mr. Michael Kisilu and Ms. Joanne Alividza, together with University Council Member, Prof. Rwekaza Mukandala, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza, Chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice Department, Prof. Simeon Sungi and Kenya’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Amb. Dan Kazungu joined USIU-Africa’s Tanzania alumni and their networks in launching the University’s first official chapter in Dar es Salaam.
The event, dubbed USIU-Africa Tanzania Alumni Networking, Chapter Launch and Fundraising Dinner brought together 120 individuals drawn from USIU-Africa’s Tanzania’s alumni, their parents, government representatives, the business and corporate community, and the diplomatic corps.
Gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest was Tanzania’s former President, H.E. Dr. Jakaya Kikwete; whose humble acceptance of the mandate placed upon him not only honored all in attendance, but also affirmed the recognition of the important role of higher education among the leadership of Africa. During his speech, Dr. Kikwete stated the great significance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in present and future times, underscoring the need to have able bodied individuals in these fields, and more so the girl child, whose encouragement and participation in the disciplines requires an upward projection.
The Freida Brown Scholarship Fund (FBSF), whose goal is to provide scholarships to Africa’s 500 most talented young women to study STEM disciplines at USIU-Africa by raising $5 million by 2021; formed part of the agenda of the evening as it provided a platform for giving. As they both spoke to the objectives of the dinner, Prof. Zeleza and Dr. Kikwete accentuated financial resources as being key in the achievement of the desired educational outcomes. Moreover, the kind leadership of Dr. Kikwete in raising funds for the FBSF resulted in a generous gift of Ksh. 2,632,000 (USD26, 320) in immediate and long term basis.
Amb. Kazungu reiterated the importance of education and support towards those that may be challenged financially. He gave his life story by stating that he too had been a sponsorship beneficiary through primary and secondary school and he later reconnected with his sponsor when he joined Kenya’s political scene.
The USIU-Africa Tanzania Alumni Chapter is a momentous symbol for consecutive chapter formations in the workings of the Alumni Relations Department.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa, through the Development Office has launched an initiative dubbed ‘Giving Fridays’, which will be taking place on the last Friday of every month. The initiative will see the USIU-Africa community donate clothes, shoes, books and other items which are still in good condition for use by those in need.
In her message to the community regarding the initiative, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign noted that giving back was part of the university’s values.
“Giving back and working for the common good are among our core values as a university. Over the years you have exemplified these values and we continue to make a significant impact on the community around us,” she said.
Donations will be deposited in the donation box outside the cafeteria. For any questions or clarifications, contact the Chief Manager of Development through his email: egongus@usiu.ac.ke or devt@usiu.ac.ke or Tel: +254 730 116 205 /326
USIU-Africa launched the University Scorecard on Tuesday, 18 December, 2018 during the end of year staff party which was attended by employees, members of the Board of Trustees and the visiting team from University of Dhaka. The Vice Chancellor thanked the staff for working tirelessly in 2018 to ensure that they delivered in various departments as stipulated in the strategic plan. He said that the Scorecard gives the University a snapshot of performance on key institutional indicators and it allows the University to compare the overall performance of the past academic year and compare it with two years before. He also added that the Scorecard gives and sets performance targets for next academic year.
“As far as we know, this is the first Scorecard produced by a university in this country. It is part of our continuous efforts to be trendsetters in higher education in the country and region,” said the Vice Chancellor. He further added that collecting and analyzing accurate data is imperative for informed decision-making and tracking institutional performance over time. The creation of the Scorecard is a critical part of this effort as it contains several key indicators over a three-year period. The Scorecard shows student indicators (enrolment, student ratios, retention rate, graduation rate), academic indicators (new degree programs and research productivity), financial indicators (grants and contracts, fundraising and financial growth), employee indicators (recruitment and retention), institutional progress indicators (implementation of strategic plan and establishment of partnerships), and institutional reputation indicators (brand equity, partnerships, and institutional ranking—the latter is under investigation and planning).
By Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa launched the Institute of Higher Education, Research and Leadership Development (IHERLD) on January 30, 2019. The institute is envisioned to address the challenges in higher education and explore solutions that can improve the management of institutions of higher learning in Kenya and the World. Challenges in Higher Education have been on the rise in the last couple of years, both locally and globally. Funding for higher education continues to be a great threat worldwide and governments across the globe have reduced their funding to state funded universities over the years. Student enrollment numbers have reduced significantly and tertiary education enrollment ratio stands at 11%, which is below the continental average and far below the world average of about 38%. The enrollment numbers have been decreasing due to the decreased number of students who are qualified to join university. Africa continues to have the lowest research productivity worldwide. According to UNESCO data, in 2013 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on research and development as a percentage of GDP in Africa was 0.5%, compared to a world average of 1.7%, and 2.7% for North America, 1.8% for Europe and 1.6% for Asia. Africa accounted for 1.3% of global research and development. Global spending on research and development has now reached US$1.7 trillion, 80% of which is accounted for by only 10 countries, none of them is African.
Speaking during the launch, the Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Zeleza mentioned that these challenges can be overcome by multi-sectoral dialogue initiatives in government, private sector to reach a desired growth. “Higher education stakeholders and leaders must take the lead to bring change and transformation in universities.” Central to this transformation is governance and leadership at university. He mentioned that choosing leaders to lead the vision of improving quality of education lies within these challenges that must be turned into opportunities. The Permanent Secretary, Tertiary and Vocational Training, Dr. Kevit Desai reiterated the importance of entrenching good governance in running universities. “Good governance principals of accountability, transparency, and effectiveness are a major factor in improving the quality of education must be employed in the running of universities in order to improve our global rankings, increase research outputs and produce quality graduate that can compete on a global scale.”
Higher education in Africa has grown significantly from 170 universities in the 1960s to over 1, 600 universities training over 14.7 million students around Africa. This number will increase over the next couple of years. However, the quality of education has not matched this growth to enable these institutions contribute to impactful research, develop and enhance employability skills of graduates and attract funding. In addition, this growth lacks higher education professionals that can effectively deliver on their mandate. Currently, there is a mismatch between the administration and the academic arms in universities. In most cases, the administration arm of the university is not well equipped to handle challenges in higher education. Professionals in human resources, marketing, accounting, fundraising and other critical sectors that are instrumental in the everyday running of higher education institutions must be prepared and trained to achieve this transformation.
The institute will develop a governance program for senior leadership organs of Higher Education institutes and develop functional programs for middle level managers. It will promote best practices in governance in universities and will target Vice Chancellors, Board of Trustees, Management Boards, and University Councils to ensure the management of universities is prioritized as a driver to achieving transformation. The institute will develop a program for building capacity of policy makers and teachers involved in developing and implementing competency based curriculum. Delivery of the curriculum at all levels of education must be factored as a critical success factor. This competency dictates the quality of education that students receive. This, in turn impacts on the ability of students to deliver on their areas of study and enhance their employability skills. The institute will initiate and drive policy dialogues to address these challenges and find lasting solutions. It will create economic and social impact directly on the more than 1,600 universities and the 55 countries in Africa that need to shape up and institutionalize policy in Higher Education.
By Dr. Lincoln Munyendo
Amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are working to diversify responses beyond tracking the pandemic, advising on critical interventions to distributing vital medical supplies to those in need. Concerted efforts to develop and deploy safe and effective vaccines are also a priority strategy across the globe.
The School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences partnered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya and developed a short course for capacity building of health professionals, which was launched on April 29, 2021. The development of the course was overseen by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Prof. Francis Ndemo, Pharm.D, Dr. Lucas Nyabero, Pharm.D, and Dr. Lincoln Munyendo, PhD.
Speaking at the launch, which was attended by the USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza, and the CEO of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, Dr. Daniella Munene, Prof. Ndemo noted that the initiative was one of the many strategic initiatives by the School to broaden its course offering to ensure that it developed a pool of highly qualified, well trained professionals.
“The engagement between USIU-Africa and the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya is considered strategic as this has the potential to yield the much needed healthcare skilled capacity during current times of pandemics like COVID-19,”he said.
In attendance was Ministry of Health officials, Pharmacy & Poisons Board officers amongst other health care professionals across Africa.
The short course is geared to educate pharmacists and other healthcare providers about the impact of vaccines on public health; providers role in immunization; immunological principles of vaccine development and immunization; vaccine preventable diseases, and the vaccines used to prevent them and strategies for improving immunization rates.
The Pharmacist as well as the Pharmaceutical Technologist in Kenya in particular are the most accessible health care workers in the community and they play a significant role as immunizers. Notably, there are many Pharmacy success stories in countries like USA and UK in this regard.
By Niyonzima Fabrice
The first ever USIU-Africa Leeway Games event took place on Thursday, March 23, 2023 in the Auditorium. The event was designed to create social interactions among students, faculty, and staff and to provide a fun and engaging way for everyone to release stress during the semester.
The games included musical chairs, hot potato, limbo, three-legged race, darts throwing, tennis basketball, and others. Eight people participated in the event.
One of the highlights of the event was the game of musical chairs. Many members of the audience enjoyed watching the participants compete in this classic game. The excitement and laughter that filled the room were contagious.
Participation in such events can help build a sense of community among students, especially for those who are new to the university. It creates an environment for students to meet new people, make friends, and enjoy a sense of belonging.
The games played during the event encourage teamwork and healthy competition, which are important skills that can be applied in various aspects of life.
The Leeway Games provided a great opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to come together and have fun while also taking a break from their work. It was wonderful to see the joy and excitement on the faces of those who participated.
We hope that this event will become a regular occurrence at USIU-Africa and that more students will participate in the future. It is important for us to take care of our mental health and well-being, and events like the Leeway Games provide a fun and engaging way for us to do so.
By Azenath Ateka
The Library has recently acquired trial access to two new academic databases, following negotiations with two academic publishers, Taylor & Francis and Adam Matthew. The two publishers have provided access to their databases as follows;
Taylor & Francis eBooks – This is a digital resource that includes over 125,000 e-books and over 2 million book chapters, cutting across all disciplines. The trial has been negotiated by the Kenya Libraries and Information Services Consortium (KLISC) and ends on Monday, May 31, 2021.
Adam Matthew Archives – Some of the themes covered include cultural studies, ethnic studies, gender and sexuality, politics, literature, among others. The trial ends on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.
The addition of these two databases to the University’s Library is part of the efforts that have been put in place to ensure that students could continue their studies seamlessly, as the university transitioned to online learning. Some of the important initiatives that have been put in place include:
Access to the two databases is from the USIU-Africa network or via the Virtual Private Network (VPN). To download and connect to the VPN go here for instructions. Should you wish to make any comments, queries or suggestions, you can reach us at library@usiu.ac.ke or askalibrarian@usiu.ac.ke.
Students perform onstage during the Story Night. The event was organized as a platform to showcase the diverse talents across the University.PHOTO: Courtesy
By Charles Wanjala
The Library in collaboration with the department of Languages & Literature held a Storytelling, Poetry & Dance Night as part of the USIU-Africa@50 celebrations. In the spirit of ‘having fun while learning’, the event themed ‘Living the Arts’ provided a stage for students, staff and faculty to share their written poetry or read some of their favorite poems, perform original/adaptations of songs and dances or tell stories on their personal experiences, real life, folk tales or fiction. With USIU-Africa being a multicultural and intellectual community thriving through the exchange and sharing of experience and mutual support, this event arguably provided the most cohesive of platforms for liberal minds to converge and enjoy an evening of performing arts.
The Vice Chancellor highlighted the importance of giving artists in the USIU-Africa community a platform on which they could nurture and harness their talents. This was reiterated by the University Librarian, Dr. Sylvia Ogola, who stated the library’s decision to display students’ art at the information center was a way of promoting talent, increasing their visibility and being cognizant of the creative talents that would otherwise go unnoticed.
The Night, which was well attended by students, staff and faculty alike, had acts like The Sax Appeal Jazz band, Wangari ‘The Story Teller’ and other performers from USIU-Africa taking the stage to showcase their talents.
Attendees of the Open Journal System workshop pose for a photo after the session. Photo: Courtesy.
By Mary Ngure and Dr. Patrick Wamuyu
In celebration of this year’s International Open Access Week themed, “Open for whom? Equity in Open Knowledge”, the USIU-Africa Library and Information center recently held a training workshop for selected participants to learn more about open access.
In line with the theme, Ms. Miriam Ndung’u, Head Librarian, ICT and Digitization Services from Kenyatta University took participants who included Faculty, Librarians, ICT staff and students through the topic ‘Starting and running a Journal using Open Journal System (OJS).’ Open Journal System (OJS) is an open source journal management and publishing platform by Public Knowledge Project (PKP) with a complete refereed publishing process from call for papers, submissions, peer review to publishing. PKP is a multi-university initiative and the project is overseen by Stanford University and Simon Fraser University Library.
According to Elsevier (2018), Africa generates less than 1% of the world’s research output despite comprising 12.5% of the world’s population. The question therefore is, ‘as the transition to a system for sharing knowledge that is open by default accelerates, are we supporting not only open access but also equitable participation in research communication?’
In her presentation, Ms. Ndung’u noted that starting a journal comprises of three main steps: policy decisions, technical decisions, and choice of publishing platform. Publishing journals not only increases an institution’s visibility but also improves web ranking, provides a publishing platform for postgraduate students and safeguards against fraudulent/predatory journals among other benefits. To date, there are more than 10,000 hosted journals by OJS.
For the success of a journal to be achieved, the key project players ideally constituting of librarians, research office, schools / departments and ICT need to be guided by well stipulated Terms of Reference (TORs) and clear reporting lines stipulated in the policy. The roles of the different players was discussed in depth. It is important from the onset to among other key things have a determination on compensation for editorial team and conflict of interest – shall the editorial board members be allowed to publish in the journal? Documentation and transparency of processes is thus key. Equally, understanding Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) criteria for inclusion and the Journal Publishing Practices and Standards (JPPS) framework which provides detailed assessment criteria for the quality of publishing practices was noted as best practices. In his vote of thanks, Dr. Patrick Wamuyu, Chair, Computing Department, School of Science and Technology, noted it was an essential discussion adding the paramount need to adhere to best practices in journal publishing including rigorous peer review.
Students and staff take part in the Library Week event, where they participated in several events over the week aimed at the cultivation of a reading culture.
By Azenath Ateka
The USIU-Africa Library held a week-long event dubbed “Library Week 2020 – Know to Inspire” from February the 17 to 20. The aim of the event was to celebrate libraries, encourage a reading culture and foster library use. Most of the activities took place in the Library and the idea was to communicate the library as a place for both social and intellectual interactions.
The week started with an opening ceremony on Monday where the Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. Munyae Mulinge emphasized the link between library use and the achievement of a high GPA, urging students to make the most of the library, which is considered one of the best in the East African region.
To promote a reading culture, the library invited 50 pupils from Roysambu Primary School for a reading activity, where KTN presenter and current USIU-Africa student, Ali Manzu got the opportunity to read to the students. The books used during this session were provided by the Kenya National Library Services-Buruburu. In line with this, the Library also had a day where patrons could ‘sweeten their lunch with a story’, which was led by the Public Speaking club and involved people reading and sharing about various books, including African literature. Students especially enjoyed this session as it was the first time they were allowed to eat in the library.
The week concluded with a treasure hunt, which sought to test the knowledge that USIU-Africa students had about their library. Students ran up and down the library floors following the clues that were provided, with the first student finishing the hunt after 46 minutes, and winning a prize alongside two others.
To keep the spirit alive, we would like to remind you that our call for book donations is still open. We have already received a lot of books from students, staff and faculty. We continue to ask that if you have used children books and novels consider donating it, it could change a life. These books will be donated to Roysambu Primary School at the end of the semester as part of promoting reading.
By Justin Kirembeka and Fredrick Adika
Last week, our campus came alive with the vibrant spirit of learning and growth during our much-anticipated Library Week, themed ’Read and Grow‘. It was a week filled with remarkable experiences that left an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. Let us take a moment to reflect on the incredible events that unfolded during this celebration.
Our Library Week commenced with powerful speeches from the University Librarian represented by Damiana Kiilu, the DVC-Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Munyae Mulinge and from the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign. With profound words, the Vice Chancellor urged us to imagine a world where the gift of reading was denied. This thought-provoking address reminded us that literacy is not just a privilege, but a fundamental right that empowers individuals to navigate the world and shape their own destinies. The speech resonated deeply with all attendees, serving as a call to action to cherish and protect the invaluable gift of reading. For Prof. Mulinge the theme ‘Read and Grow’ turned into ‘Don’t Read and Retard’.
The library, usually a place of quiet study, transformed into a dynamic hub of exploration and creativity. For the very first time, our library opened its doors to board games, inviting students, faculty, and staff to engage in friendly competition, strategic thinking, and moments of lighthearted joy. Laughter and camaraderie filled the air as individuals discovered the thrill of these timeless games.
In addition to board games, the library became a stage for the expression of talents. Students showcased their creativity through poetry readings, captivating dances, and live music performances by the talented USIU-Africa Music Club band. It was a celebration of artistic expression and a reminder that our pursuit of knowledge doesn't exist solely within the pages of books, but can also be found in the beauty of art and the rhythm of music.
The library team further nurtured connections between students and librarians through the delightful initiative, ‘Coffee with a Librarian’. Students were welcomed to grab a cup of coffee, engage in conversation, and forge meaningful connections with the librarians. These informal exchanges fostered a sense of belonging and created spaces for mentorship and support.
Another major highlight of the week was the Roundtable Discussion with learners with Disability. Right inside the library, at the leisure reading section, librarians sat with this group of learners and for the first time got to hear how best to support their learning at USIU-Africa. It was a very successful meeting, flanked by friends working in the Disability Inclusion space. Specifically, Dr. Jefwa Mweri from University of Nairobi and Billy Kimara from Light for the World. The promise was that the library will continue to work towards creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
As the echoes of the Library Week continue to fade away, let us carry the spirit of ‘Read and Grow’ with us. May we continue to cultivate our love for learning, nurture our creative abilities, and value the connections we form within the library and beyond. The library is not just a space; it is a catalyst for personal and intellectual growth, guiding us on a path of exploration and transformation.
By Rodney Malesi
At the beginning of this month, the Library organized information literacy training sessions geared towards equipping members of the USIU-Africa community with skills necessary to navigate the library to access the wealth of content available to them, especially during this period where learning has transitioned online.
The training, which is offered every semester saw 20 members of the University community enroll for training over a one-week period. The sessions covered areas such as Scholarly Research, Communication and Publishing; Online Database Searching and Retrieval; as well as Citation and Referencing Styles. Scholarly Communication was one of the most popular sessions due to the increased interest in scholarly communication as it covers publishing which is a major avenue to academic progression and success.
There were suggestions to offer the program early in the semester, and in response to this, the Library is putting together a schedule for trainings that will be shared at the beginning of the Fall 2020 Semester. We hope that this will encourage more people to register for the sessions as the Library continues in its service of transforming individuals into information literate citizens who can participate actively and meaningfully in the information society.
By Azenath Ateka
USIU Africa library has announced that it has moved all users to a new, smarter search interface called USIULibfind. This improved functionally helps users to find books, journal articles, AVs material in a fast and easy manner. In the past, to find it, users had to search the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), then Emerald, then EbscoHost, then Jstor. With USIULibFind, users do not have to visit each of the 52 databases to find information. USIULibFind helps users find content based key words, and browses PsychArticles, Sage, Taylor & Francis, Oxford, Cambridge Journals and all the other 48 databases with peer-reviewed scholarly content, looking for what matches the key words and gives ‘interfiled’ results.
As a discovery tool, USIULibFind makes it possible to get to the specific, most relevant item because it uses filters. With USIULibFind, users can filter search results along Fulltext, Subject, Source Type, Publisher, Journal Title, Geography, Language…brief, it allows specificity and relevance.
To start using the new functionality, visit the library OPAC page on https://library.usiu.ac.ke
Reading international and local newspapers and magazines has now been made easier. The Library, through Press Reader, has now enabled students, staff, and faculty to have access to 3000+ digital newspapers and 4000+ digital magazines from across the globe.
In the past, to access the service, one had to be within the USIU-Africa network or connected via the campus VPN. This is now not necessary. We now have in place what we call ‘email authentication’ where you just:
OR
Note
It is possible to download any publication into your PressReader library to read offline by using the auto download capabilities. Away from news and entertainment, PressReader is good research tool, which can help you come up with information depending on the keywords you search.
By Southern Connecticut State University and Dr. Sylvia Ogola
The USIU-Africa library is currently hosting a Carnegie Fellow for a program that will run till January 2022. Prof. Elsie Ayagogo Rogers Halliday Okobi is from Southern Connecticut State University in the US and comes with a wealth of experience as a Librarian and Library Educator. In the initial stages, she engaged in a very fruitful interaction with Prof. Munyae Mulinge, the Ag. DVC Academic Affairs and Dr. Sylvia Ogola, the University Librarian and identified areas for collaboration and professional development. This resulted in the development of a joint project proposal, on ‘Structured professional development and capacity building for library personnel and faculty at the United States International University – Africa’.
There will be training in information literacy, digital reference services, open educational resources and how they can be used to complement library resources, impact evaluation of library services, outcomes and assessments and developing library strategic plans that are aligned to the institutional strategic plans. There will also be sessions for faculty together with librarians on embedded librarians and integration of information literacy concepts into the curriculum.
The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program is designed to reverse Africa’s loss of highly trained natural-born citizens by helping African Diaspora scholars give back to the continent’s next generation by sharing their expertise. The program also seeks to develop long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations between universities in Africa and those in the United States and Canada.
“Having been involved in higher education in the United States for four decades, this award provides me with the opportunity in a small way to give back and contribute to narrowing the digital divide in Africa, as well as help in attainment of United Nations Millennium Development Goals for sustainable development,” Okobi said. “I hope that my participation will help develop global digital citizens in developing countries.
Okobi also earned a Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship in 2019, when she developed and presented a month-long training program for librarians at the American University of Nigeria to update staff and faculty on digital information skills.
She is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar for Librarianship, having traveled to Hanoi, where she developed and presented training for faculty and library managers at Hanoi University of Culture.
Okobi, who joined SCSU in 1990, has been active in various Connecticut library community and organizations during her tenure. She is a member of American Friends of Kenya — a New London based, non-profit organization that works to develop school media centers, provide books and train teacher librarians to run the centers. In 2012, she traveled with the group to establish school library centers and conduct school media specialists training workshops in Kenya.
She also has worked with noted Harvard University professor Henry Gates Jr. on the publication of the Dictionary of African Biography.
The program is funded by the Carnegie Corp. of New York and managed by the Institute of International Education in collaboration with United States International University – Africa. A total of 471 fellowships have been awarded for scholars to travel to Africa since the program’s inception in 2013. Fellowships match host universities with African-born scholars and cover the expenses for project visits of between 14 and 90 days, including transportation, a daily stipend, and the cost of obtaining visas and health insurance. Host institutions are expected to have a cost-share commitment as their contribution towards the program.
By the USIU-Africa Library Office
Information Literacy (IL) refers to a set of characteristics that a student who has been transformed into a "wise information consumer" and "lifelong learner" embodies. Its aspects range from using information technologies, evaluating information obtained from physical and online resources to the ethical use of information and information technologies. The primary goal of IL is to get students to think critically about the information they encounter, and build in them the ability to use that information to create new knowledge.
When you are information literate, you know when you have an information need, how to locate and access appropriate sources; you are able to use these resources effectively while applying the information critically and ethically; and you can determine if the need has been met.
The training has covered such topics as Information Sources, Evaluating Sources of Information as well as Citing and Referencing. More recently topics of interest like misinformation, citation management and publishing are part of information literacy training.
Information literacy training at USIU-Africa takes all manner of forms depending on the needs of students and faculty. The commonest is where a librarian is invited to your class to talk about an aspect or aspects of IL. There are instances where such a session is followed by an individual or group of students that feels the need for further training and approaches the librarian. Another means to IL training is where the Instruction Librarian prepares a schedule which is shared by the community. Individual trainings are also possible. All you need to do is to request a training through any of our channels of communication. A librarian will take it up, contact you and agree on what is to be covered, the timing and medium – virtual or face to face. When training is one on one, it is personalized and can be said to have more gains especially for the trainee. If you are interested in being part of these trainings this semester, you can register here.
By Rodney Malesi and Azenath Ateka
We live in an era where we are witnessing exponential growth in data and information. This growth, however, does not in any way imply that those who need information have all the skills needed to make effective use of the huge amounts of data and information produced every day. Academic libraries all over the world, including USIU-Africa’s library, have responded to this skill gap by providing information literacy programs.
Information literacy is the set of skills needed to identify an information need, locate sources of information, retrieve, analyze, and use information. Over the years, the library has equipped students and other library users with these skills through library-initiated instruction programs and various degree-focused courses taught at USIU-Africa.
The trainings provided are focused on teaching one how to use the online catalogue; how to access and use eResources; how to use information ethically; how to communicate with other scholars and researchers through publishing, among other emerging themes in information access, use, sharing, and repackaging.
These trainings are offered regularly, and this semester’s trainings have been scheduled to run from Wednesday, 29 July to Wednesday, 5 August 2020. The link for registration is https://usiu-ke.libwizard.com/f/Librarytraining. Several students have benefited from these sessions in the past, transforming to not only effective and efficient information users but also into independent lifelong learners.
Register in advance for any of these sessions using the link provided above.
Scholarly Research, Communication and Publishing
Friday, July 31, 3:00pm - 5:00 pm
Tuesday, August 4, 3:00pm - 5:00 pm
Online Database Searching and Retrieval
Wednesday, July 29, 3:00pm - 5:00 pm
Saturday, August 1, 9:00 am- 11:00 am
Citation and Referencing Styles
Monday, August 3, 3:00pm- 5:00 pm
Wednesday, August 5, 11:00am- 1:00 pm??
For queries and suggestions, please write to askalibarian@usiu.ac.ke
By Azenath Ateka
Every year the world celebrates Open Access through a series of activities for a period of one week in the month of October. Open Access (OA) refers to free unrestricted online access to information. Although access to knowledge is critical for societal development, it is important to note that the default setting for the grant of access for the extensive stores of knowledge is closed.
The Open Access initiative focuses on making information that is available online accessible, useable, reusable, and free from legal, financial and technological restrictions. It includes Open Data, Open Science and Open Educational Resources. This year’s theme is Open with Purpose: Taking Action to Build Structural Equity and Inclusion.
According to the Open Access Week Committee, openness can be a powerful tool for building more equitable systems of sharing knowledge.
“Rebuilding research and scholarship to be open by default presents a unique opportunity to construct a foundation that is fundamentally more equitable. Yet today, structural racism, discrimination, and exclusion are present and persistent in places where openness is a core value. As a global community, it is important to understand that the systems and spaces of the present are often built upon legacies of historic injustice and that addressing these inequities is a necessity,” they note.
The value of Open Access to scholars and researchers
Open Access is critical because it:
How you can contribute
You can contribute to advancing open access by:
The Committee notes that diversity, equity and inclusion must be prioritized year round and integrated into the fabric of the open community, from how our infrastructure is built to how we organize community discussions to the governance structures we use.
“International Open Access Week is an important opportunity to catalyze new conversations, create connections across and between communities that can facilitate this co-design, and advance progress to build more equitable foundations for opening knowledge—discussions and actions that need to be continued, year in and year out,” they note.
By the CTW Team
Last year, the Marketing and Communications department decided to spread some Christmas cheer by launching the ‘USIU-Africa Loves Xmas’ campaign which saw students and staff share pictures of themselves within USIU-Africa campus on their social media pages using the hashtag #USIUlovesXmas. The posts with the most engagements across all three platforms won shopping vouchers which we hope tide them over the dreaded Njaanuary.
Below are some photos of the winners:
USIU-Africa students during the donation ceremony at the Dandora Hip Hop Club. The donated materials will be used to spruce up public spaces in Dandora.
By Dr. Elijah Munyi
Through the efforts of one of its students, Ms. Nyambura Maruga, USIU-Africa recently donated scrap yard materials for re-use by Dandora Hip Hop City (DHC), a Community Based Organization whose aim is to create and enhance transformational spaces for young talented residents of Dandora to hone their artistic and entrepreneurial skills.
The donation of the scrap yard materials, some of which date back as far as 2007, was coordinated and overseen by USIU-Africa’s head of maintenance, Ms. Leah Gichuki. The mutually beneficial exchange saw the USIU-Africa empty its scrap yard to create space for new material and a workshop. The material would be used by Dandora Hip Hop City to spruce up public spaces around Dandora. The DHC Program Manager Mr. Charles Lukania thanked the University and praised its commitment to community service, while commending the students on their interest in carrying out impactful community projects.
DHC was founded by members of Ukoo Flani, one of Kenya’s best known artists from Dandora. Ms. Nyambura, has a long running engagement with DHC as their fundraising officer and the appeal for the donation was also done as part of her internship course in fulfilling requirements for her undergraduate degree in International Relations.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Photos by John Sande, Joy Macharia and Justin Kavole
Last week, the University community marked Freida Brown Day, which is observed as a day for the wider university community to come together and contribute to the surrounding neighborhood by engaging in community service activities such as environmental cleanups, renovations, donations among others.
The event, which kicked off at 9:30 am saw participants begin with a cleanup exercise that targeted the areas around campus.
In addition to community service, this year’s Freida Brown Day was special because it marked the celebration of Prof. Freida Brown's leadership and service at USIU-Africa since her return in August 2021.
The speakers during the day all shared their remarks about Prof. Brown’s tenure, noting that she had been instrumental in the University’s success over the years. In his remarks, the Chair of the Alumni Association thanked Prof. Brown and wished her well as she headed back into retirement, a sentiment that was echoed by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Ensign and the Associate DVC-Student Affairs, Mrs. Ritah Asunda.
“Prof. Brown has been a mainstay at USIU-Africa, guiding our institution to greater heights, and mentoring our students over the years. As she heads back to the US into her retirement, we wish her the best, and we will continue to keep in touch with her. Thank you Mama Africa for your diligent service!” he said.
Prof. Brown’s service was also appreciated by representatives from Cheleta Primary School Friends Anduru Education Center, who noted that through the community service engagements, USIU-Africa had served as an inspiration to their students who now aspired to be part of USIU-Africa.
The event, which was also marked as a celebration of the Vice Chancellor, also saw the University community pledge its support to Prof. Ensign as she takes over the leadership of the university. Mr. Bernard Kaut, the Chair of the Student Council noted that the student body was ready to work closely with Prof. Ensign to realize USIU-Africa’s mission in relation to teaching and learning.
The event ended with a presentation by the Itanya Initiative, spearheaded by Daphne Karani (Class of 2018) who gave a short presentation on her work with girls from the Githogoro slum, and a cake cutting, which marked the climax of the event.
By Joyce Wanjiku
This year’s celebration for the Black History Month was launched on Monday, February 7 at the auditorium. The celebrations were centered around exploring the legacy of Black Scholars and Practitioners in the medical field, exploring unrecognized activities, rituals, and initiatives in healing that Black communities have relied on for their health and wellness as well as questioning and discussing the injustices faced by the Black/African communities in accessing proper medical care.
Participants were treated to various activities including performances by Mchezo-Africa and the Music Club, speeches, screening of different documentaries and panel discussion touching on impacts of COVID-19 and other epidemics on Black/African communities, Black/African mental health and Black/African women wellness.
During the opening ceremony which was attended by staff, students and faculty from various schools and departments, the patron of Black History Month Committee Dr. Njoki Wamai, Assistant Professor of International Relations, welcomed the participants to engage and discuss ways that will improve Black/African involvement in the field of medicine. Also, present at the opening ceremony was Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Science (SHSS) who thanked the participants and organizers of the event.
In the panel discussion, Dr. Eliab Some, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Dr. Francis Ndemo, Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Science (SPHS), and Timon Mbati, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Major, discussed the power of herbal medicine in revolutionizing the field of medicine and the need to continue researching and carrying out proper documentation on herbal medicine. Additionally, it was pointed out that the rituals and initiatives by the Black/African community are not recognized, yet research that shows that herbal medicine has acted as a perfect antidote in most ailments.
Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Over the past decades, the global community has made a lot of effort in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science. Yet women and girls continue to be excluded from participating fully in science.
In order to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, and further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the United Nations General Assembly declared 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science in 2015.
In celebration of this day, we feature some of the women making a significant scientific impact in their various fields.
Dr. Edith Amuhaya, Assistant Professor, Organic Chemistry
Dr. Amuhaya’s journey as a researcher started in her third and fourth years of her undergraduate studies at the University of Nairobi. She got the opportunity to work in a research lab under the mentorship of Prof. Midiwo and Prof. Yenesew. It was during this time that she interacted with both masters and doctoral students, and gradually, her interest in research grew.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (First Class Honors), and soon after, she applied and got an admission into the PhD program in the Department of Chemistry at Louisiana State University (LSU), Baton Rouge, USA. While at LSU, she did my research work under the mentorship of Prof. Graca Vicente.
Upon graduation, she returned to Kenya, where she worked as a lecturer for two years, without doing any research. Her desire to go back to research saw her apply for a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Rhodes University, South Africa, where she worked under the mentorship of Prof. Tebello Nyokong. During her one-year stay, she not only got back to conducting research, but also learned how to supervise students and also how to manage a research lab.
Upon her return to Kenya, she continued working as a lecturer, but this time, she wrote research proposals and received research funds to conduct research. In 2017, Dr. Amuhaya joined USIU-Africa as an assistant professor of Organic Chemistry, a position she continues to hold till date. At USIU-Africa, she not only teaches chemistry courses to Bachelor of Pharmacy students, but also continues with her research activities, and has been fortunate enough to receive more research funds, which she uses to train Masters, Doctoral and Undergraduate students.
Her research focus area is in the design and synthesis of porphyrins and porphyrin-type molecules for application in Photodynamic Chemotherapy (PDT) and Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (PACT). PDT is a therapy used in treatment of cancer, while PACT is used in destruction of disease causing microorganisms like bacteria. Porphyrins and related molecules are simply dyes which have the ability to absorb light and these are collectively referred to as photosensitizers (because they are sensitive to light). Once these photosensitizers absorb light, they generate some toxic species which ultimately kill either cancer cells in PDT, or destroy microorganisms in PACT.
As a scientist, Dr. Amuhaya is passionate about the need to empower fellow women to help them not only get into science-based research and related activities, but also to stay in the programs. To this end, she makes it a point to always admit female students into her research group. Since 2017, she has trained 9 female students, which represents 56% of students in her research group.
From her research activities, Dr. Amuhaya has published several peer reviewed articles in international journals, in addition to being appointed to serve as a reviewer for a number of international journals. Recently, she was invited to serve on the Editorial board of ‘Frontiers in Chemistry’, one of the leading international journals in Chemistry. Additionally, as a way of acknowledging her contribution to Chemistry, she was also appointed as a member of the prestigious Kenya National Academy of Sciences (KNAS).
Prof. Naumih Noah, Associate Professor of Analytical/Bioanalytical Chemistry
Prof. Naumih Noah holds a Doctorate in Analytical/Bioanalytical Chemistry from the State University of New York at Binghamton, a Masters of Analytical Chemistry from the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi.
She is an Associate Professor of Analytical/Bioanalytical Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at the United States International University-Africa. She has a passion for teaching, research, and mentoring students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Her research focuses on the integration of green nanotechnology in healthcare in developing countries. Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of materials in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers (nm) and has introduced new avenues for drug delivery, biosensing and water sanitation among others. She is currently developing Nano-kits for rapid and sensitive diagnosis of Bilharzia which continues to be a burden in society especially in the developing countries like Kenya.
The nanokits are anticipated to improve the detection, timely treatment and control of bilharzia and as a result improve millions of lives across endemic countries, where the disease currently results in about 25 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) lost. In addition, she is Fabricating Nano-filters for water filtration which is aimed at providing safe drinking water to millions of people and hence contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Her research work has been published in several refereed journals and she has written several book chapters on Nanotechnology.
She is one of the 2020 Organization for Women in science for the Developing World (OWSD) Early Career Fellows. She is also a member of the Kenya Chemical Society (KCS) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC).
By Mumbi Mwangi & Sarah Mwaitete
Since 1988 the world has taken pride in celebrating the World AIDS Day (WAD) on December 1. To build up to this date, the Counseling Department partnered with the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) and WAD Committee, Durex Kenya, Standard Chartered, Aga Khan Hospital and Mr. Stanley Ngara - the King of Condoms, to organize various activities on campus from Wednesday, November 22 to Friday November, 25.
Bearing the theme “Shoulder to Shoulder as One, Take Control to End Inequality & AIDS” and with an aim of raising awareness, enhancing solidarity and igniting hope on matters HIV, the event took place at the Parking Lot B where participants engaged in color painting and various games. Additionally, through the punchline “Rock a Ribbon” got to wear a red ribbon and paint the campus red.
Participants also had a chance to undergo a free primary breast cancer screening courtesy of Aga khan Hospital, get a variety of condoms from Durex Kenya for free as well as financial advice and consultation from Standard Chartered.
Moreover, participants were encouraged to get their HIV status checked at the VCT office located in the Counseling center. More than 100 students showed up for this activity.
The event culminated in a Talent Show held at the Auditorium and hosted by our very own USIU Radio presenters, Michelle Nyaribari and Sandra Marondo who are both pursuing BA. in Journalism. Furthermore, two guest shared their testimony as persons living with HIV, which demystified some of the inaccurate perceptions surrounding the virus and giving an assurance that a positive HIV diagnosis is certainly not a death sentence: one can still live a happy, full and rewarding life surrounded by love and community.
All this was made possible by the organizing committee and the immense support from the Counseling Center, VCT Office led by Lydia Winda, VCT Counselor, Multimedia and Maintenance Departments, student volunteers among others.
The Counseling department would like to encourage the university community to take control and responsibility of their well-being and their sexual health; in fact, whenever possible, consider being a keeper of those around you by encouraging abstinence or safer sex practices in your conversations. The VCT Center is open for service throughout the semesters.
By Brenda Odhiambo
On Wednesday, December 6, USIU-Africa Online awarded 90 members of faculty with certificates for having completed their Quality Matters (QM) certifications across various modules, including Designing Your Online Course (DYOC), Improving Your Online Course (IYOC), Creating Course Alignment Maps (CCM) and Applying the Quality Matters Rubrics (APPQMR). The training is part of USIU-Africa’s efforts to ensure that faculty are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge in preparation of the launch of 17 fully-online programs next year.
In his comments, the Director, USIU-Africa Online, Dr. Philip Machoka commended the faculty for their dedication towards advancing excellence in the delivery of online learning, echoing USIU-Africa’s commitment to academic excellence.
"Your engagement in the Quality Matters training reflects your commitment to delivering a world-class online learning experience. Through the knowledge gained from this training, we will be able to deliver high-quality, learner-centric online programs aligned to USIU-Africa’s mission to provide an education that meets global standards,” he said.
Dr. Machoka’s sentiments were echoed in Prof. Munyae Mulinge’s remarks, who noted that the faculty’s participation in the Quality Matters training exemplified USIU-Africa’s commitment to transformative education, noting that such trainings were important in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in higher education, which set the university apart from its competitors.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Yaping Gao, the Vice President Member Services & Global Partnerships at Quality Matters, who spoke about the importance of quality in education. She urged the faculty to focus on the learner’s experience as they developed their programs, noting that the emphasis on developing a high-quality learning experience would have better outcomes on the students.
“I would also like to congratulate USIU-Africa for being the first and only Quality Matters member institution in Kenya, which I believe will contribute greatly to the development of a top-tier online education experience at USIU-Africa,” she noted.
The event also featured testimonials from several faculty members who had taken part in the QM training. They shared their experiences, offering firsthand insights into how the training had positively shaped their course design approaches, including how to develop courses from a learner’s perspective, and the application of the quality standards to ensure that the courses they developed corresponded to global standards.
By Ernest Andugo
USIU-Africa Online conducted training sessions in Week 6 to orient students on the University’s requirements for taking online exams. The trainings, held via Zoom were conducted from June 17-19 and were facilitated by the Head of USIU- Africa Online, Phillip Machoka. Over 500 students were taken through navigating the Learning Management System, Blackboard, the type of questions to expect in the exams and most importantly, the use of Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.
Respondus LockDown Browser is a locked browser for taking tests in an online testing environment. It prevents users from printing, copying, going to another URL, or accessing other applications during a test. If a Blackboard test requires that LockDown Browser be used, users will not be able to take the test with a standard web browser. Students may be required to use Respondus LockDown Browser with a webcam (sometimes referred to as ‘Respondus Monitor’.) which will record users during an online, non-proctored exam.
During the training session, students had an opportunity to ask questions directly or via chat. These queries were responded to in real-time by support officers in the background throughout the training. Helpdesk contacts were shared and support during the entire exam period was guaranteed. Students had an option to make a phone call or email or WhatsApp during non-office hours.
The mid semester exams were successfully taken in week 7 and all issue raised were treated on an isolated basis and resolved, where technically possible.
By Ernest Andugo
USIU-Africa Online is mandated to coordinate activities for the development of online learning at the University. Among the activities that the Department undertakes is facilitating the design, preparation and review of course materials for use in online learning in collaboration with the subject matter experts.
Between November 23 and 25, 2022, USIU-Africa Online was privileged to join the Media and Communications Department from the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts in their working retreat at the Nokras Hotel in Sagana. During the three-day retreat, the USIU-Africa Online team, took the participants through Online Course Design and Development Workflow; Quality Matters Standards and Best Practice for Online Course Design; EdTech Tools and Resources for Online Learner Engagement and Collaboration; Instructor Presence in Online Courses.
This workshop will help faculty to successfully develop courses that will improve the student’s learning experience tailor-made to achieve learning outcomes in the online environment.
By Ernest Andugo
USIU-Africa Online recently organized a 2-day workshop attended by 133 faculty members on content development for online/remote teaching and learning. This was a hands-on workshop whose main purpose was to work with faculty to develop and implement quality online courses using a new Blackboard course template. The workshop covered different aspects of online learning facilitated by faculty and a keynote address by a visiting Carnegie fellow.
Prof. Onesimus Otieno, a Carnegie Diaspora Africa Program Fellow (CADPF), gave a speech on online course quality assurance/control and best practice, where he took participants through the 8 standards of Quality Assurance of a data driven life cycle. He also spoke about different types of assessments and mentioned some of the best practices in offering quality learning.
Dr. Joshua Rumo took participants through a topic on starting online class on a high note, which was designed to equip faculty with the skills to engage learners before and during an online class. Later on, the Director, eLearning, Dr. Philip Machoka introduced the new Blackboard course template designed using best practice standards that models the recommended online course structure. It provides faculty with a straight forward starting point for online course design and a consistent framework based upon recognized quality standards. The new template enhances students’ experience by providing ease of navigation, consistent and coherent learning environment from one course to the other.
The second day of the workshop began with a presentation by Prof. Josh Maiyo on the broader perspective of course design. He explained the pedagogy in practice indicating the role of the faculty as a mentor, tutor and facilitator during the session on Online Learning Pedagogy. This was followed by a session by Dr. Juliana Namada, who took attendees through how to align learning outcomes to course content and activities. She explained some formulas used to calculate the time students need for assessment. She did a practical demo of course alignment on learning outcomes. Prof. Damary Sikalieh explained the need to design for significant learning including foundational knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring and learning how to learn. She pointed some of the challenges including student antipathy towards group work, group selection, free riders, and inequalities of student abilities.
Ms. Mary Ngure from the Library took faculty through how to access different Library resources including databases, magazines, and newspapers among other resources. She showed the faculty how to use Library OPACs and VPN. There was a practical session on development of weekly content facilitated by Dr. Philip Machoka and Dr. Ermias Terefe. Issues of copyright were also addressed during this session. In the last session, Dr. Terefe gave a short presentation on the quality assurance checklist. The session was moderated by Dr. Michael Kihara.
By Philip Machoka
Dr. Philip Machoka, Director of e-Learning, USIU-Africa Online, recently took the stage at the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Accelerate 2023 conference in Washington DC to present on "A Model for Success in e-Learning for Africa." The conference, with the theme "Creating Connections: Uniting Learners through Collaboration and Creativity”, served as a platform to showcase collaborative efforts and innovative solutions in the realm of online education.
Dr. Machoka's presentation was co-authored with Prof. Onesimus Otieno, a former Carnegie Fellow at USIU-Africa and the Lead Trainer for Online Pedagogy with the Mastercard Foundation e-Learning Initiative. Together, they highlighted a model that underscores the vital role of partnerships between various entities, including Mastercard Foundation, Arizona State University, USIU-Africa, Quality Matters, Media-Valet, the Carnegie Foundation, and nine other universities spanning Africa, the Middle East, and Central America.
This scalable model aims to build capacity in Instructional Design and Online Pedagogy, ultimately facilitating the delivery of high-quality online academic programs at the university level across the African continent. Their mission aligns perfectly with the Mastercard Foundation's Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to empower 30 million African youth with dignified and fulfilling job opportunities by the year 2030 and so far, the initiative has already touched the lives of 7 million young Africans.
The presentation was made possible through the support of the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP) and is a significant part of their roster of key events slated for 2024.
This presentation by Dr. Machoka and Prof. Otieno is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in advancing e-learning in Africa. Their work signifies a significant step towards ensuring quality education is accessible to all.
For Immediate Release
USIU-Africa outlines growth plans as five year Strategic Plan is launched
Wednesday, May 18, 2022, Nairobi, Kenya - The United States International University-Africa has outlined plans to strengthen its enrollment rates by more than 32% while diversifying the range of market-driven courses delivered as part of its institutional growth plans.
The local premier higher education institution has outlined the plans in its 2021-2026 Strategic Plan which also highlights a blueprint to secure and intensify its revenue mobilization efforts to finance its academic delivery programs while leveraging on its robust Information Technology Systems.
The execution of the Strategic Plan she disclosed will be funded at an estimated cost of Kshs 8 billion to be raised through operating revenue streams, grants and related revenue raising initiatives.
The University also aims to transition 85% of its students into the labor market through market-driven programs that meet the 21st-century industry needs. As part of its strategic plan, the institution will also triple external research funding and research productivity by 2026.
Speaking at a media engagement event, USIU-Africa Interim Vice Chancellor Prof Freida Brown confirmed that the new strategic plan had been formulated to mitigate operating risks and challenges facing higher education institutions.
“The plan seeks to address these challenges and seize the opportunities as they affect the University. It builds on the considerable successes of the previous 2015-2020 Strategic Plan and USIU-Africa’s long history of innovative and strategic investments and initiatives. The development and growth you see today is as a result of previous strategic plans that have guided us through challenging times and we have no doubt that the next strategic period will be an opportunity for growth,” she said.
The University’s strategic plan has five goals: Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Distinction in Research and Scholarship, Competitiveness in creative works, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Excellence in Service and Community Engagement and Organizational Excellence.
USIU-Africa will diversify source markets for student recruitment and increase non-KCSE enrolment to 50% by 2026 to increase student numbers. The number of international students will be maintained at 17%, while global faculty flow will increase. The University will seek to utilize world-class technologies, develop innovative practices in delivery of quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity through face-to-face, online, and blended learning and recruit highly qualified staff to equip students with diverse learning needs.
By 2026, USIU-Africa will aim to incubate 60 start-ups, accelerate 50 firms and generate innovations that generate 5% of the university’s revenue. This will be achieved through collaborations with Government, Civil Society and the Private Sector to co-create and commercialize innovations. The University will increase its public-private partnership initiatives by 10% annually and deliver quality service to internal stakeholders to achieve 80% satisfaction according to the plan. The University will mentor students for leadership and community engagement while enhancing its Corporate Social Responsibility with the industry and society.
Prof Brown added, “We want to increase the income to cost ratio from core functions by 5% in 2026 by strengthening our organizational governance, decision-making and culture, which will enable us to develop policies which will guide the sustainable use of resources.”
In research, USIU-Africa aims to exceed 160 high impact publications annually by developing strategic partnerships for multi-disciplinary and trans-country research, translate research findings into policies and practice and undertake research that resonates with local, regional and global priorities.
#ENDS#
About USIU-Africa
USIU–Africa is one of the leading private Universities in Kenya, representing over 70 nationalities undertaking 35 Undergraduate, Graduate and Doctoral programs. It is the only University in the region with dual accreditation in Kenya by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the United States of America (USA) by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). For more, visit www.usiu.ac.ke
Media contacts
Professor Freida Brown
Interim Vice Chancellor
Email: vc@usiu.ac.ke
Telephone: +254 730 116 411
Admissions Staff Samuel Irungu and Faith Mugambi engage with participants at the 14th Edition of the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) exhibition on Higher Education, Science and Technology. PHOTO: Ernest Mwanzi
By Ernest Mwanzi and Faith Mugambi
The admissions team represented the university at the annual Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) exhibition on Higher Education, Science and Technology at Mnazi Mmoja grounds in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 15-20 July. This event is part of TCU’s mandate to promote cooperation and networking among universities within and outside the United Republic of Tanzania. The team drawn from the Admission and Marketing departments used this opportunity to promote the University, publicize our core functions, drive enrollment and foster collaboration, partnerships, networks and linkages.
This event provided a good platform for students who wished to join the university as they had the chance to acquire their admissions letter at the exhibition stand. The prospective students were impressed by our presence in Tanzania as it made their enrollment much easier than they expected and gained trust as a result of our recognition by the TCU.
At our stand we had the opportunity to host the Tanzanian Minister of Education Hon. Prof. Joyce Ndalichako who was received by our Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza who used the occasion to give her a brief overview of the institution including the marking of 50 years in providing quality education. We were also honored to host the Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania, Hon. Amb. Dan Kazungu who was hosted by the Chief Admissions Officer Dr. George Lumbasi.
The week-long event was graced by Tanzania’s top government officials including the Prime Minister Hon. Kassim Majaliwa who officially opened the exhibition.
This year’s exhibition attracted universities and institutions of higher learning from Tanzania and other neighboring countries such a Kenya, Uganda and Botswana.
By John Sande
USIU-Africa sent a contingent of its sports teams for the inaugural 2023 Eastern Africa University Championships that were held at Makerere University grounds from October 6-9, 2023. The championship was organized by the Federation of Eastern Africa University Sports (FEAUS) mandated under the International University Sports Federation (FISU) to oversee university sports activity in the Eastern Zone. FISU is the global body responsible for the organization and governance of worldwide sports competitions for student-athletes. The championship attracted athletes from various sporting games including Basketball, Soccer, Lawn Tennis among others.
Basketball
Our ladies’ team, the Flames opened up their inaugural game versus Bugema university with a scorching performance. Our ladies brought their A-game, showcasing skill, teamwork, and indomitable spirit, clinching a well-deserved 46-27 win against our formidable opponents. The energy and heat on the court was electrifying as they dribbled, passed, and sunk buzzer-beater shots to triumph.
Our ladies team replicated the exceptional performance and coordination, seamlessly passing the ball and supporting one another as they took on Makerere University Business School (MUBS) (52-48), in the second game. The chemistry among the players was palpable, a true testament to the hours of hard work and practice that went into preparing for, and perfecting the game.
In overall, the Flames scorched all their opponents to emerge winners in the final standings of the women’s basketball category. The 3-pointer shots by Neema Tayai was a display of precision, every dribble by Judith Pantaleo, a demonstration of skill. The players showcased their talent, with Divine Irakoze maneuvering through defenses and Aaliyah Havyarimana sinking baskets with finesse. The hours of dedication paid off as the team executed their plays flawlessly.
The men’s basketball team, the Tigers duplicated the ladies’ performance when they clawed Makerere University 51-30, MUBS 48-19 and University of Dodoma (UDOM) 42-37, in their initial opener games. Throughout the games, determination and grit was their ally. In their ultimate game, the team faced a formidable opponent, Bugema University who on their part, were determined to declaw and tame the Tigers. It was a battle of wills, strategy, game plan and more as the two teams clashed in the finals of the basketball men’s category. Bugema University carried the day winning the Championship in the male category.
Soccer
Both the USIU-Africa Falcons and Wolves, the ladies’ and men’s soccer teams respectively had multiple matches against Makerere University. Unfortunately for both teams, their opponents overpowered them in all their respective matches and despite pouring out their passion and skill into every kick and sprint, victory eluded them.
Rugby
The USIU-Africa Rugby team, the Marshalls – was also in Kampala, Uganda and engaged in a fiercely contested match with their opponents in a battle of strength, strategy, and sheer determination. The air was charged with anticipation as both teams poured their hearts into every tackle, run, and pass. Although the final score line in some of the games did not tip in our favor, the spirit and lessons learned on the field were victories in their own right.
The 3-Day event culminated with the awarding of the best teams from the Federation of Eastern Africa University Sports (FEAUS). The overall standing is:
Basketball
Soccer
L-R: Joseph Okello, Chair and Co-Founder, Association for Family-Owned Enterprise, Antoinette Wa-Tindi, Co-Founder, Association for Family-Owned Enterprise, Prof. Margee Ensign, VC, USIU-Africa, Dr. Kevit Desai, Chair, Board of Trustees, USIU-Africa (standing), and Ms. Helen Ambasa, Director, Legal Services, USIU-Africa during the launch of the Centre for Executive Education. Photo: Crimson Communication.
By Taigu Muchiri
On May 3, 2023, USIU-Africa launched the Center for Executive Education, designed to provide an immersive and multidisciplinary learning experience in partnership with the Association for Family Business Enterprise (AFBE), the Institute of Directors (IOD) and the Doctoral Association of Eastern Africa (DAEA) in order to improve research that link academia and industry. As part of USIU-Africa’s commitment to empowering society’s leaders in the region and continent, USIU-Africa has developed a comprehensive strategy that positions it as the transformative leader in executive education.
USIU-Africa recognizes the growing demand for professional development, expertise, and resources to support the EAC's rapidly evolving business, government, and non-profit landscape. By offering an extensive range of programs and resources, USIU-Africa aims to become the ultimate destination for individuals and organizations seeking to develop their leadership skills and enhance their business acumen.
Speaking during the launch, Professor Margee Ensign, Vice-Chancellor of USIU-Africa emphasized the importance of properly preparing family businesses in order for them to remain competitive in an ever-changing business environment.
“We recognize that executives and professionals must have access to the latest knowledge and resources to drive economic growth, sustainability, poverty reduction and job creation in the region, and we are excited to equip them with the tools and expertise they need to succeed,” she asserted.
USIU-Africa’s initial focus is on family-owned businesses, which comprise a staggering 76% of all companies in the EAC and employ over 78% of the workforce. Unfortunately, less than 16% of these businesses have a solid succession plan or strong family and business governance, which is why our commitment to their success is unwavering. USIU-Africa’s executive education programs will equip these family businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive in today's global marketplace. Additional programs will focus on IT, especially data analytics, Artificial Intelligence, development and global monetary policy, and healthcare delivery.
While delivering her keynote address, Dr. Jean Meeks-Koch, CEO, Positively People, and the Interim Executive Director of the Center noted that sustaining family-owned businesses in East Africa must be prioritized.
“USIU-Africa's Center launch and strategic focus meet critical regional needs. The socio-economic landscape thrives when family-owned businesses are equipped with robust governance and continuity plans. These businesses are the foundation of a strong economic fabric, weaving together the threads of prosperity and growth for communities and the region,” she said.
The inaugural program will focus on family business owners and their families and will also quickly launch other programs that cater to executives and professionals, such as governance, leading digital transformation, and global leadership change transformation.
The United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) in partnership with German Cooperation through its implementation organization PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt) as well as AHK Delegation of German Industry and Commerce for Eastern Africa have introduced a training program aimed at enhancing pharmaceutical manufacturing in Kenya.
The objective of this educational program is to train Pharma operators by combining technical skills with theoretical knowledge about materials, processes, machine technology and other Pharmaceutical insights. While this concept has been introduced in other industries in Kenya, it is the first of its kind in the Pharmaceutical industry.
The trainees will learn the theory and the practice of manufacturing medicines like granules, syrups, creams, ointments, tablets, and capsules. The program will be implemented through the Centre of Excellence in Pharmaceutical Innovations & Analysis (CEPIA) in the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences at USIU-Africa where trainees have an opportunity to train and hone their skills in well-equipped laboratory facilities.
Speaking at a function presided over by Ministry of Health Chief Administrative Secretary Dr. Rashid Aman and German Deputy Ambassador to Kenya Mr. Thomas Wimmer, USIU-Africa Interim Vice Chancellor Prof. Freida Brown said the launch of the program provides a platform for training, Research and Development for the local pharmaceutical industry.
“At USIU-Africa, we strive to introduce market-driven solutions and collaborative learning opportunities in contemporary science, technology and management sciences to meet growing local and international market needs. The launch of this program is yet another proof point of our commitment to partner with industry players such as Dawa Life Sciences, Biodeal Laboratories Ltd., Elys Chemical Industries Ltd. and Regal Pharmaceuticals Ltd. to promote industry needs by enhancing quality in local clinical medicines development from research and development to manufacturing and commercialization,” Prof. Brown said.
The Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Rashid Aman lauded this one of a kind collaboration between industry and academia which is part of an elaborate strategy to contribute to the delivery of equitable, affordable and quality healthcare services to meet national goals and to address the current challenges facing the industry.
“According to the Kenya Pharmaceutical Industry 2020 Diagnostic Report, Kenya’s pharmaceutical industry is the largest in the Common Market for the Eastern and Southern Africa region. However, insufficient drugs are manufactured in Kenya to meet domestic needs and as a result, approximately 70 percent of locally used drugs are imported. In light of this, there is a need to boost local pharmaceutical production, enhance capacity building and in turn improve public health outcomes,” he said.
Deputy German Ambassador Thomas Wimmer, stated: "We are excited to collaborate with USIU-Africa in establishing CEPIA and officially kick-off the Dual Vocational Training of Pharmaceutical Production Specialists. This program fits perfectly in our wider development cooperation portfolio with Kenya, the East African Region and the African Union. This Centre will provide many opportunities for training and developing capacity in pharmaceutical innovations in collaboration with German partners.”
While appreciating the involvement of all partners especially the German Corporation, Pharmaceutical Industries, and individual faculty specifically Dr. Lincoln Munyendo, Director CEPIA, the Dean, Prof. Francis Ndemo, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences said: “the idea is to enable the healthcare industry to further raise its quality standards, and to enhance patient care through improved production and drug development.”
By Taigu Muchiri and Brenda Odhiambo
Following the government directive to close schools, colleges and universities, USIU-Africa made the decision to continue its core business of teaching and learning according to the University’s business continuity plan. To ensure that the process was as seamless as possible, the University partnered with Safaricom and Telkom to provide students with subsidized mobile data bundles to enhance e-learning and teaching.
Safaricom’ s offering, called the ‘Remote learning Mobile Data Bundle Subsidy’, will see students and faculty get a 10GB data bundle at a discounted cost of Ksh. 500 for a period of 30 days to enhance their access to e-learning platforms. The same data bundle costs Ksh. 1,800 in the market. In addition, students and faculty who may have challenges accessing a device will also have an option to procure one through this service on Safaricom’s e-commerce platform, Masoko.
For Telkom subscribers, the ‘Soma na Telkom Bundles’ will allow both faculty and students to purchase data bundles at a subsidized rate to access the University’s online learning platforms such as Blackboard, the library video conferencing and the Student Information System. Subscribers can purchase a 30 GB bundle at Kshs. 999, by dialing *544# on a Telkom line. The bundle is valid for 30 days in addition to providing users with a flexible, customized solution, convenient connectivity, value for money, and helps users manage their data spending.
Since the outbreak of highly infectious Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the country, institutions of higher learning have been forced to fully embrace e-learning and teaching solutions as part of the measures being taken to curb the spread of the disease through social distancing as the country closely monitors the evolving dynamics of the pandemic and its impact on the country.
“As you are aware, we have been conducting online learning and teaching over the last three weeks in a bid to complete the spring semester. This was as a result of the government’s directive to close all universities in order to stop the spread of COVID-19 after Kenya reported its first case last month”, explained Prof. Paul Zeleza, Vice Chancellor, USIU-Africa.
The Vice Chancellor however, said despite the closure of the university, learning is still going on through the use of online learning platforms such as Blackboard as a mode of instruction, Zoom as a video conferencing tool and e-books, e-journals and other e-resources from the library to ensure academic continuity and maintain quality of education.
“I am pleased that we were able to successfully complete the Spring semester online, including the end of term examinations for students. We are now in the final stages of preparing for the Summer Semester, and we look forward how best we can continue supporting our students,” he added.
Dr. Dana Basnight Brown, Associate Professor of Psychology at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences was recently named as an Associate Editor of the Memory and Cognition Journal, one of the flagship journals of the prestigious Psychonomic Society, the premier cognitive science society.
Speaking to CTW following the news, Dr. Basnight noted that the opportunity was an honour and that she was keen to take on the challenge, in addition to gaining more knowledge while fulfilling her role.
“The head of my former graduate program at the University at Albany, State University of New York noted that I was the first female alumnus from the program to hold this position. This distinction is a cause for celebration not only for myself, but the entire USIU-Africa community, who I hope will be inspired to continue boosting our research impact.
In addition to her prestigious editorial role, Dr. Basnight’ s abstract for an upcoming paper was selected for publication in the 50th anniversary edition of the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, which she hopes will increase the familiarity of those in the field with the work that she does at the University.
She has also published a paper in Nature Human Behaviour Journal, titled ‘To which world regions does the valence-dominance model of social perception apply?’, which was collaboratively written by a team of researchers around the globe. The paper sought to find out how Oosterhof and Todorov's valence-dominance model could be replicated in other contexts and countries, other than the Western regions, where the model was primarily developed and tested.
“Nature has an extremely solid reputation for publishing cutting edge work, and this paper is something that we are extremely proud of. We collected data in over 40 countries, and out of the countries from Africa that participated in the study, USIU-Africa had the distinction of collecting the most data on the continent,” she said.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Basnight is also the Director of the Centre for Cognitive and Developmental Research at USIU-Africa. Her primary research focuses on the cognitive processes surrounding human memory and language, particularly within the domain of multilingualism. She has a strong interest in cross-cultural cognitive science and issues that have a global influence. As a result, her impact globally was recognized by being the 2014 recipient of the APA International Psychology.
L-R Faith Musumba, Calvin Canza, Rita Mulei, Michelle Kimani, Samuel Sapuro and Chantalle Mukabi display the trophy they won during the Mashujaa debate held at Strathmore University. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Taigu Muchiri and Elaine W. Kiniiya
The USIU-Africa public speaking club participated in the recently concluded Mashujaa debate that was held in April and May at Strathmore University. Two students Grace Kinyua and Chantelle Mukabi (Freshman, IBA) represented USIU-Africa in the novice category of the Mashujaa leg one challenge held in April and emerged winners with Chantelle Mukabi crowned as the best speaker and Grace Kinyua coming in second.
In May, a total of four teams competed in the novice category and three teams proceeded to the grand finale. The students that proceeded to the next stage include Calvin Canza (Senior, IR), Faith Musumba (Junior, IR), Chantelle Mukabi, Samuel Sapuro (Senior, IR), Michelle Kimani (Freshman, IR) and Rita Mulei (Freshman, IR). Eunice Njagi and Grace Kinyua were the adjudicators for the session.
In the finals, Calvin Canza, and Faith Musumba won first place while Chantelle Mukabi, Samuel Sapuro came in second and Michelle Kimani and Rita Mulei came in fourth. Calvin Canza, Samuel Sapuro, Faith Musumba and Chantelle Mukabi ranked among the top ten best speakers with Calvin Ganza taking third position, Samuel Sapuro fifth, Chantelle Mukabi eighth and Faith Musumba in position nine.
Grace Kinyua and Eunice Njagi were ranked among the top five adjudicators with Grace Kinyua emerging as the best and Eunice Njagi was in third place. USIU-Africa was ranked 1st and 2nd position in the novice category and were competing against Strathmore University, Catholic University, University of Nairobi, Riara University and Daystar University.
The third leg will be held on June 21 and 22 at Strathmore. The objective of the public speaking club is to equip students with effective communication skills through debates and etiquette training.
By Shadrack Lomoywara
On Thursday, March 11, 2021, USIU-Africa received a book donation from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The Association donated a total of 72 books across topics such as Audit & Assurance, Financial Management, Financial Report, Corporate & Business Law, Performance Management and Taxation, to support the ACCA program currently being offered at the Chandaria School of Business. In addition to the donation, ACCA also pledged a cash donation of Kshs. 100,000 to support the marketing of the program.
Present at the ceremony were Linda Okwatta, ACCA’s Business Developer, Prof. Amos Njuguna from the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension, Dr. San Lio (Assistant Professor of Accounting) Shadrack Lomoywara (Senior Research Officer) Mugambi Kinoti and Talent Mngai, ACCA Brand Ambassadors.
Prof. Njuguna thanked the team for their generous donation, noting that the University was keen to work closely with the ACCA team to build visibility and benefit the students coming to pursue the program at USIU-Africa. On his end, Dr. San Lio urged the team to review the University’s accreditation status so that the International Business Administration (IBA) program students could receive more exemptions.
“We have continued to review and strengthen our programs to have a fair hybrid that inculcates the professional aspect without losing the theoretical power of an undergraduate program. We would certainly qualify for more exemptions, and I would like to see us support USIU-Africa more,” he said.
ACCA offers a broad, relevant and complete skillset for accountants and finance professionals. Because they’re trained in all key areas, ACCA accountants have a complete skillset to strengthen the finance functions they work in and deliver enhanced value. It creates professional accountants who are capable of building successful careers across all employment sectors - realizing personal career ambitions and unlocking the potential of the organizations they lead and advise.
By John Sande
Senior Sports Coordinator, Bonfas Salano (r) receives lacrosse equipment from Peter Ginnegar, Director, High-Level Performance for Kenya Lacrosse, who paid a courtesy call on him at USIU-Africa last Thursday.
In their meeting, Mr. Salano was excited the discussions have been fruitful culminating in a bountiful donation of the equipment, promising to make USIU-Africa a lacrosse hub. On his end, Mr. Ginnegar looked forward to a fruitful collaboration between the federation and the University, promising to teach, run clinics, train and watch the USIU-Africa lacrosse team grow. Photo: Spencer Muthusi
By Duncan Thumbi
USIU-Africa was selected by the Kenya National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) to participate in a national study to establish the status of drugs and substance use among university students in Kenya. This survey is focused on undergraduate students and has employed a systematic random sampling approach to select participants.
The main objective of the study is to gather information that will be used to design preventive, supportive, and management programs for alcohol and drug abuse in Kenyan universities and USIU-Africa is among the 17 universities, both public and private, selected for the countrywide study. The Institutional Research Office, together with the Counseling Center will work hand in hand with research assistants from the club to engage all the 800+ selected undergraduate students to participate in the survey.
The club will be working with 10 Research Assistants (RAs) who will be trained on data collection, research ethics, data entry and analysis by the Institutional Research Office. Led by the chairperson of the research club, Duncan Thumbi, the team of RAs include Stella Kamar, Mildred Akinyi Owiti, Kennedy Gitau Kariuki, Linet Wanjiku Mwangi, Benard Okoth Otieno, Priscillah Zoe Mung’au, Anita Mueni Ndolo, Wilkistar Ademo Vuyiya and Daniella Chege. The club appreciates the Institutional Research Office, Counseling Center, Research Club members, and students for working together towards the success of this national survey.
On February 9, 2023, the Rotaract Club of USIU-Africa hosted Kilele Health Organization in partnership with Moonshine Agency to screen ‘Conquering Cancer’, a film produced to mark the adoption of the Global Strategy to eliminate cervical cancer in 2020.
The film brought to life the stories of women who have survived cervical cancer and showcased testimonials from health care professionals who work on eliminating cervical cancer through vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV), screening and treatment. Other attendees present at the screening included the Rotaract Clubs of JKUAT, UON, KU as well as cancer survivors. Photo: Justin Kimathi.
The rubgy team at Namulyango High School. PHOTO:Courtesy
By Taigu Muchiri and Boniface Salano
The USIU-Africa rugby team visited Uganda from June 7-8 where they held a series of rugby clinics and also had an opportunity to play a friendly match with the Uganda Cranes and visited several schools marketing the institution to students who are graduating from High School this year and also took this opportunity to recruit students to join the rugby team. The delegation was led by Prof. Maina Muniafu who is the team patron and was accompanied by the rugby team and other support staff.
The Deputy Head Mistress and the games master of Namulyango High School welcomed the delegation and said that they were delighted to host USIU-Africa and invited the admissions department to visit the school and hold recruitment drives on a regular basis. The school had arranged for a mentoring session with over 200 students and rugby players who had an opportunity to listen to a brief history of USIU-Africa and the opportunities available for students who want to join the university. They also informed the students of the extra-curricular activities that students that can enroll for as they undertake their studies such as sports and club activities. They emphasized that students had an opportunity to secure scholarships if they worked hard to maintain a good Grade Point Average (GPA) and exceled in sports activities. The team mentioned that students have an opportunity to choose from two categories of sports scholarship that are available for USIU-Africa students which offer 40 percent and 65 percent tuition discount. They stressed that the main objective of these scholarships is to assist needy students who are talented in various sports pay part of their tuition costs.
Prof. Maina Muniafu thanked the leadership of Namulyango High School for welcoming USIU-Africa and said that he looks forward to forging a lasting relationship with the school in order to mentor the students as they undertake the studies. He urged the students in their final year of school to continue working hard as they prepare to sit for their final exams. George Muyombe, one of the rugby players who is also an alumnus of Namulyango had an opportunity to speak and articulated the benefits of joining USIU-Africa and playing for the rugby team.
By Wambui Cheche
On Saturday, March 16, a group of 35 Scholar Mentors and 5 members of staff visited Rev. Muhoro School for the Deaf for a mentorship session. Rev. Muhoro School for the Deaf is an integrated school located in Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri County that admits students with various hearing impairments, including deafness, hard-of-hearing, and some with multiple disabilities. The school also admits a few students without disabilities, fostering an integrated environment in which the students learn to communicate in the Kenya Sign Language alongside their peers.
In the delegation were four deaf students, who are also Mastercard Foundation Scholars at USIU-Africa, with two of them being alumni of the School. Throughout the day, the mentors engaged the students in insightful discussions covering topics crucial for their personal and academic development. With topics ranging from academic excellence to self-awareness, drug and substance abuse, career choice and gender issues, and relationships, the Scholar Mentors addressed the pressing issues that the students grapple with daily. The school had thoughtfully selected these topics, recognizing their significance in the students' lives.
The session was very successful, as it marked the first time that most of the Scholar Mentors visited a school for the Deaf and engaged with the students. It proved to be a profound learning experience that enriched their understanding and fostering empathy and inclusivity in their approach to mentorship.
The mentorship session was deemed highly successful and impactful by the school's leadership, affirming the importance of such initiatives in nurturing inclusivity in education.
Download the advert here
By CTW Team
Light for the World, in partnership with the Standard Chartered Bank seeks to onboard students with disabilities as well as those without disabilities from USIU-Africa and four Kenyan Universities (Kenyatta University, Multimedia University, Zetech University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology) to an exciting employability program whose objective is to build employability capacity in form of: career talks, mentorship, coaching, internships, job shadowing, employment opportunities and job readiness training sessions.
According to Light for the World, there are millions of people across the world living with disabilities who do not have the opportunity to earn a living, due to the lack of skills in competitive job markets. The organization therefore seeks to address these challenges by making technical and vocational training inclusive for persons with disabilities.
“As organizations working on disability and development, Light for the World noted that access to skills building is an incredibly relevant issue, particularly in East African countries where the economy is booming, and skills and education are increasingly important in addressing poverty and unemployment. Inclusive vocational training where everyone, including persons with disabilities, has equal access to education and skills seemed a necessary step to economic empowerment for marginalized groups,” they note.
The initiative is designed to benefit over 1000 students across all the degree programs offered at USIU-Africa. To register for the program and receive additional information please register here. Should you have any questions please contact Shadrack Lomoywara (slomoywara@usiu.ac.ke) or Amos Njuguna at amnjuguna@usiu.ac.ke.
By CTW and Acorn Holdings Team
USIU-Africa signed a nomination agreement with Qwetu Student Residences for the provision of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) for USIU-Africa students. This is a first of its kind agreement which will provide up to 1,200 PBSA beds across 2 properties for the university.
Qwetu provides a clean, safe, secure and conducive environment for students to excel in their studies, which will complement the university’s first-class, quality academic and research facilities.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, which also marked the official opening of 697-bed Qwetu Aberdare Heights located along USIU-Road, off Thika Road, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza noted that this partnership has come at a time when the university was planning to increase its current student accommodation options.
“USIU-Africa is proud to be associated with Qwetu Student Residences. They provide high-quality student accommodation, which complements our focus on providing students with a high-quality teaching and learning experience. This is also in line with our efforts to build mutually beneficial partnerships with various service providers, which allows us to concentrate on our core mandate. Together, we are a right fit,” he said.
The existing capacity for student accommodation in Kenya is limited with majority of higher institutions only catering to approximately 20% of their student population. In addition, Kenya is undergoing rapid urbanization with 40 million new people expected to move into urban centers in the next 30 years. This rapid urbanization combined with a large youth population is driving a massive and acute need for student accommodation that is clean, safe, conducive, amenable, and yet affordable.
The CEO of Acorn Holdings Limited, Mr. Edward Kirathe, noted that: “Universities in Kenya have been struggling with inadequate accommodation which has not kept up with the rate of student enrolment over the past 30 years. The core business of universities is to provide excellent academic and research facilities and in many parts of the world, university accommodation is now provided by the private sector. It is clear that this kind of partnership and nomination agreement is the future for the provision of student accommodation for both public and private universities across Africa. We are seeing that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for quality education and accommodation is growing in Africa, driven by the significant wave of young people finishing high school which continues to grow year on year. It is therefore our intention to continue engaging universities to adopt this type of partnership in order to quickly meet the ever-increasing need for student accommodation.”
Under this nomination agreement, USIU-Africa will refer their students to reside at Qwetu, while Qwetu will provide support for several of the university’s programs and initiatives.
PHOTO: Courtesy
By Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa and Audencia Business School have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see the two academic giants conduct joint organization of scientific, educational, and cultural seminars, conferences, symposia, and workshops.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza signed the agreement together with the Dean, Audencia Business School Christophe Germain on March 14 at the Ministry of Education headquarters during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Kenya, in the presence of French Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation Frédérique VIDAL.
The agreement, which also provides for the coordination of joint research projects, development of joint programs or double degrees, and special short-term academic programs, is expected to lead to visits and exchanges of faculty, students at the graduate level, administrative personnel, and other appropriate personnel.
Speaking during the event, USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Zeleza touted this agreement as a milestone in the new development of aggressive research in emerging areas by higher education institutions. He underlined the significance of the agreement heralding the first partnership between a French-affiliated and a private University in East Africa, adding that “This opportunity gives our students, faculty and staff and opportunity to broaden their experience and knowledge in their areas of expertise.”
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Dean Christophe Germain concurred saying, “Audencia Business School cannot be more honored to be entering into a comprehensive partnership with USIU–Africa.” He further added that Kenya is considered as the educational and economic powerhouse of East Africa, and as such it was of strategic importance for Audencia Business School to establish a comprehensive partnership with a leading private university in the region. He termed this partnership as mutually benefitting both parties, given that USIU-Africa is aligned with their values of innovation, cooperation and responsibility.
Prior to the signing ceremony, Prof Amos Njuguna, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension visited Audencia’s campus from February 26 to March 2, to find areas of collegiate collaboration between the two institutions.
At the end of the visit, the Collaborative Institute for Global Agribusiness (CIGA) - which brings together academic, corporate and scientific partners to provide multidimensional education, consulting and research for stakeholders across the global agricultural economy – was proposed as a partner to USIU-Africa’s Global Agribusiness, Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) Center. The collaboration envisages a multidimensional approach to explore, analyze, advice and train stakeholders within the agriculture sector and agri-food businesses, geared towards developing skills, imparting knowledge and developing programs for young farmers in the region.
USIU-Africa team led by Prof. Paul Zeleza looks on as the virtual signing ceremony takes place between UHCL and USIU-Africa
By Taigu Muchiri and Swabra Soud
USIU- Africa and University of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during a virtual signing ceremony meeting which was held on May 8, 2019. The MoU will focus on faculty exchange, establishment of joint institutes focusing on professional development in Africa, and student exchange programs.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Prof. Paul Zeleza reiterated the importance of partnerships to both institutions and it will enhance collaboration and enable the sharing of resources between the two institutions. The President of UHCL, Dr. Ira K. Blake mentioned that this was an exciting time for both universities and is excited to see this partnership to fruition.
Present during the signing ceremony was Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences who is looking forward to link the goals of the college of Human Sciences and Humanities at UHCL and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa. The Dean, School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts, Prof. Valerie Adema said that the two universities will to develop programs in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to enhance the capacity of students and faculty.
This partnership will enable both institutions enhance collaboration and provide international experience for their respective students. The partnership is also aimed at developing collaborations in programs where there are faculty interests in study abroad program, collaborative teaching, administrative staff exchange, and research activities.
By Sande John
It was a victorious weekend for the USIU-Africa Staff soccer team after winning three games out of the four played during the Wazee Premier League, which took place at the Kakamega School sports grounds in Kakamega over the weekend.
On Saturday, November 30, the team beat KenGen (Olkaria) 2-0 but narrowly lost 1-2 to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in the opening matches.
Additionally, on Sunday, December 1, the team joined forces against Luo Odich F.C. leading to a 2-0 defeat, they further mounted pressure on the Mambuyu Health team which occasioned a massive confusion from the team that led to two successive own goals.
By Charles Wanjala
Following the closure of the university last month in line with the government’s directive to stop the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), the University Library has continued to be at the forefront of the efforts to ensure that all learning activities on campus continue seamlessly.
USIU-Africa’s Library and Information Center prides itself on being a proactive learning, teaching and research partner run by competent and friendly staff who define all measures of the word ‘Flexible.’ As the world recedes from norms of gatherings, it was inevitable that Librarians worldwide would lead the charge in displaying an array of skills needed to keep the knowledge wheel rolling.
Therefore, the Library rolled out several measures to ensure students could get the support they needed. First of these measures was ensuring that users were familiar with the access and usage of the vast online resources remotely accessible to bona fide members. The system also supports a step-by-step video tutorial for those who may experience challenges accessing the system.
Much as the keyboard cannot replace the warmth of a handshake, we have also recorded impressive statistics on the live chat platform known as AskALibrarian. This online reference service has seen many patrons virtually interact with librarians around the clock. Students have been able to turn in their research proposals and term papers through the platform.
Subject guides that link users to specific databases, links, recommended books and career resources in a particular discipline are being developed and published to support instruction in the summer semester. Given the advent of new internet tools and the daily explosion of new knowledge, our librarians are curating this knowledge aiming to achieve instant gratification to the users. The subject guides or LibGuides as they are popularly known offer easy navigation to core information in a given discipline.
The Library has also subscribed to Cabells, a comprehensive source for journal information, evaluation metrics, and article submission details for researchers and authors. On this platform, one can explore a White List of more than 11,000 suitable qualified peer reviewed journals in which to publish one’s research.
The platform also responds to the growing number of cases exhibited through fraudulent and predatory publishers and journals. This is accomplished through a Journal Blacklist that aims to provide insights on various publishing malpractices that threaten to undermine quality research. This black list contains journal titles that are not suitable publishing outlets. A criteria is also given on how to identify predatory journals.
We have also partnered with Project MUSE, which supports its participating publishers in making scholarly content temporarily available for free on its platform. With many higher education institutions moving into an exclusively online learning environment for the foreseeable future, we hope that easy access to vetted research in the humanities and social sciences, from a variety of distinguished university presses, societies, and related not-for-profit publishers, will help to support teaching, learning, and knowledge discovery for users worldwide.
The University continues to remain dedicated to ensuring that you are equipped with all the knowledge you require as you pursue an education that will take you places.
Joy Michelle, an International Relations Senior beat a pool of over 300 candidates to emerge as the winner of the One Belt One Road International English-speaking contest.
By Dr. Quin Awuor & Ms. Moraa Joy Michelle
Moraa Joy Michelle, a student at USIU – Africa, has won the prestigious One Belt One Road International English-speaking contest award for 2020. The award was as a result of Ms. Moraa’s participation in the competitive Global Unitalks competition that took place in Hong Kong, China. Joy was shortlisted out of over 300 applicants and went head to head with other speakers and global contestants for the award. Upon her completion of her Global Unitalks International English – speaking competition journey, she was selected among the world’s top 6 English public speakers from over 1000+ young global competitors worldwide.
Speaking following her win, Ms. Moraa expressed her thrill at winning the competition, stating that her participation was based on a leap of faith.
“When I saw the Global Unitalks Competition poster doing rounds in online school groups, I decided to take a leap of faith and try it out. I was beyond thrilled when I saw that I had been shortlisted to take part in the competition and took my time to come up with speeches from the topics we had been given,” she said.
Recounting the day she was informed of her win, she recalled freezing in shock as she took in the news, saying, “I was in the middle of doing my school assignments when I got the call and quite literally froze at the reading table. I was stunned and blown away by the news and once the call ended I shared the news with my family and the house was filled with screams and cheers. It was an incredible feeling.”
Joy was also joined by 3 other public speakers from USIU – Africa, that is Ms. Lynda Muthama and Ms. Kinyua Grace, who had also been shortlisted in the initial stages of the competition and made it to the finals. Moraa explains how she and her colleagues supported each other, adding that it was teamwork that got them that far in the competition.
“We worked as a team. We supported and encouraged each other especially when we got anxious. It was a delight to have familiar faces in an online international contest.”
Ms. Moraa is a senior student pursuing International Relations with a concentration in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy and minoring in Peace and conflict studies and Gender studies. She has a passion for international law, international relations, human rights, policy making, youth advocacy, gender issues and other global matters and hopes to further her studies at Oxford University to pursue a Masters in Global Governance and Diplomacy. She is also very passionate about the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which saw her selected as a 2020 Millennium Fellow for the Millennium fellowship program under Millennium Campus Network (MCN) partnered with the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI).
By Oscar Uwimana
Between June 29 and 30, the USIU-Africa student body held their Electoral College elections on Blackboard and physically at voting booths provided at the cafeteria for students that had no access to computers. The elections were very successful and all the positions in all the 6 Schools were competitive.
The results were announced virtually on July 1 at 4:00pm by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Prof. Maina Muchara. The results were then shared with students through Blackboard. From a total of total of 28 candidates, only 17 emerged successful, with one position (Electoral College representative for Graduate students) having a tie of 69 votes for both Njuguna Ngungi and Biko Mangula. The electoral commission has organized a rerun election that will take place on Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
The elected candidates will be sworn in on Friday, July 8, 2022 at the auditorium. Below is a list of all the winners from the different schools and the number of votes obtained.
School | Elected Candidates |
School of Science and Technology | |
School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | |
School of Humanities and Social Sciences | |
School of Graduate Studies Research and Extension | |
School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts | |
Chandaria School of Business | |
By CTW Team
Eliseus Bamporineza, an International Relations student launched his debut poetry book titled Born to be human. The book, which was launched last week, explores the concepts of love, romance, dating, patriotism, politics, identity, culture, climate change and life generally in the modern era. It contains poems written from lived experiences, observations and meditation. The poems provide a genuine understanding of life, its highs and lows, and hopes that move us with aim to change hearts and minds. The book also contains poems written in praise of the spirit of humanity, and the beauty of Africa and Burundi, the author’s homeland.
Eliseus embraced poetry writing during his time at the Junior Seminary School, Petit Séminaire Saint Pie X de Muyinga in Burundi from 2011 -2017. Schooling in a French education system, he started writing and performing most of his poetry in French. He them went on to win the 2014 edition of the East African Students Essay Writing competition, and wrote a play titled Amunguranka Ni yo Mazikesha in Kirundi, his mother tongue. One of his poems “They are Citizens of the World” has been featured in a book “Try My Shoe” – a collection of poems that narrate the lives of refugees.
In his statement to CTW, he notes that he is an admirer of Léopold Sédar Senghor, a famed poet, and a lover of philosophers, including Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Arthur Schopenhauer. Eliseus dearly holds a belief that poetry is a powerful means to echo all feelings and ideas in an artistic style.
“Poetry is a weapon one can use to bring about revolution, to denounce injustices, and reverberate all those human traits that are not voiced out,” he notes, paraphrasing his poem featured in the #What Moves You? Social media campaign launched by African Leadership Academy Quad in June 2020.
Eliseus is a Tujenge Africa Foundation (TAF) alumnus and African Leadership Academy-Mastercard Foundation (ALA - MCF) scholar. Prior to joining USIU-Africa in August 2019, he attended a pre-university orientation program in July 2019 at the University of Rochester in New York. He is currently in his second year of studies, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with a concentration in Foreign Policy and Diplomacy with a minor in Philosophy.
The book is published by Christian Communication Literature, based in England, but available through its Kenyan branch, and online on its website. The book will also be made available on Amazon and on other platforms.
By CTW Team and Victor Kon Bol
Victor Bol, an International Relations student has released his first novel, Land of the Exiled, a fictional novel inspired by the history of his country, South Sudan. The plot of the novel is centered around three teachers who work hard to transform their society, highlighting themes of hope, inspirations, misdemeanors, patriotism, education, history, love, life, and prosperity.
In his comments to CTW, Victor noted that he is inspired by the stories there are to tell about South Sudan.
“South Sudan is the youngest nation in the world, and by writing this book, I had the opportunity to tell the story of my country. The book, dedicated to my grandfather, Mr. Bol YuotTong, is a memoir account from a splinter group of people whose history should be learned and appreciated. In it, I included the stories of life and how one can learn to stand straight in the difficulties, how a bad today can also represent a better tomorrow if people are willing to hope in its transformation,” he said.
“I decided to write it so as to inspire my fellow brothers and sisters that there is always a hope in an activity to believe in; it can be authorship, entrepreneurship and many others without a feeling that one cannot achieve them. It also outlays a sense that what we already know can also be retold in a way it has not been told, and that one can do many things if they believe that they can,” he added.
“I have donated five copies of this book to the USIU-Africa Library, and it is my hope that one day it will form part of the University’s course texts,” he noted.
About the author | |
Victor Bol Kon Bol is a second born in a nuclear family of eight children. He started his schooling in Thiet and later moved to Khartoum on educational purposes in the early 2005. In 2008, he transferred to East Africa, Uganda and later completed his primary school and then moved back to his country where he completed his secondary. In 2019, he got enrolled in the United States International University-Africa to pursue a degree in International Relations. He started his writing carrier in 2020 when the lockdown first moved the world. His book ‘The Land of The Exiled’ is a work of fiction that is dedicated to his late grandfather Bol YuotTong. The 242-page book is published BY Aura Books and is available in print for purchase. |
By Brenda Odhiambo
Whoopie Wanja, an Applied Computer Technology Senior, is among the 15 participants that have been nominated and are contesting selection to represent the East African region at the second edition of the Miss Career Africa competition, designed to empower young women professionals, entrepreneurs and aspiring students through the provision of university scholarships, career guidance, entrepreneurship incubation development, leadership training, and networking.
The competition is designed to feature participants between the ages of 18 and 24 with a competitive business idea, and who are holders of high school diplomas. This year’s competition has representation from 5 East African countries, with seven participants from Rwanda, three Kenyans, one Tanzanian, two Burundians, and two Ugandans. Voting for the top ten is currently ongoing on www.misscareerafrica.org and will close on October 14, after which the top ten contestants with the highest votes will represent East Africa at the finals, which will take place in Kigali on November 24.
Speaking to CTW on her nomination, Ms. Wanjiru noted that her nomination was a validation of her hard work, urging the USIU-Africa community to vote for her to proceed to the next stage of the competition.
“The process of selection for the competition was very competitive, and I was fortunate enough to be selected among the top fifteen participants. It would be an honour to fly the USIU-Africa flag on an international platform, and I would therefore urge each and every one of you to vote for me so that come November 24, USIU-Africa will have a place at the table during the finals, “she said.
During the finals, the East African finalists will rub shoulders with peers from other African regions, including four North Africans, ten West Africans, as well as participants from the Central African region.
Last year’s competition was won by Yvette Mukamwiza, who walked away with a 5,000-dollar reward, following a successful presentation to the jury.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Muchesia B. Anyika is a third year (junior) student at USIU-Africa studying International Relations, and is also a Mastercard Foundation Scholar. He was recently featured in the October issue of the Platform for Law, Justice and Society magazine. He authored an article on Kenya’s contradicting position on the recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR).
The article discusses Kenya's position on the recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and the political intrigues and interplay of political unfolding between SADR and Morocco. The Polisario Front established the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) on February 27, 1976, in Bir Lehlu, Western Sahara. Although the SADR administration now only has jurisdiction over around 20–25% of Western Sahara, which was a former Spanish colony, SADR asserts sovereignty over the whole region.
Kenya's foreign policy towards SADR and Morocco is determined by many actors, including and not limited to the Presidency. The article reflects on the conflicting statements made by President Ruto and Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Ambassador Macharia Kamau regarding Kenya's stance on the SADR. The President initially announced that Kenya had rescinded its recognition of the SADR and initiated steps to wind down the entity's presence in the country. However, Amb. Kamau later stated that Kenya's position on the SADR is fully aligned with the decision of the Organization of African Unity and the AU Charter, which calls for the unquestionable and inalienable right of a people to self-determination.
The article uses the rational actor model and bureaucratic models of decision-making to explain Kenya's position on the SADR. The rational actor model suggests that Kenya sought to maximize its available alternatives while adhering to the charters of both the AU and UN, in a bid to cement its image as a global player. The bureaucratic model, on the other hand, highlights the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in clarifying Kenya's stance and appeasing both sides of the dispute to avoid diplomatic problems.
The article concludes that Kenya's contradictory position on the recognition of the SADR serves as a lesson on the practical application of decision-making models and the role of international law in shaping state behavior. It highlights the complexity of foreign policy decision-making and the importance of aligning with international organizations' decisions while considering a state's own interests. Additionally, the article shows that the rules determine why the state acts in a particular way. Therefore, it is essential for states to re-evaluate their foreign policy decisions to ensure they align with international law while also serving their interests.
Muchesia is also a published author, who launched his debut novel, Stars Aligned in January this year. The fictional novel’s plot focuses on the experiences of Robert, the book’s protagonist as an orphan and person with disability.
Read the full article here.
By Winny Oloo
On February 22, the Placements & Careers (PACS) Department, led by Patricia Gichuki, organized a Career Clinic for students at the Nairobi Garage Pinetree Hotel. The event, co-hosted by Yusudi and Education for all Children (EFAC), featured Human Resources professionals from various organizations who mentored attending students. Topics covered included interviewing skills, CV writing, and LinkedIn. The event was attended by HR managers, senior managers, and students and alumni from different universities across the city.
The Career Clinic not only provided a platform for learning but also created a networking opportunity for the students with various employers. The standout moment was the interactive group session, where students engaged directly with HR Managers from different companies. They presented their CVs for review and received valuable insights, helping them navigate the intricacies of the hiring process and salary negotiations.
Dorcas Nderitu, a HR Manager noted that the face of recruitment has changed and fresh graduates need to put in a lot more effort to get the hiring manager’s attention. “HR professionals now rely on automated recruitment processes to handle the large number of applications efficiently. As a result, job seekers need to understand how these systems work to improve their chances of securing initial interviews. Unfortunately, many entry-level graduates in Kenya lack this crucial knowledge, leading to missed opportunities and job search frustrations,” she said.
The PACS Department organizes individual and group sessions for CV/resume critique, cover letter review, interview coaching and mock interviews for students and alumni throughout the semester. For any assistance with a job application, kindly contact careeroffice@usiu.ac.ke or book an appointment directly with a career advisor or career peer advisor using this link.
By CTW Team
20 students from USIU-Africa are set to graduate from the 2020 cohort of the Millennium Fellowship Leadership Development Program, organized by United Nations Academic Impact and Millennium Campus Network (MCN). The virtual graduation is set for Wednesday, November 18, 2020.
The United Nations Academic Impact is an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realization of United Nations goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution. This year, only 1,000 Millennium Fellows across 80 campuses were selected from a pool of over 15,000 applicants from 1,458 campuses worldwide.
The 20 students representing the university include Mikhail Ben Nyamweya (Senior, IR), who was selected as Campus Director, Tara Thiani (5th Year, Pharmacy), Ted Mitchell Apondi (Sophomore, IR), Coralie Irenge (Sophomore, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Manasseh Baraka (Senior, IR), Joy Michelle Moraa (Senior, IR), Esther Syombua Ndaka (Junior, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Osman Siyat Osman (Junior, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Joy Murugi Muriithi(Junior, IR), Muthoni Kibaara (5th Year, Pharmacy), Frida Chege (Senior, IR), Mary Wangui Kibe (Junior, IR), Michel Ushindi Lunanga (Sophomore, IBA), Esther Isack Mkilania (Sophomore, IBA), Arnold Birasa (Sophomore, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Karen Njoroge (Senior, IR), Timon Onyango (Junior, Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Rejoice Ruth David-Decker (Junior, Journalism), Prudence Wanjiru Komu (Junior, IR) and Wendy Ochola (Senior, IR).
Speaking to the CTW Team, Tara Thiani, noted that being a Millenium Fellow was an affirmation of the power of the youth to advance the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals, adding that the experience served to broaden her worldview on matters of global interest.
"I was excited to be a Millennium Fellow because it enabled me to work with a diverse group of people from all walks of earth and from diverse backgrounds. It has also enabled me to gain good leadership skills that will help me now and in the future. Working alongside other youth also allowed me to develop my social and communication skills, which will be critical in the success of my future career, “ she said.
The event will be streamed live by the United Nations, with over 1,200 people confirming their attendance. Should you wish to attend the event, click here. To learn more about the call for applications for the next cohort of scholars, click here.
The students from USIU-Africa held two interactive sessions with students from the Miyazaki Senior Commercial High School, to exchange cultures and learn more about each country. The next interactive session is scheduled for February 2021.
By Katsuji Nakamura
Students from the Japanese language (JPN 4001) class recently had the first-ever virtual cultural exchange program with students from the Miyazaki Senior Commercial High School located in Japan. The sessions saw students from the two institutions learn more about their respective countries, and for the USIU-Africa students, presented a chance to learn and practice the Japanese language.
The five students, Kena Wandia, Kelvin Chepkwony, Hannah Ketrah, Baraka Munene, and Theresa Wahu, have so far taken part in two interactive sessions, held in September and November, in which they held exchanges on some of the unique aspects of Kenya and the Miyazaki prefecture in Japan.
The second session, held on November 17 was covered by several outlets, including two TV stations, MRT and UMK, and an online platform, Yahoo Japan, one of the most visited news sites in Japan. The next session will be held in February 2021.
By Vincent Juma
USIU-Africa participated in the annual CMETrust "Walk and Dance for Education" Walk-a-thon on Saturday, December 2, which coincided with CMETrust’s 17th Anniversary. This significant event, hosted at the CMETrust Office Grounds, gathered more than 500 participants, including guests from Canada and the UK, as well as partners from various African nations and influential local leaders.
USIU-Africa received the honor of being invited as one of the exhibitors at the Walk-a-thon, due to its commitment and dedication to community development and education. The Walk-a-thon was a spirited celebration that fused education and community engagement. Individuals from diverse backgrounds converged to rally behind the noble cause of education. The event featured lively participation, featuring a dynamic walk and dance, fostering a strong sense of unity and a collective commitment to empowering communities through education.
The USIU-Africa booth served as a platform for showcasing the university’s core values, diverse programs and initiatives in regard to community engagement. The event’s attendees had the opportunity to engage deeply with USIU-Africa’s representatives, who shared in depth insights not only on the educational experience at USIU-Africa, but also on the multifaceted efforts aimed at making a positive impact. USIU-Africa received a certificate of appreciation in recognition for its participation in the event.
Looking ahead, USIU-Africa anticipates future collaborations and opportunities that allow it to continue contributing meaningfully to the noble cause of education and community development.
By Dr. Quin Awuor
The Embassy of Japan in Kenya recently celebrated their annual Japan-Kenya Cultural Exchange at the Japanese Ambassador’s Nairobi residence, and invited the University in addition to two professors from the University of Nairobi. The purpose of the invitation was two-fold: to promote cultural exchange between Kenyan universities and the Embassy, and to have a forum at which there could be an exchange of views and information on matters relating to university education, control and prevention of COVID-19.
The delegation from the USIU-Africa team was led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Amb. Ruthie Rono, who was accompanied by Dr. Katsuji Nakamura, a lecturer in Japanese Language, and Dr. Quin Awuor, the Acting Chair of the Chair Department of Languages &Literature.
Speaking during the event, Prof. Rono noted that the event was significant in the strengthening of ties between the embassy and the University.
“USIU-Africa was one of the first universities in Sub-Saharan Africa that began offering Japanese courses as early as 1994 within its department of Languages and Literature. What makes this visit even more special for us is the fact that some of the officers at the Japanese Embassy studied at USIU-Africa,” she said.
“Out of all Kenyan universities, USIU-Africa has the highest number of exchange programs with partner universities in Japan namely: Soka University, Kansai Gaidai, APU, and Yamanashi Gakuin University. Our students are drawn to studying Japanese because of their interest in anime, manga, Japanese traditional culture and technologies,” she added.
Reiterating Prof. Rono’s comments, the Japanese Ambassador, Prof. Horie noted that the Embassy was proud of its continued association with USIU-Africa, and that it would find ways to continue working together with the University.
“The Japanese Embassy gave USIU-Africa a grassroots grant that financed and equipped the current Japanese language classroom. The establishment of a Japanese club on campus has played a critical role in organizing various events and invitations of Japanese Embassy officials through the Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences to come and deliver special lectures to Japanese language classes. Further, the USIU-Africa Japanese class and club through support from the Japan Information and Culture Center has continually organized several cultural demonstrations especially during the COVID-19,” he said.
During the event, Amb. Horie and Madam Horie, showcased elements of Japanese culture such as Chado (Japanese tea ceremony), Ikebana (flower arrangement), in addition to performing Japanese English and Kiswahili songs.
In his final remarks, Amb. Horie thanked all the professors from USIU-Africa and the University of Nairobi for gracing the occasion with their presence. Similarly, Prof. Rono assured the Japanese Ambassador of USIU-Africa’s continued collaboration and partnership.
By Kevin C. Mudavadi
SIMElab’s David Lomoywara, Alumni Relations’ Kevin Mudavadi and Prof. Melissa Tully from the University of Iowa presented a paper titled Health Misinformation in Kenya at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) virtual conference held last week.
The study investigates Kenyans’ exposure and response to health misinformation that circulates on social media and chat apps (WhatsApp) to provide much-needed and nuanced data from the Global South. Specifically, it sought to find out Kenyans’ experiences with health misinformation in their everyday lives, the consequences of engaging with this content, and strategies for navigating information ecosystems.
Research suggests that Kenyans believe they encounter misinformation on social media regularly and sometimes share it with others in their networks (Chakrabarti, Rooney, & Kweon, 2018; Wasserman & Madrid-Morales, 2019). Although some attention has been paid to political misinformation in Kenya, less research has looked at other forms of misinformation that circulate online in daily lives despite the longstanding scholarship on rumors as part of African media culture (Goldstein & Rotich, 2008; Mare, 2016, 2020; Tully, 2013; Wasserman, 2017). This study looked to fill this existent gap.
Findings drawn from this study, that was conducted in early this year (January to February) among 24 Kenyan adults aged between 19 to 36 years old using in-depth interviews indicate that most participants have seen health misinformation circulating on social media, chat apps, and in mainstream media. 17 of 24 in-depth interview participants described false, misleading or confusing information regarding cancer. Participants also discussed vaccine misinformation around the HPV and Polio vaccine as being linked to numerous false information. For example, one refusing to vaccinate a child because of religious influence.
This study accentuates the role of misinformation on health decisions. Participants mentioned people making decisions based on incorrect information and how that could be harmful to their health with key insights on possible effects of misinformation about vaccines (e.g., not getting children vaccinated against Polio because of religion influence). More so, participants indicated that health misinformation can make people believe they are sick when they haven’t visited a doctor or been tested for a disease.
Although many people say they verify information, when shown a post that looked credible, many relied on cues (e.g. source) or existing beliefs instead of verification techniques. The findings of this study emphasize the need to expand research into health misinformation especially in more Global South contexts. For more information about the conference, visit: https://aejmc2020.vfairs.com/
By the Education Collaborative Team
The 2023 June Convening, held from June 13-16 brought together some 230 university executives, leaders, and industry professionals to share experiences and insights, discuss best practices, and explore strategies for enhancing higher education in Africa.
Held at Ashesi University in Berekuso, and Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra, the four-day event was the Collaborative’ s largest gathering yet, welcoming participants from 96 institutions from 17 countries.
On the theme “Consolidating Learnings: Building the Capacity of Institutions to improve African higher educational outcomes,” the 2023 June Convening marked the culmination of the pilot phase of the Education Collaborative’ s ten-year plan, which aims to transform educational outcomes for over 1 million students across Africa.
The 2023 Convening was jointly hosted by four institutions: The University of Cape Coast (Ghana), Pan Atlantic University (Nigeria), United States International University-Africa (Kenya), and Cavendish University (Uganda). The gathering also featured plenary sessions, workshops, and training programs focusing on four main tracks; Career and Employability, Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership, and Faculty Development and Research.
“This has been an exciting opportunity to connect with colleagues from other institutions who share the same mindset as we do and are excited about seeing progress on the continent,” shared Dr. Adaora Onaga, Director of the Institute of Humanities, Pan-Atlantic University. “We’ve touched on several areas, including initiatives for pushing ethical leadership in Africa, faculty development, and research, especially corruption and leadership. We’ve also talked about how we can enhance innovation and creativity in how we continue to build our respective programs. Overall, it’s always a pleasant opportunity to meet new people and engage them in our shared focus on improving education in Africa.”
The Convening featured a stakeholder symposium tailored to university leaders for insightful discussions and experience sharing, and a guest lecture by Professor Lumumba on the "Value of Pan-Africanism in Developing Leaders in African Higher Education".
“We must create an African who is educated and whose true north is the love for Africa,” he shared in his address. “The decolonization of our education system means that we must revolutionize our curriculum, starting by revamping our institutions. And I’m happy Ashesi University [and the Education Collaborative] is in that space, catalyzing the entire re-examination process. We are at a crossroads because Africa is now on the cusp of something. However, the question is where we choose to go.”
Since its inception in 2017, the Education Collaborative has impacted 195,000 students, over 400 institutions, and over 380 educators and administrators through direct engagement, mentorship, and a mix of programs and events, including the flagship June Convening, that are tailored to cater to unique needs.
“What I find most exciting about the Convening is the opportunity to share experiences in a comfortable environment,” shared Dr. Priya Iyer, Director of Development, Botho University, Botswana. “It’s the understanding that no one is perfect, and by working together we can support one another to identify gaps and learn from others’ experiences. This kind of openness and honesty makes the June Convening a valuable space for learning.”
By Brenda Odhiambo
Last month, USIU-Africa was represented by Ms. Linet Aguko, the Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa at the second Global Refugee Forum (GRF), which was held in Geneva from December 13-15, 2023.
The Forum, held every four years, brought together 4,000 delegates from 165 countries, including refugee leaders, heads of state, governments, businesses and non-profit leaders from around the world who came together to address the urgent challenges and long-term solutions needed for more than 114 million displaced people, of whom 36 million are refugees.
During the Forum, the Program Director spoke about the efforts towards ensuring inclusivity in the recruitment of Refugee Scholars in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa. The Program, now in its fourth year of implementation, has a total of 772 Scholars recruited from 27 African countries. Out of this number, 16% are refugees and displaced y*outh.
Additionally, the university, alongside other Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program partners, Ashesi University and the University of Pretoria pledged to support and facilitate access to higher education opportunities for refugees and displaced people across the African continent. As a technical partner, World University Service of Canada (WUSC) will support these institutions to increase inclusion of refugee students, elevate the voices of refugees and displaced people, and facilitate access to networking, internships, and mentorship opportunities.
The three-day forum ended with over $2.2billion pledged to improve the lives of refugees and their host communities. The Global Refugee Forum is the world’s largest international gathering on refugees designed to support the practical implementation of the objectives set out in the Global Compact on Refugees, a framework for more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing among states, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2018.
Additional reporting by UNHCR and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC).
By Esther Lihavi
Last week, the USIU-Africa Alumni Office representatives together with the Admissions Office embarked on a meaningful engagement in Tanzania, fostering connections, strengthening ties, and promoting academic opportunities for students in the region. The engagement involved attending the Tanzania Commission for Universities exhibition throughout the week. The Tanzania Commission for Universities exhibition provided a platform for USIU-Africa to showcase its academic offerings, programs, and achievements to the Tanzanian community. This exhibition allowed prospective students and their families to interact with university representatives, gain valuable insights into the diverse courses available, and learn about the unique USIU-Africa experience. The event aimed to attract talented Tanzanian students to join the institution and contribute to its diverse learning environment.
On Friday, July 21, representatives from the USIU-Africa Alumni office, Mr. Michael Kisilu and Lihavi Dainah, led by a Tanzanian Alumni, Mr. Glen Kapya, visited the Loyola High School. The Alumni representatives took the stage to inspire and motivate the students, showcasing the transformative power of USIU-Africa’s education. Professor Munyae Mulinge, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at USIU-Africa, Ms. Irene Onacha, Mr. George Lumbasi and a few others from the Admissions department were also in attendance.
A highlight of the school visit was a talk given by Prof. Munyae who engaged the students in an insightful discussion, sharing the reasons why they should consider USIU-Africa for their higher education journey. He emphasized the institution's commitment to academic excellence, cutting-edge research opportunities, and a vibrant campus life that fosters personal and professional growth. Further, Mr. Lumbasi enlightened the students on the scholarship opportunities available to study in USIU-Africa. The engagement with Loyola High School aimed to plant seeds of aspiration in the minds of young students, encouraging them to dream big and pursue their academic goals with determination and passion. The different speakers resonated with the students, igniting their curiosity about USIU-Africa and its potential to shape their futures. At the end of the visit, the students and teachers were given brochures for more information about USIU-Africa and branded gifts.
The engagement reached its pinnacle on Saturday, July 22, with a grand dinner hosted exclusively for USIU-Africa alumni in Tanzania. This networking event brought together past graduates of the university, providing them with a platform to reconnect, share experiences, and establish professional networks. During the alumni dinner, attendees had the opportunity to hear from distinguished speakers and successful alumni who have excelled in their respective fields. These success stories inspired others to strive for excellence and further reinforced the value of a USIU-Africa education in shaping successful careers and contributing positively to society.
Mr. Kris Senanu, the Chair of the University Council, gave an inspiring story of how USIU-Africa led him to success and his passion for working with USIU-Africa Alumni, stating that all the alumni he has worked with never disappoint him. Further, alumni were awarded some gifts based on different categories and achievements. To crown the dinner, there was a cake cutting of the birthdays between June and July.
Indeed, the engagement week in Tanzania was a testament to USIU-Africa's commitment to fostering meaningful relationships with its students and alumni beyond its Kenyan base. The Alumni Dinner not only facilitated networking opportunities but also reinforced the sense of belonging to the USIU-Africa community.
By ENSO Club
In a heartwarming collaboration, the Environmental Society club (ENSO) of USIU-Africa orchestrated a remarkable tree-planting event on November 13, aligning perfectly with a national holiday dedicated to this noble cause. The triumph of this meaningful initiative is a testament to the unwavering compassion and dedication exhibited by our diverse participants.
Our esteemed Vice Chancellor, Dr. Omolola E. Omole-Odubekun, graced us with her presence as a guest, embodying unwavering support from the highest echelons of leadership.
ENSO Patron Dr. Maina Muniafu, a dynamic force propelling the event, contributed not just leadership but a profound commitment to environmental stewardship. His guidance and relentless efforts significantly elevated the impact and success of this remarkable initiative. Special appreciation goes to Boniface Solano, the Senior Sports Coordinator, who collaborated closely with Dr. Muniafu. His valuable contributions in planning, active participation, and planting numerous trees added immense strength to our shared mission.
Ms. Bansari Thakkar, Vice Chair of USIU-Africa Pharmacy Students Association (UPSA) and members of UPSA, alongside our invaluable partner Equity Bank, all played pivotal roles, showcasing a shared dedication to creating a greener future. Notably, ENSO Chair Jordan Ndirangu Githire played a central role in planning and coordinating the event. His hands-on involvement, from digging to planting trees, highlighted not only organizational skills but a genuine commitment to the cause.
Equity Bank, our partner, deserves special acknowledgment for donating 2,000 trees and playing a crucial role in organizing and coordinating the entire event. Their commitment to environmental sustainability echoes our collective vision and was integral to the resounding success of the initiative.
In total, each participant contributed equally to the planting of 192 trees. We extend a warm invitation to every student willing to contribute to join ENSO in our ongoing efforts.
As the roots of our newly planted trees take hold, they symbolize not just a greener landscape but the shared commitment and compassion of every participant involved. This collaborative triumph not only marks a significant milestone but sets the stage for future initiatives.
Stay tuned for more eco-friendly initiatives from ENSO, UPSA, Equity Bank, and our allies as we continue nurturing a sustainable and greener campus. Let's cultivate a better, greener tomorrow together, fueled by equal contributions and shared commitment!
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza takes a picture with board members of AAP.PHOTO:Courtesy
By Taigu Muchiri
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza met with the Advisory Board of the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) to discuss a possible partnership between USIU-Africa and the organization. AAP seeks to promote sustainable, effective, and equitable long-term partnerships among African institutions, Michigan State University, and other international collaborators. The AAP strives to build networks across all sectors (universities, NGOs, government, and private sector) to engage with development challenges that fall within specific thematic areas which include agri-food systems, culture, health and nutrition, water, energy, and the environment, youth empowerment, and education. The mission of the AAP is to mobilize and support these partnerships in such a way that the resulting activities positively transform institutions and livelihoods in Africa.
The advisory board agreed unanimously to invite USIU-Africa as the first private university to join the AAP Consortium which currently has a membership of eight public university and Michigan State University (MSU). The AAP was established in 2016 with a donation of $20 million from MSU and raised $11 million in 2018. Upon the finalization of the partnership, USIU-Africa will be eligible to apply for AAP grants.
By Salome Asena, Virginia Thuku and Peter Kamau
Youth from Nyandarua County are set to benefit from USIU-Africa’s Global Agribusiness Management and Enterprise (GAME) Center’s projects that it is implementing at the county level. Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia held talks the Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Zeleza to discuss a possible partnership between the two institutions and forge a way forward.
Speaking during the meeting, Prof. Zeleza noted the importance of including the youth in development projects that will benefit and provide a decent source of income to the youth. He further said that both national and county governments must empower the youth to ensure that they become a demographic dividend and not a demographic disaster. He also expressed commitment by the University in enabling the partnership through the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension, other departments and the entire University community.
Governor Kimemia said the envisioned partnership will improve management, enterprise and leadership capacity of youthful agribusiness entrepreneurs across Nyandarua. “The capacity building will focus on innovation, digital literacy, market skills, efficient production and research in the agricultural sector as well as creating market linkages," he said.
Some of the initiatives that USIU-Africa is already implementing include the three-year Kenya Youth Employment Opportunities Project (KYEOP) program focusing on Nyandarua, Nakuru, Kitui, Nairobi, Machakos and Kiambu Counties which began in 2018. The Program seeks to build capacity for over 35,000 youth by enabling them take responsibilities for their lives, actions, and change their mindset to be ready for technical skill (vocational) training and entrepreneurship.
The other project that is currently under implementation is the youth entrepreneurship program in agribusiness that is targeting 1, 200 young across Kenya, including those residing in Nyandarua County.
Additionally, the Coding for Employment program will equip 1,800 youth from all over the country with skills in ICT and entrepreneurship. The project which is hosted USIU-Africa, also involves mentoring participants and linking them with other companies that will provide employment opportunities, and - for entrepreneurs - market for their services. As a result, the youth will have the tools and skills to create businesses in the digital space and employ their peers in their counties. The County government can tap into any of these projects that target the youth in various sectors.
Nyandarua County’s Deputy Governor Mrs. Cecilia Mbuthia, who was also in attendance, pledged her government’s commitment to build on the success stories emerging from the program. "We will build on the work already done by USIU-Africa to ensure seamless execution of the program,” she said.
Other areas of partnership to be explored between the University and the county government include training in monitoring and evaluation, needs-driven interventions, provision of grants and proposal development.
A technical team to explore further areas of mutual interest will be established in the next two weeks, and will produce a report that is expected to lead to the development of a Memorandum of Understanding between both parties.
Also present was Deputy Vice Chancellor - Academic & Student Affairs Prof. Amb. Ruthie Rono, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension Prof. Amos Njuguna, and County Executive Committee Member for Youth, Sports and the Arts Hon. Dominic Ngugi.
By CTW Team
In light of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the University has announced that it will carry out its 42nd Commencement ceremony virtually, in keeping with the Government’s measures to curtail the spread of the virus.
In the statement to the graduating class, the registrar noted that the University was keen to celebrate this milestone, despite the ongoing pandemic.
“We understand that many of you may feel disappointed that you have to graduate in a virtual ceremony, but this year has been particularly challenging due to the ongoing pandemic. To ensure your health and safety, as well as those of your loved ones and that of the entire University community, our commencement ceremony will be held virtually this year,” the statement said.
“The ceremony will be held on Saturday, 26 September, and all members of the graduating class have been duly notified. Should you have any concerns, feel free to reach out on registrar@usiu.ac.ke ,” it added.
Last year’s commencement ceremony saw 1,340 students graduate across various programs, and included 948 undergraduate students, 373 graduate students and 19 Doctorate students.
The University will continue to provide updates on this as more preparations are made.
By the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs
USIU-Africa will be hosting its 43rd Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Following a resolution passed by the University Senate on August 18, 2021, this year’s ceremony will be held as a physical event on campus subject to adherence to COVID-19 protocols as prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Government of Kenya.
To ensure that the event is held safely, the following health guidelines will be implemented:
The University, through the Office of the DVC-Academic and Student Affairs, will share more details on the ongoing preparations of the Commencement as they become available. Additional information on the Commencement ceremony can be found on this page: commencement-2021
USIU-Africa will host the East Africa University Women’s Games from April 6-9, with 9 distinct competitive disciplines that will run for four days. USIU-Africa will host this event for two years consecutively before moving to another East African country.
The tournament will bring together various ladies’ sports teams from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi with over 2000 students set to compete as they celebrate the International Women’s Day observed annually in March. The event will mark the second edition of the games.
By Fredrick Adika and Azenath Ateka
The USIU-Africa Library celebrates a significant milestone as they emerged victorious in the Emerald Knowledge Ambassador Program 2023. This promotional program, launched on June 19, 2023, was aimed at bolstering access, awareness, and utilization of Emerald research content, with the overarching goal of establishing Emerald Insight as the preferred academic research platform. Many countries from the region participated including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Mauritius, Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Cote D'Ivoire, and Senegal.
The eligibility criteria required participating academic institutions to have current subscription access to Emerald resources. Each institution was only allowed one knowledge ambassador group, comprising of a maximum of four students, and one librarian to offer guidance.
Under the stewardship of librarians, Azenath Ateka and Fredrick Adika, a team of four students - Justin Kirembeka, Joyce Shabene, Jovia Nakkazi, and Jaili Abdalla, participated in the program. Asked what value they saw in the participation, here is what they said:
The librarians:
“It is good to compete, but this was a great opportunity to create awareness of a rich and valuable resource”.
The students:
“We decided to participate in the competition due to our strong belief in our capabilities and encouragement and assurance of support that we received from these two librarians”.
“Our overarching goal was not just self-improvement but also to raise awareness among fellow students about the wealth of easily accessible online resources provided by Emerald publishers. By participating in the competition, we hoped to gain expertise that would empower us to guide others in making the most of these valuable educational tools”.
“I am passionate about serving the society specially through education”.
To win, communication channels needed to be diversified and these entailed, a WhatsApp group which was managed collaboratively by the librarians and the knowledge ambassadors; active participation in the Emerald Knowledge Ambassador Facebook page, and an online newsletter from Emerald. The team also actively participated in webinars organized by Emerald. To engage the university community comprehensively, the team organized training sessions which were delivered in classes and in the library. Their activities extended beyond the campus as the team visited the Kenya National Library, Buruburu branch, contributing to their community outreach initiatives. To manage all these, there were sacrifices.
Students:
“I sacrificed time for rigorous preparation and engagement in EKA, balancing academic responsibilities and my other engagements”.
“I knew that to win I needed to put in time, effort, skills, knowledge, creative and critical thinking; also, I suspended other interests and financial pursuits”.
The students, driven by a shared belief in their capabilities and fueled by the encouragement from mentors and the university, embarked on this journey with determination to prove their potential. To be assured of the win they said that they invested in ‘team work and delegation, planning meetings and schedules, strict timelines, creativity and innovation’.
Jaili Abdalla is appreciative of students' support during the competition. They of course, faced challenges like time constraint which was top on the list. It was also not easy to get students to participate, to take pictures or be in the videos they created. Sometimes they missed the first few minutes of class. In their words ‘it was hard but worthy it’. Johvie, reflecting on the intense competition, highlighted the sacrifice of time and the strategic preparation, winning not only brought a sense of accomplishment but validated their efforts and instilled confidence in every member of the winning team.
Their tireless efforts garnered a well-deserved recognition, with the USIU-Africa team emerging as the overall winner of the EKA 2023 program. The judging criteria, which assessed activities promoting the Emerald brand, stakeholder engagement initiatives, and social media presence, underscored the team's exceptional performance. As a result of their outstanding achievement, the EKA team secured total funds of GBP800, going to the students and the librarian.
They had these words for fellow students:
“Always believe in yourself and never be afraid to try”.
“I am grateful and humbled for the support and cooperation that the students gave us during the period of the competition. Continue accessing materials from Emerald”.
“Indeed, perseverance, dedication, and the pursuit of knowledge are the keys to success”.
The success of the USIU-Africa Library and Information Center in the Emerald Knowledge Ambassador Program 2023 stands as a testament to the passion, dedication, and strategic planning of the EKA team. Heartfelt congratulations to the team for not only achieving this milestone but also leaving a lasting impression.
By Ernest Mwanzi and Justus Kisilu
On Thursday, November 7, 2019 the University, led by the Management Board welcomed new members to its Board of Trustees and the University Council. The new members were taken through an orientation of the University, which consisted of an overview of USIU-Africa’s history, its Vision, Mission and Values, its organizational structures and its important statutory documents. The new members were also taken through their roles and responsibilities, as well as those of other governing bodies at the University.
The Board of Trustees is mandated to appoint members of the University Council, raise funds for the benefit of the University and appoint the University Chancellor among many other functions, while the University Council is tasked with appointing and approving the terms and conditions of service of the Vice Chancellor, approving the University’s annual budget and the supervision and administration of University assets in a manner that best promotes the purpose for which the university is established.
The new members of the Board of Trustees Included Prof. Alondra Nelson, a Professor of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study, an independent research center in Princeton, New Jersey and Dr. Thomson Frank Mpinganjira, Chief Executive Officer of the FDH Financial Holdings Group in Malawi.
The University Council’s new members included Prof. Ihron Lester Rensburg, Chairperson of the South Africa UNESCO National Commission, Administrator of Vaal University of Technology, Prof. Ben Vinson III, Provost and Executive Vice President at Case Western Reserve University in the United States of America, Prof. Salah M. Hassan, Professor of Art and Visual Studies, and Founding Director of the Institute for Comparative Modernities at Cornell University, Dr. Denise M. DeZolt, Founder of DD and Associates Consulting, LLC., Dr. Chaloka Beyani, Associate Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the London School of Economics and Political Science and Prof. Margaret Kasimatis, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Saint Mary's College of California.
By CTW Team
The summer semester kicked off with an orientation session for the new cohort of undergraduate students who have joined USIU-Africa to embark on their academic journey. To ensure a smooth transition into university life, the university organizes an engaging and comprehensive orientation program designed to familiarize students with the campus, academic policies, support services, and extracurricular opportunities.
The undergraduate student orientation, held from May 2 to May 9, 2023, provided a dynamic platform for students to connect with their peers, faculty members, and staff while acquiring essential information and resources to thrive academically, socially, and personally.
The orientation program commenced with a warm welcome from the university's administration, including the Vice-Chancellor, Deans, and key faculty members. Their speeches emphasized the institution's commitment to academic excellence, diversity, and student success. The students were encouraged to embrace the unique learning environment at USIU-Africa and make the most of the diverse opportunities available.
Throughout the orientation, students were introduced to the academic framework and requirements of their respective programs. They received guidance on course selection, academic advising, and the importance of maintaining good academic standing. Interactive workshops on effective study skills, time management, and life skills equipped students with valuable tools for their academic journey.
One of the highlights of the orientation was the campus tour, where students explored the state-of-the-art facilities, including modern classrooms, well-equipped laboratories, and an extensive library. They also discovered the vibrant student center, recreational facilities, and student support services such as counseling, career development, and health services. This firsthand experience allowed students to feel at home on campus and understand the resources available to support their personal and academic growth.
The orientation also featured interactive sessions with current students who served as brand ambassadors, sharing their experiences, tips, and insights. This peer-to-peer interaction helped incoming students gain valuable advice on managing their time, getting involved in clubs and organizations, and balancing academic and extracurricular commitments.
The orientation program culminated in the Fresher’s Bash on May 12, where students had the opportunity to showcase their talents, participate in cultural performances, and network with fellow students.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Dr. Manu Chandaria was one of the five distinguished philanthropists who were named as the recipients of the 2022 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in recognition of their extraordinary contributions toward addressing the challenges facing the world. The goal of the medal is to inspire a culture of giving by honoring innovative philanthropists and by elevating the importance and relevance of philanthropic contributions to our society.
In his remarks, he noted that for a society to truly give back, more people needed to focus on giving, instead of just being takers, adding that life became more meaningful when used in service of others.
“We must make our lives count by being useful to society. Philanthropy is more than signing cheques. It is about serving your community, working and looking after them,” he said.
Among the most prestigious honors in the field, the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy has been awarded for more than two decades, since its establishment in 2001, by the family of Carnegie institutions — more than 20 organizations in the United States and Europe founded by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. To date, more than 65 philanthropists have been honored with the medal.
Dr. Chandaria’s full address can be watched here.
Additional reporting by Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy
By Philip Machoka
The Quality Matters (QM) Connect conference of 2023, held in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, from November 5-8, proved to be a dynamic and insightful gathering. Centered around the theme of ‘Milestones, Momentum, and Innovation’, the conference provided a platform for presenters to share significant milestones, discuss strategies for building momentum, and explore innovations to elevate the educational experience and advance learner success.
Dr. Machoka, the Director of e-learning at USIU-Africa Online, was among the distinguished speakers at the event. Joining him were thought leaders such as Dr. Yaping Gao, QM VP, Member Services & Global Partnership; Eliud Chemweno, Lead, e-Learning & Innovations at the Mastercard Foundation; Ho Dang Tuong Nguyen, Deputy Director QA at Ho Chi Minh City, Open University; and Dr. Fernando Senior, QM representative to the Latin America Region. They shared valuable insights into implementing QM standards within their respective institutions/regions.
He emphasized the initiatives undertaken by USIU-Africa to implement QM standards through workshops tailored to improve online and in-person courses on the Blackboard Ultra Learning Management System (LMS). These workshops are pivotal in furthering USIU-Africa's dedication to ensuring high-quality education.
During his presentation, Dr. Machoka presented testimonials from faculty members who have undergone QM training. They shared their experiences, offering firsthand insights into how the training has positively shaped their course design approaches. The training has also influenced faculty in how they view their courses from a learner’s perspective. He detailed specific enhancements being made to meet QM standards, demonstrating USIU-Africa's unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional education. The presence of Dr. Deborah Adair, the Chief Executive Officer for Quality Matters, underscored this workshop's significance.
In conclusion, the QM Connect conference served as a nexus for sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices in quality education. The collaboration and insights gained from this event will undoubtedly contribute to the continuous improvement of online and face-to-face courses at USIU-Africa, reflecting a broader commitment to excellence in education.
By Anne Maina, Project Assistant – NIERA
Last month, United States International University – Africa’s Division of Legal Services, in partnership with Gikera & Vadgama Advocates and Galande Consultants, hosted an engaging webinar on “Data Protection & Privacy (Risk Imperatives)”. The webinar was part of the University’s larger efforts in ensuring that the campus community and our partners are apprised of topical legal and governance issues.
Moderated by USIU-Africa’s Director of Legal Services Hellen Ombima, the webinar kicked off with an introduction on the key elements of data protection and privacy and its significance both in the institutional context and personal context.
Kananu Mutea, Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution at Gikera & Vadgama Advocates expounded on the Data Protection Act framework enacted by the Kenyan government in 2019 highlighting its implications on how businesses handle personal data. She further discussed the key principles of data protection as laid out in the Act noting “the legislation plays a key role in ensuring accountability from institutions on how they ethically treat consumers’ personal data to inform their operations”.
Building on the conversation, Felix M. Mung’ara an Associate at Gikera & Vadgama Advocates, distinguished data protection and data privacy noting that the two are intertwined at any given context. He further emphasized on the need for businesses to obtain consent from data subjects prior to utilizing personal data to inform their operations. Failure to this, businesses are at risk of breaching the Data Protection Act, which imposes legal consequences and ultimately affects their operations.
Reacting to participants’ questions on matters pertaining to the responsibilities of data subjects, data processors and institutions in ensuring data protection and data privacy, the speakers explained the respective responsibilities as laid out in the Data Protection Act, noting that each party has an obligation in enhancing data protection and privacy whilst emphasizing the need for informed consent.
In addition, George Alande, Managing Partner at Galande Consultants discussed the risk imperatives in case of breach of the Data Protection Act noting the key role played by the insurance industry in providing mitigation measures in case of data breach and the turbulent time thereafter. Some of the measures include but are not limited to cyber-crime policy and conducting forensic investigations.
The insurance cover protects organizations from loss, liability and or damage against major internet-based risks related to information technology infrastructure such as cyber-attacks, Data breach or Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks that brings down networks, malware infections that spread through devices, cyber ransom losses, extortion demands made by hackers holding sensitive information they are threatening to expose to the public and or to destroy the data they are holding. Reputation protection costs (PR costs, loss and increased cost of working due to reputation damage), business email compromise resulting in sharing sensitive information and media liability associated with infringement and other content that is electronically disseminated are also covered under that policy.
Mr. Alande also pointed out that the cover does not extend to privacy liability which is considered a breach of professional duty and is adequately covered under Professional Indemnity Insurance. Further, infrastructure failure, intellectual property infringement (whether alleged and or actual), hacking by director or partner in the organization, outdated systems and or software that are not supported by the developer and dishonest and criminal acts are also not covered by said policy.
One theme that cut across the conversation was the need for data subjects to retool themselves with sufficient information pertaining to their rights and responsibilities to ensure data protection and privacy particularly in the business environment. Further, data processors and controllers have an obligation to utilize personal data obtained for legitimate purposes. This is laid out in the Data Protection Act as well as in the Constitution of Kenya.
For more of these insightful sessions, please check out the events page.
Watch the recorded webinar via YouTube here:
By Anne Maina, Project Assistant – NIERA
In a bid to continuously appraise its larger community and partners on topical legal and governance issues United States International University – Africa’s (USIU-Africa) Division of Legal Services recently hosted a webinar on “Immigration Law” on August 26, 2021 as part of the ongoing legal webinar series.
Moderated by USIU-Africa’s Director of Legal Services Hellen Ombima, the webinar sort to shed light on immigration law, specifically the key concepts of immigration law, government agencies involved and immigration issues such as varying immigration status and voting rights of immigrants.
To kick off the session, Rose Muigai an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Kenya and Supreme Court of England and Wales delved deep into the four statutes governing immigration in Kenya namely; the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Kenya citizenship and Immigration Act 2011, Kenya Immigration Regulations Act, 2012 and Kenya Citizenship and Foreign Nationals Management Act, 2011. She further highlighted Immigration department, National Legislation and the High Court as the key government bodies involved in implementing the immigration law.
Highlighting the various work permits available for immigrants, Ms. Muigai further explained the various professions that demand approvals from respective regulator bodies in addition to obtaining work permits prior to commencing work in Kenya. Such professions include but are not limited to, education, pharmaceutical industry, hospitality industry and ICT industry. Below is the list of work permits immigrants can make an application for:
• CLASS A: Mining sector
• CLASS B-Agriculture and animal sector
• CLASS C: Prescribed professions
• CLASS D: Employment
• CLASS F: Specific manufacturing
• CLASS G: Investor Visa
• CLASS I: Approved religious and charitable organizations
• CLASS K: Ordinary residents
• CLASS M: Refugees
She further noted that permits could be validated and invalidated and consequently canceled in the event of change of circumstances or failure to disclose material facts. Besides the work permits, immigrants have the option of applying for different passes depending on the nature of the circumstance at hand. These passes include; dependant pass, special pass and student pass, all of which have stipulated timelines within which they are valid.
With respect to citizenship, Ms. Muigai emphasized that immigrants with valid work permits and passes have the privilege of applying for citizenship having proved that they have continuously lived in Kenya for seven (7) years. More so, immigrants could apply for permanent residence depending on the different fronts stipulated under the Immigration Law. Notably, one can lose permanent residence and citizenship on the grounds of specified circumstances in both the Immigration Law and the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.
For more information on immigration issues, please refer to:
• Immigration Law
• The Constitution of Kenya, 2010
USIU-Africa continues to organize insightful webinars on topical issues, for more information please visit the USIU-Africa events page.
Watch the recorded webinar via YouTube here:
By Daisy Atino
On Thursday, October 5, 2023, the Registrar’s Office organized an International Student Sensitization Drive at the SHSS Rooftop from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. The event's purpose was to foster understanding, bridge cultures, and create a safe and inclusive environment for international students in Kenya.
Dr. Ruth Mwai, University Registrar, kicked off the proceedings with a warm welcome, setting the tone for an informative and engaging day.
A key focus of the event was to highlight the importance of proper documentation for international students. Representatives from various government agencies provided valuable insights. Dr. Gabriel Lubale from the Institute of Human Resource Management Kenya explained the application process for student passes, visa extensions, and alien card registration, emphasizing the need for international students to adhere to these regulations.
Regina Sururu from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office in Kasarani shed light on Kenyan laws, expectations, and the consequences that foreign students might face if they fail to comply with them. Her presentation also focused on sensitizing the students about some of the common challenges they are likely to face and how to overcome them.
In addition to informative sessions, the event included a consultative Q&A segment, allowing students to seek clarification on various topics related to immigration and legal compliance. This interactive session promoted engagement and ensured that students left with a clearer understanding of their legal rights and responsibilities, as well as the laws and expectations within Kenya.
The event ended with refreshments and a networking session, enabling students to connect and build a sense of community.
By Ernest Mwanzi
USIU-Africa’s Social Media Lab recently hosted a webinar tackling fake news on social media in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The webinar, held on Thursday, June 4, 2020, brought speakers from both the academia and industry to discuss fake news and their effects on mental health.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, various reports have shown that fake news has taken root across the world. For instance, US President, Donald Trump, has been quoted as saying that ingesting disinfectants could potentially be used to treat coronavirus. Locally, there was information widely circulating saying that the coronavirus could not survive the tropical climate, reducing our risk of contracting the virus.
Prof. Melissa Tully, Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Iowa noted that the pandemic presented a set of unique communication challenges due to the level of uncertainties revolving around health issues and thus making it easy to spread fake news.
She reiterated the dangers of spreading fake news, adding that governments should invest in practical research that can help in coming up with practical solutions to empower people not to share misinformation and how to find quality information.
“There are many ways of ignoring online information that can’t be authenticated in circulating, but we all need to take responsibility and politely advise any users, especially those in closed sites such as WhatsApp, against spreading fake news without substantiated facts. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to ensure that we use our time constructively by doing things that take our thumbs away from our smartphones, “she said.
Dr. Stephen Ndegwa, a clinical psychologist noted that fake news was like adding salt to injury, as it multiplied the anxiety that come with COVID-19.
“As social beings, when we are put in isolation, and are unable to verify any information received, it causes stress, thereby affecting our mental health even further, “he said.
Mr. Philip Ogolla, Founder, Digital Humanitarian and New Media Consultant indicated that our health workers are strained and battling fatigue and that misinformation on COVID-19 demotivates them further.
“Fake news in the country is spread by individuals who want to be first to break news, with some of them going to the extent of creating screenshots and fake quotes. I know some families affected by coronavirus who no longer go online or visit social media sites, because of the misinformation around the pandemic,” he noted.
He also underlined the need of using all digital platforms to capture testimonies that can educate and create awareness of the pandemic and to all who deliberately think they won't become victims – adding that for most Kenyans, this pandemic only becomes a reality once it hits closer home. Philip urged all to use the available credible resources, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) website, which has real time statistics and facts of the ongoing pandemic.
The Ministry of Health and WHO have been on the forefront in fighting fake news by providing platforms which people can verify any information about COVID-19. The Ministry of Health, for instance, has been active on Twitter, providing frequent updates and information on the coronavirus, while WHO has an automated WhatsApp line through which people can get information on the virus instantly and at any time. Social media companies such has Facebook and Twitter have also taken the lead in fighting this pandemic by having anchor posts on their respective platforms with verified information related to the virus.
By Lauryn Ojore
The Pan African University Debate Championship (PAUDC), held at Strathmore University in Nairobi from December 8 to 15, 2022, was a highly competitive event featuring teams from universities across the continent. Among the standout performances at the championship was that of the United States International University- Africa (USIU-A), who had three out of four teams break to the octofinals round.
The PAUDC is a forum for university students to debate and compare the current difficulties that Africa and the globe confront. It helps students to offer new and realistic solutions to these difficulties in order to mitigate them. Furthermore, the platform intends to provide a mentoring atmosphere for African international leaders. This is accomplished by encouraging critical and analytical thinking, innovation and ideation, active learning and complex problem solving, creativity and originality.
The USIU-Africa teams were made up of Fresher Awuor and Louis Gitu, Victor Mwendwa and Elsie Sirengo, Joshua Wambugu and Wanjiru Karugu, and Jeremiah Kashaka and Bienvenu Faraja. The event was also attended by three adjudicators, Lauryn Ojore, Stacy Onyango, and Samuel Kagia, with Chantelle Mukabi, a former SADS Chair, serving as one of the Central Adjudication Panel.
One of the standout performers from the USIU-Africa team was Joshua Wambugu, who was ranked as the 7th best new speaker at the tournament. This is a great achievement for Joshua as a new speaker, his performance was exceptional and he showed great potential in the debate arena. Additionally, a recent USIU-Africa alumni and former chair, Kagia Samuel, was awarded 2nd best adjudicator at the tournament. This is a testament to the quality of training and education provided by USIU-Africa in the field of debate.
Furthermore, one of the adjudicators, Stacy Onyango, served as a finals chair, showing that USIU-Africa was well represented among the tournament's leadership as well. The USIU-Africa team's performance at the Pan African University Debate Championship is a testament to the strength and competitiveness of the university's debate program. It is clear that USIU-Africa is a force to be reckoned with in the African debate scene.
The competition was won by Veritas University from Nigeria, with the team of Ayafa Tonye and Edwin Ochiedo taking home the top prize. The PAUDC continues to be a valuable platform for African university students to showcase their talents, engage in meaningful discourse, and develop the skills necessary to become leaders in their respective fields. With the strong performance of USIU-Africa teams, the Spoken Arts and Debate Society is already preparing for upcoming competitions this spring semester.
USIU-Africa film, Mad Love has won another award at the recently concluded Eldoret Film Festival. In the best Cinematography film category, USIU–Africa managed to beat the competitors and take the award home. Cinematography is one of the cardinal elements that make up a film and the cinematographer for this film is a freshman, Film Production Major, Collins Akunga.
The film, Mad Love had previously floored thirteen other film schools in Kenya to take home the Best Students’ short Film Award at the 72Hrs Film Series 2018, where it impressed a jurists comprising of renowned film makers from around the globe. The Eldoret Film festival was inaugurated in Kenya in 2018 with the aim of developing film making in the country and organizing film workshops and seminars for filmmakers, mobile screenings of Kenyan films and a film competition that culminated in an awards ceremony on December 7, 2018. The festival organized by Moi University had the theme “Kenyan Films, Kenyan Audiences”.
A class session at USIU-Africa's Incubation and Innovation Center in January 2020
By Scott Bellows
USIU-Africa's Incubation and Innovation Center (I2C) Summer semester 2020 culminated this week with entrepreneurs pitching their business venture ideas to a panel of investors. Each business in Phase 3 of incubation got to pitch for three minutes to the investors who then followed up with probing questions about venture scalability and investability. Historically, student and alumni entrepreneurs have received equity funding, debt funding, advice, linkages, and mentorship from investors. Investors and advisors present for this week's pitch included Ian Muriuki and Gideon Gitonga (Retice Technologies), Peter Nduati (Chairman, Resolution Insurance), Brian Mogeni (Co-Founder, Wowzi), and Kevin Muthoni (Senior Banker).
Throughout the semester, I2C held weekly trainings on Tuesdays, open coaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays, appointment coaching on Mondays and Wednesdays, focus groups on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and finally a guest speaker series on Thursday evenings. Guest speakers this semester included Eric Ochieng (CMO of MedLux International), Odipo G. (CEO of Judera Group), Robert Kimani (President of SEMA Toastmasters Kenya), Joram Mwinamo (CEO of SNDBX and Co-founder of Wylde International), Maurice Otieno (Executive Director of Baraza Media Labs and Ex-GM of Metta Kenya), Stephanie Kirathi (CEO of Alero Group), Angelina Ndung'u (CEO of Intel Domain, Ltd.), and Josiah Mugambi (Co-founder and COO of Qhala). Topics ranged from “Marketing and building start-ups in tune with your customer base", "how too much capital wrecked our business", "Improve your public speaking", "What it takes to succeed while being ethical as an entrepreneur in Kenya" to "Entrepreneurs’ media ecosystem in Kenya", "Women technology leaders and how to manage technology start-ups" and "Technology Start-ups for Non-Techies" respectively.
I2C provides entrepreneurship training, advisement, mentoring, investor pitching, coaching, linkages, and office space for student and alumni-run ventures. Selected business ideas are incubated for a 12-month period to develop the idea and to better position it for a successful launch and scale. Support to student and alumni entrepreneurs will launch its Fall semester 2020 programming during the second week of September with keynote speakers Sam Gichuru (CEO, NaiLab), Karin Boomsma (Founder, SIB), and John Kieti (Ashoka Foundation).
All services through I2C are free of charge for current students and alumni. Please feel free to register for the Fall semester incubation intake at the following link: https://forms.gle/hpudzLJ1s6mbXEtC8 .
By Dr. Lincoln W. Munyendo
The Bachelor of Pharmacy Class of 2020 registered for the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenya examinations to obtain a license to practice as pharmacists in Kenya, achieving a 100 percent pass rate.
Results of the exams released in the last week of November 2020 brought joy to the School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences as this was a ground breaking 100% pass on the first attempt. This is a source of great pride to the entire USIU-Africa community given the crucial nature of the pass rate for students selecting a Pharmacy degree program.
The exam is applied by the Ministry of Health for evaluation and assessment prior to Registration of Pharmacists. The professional examination for the assessment of a pharmacist has been split into two parts; Stage I and Stage II. The Stage I examination is administered before candidates proceed for a compulsory one-year internship program.
The Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Science, Dr. Francis Ndemo offered his congratulations to the students, noting that they had made one important step towards becoming professionals in the field of Pharmacy.
“This year, you went down in history, by virtue of being our first ever graduates from the Bachelor of Pharmacy program. As you go out there, I want to urge each and every one of you to apply the knowledge and the principles that you have learnt at the University, and use them to bolster your colleagues in the field, as we seek solutions to some of the world’s pressing problems in healthcare,” he said.
All graduates who sat the exams shall now proceed to internship then enroll the Stage II examination after the successful completion of internship. Upon successful completion of both stages of evaluation and assessment, the graduates will qualify to apply to be considered for registration as a pharmacist in Kenya and be licensed to practice.
By Diana Meso
13 undergraduate student leaders successfully graduated from the 2019 cohort of the Millennium Fellowship Leadership Development Program, organized by United Nations Academic Impact and Millennium Campus Network (MCN).
The program is aimed at providing student leaders with training, connections, and recognition to positively impact the lives of various communities in their countries, through advancing every Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and every United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Principle specifically SDG 4: Quality education and UNAI Principle 3: Education for all respectively. The training also offered a platform for the students to localize the SDGs and strengthen communities.
Beryl Achieng (IR), Daisy Vuyanzi (IR), Eric Munene(APT), Hannah Wasidiwa (IR), Joanne Achieng (Psychology), Omar Abdulwadood (IBA), Hudson Amenya (JournalIsim),Robert Rapuro (APT), Sandra Joan (Psychology), Sherly Njenga (Pharmacy), Mohammad Abdulhakim (Finance), Cassandar Magero (Psychology) and Ilham Abdikadir (IR) were among over 1000 students from various universities (five in Kenya) across the world who participated in the semester-long program.
Through this program, the 2019 Cohort developed projects that are set to positively impact the lives of close to a million people in 16 Nations this year.
The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) is an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realization of United Nations goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution
Millennium Campus Network (MCN), Inc., is a global student network advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. MCN programs convene, challenge, and celebrate student leadership for social impact.
For more information on Millennium Fellows click here
By Nirali Patel
On April 2, 2022, USIU-Africa hosted a Capture the Flag (CTF) competition in partnership with eKRAAL, Sentinel Africa and Lunna. The competition consists of a series of challenges that vary in their degree of difficulty, and that require participants to exercise and solve different skill sets in cybersecurity. Once an individual challenge is solved, a “flag” is given to the player and they submit this flag to the CTF server to earn points. The competition revolved around four main categories of Information Technology: Cryptography, Steganography, Blockchain and Reverse Engineering.
A total of 20 universities and colleges from Kenya participated in this year’s competition. They included Africa Nazarene University, Co-operative University, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, University of Nairobi, Institute of Software Technologies, KCA University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenyatta University, Meru University, Moringa School, Mount Kenya University, Pan African Christian University, Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology, St. Paul’s University, Strathmore University, Technical University of Kenya, East Africa University, Kabianga University, Zetech University and the host, United States International University-Africa.
A total of 195 participants registered for the event, with a total of 51 groups competed for the winning title.
The sponsors for the event were:
The CTF modules and challenges were created by eKRAAL whereas Lunna and Sentinel Africa sponsored the prizes for the winning teams.
The winning team bagged a trophy, gift bags and learning vouchers worth Ksh. 240,000 (Ksh. 80,000 for each team member) for courses offered by Sentinel Africa. Members from 1st runners up and 2nd runners up teams got gift bags from Lunna.
Apart from the members participating in the competition, we also had students who attended the event to observe and learn how the challenges are solved. They also had some training on Application Programming Interface (API) literacy from Kelvin Ndemo, who is a front end software engineer at Twiga foods and also the current president of the IT club at USIU-Africa.
CTFs held in USIU-Africa are part of the hackathon that the IT club organizes. The IT club plans to make this event an annual thing by engaging more students from USIU-Africa that are planning their careers in the cybersecurity field.
Recently, the Spoken Arts and Debate Society made its debut at the annual Pan African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC) which was held online. The Championship brought together participants from various African countries who took part in the week-long virtual event. USIU-Africa was represented by the SADS Debate team, led by Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Chair) and Kagia Samuel (SADS Vice-Chair). The four debate teams included: Chantelle Mukabi & Kagia Samuel, Jeremiah Kashaka & Bienvenu Faraja, Louis Gitu & Chut Giet, and Shalom Kimani & Fresher Diana. In addition to competing, the Society was also able to field some of its members to take part in the adjudication of the event. They included Stecy Atieno Onyango (SADS PR Officer), Faith Nekoye Musumba (Former Public Speaking Vice-Chair) and Lucy Njeri Irungu (Former Public Speaking Member).
After several preliminary rounds against the crème de la crème of the continental debate world, USIU-Africa had two teams breaking to the octo-finals: Chantelle Mukabi & Kagia Samuel, and Jeremiah Kashaka & Bienvenue Faraja, with Chantelle Mukabi & Kagia Samuel advancing further to the quarter-finals.
Chantelle Mukabi garnered two awards from the Championship, Best Regional Speaker of East Africa and Best Speaker of Kenya. Additionally, the PAUDC Council nominated Chantelle Mukabi and Kagia Samuel to take up executive positions in the Council, with Chantelle Mukabi securing the role of Director of Recruitment for East Africa and Kagia Samuel securing the role of Director of Sponsorship & Funding for the Council. This is the first time Kenya has gone beyond voting representation and secured Executive positions in the PAUDC Council.
SADS continues to show its resilience and adaptability by seeing the pandemic as an opportunity and not an obstacle in our continued growth. Taking part in this prestigious event was a dream come true for the SADS debaters and adjudicators and their performance was exemplary. SADS will be participating in PAUDC 2021, which will be held physically in Botswana. The Society also plans to participate in the Worlds Universities Debate Championship (WUDC), which will be held virtually in Korea this year, and in the 2022 edition, which will be held at a physical event in Belgrade.
To register as a member, contact us at sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke
The Counseling Center invites you for yet another VCT week, which happens every Summer semester.
We invite you to:
Please remember all these SERVICES are offered at the Counseling Center, Freida Brown Student Center, from 9.00am to 5.00pm every week day. They are FREE of charge, and they are also confidential and premium.
In addition, we will host a webinar – ‘Let’s talk about Power, Sex & Safety’ - that seeks to address issues of sex and gender power relations; safeguarding ones gift of sex and exploring young people’s perspectives on the future of relationships. This is scheduled for Friday, July 30, 2021 from 3.00pm to 5.00pm on Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://usiu-ac-ke.zoom.us/j/91879909213
Meeting ID: 918 7990 9213
Password: VCTWK2021
Panelists and titles:
We have invited subject matter experts including, psychologists, marriage & family therapists, sexual health specialists and others.
Do not miss, and All are welcome!
Members of the Management Board during the strategic planning meeting held at Maanzoni. The meeting was first in a series of workshops to design the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan.
By John Sande
Last Friday, February 14, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul T. Zeleza led the Management Board members and a team of selected individuals from across the university community in laying the way forward towards the formulation of the USIU-Africa Strategic Plan for the period 2020-2025.
Speaking to the Design Team during his keynote address titled ’Re-Envisioning USIU-Africa’s Brilliant Future,’ he emphasized the need to have a robust strategic plan built on the success and lessons learned from the current strategic plan. “The new strategic plan is critical for the future development of the University over the next five years into the future,” he said.
Prof. Zeleza also highlighted some of the issues in higher education that had a big impact on it, such as change in student demographics, increased financial pressures, escalating competition, digital disruptions, governance challenges, and accountability demands. “The strategic planning process offers the University the opportunity to collectively review its past, reckon with its present, and reimagine its future,” he added.
Projected to run over the next nine months, the strategic planning process will entail collating information and data from all stakeholders, and engaging in serious reflection on shared institutional values and aspirations. This will be dictated in the context of the prevailing and emerging challenges and opportunities in higher education sector, national, regional and international political, economic and social trends.
Acknowledging the process will require a lot of hard work and reflections, Prof. Zeleza assured the Design Team of the unfaltering support from the entire breadth of the university leadership, who are committed to working together towards the successful development of a new and robust strategic plan built on the success and lessons learned from the current strategic plan. Upon its completion, the submission of the final draft of the Strategic Plan 2020-2025 will be submitted for review and approval to the University’s Board of Trustees and the University Council in November 2020.
“It is my desire and hope that the entire strategic planning process be a transparent, collaborative, inclusive, and participatory process in which all the institutional stakeholders share their experiences, perspectives, and views and own both the process and outcome,” concluded Prof. Zeleza.
Other facilitators during the 2-day retreat at the Maanzoni Lodge in Machakos County, included Prof. Fred Newa, Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dr. Judy Obura, Dr. Edith Amuhaya and Ms. Sharon Lang’at.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza registers his biometric information in readiness for the new biometric security system that will be rolled out all across campus. The system will go live on Monday, 3 February 2020 from 8 am.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza became the first person on campus to register for the new biometrics system that is being implemented as part of the measures to improve on-campus security. This follows the installation of two turnstiles and an extra walkthrough scanning machine at the main gate.
Registration started on Tuesday, 21 January is currently ongoing at the University Library lobby every weekday from 8 am to 7 pm until 5 pm on Friday 31 January, 2020. Registration will also be open from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday, 25 January as the project team performs some dry runs on the system.
The system will go live on Monday, 3 February 2020 from 8 am. Additional training on how to raise our security levels both on and off campus will also be carried out in due course.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza was recently part of a webinar hosted by Howard University’s Centre for African Studies in partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US-based policy research organization. The discussion focused on partnerships between African universities and their counterparts in the United States, and the ways in which these partnerships could be expanded for mutual benefit.
Speaking at the event, Judd Devermont, the Africa Program Director at CSIS noted that educational partnerships have been the cornerstone of US relationships with the African continent, further stating that these partnerships also enriched the cultures of the countries involved, while deepening ties between African and United States citizens.
“Since 1950, the US has welcomed about 1.6 million African citizens to various colleges and universities. In 2019 alone, African students are estimated to have contributed $1.7 billion to the US economy. These partnerships have also shaped many African leaders, with about 20% of current African leaders having studied in the United States,” he said.
“American and African institutions are prioritizing cultural exchanges, public-private collaboration, and strengthened university partnerships. There are growing opportunities for expanding international campuses, conducting joint research, and developing e-learning platforms with U.S. and African universities,” he added.
In his remarks, Prof. Zeleza noted that these partnerships between institutions of higher learning were important as they presented a chance for African universities to scale up the reach of their knowledge and creativity.
“Academic collaborations and partnerships between African and American Universities are necessary as they present an opportunity for African institutions to scale up the enormous creativity that they possess. Higher education on the African continent, however, suffers from a shortage of funding, research productivity, poor governance, diversity and inclusion issues, among other challenges, which make it necessary to have increased support for the higher education sector from various stakeholders, including the private sector and the government,” he said.
This sentiment was reiterated by the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Tawana Kupe, who noted that it would be possible to develop mutually beneficial co-equal programs, depending on the United States’ resources.
“These programs could be taught in hybrid mode, and must include staff and students moving between US universities. In doing so, we disrupt many stereotypes and histories that hinder the notion that knowledge knows no borders and boundaries, and that scholarship is genuinely global, with ‘global’ not just [referring to] Europe and North America, but the rest of the world connected by transformative and impactful knowledge,” he said.
You can watch the full webinar here.
By IUCEA Team
The Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) held its 12th Annual Meeting and Conference from the 29-30 July, 2021 at USIU-Africa and virtually. The theme of the conference ‘Competency-Based Education: Implications on the future of Higher Education in the EAC’ brought together regional stakeholders in education, policy makers, university administrators to start discussions and generate policy recommendations to shape the future of higher education in the region.
Growing disruptions and new developments in higher education have prompted collaborated efforts in order to navigate the growing challenges and provide long-lasting solutions. Technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and augmented virtual reality coupled with alternative models of higher education, championed by technology firms, has emphasised the need to re-think the traditional model of teaching and learning.
Speaking at the conference, Hon. Ken Obura, the Chief Administrative Secretary who represented the Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of EAC and Regional Development in the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Adan Mohamed, asked IUCEA to take a lead in reforming higher education and guide policy direction to produce graduates with requisite skills for socio-economic transformation of the region. “I challenge higher education institutions not to be victims of change but to also impact change by producing graduates that are flexible and proactive in their response to changing times. This is the only they will create impact in our economies,” Hon. Mohamed said.
Mr. Stephen Niyonzima, the Director Social and Productive Sectors who represented Hon. Dr. Peter Mathuki underscored the relevance of collaborative research among universities in EAC to address socio-economic challenges in the region. “I encourage IUCEA to bring our scientists together and establish regional research hubs or networks for the purpose of undertaking collaborative research targeting problems that beset the region,” Dr. Mathuki said. “There is need to constantly review and adapt education curricula to remain in tandem with the current development agenda of the region, needs and trends in the society and labour market,” he added.
IUCEA Executive Secretary, Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona reiterated IUCEA’s commitment to be a champion of reforms needed to refocus higher education curriculum to meet the needs of the labour market by producing graduates that solve socio-economic challenges. “The emergence of new technologies has drastically changed the education landscape and put emphasis on skills in the production sector, which requires graduates with competencies that match the industry demands,” Prof. Banyankimbona said, noting that universities globally were facing competition from technology driven platforms such as EdX, Coursera, and other similar platforms points as alternative forms of education.
By the CTW Team
The Spring (January) 2020 Undergraduate orientation was held at the beginning of the semester. The weeklong interactive session held at our auditorium and incoming freshmen were taken through the basics of what they will require to excel at USIU-Africa. Below are some highlights from the sessions:
By Leslie Kashando
Freshmen bash is not only a welcome party for now students but also an opportunity for continuing students to meet their juniors and introduce them to the different extracurricular activities that the university offers. For me, it is a chance to continuously enjoy an event COVID-19 stopped me from enjoying.
Continuing students successfully created an environment that encouraged socialization, breaking the ice among freshmen and promoting a sense of belonging. I hope we did well enough to inspire the new students to involve themselves into organizing an even better freshmen bash for future students.
One commendable aspect of the event was the variety of inclusive activities offered. From icebreaker games to dance-offs, continuing students ensured there was something for everyone. I was more than impressed by how outgoing and talented some of the freshmen were. It was fun to watch them party and have a good time. It was refreshing to exchange with freshmen while they were signing up for clubs and sports, they brought with them a kind of enthusiasm that made me feel like I was one of them, not an aging senior.
The freshmen bash proved to be a success, achieving its goal of creating a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for new students. The organizing committee's attention to detail, diverse activities, and commitment was commendable and the food was great. I look forward to seeing how the new students navigate through their years at USIU-Africa and I hope they enjoy their time here as much as I do.
By Lydia Winda
The COVID-19 virus has shaken the whole world and shifted the focus of everybody, putting the world in a position where people can easily turn a blind eye to other equally fatal diseases like cancers, communicable diseases, HIV & AIDS among others. January is world cervical cancer awareness month and as such, it is important to note that cervical cancer is still here with us.
Cervical cancer is a type of reproductive health cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix — the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It is the fourth most common cancer in women ranking after breast cancer (2.1 million cases), colorectal cancer (0.8 million) and lung cancer (0.7 million). In 2018 alone, approximately 570 000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 311 000 women died from the disease which is quite on the higher side. Moreover, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer-related death in women in Eastern, Western, middle, and Southern Africa. Specialists state that 75% of cervical cancers are preventable through cervical cancer screening that leads to early diagnosis. Further, 9 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every day, 2 women lose their lives to the disease every day and most cases of cervical cancer are at ages under 50 years old (The Lancet Global Health). Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which is a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI).
Causes and Risk factors of Cervical Cancer
Early onset symptoms
In the early stages, one might not experience any symptoms at all hence the need for women to go for annual pap smear and pelvic tests. Note that pap smear is a preventive test that indicates any change in the cells of the cervix. These are the initial symptoms that can be identified in a woman who has cervical cancer.
Late stage symptoms
These symptoms are likely to appear if cervical cancer spreads to the neighboring tissues;
Note that like any other cancer, cervical cancer patients may experience general wear and tear and degradation. As the disease progresses, one further loses more weight and becomes easily fatigued. Cancerous, pathologies are known as ’consumer diseases‘. This means that they use many elements of your body to continue growing and damaging. Note that one does not necessarily experience all the symptoms listed above.
Prevention and treatment of cervical cancer
Cervical cancer if diagnosed early is one of the many cancers that has the most successful recovery stories compared to other types of cancers as long as there is early detection and it is managed effectively. Cancers diagnosed in late stages can also be controlled with the right treatment and palliative care. Act now, do not wait until it is too late.
Lamech Bogonko talks to a patient about pain management.Photo:Ernest Mwanzi
By Ernest Mwanzi and Dr. Tasneem Yamani
Physiotherapy is a science-based profession and takes a ‘whole person’ approach to health and wellbeing, which includes the patient’s general lifestyle. It helps in reducing or eliminating pain through therapeutic exercises and manual therapy techniques such as joint and soft tissue mobilization or treatments such as ultrasound, taping or electrical stimulation. As a result, it helps to eliminate pain or heal from an injury.
Physiotherapists use their knowledge and skills to improve a range of conditions associated with different systems of the body, such as neurological (stroke, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s), neuromusculoskeletal (back pain, whiplash associated disorder, sports injuries, arthritis), cardiovascular (chronic heart disease, rehabilitation after heart attack) and respiratory (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis).
Patients who experience joint related pain such as having trouble standing, walking or moving, regardless of age can benefit immensely from physical therapy through stretching and strengthening exercises that help restore mobility. Physiotherapy is also used to help recover from stroke, assist in diabetes management. It’s very common to lose some degree of function and movement after stroke and physical therapy helps to strengthen weakened parts of the body and improve gait and balance. Physical therapists can also improve patients’ ability to transfer and move around in bed so that they can be more independent around the home, and reduce the burden of daily care.
Physiotherapy has known benefits that can be incorporated as part of management of diabetes to effectively control blood sugar. Additionally, people with diabetes may have problems with sensation in their legs and therapy can help provide and educate patients on proper foot care to prevent further injuries.
For women with concerns, such as with pregnancy and post-partum care, physiotherapists can provide specialized treatment for bowel incontinence, breast cancer, constipation, fibromyalgia, lymphedema, pelvic pain, and urinary incontinence.
Other specialized needs for physiotherapy include improper and poor posture especially at the work place due to prolonged use of a computer keyboard and/or mouse which can lead to frequent muscle aches and nerve pain. To relieve pressure on the lower back, patients are advised to use a chair with back support and keep their feet supported on the floor or on a footrest. It is also advised to maintain elbows at 100 to 110 degrees when working in order to keep a relaxed position at the keyboard. This could require a slight negative tilt (front of keyboard higher than back) when working in upright positions.
To manage poor posture, it’s advised to always take breaks away from the desk and include stretches for optimal results. If possible, take a one or two-minute break every 15 to 20 minutes, or a five-minute break every hour. Every few hours, get up, move around, and do an alternative activity. Aerobic exercise helps to sustain strength, improve cardiovascular conditioning, and counteract the strain of sedentary computer use.
It is for these reasons that the University Health Center organized a Physiotherapy Camp to assist employees on issues related to activity induced pain and back pain among others. The Health Center contracted the services of Lamech Bogonko who is an experienced Clinician with 8 years’ experience as a physiotherapist and is the team physiotherapist for the Kenya national rugby sevens team.
USIU-Africa students with Ambassador and Deputy Ambassador at the Embassy of Kenya in China
By Wanjiku Mbugua
The Windows to the World program visited China in April as a part of their Chinese studies. The 18 students were accompanied by their lecturer Wanjiku Mbugua who teaches Chinese Language in the department of languages and literature. The Windows to the World program aims to provide students with an experience of cultural diversity in order to enrich their university education. It is organized once in a year and students visit the countries of origin of the foreign languages that are taught in the university to learn and have hands-on experience of the culture, communication, social system, infrastructure, technologies and customs of the people.
During the visit, the group paid a courtesy call to the Embassy of Kenya in Beijing; China where they were received by several representatives. The group later visited Shaanxi, Jinan and Shanghai where they visited four different cities which included Xian, Shadong, Qufu and Pudong. The students also had an opportunity to tour famous historical sites such as the Forbidden City, Great Wall of China, Tian’an Men Square, Bell tower square, Terracotta warriors Museum, Shaanxi provincial museum, Baotu Springs, Thousand Buddhas Mountain, Confucius Temple, Confucius Family Mansion and Confucius Family Cemetery. The tour also included a visit to Shandong Normal University.
The trip was not only an eye opener to the participants but also an opportunity to be able to use the language skills they have acquired during their learning sessions. Learning another language has known benefits in that it prepares students to meet future trends, and also equipping them with the necessary tools and value-added skills to meet the job market demands.
By Fredrick Adika
On March 21, the auditorium of USIU-Africa witnessed history in the making as it transformed into a vibrant haven of literary expression and artistic flair to celebrate the inaugural World Poetry Day. Students from USIU-Africa, PAC University, and Thika Road Christian High School congregated for this momentous occasion, marking the first-ever World Poetry Day celebration held at the university. The event was a testament to the power of words and the richness of cultural diversity, showcasing the boundless creativity of the participants.
The morning commenced with an atmosphere brimming with anticipation and excitement. As guests settled into their seats, the stage was set for an unforgettable journey through the realms of poetry and spoken word. Students from each institution took turns at the microphone, weaving tales of love, loss, hope, and resilience through their carefully crafted verses. From poignant narratives exploring societal issues to whimsical rhymes invoking laughter, each performance offered a unique glimpse into the innermost thoughts and emotions of the poets.
The diversity of voices and perspectives showcased during the event was truly remarkable. Whether it was a heartfelt ode to motherhood, a soul-stirring reflection on identity, or a powerful call to action for social change, every piece resonated with authenticity and depth.
Adding to the ambiance of the day were the captivating performances by the USIU-Africa music band and dance team. Their energetic renditions infused the event with an extra layer of dynamism, captivating the audience and enhancing the overall experience.
One of the highlights of the celebration was the collaborative poetry sessions, where students from different institutions joined forces to create impromptu verses on various themes. This collaborative spirit fostered a sense of camaraderie and unity, transcending barriers and forging connections through the shared language of poetry.
As the event drew to a close, there was a palpable sense of fulfillment and satisfaction lingering in the air. The World Poetry celebration had not only provided a platform for students to showcase their talents but had also served as a celebration of the inherent beauty and power of poetry to inspire, provoke thought, and foster empathy.
In a world often characterized by division and discord, events like the World Poetry Day celebration remind us of the importance of fostering creativity, understanding, and mutual respect. Through the medium of poetry, students were able to transcend boundaries, celebrate diversity, and unite in a shared appreciation for the written and spoken word.
At the end of the event, the participants carried with them memories of a day filled with laughter, tears, and moments of profound insight. The echoes of their verses lingered long after the final applause had faded, serving as a reminder of the enduring impact of poetry in shaping hearts and minds.
Moreover, the participants were duly rewarded for their exceptional performances, with the first three winners receiving trophies as tokens of recognition for their outstanding contributions to the event.
The World Poetry Day celebration at USIU-Africa was not only a celebration of talent but also a celebration of humanity itself, reminding us of the transformative power of words to inspire, heal, and unite us all.
We continue to celebrate USIU-Africa poets!
By Sebit J. Lavirick
The World Youth Alliance (WYA) club at USIU-Africa, in collaboration with the World Youth Alliance Africa Regional Office organized a conference held on November 21 and 22. The conference tackled the theme ‘Foreign Aid and Coercive Practices: African Youth Perspective on Donor Funding and Ideology’ and brought together young minds, seasoned professionals, and experts to explore the complex dynamics surrounding foreign aid and its impact on African nations.
The first day kicked off with a presentation from Mr. Nyingi Wahome, WYA-Africa Regional Advocacy Fellow who introduced the session and set the stage for enlightening discussions. Dr. Hemes Wanjiku, NASCOP-AYP Program Manager, took the stage for a plenary session on ‘Financial Aid as a Tool for Change’. Dr. Wanjiku's insights delved into the transformative potential of financial aid when directed towards youth-driven initiatives, emphasizing sustainable change.
The event then transitioned to an online plenary session led by Mislav Barisic, WYA Director of Advocacy, focusing on ‘Tackling Foreign Aid and Coercive Practices White Paper’. The discussion zeroed in on China and India, analyzing their roles in foreign aid and the potential coercive practices that may accompany such assistance. The session also had a discussion on ‘Foreign Aid as a Tool to Promote Ideology’, exploring the link between donor funding and reproductive health which was presented by Mr. Richard Kakeeto, KCDF Life Committee Convener.
The day concluded with group discussions centered on leadership training on advocacy strategies, reporting, relationship building, partnerships, and exploring youth impact on donor funding and ideology through homegrown solutions.
The second day commenced with a plenary session examining the connection between corruption in Africa and coercive practices. A case study on the financing of research and government officials in African countries shed light on the intricate web of corruption that can accompany foreign aid.
Ms. Joy Maina, WYA Africa Regional staff, took the stage to discuss WYA program implementation, specifically the Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC) and the FEMM program. Her presentation highlighted the tangible impact of these programs in empowering youth. The spotlight then shifted to a plenary session on ‘National Debt as a Consequence of Foreign Aid’. The discussion delved into the effects of the Belt and Road Initiative's development aid on African countries, offering a comprehensive understanding of the economic implications.
The conference concluded with a closing ceremony featuring Best Delegate Awards presented by Mr. Nyingi Wahome, WYA Africa Regional Advocacy.
By Ajua Salomon
World Youth Alliance USIU-Africa Chapter (WYA USIU-Africa) one of the youngest clubs in USIU-Africa recently held its first membership drive at parking lot B. The event was a great success even beyond expectations. On that day, hundreds of students got to hear about World Youth Alliance for the first time in their life while a good number of them made the bold decision to join the baby club.
WYA Africa Region Office staff attended the event. Flyers containing a QR Code leading to the Club’s WhatsApp group were distributed and, within the next 24 hours, 70 participants joined the group. So far, thirty of the new members have enrolled for the first batch of a Certified Training Program in Human Dignity and Advocacy (CTP). Completing the CTP and obtaining the certificate allows a member to represent WYA in local and international events.
Students who join WYA USIU-Africa become part of a global non-profit coalition of young people committed to building free and just societies through a culture of life, a culture based on the dignity of the human person, family cohesion and individual holistic growth.
Members of WYA USIU-Africa and their leadership committee earnestly thank the Department of Student Affairs, especially the Clubs Coordinators for their constant dedication and support.
The Club will be hosting weekly meetings every Monday from 12: 40pm to 1: 20pm, and will also be having weekly classes for its new members who have enrolled for the Certified Training Program in Human Dignity and Advocacy (CTP), which began on Friday, February 10. CTP Classes will be happening every Friday afternoon from 2pm to 3:30 pm and every Saturday morning from 9am to 10:30.
By Evelyne Kerubo
There are many times in our lives when we have to make decisions that involve saying ‘no’ ‘yes’ or perhaps ‘maybe’. In fact, I believe we normally start saying No in our early years as young children. At that stage in life, when told to do something by an adult that we disapprove, it is often natural to say no. However, while growing up, we find ourselves in situations whereby saying No becomes difficult. We end up saying yes even when we really do not mean it, and this often leads to distressing feelings especially when not comfortable with the decision made.
Your needs as an individual are more important than those of the person you are saying Yes to, yet when you are meant to say no but instead say yes they end up benefiting at your expense. When you are saying no and you actually mean it, you are being assertive and this is a core life skill that helps individuals to maneuver through life. It is vital to be aware that the word ‘No’ carries with it a lot of power. In fact, there is a popular misconception that ‘No’ is something negative, the reason why some people are now experiencing discomfort when it comes to saying no yet they say yes.
In day to day life, situations that often warrant someone to say no when risks are involved are many. One specific and applicable situation is when a young adult is influenced by others to partake in alcohol and drug abuse. In such a situation, to be able to say no despite the peer pressure, one needs to be very well informed and aware of the risks involved in alcohol and drug abuse. Other situations that warrant saying no include; when one feels that they are frustrated, saying yes without self-expression leads to more frustration.; when there is violation or threat of your human rights and fundamental freedoms e.g. freedom from cruel, undignified treatment, denied your right to liberty etc. and in this context, you should be comfortable saying no. Evidently, saying no is inevitable and one has to be prepared to say no.
People often tend to say yes when in fact they ought to be saying no. Reasons associated with these are many and it is important to be aware of them. Among them are; fear of losing a relationship; guilt associated with saying no for fear of hurting another person’s feelings. However, it is worth noting that agreeing to someone to avoid hurting their feelings makes it hard for them to be responsible and to take charge of their feelings.
Saying no does not make you a bad person or even self-centered. Some individuals are aware of self-denial and self-sacrifice as key virtues, and the outcome is that it leads to having more consideration for others as compared to yourself. Worth mentioning is that when asked to do something, it often makes you to feel flattered and important. Even one might feel that if they say No, they will most likely not be asked again, and this is what interferes with their right to say no. You find yourself being emotionally distraught and saying yes when you should say no because you want to make attempts of preserving a relationship that might be fragile.
It is not surprising that some people often say yes and later end up regretting it. Often, this can be a difficult period as one is not quite sure about their response. In such a situation, taking time for yourself before giving a response is important. One way to put this across is by letting the other person know that you need more time to think about it. Moreover, you can use this time to focus on the expectations, irrational beliefs and feelings associated with saying no.
There are key skills that are associated with saying ‘no’ and they are instrumental. First, you should look directly into the eyes of the person that you intend to say no to. Thereafter, you go ahead and tell the person no, and this should be done in an assertive manner. It is also key that you give reasons as to why you have chosen to say no. Later on, depending on the situation that is prevailing, it is recommended to repeat the ‘no’, if need be. Lastly, assertiveness also comes about again be consistent with the earlier decision to say no.
It can be easy to say no through some of the ways that have been found to help in saying no. One way is to be able to identify some of the emotional hooks (beliefs or fears) that make it difficult to say no. The other way is to restate the existing beliefs and fears in a realistic and rational manner. A key issue in this circumstance is that saying yes when you should be saying no is likely to reinforce behavior that is unwanted. Ultimately, it will make others become unreasonable towards you as they make regular demands.
Fortunately, by having self-confidence, saying no can be said in a direct and clear way, while at the same time be assertive as seen in your mannerisms and voice. Non-verbal gestures should be congruent to the verbal communication and also the tone should be appropriate and make eye contact.
In saying no, there is power behind it as it is considered to be a method of self-care that can help an individual in many situations. One such example is that by saying No in some situations, you can be able to find time for meeting your own goals as well as even setting boundaries. In the end, when someone has the ability to say no, he or she can go about life in their own terms. Another benefit of saying No is that you are able to have control over your individual well-being. It is also vital to know that there is always a balance between saying yes and no as they all have negative and positive aspects. Therefore, I would encourage the effective use of the word ‘No’ in appropriate situations and see the outcomes and benefits it has to you as an individual.
Reference:
Hatch, C. & Breitman, P. (2000). How to say no without feeling guilty? London: Vermillion Publishers.
By Isaiah Cherutich
On Wednesday, November 17, a Zimbabwean parliamentary delegation visited the School of Communication, Cinematic & Creative Arts (SCCCA), specifically USIU’s 99.9 FM radio station on a fact-finding mission. The parliamentarians who are members of Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services were on a bench-marking mission to local community radio stations following consultations with senior officials of the country’s telecommunications regulator, Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) on the country’s vibrant broadcast industry.
Led by the Chairperson of Zimbabwe Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Hon. Sipho Ndlovu Mokone, the delegation included Hon. Sithole Josiah, Hon. Denford Masiya, Hon. Albert Nguluule, Hon Dr. Shakespeare Hamuuswa, Ms. Maria Hlasera and Ms. Betty Munanenyu.
They were received by USIU-Africa’s Ag. DVC - Academic & Student Affairs Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Dr. Dorothy Njoroge, Ag, Chair – Communications & Media Department and Mr. Isaiah K. Cherutich – Faculty Member SCCCA and Patron of USIU Radio. The delegation also included their host Mr. Peter Ikimilu, Communication Authority of Kenya’s Ag. Assistant Director, Multimedia Content & Innovation among several other officials from CAK and Kenya Parliamentary Protocol & Liaison Division.
By Daisy Atino
ZionPearl Publishers in partnership with USIU-Africa recently launched the SheLeads Book Volumes 3 and 4 during an event held at the Rooftop, School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The launch brought together inspiring women leaders from various backgrounds to share insights and lessons from their leadership experiences and also provided an opportunity for the guests to network, connect, and learn more about the power, contribution, and dynamics of women's leadership.
SheLeads is a project by ZionPearl that is working to enhance women leadership development in Africa through building contextually relevant tools, literature and reference materials drawn from the experiences of successful women leaders, role models and thought leaders who have grown and served within Africa and beyond.
The project aims to address the significant lack of documentation of the exceptional work done by these women despite their impressive contributions. The publishers also believe that the gap affects the enrichment of the narrative and philosophy surrounding women's leadership but also poses a challenge in effectively empowering, guiding, and mentoring the increasing number of women leaders today.
Over 15 authors attended the event where they were each given five minutes to speak on the motivation and process behind their chapters.
Leadership Coach Joan Seurei spoke on introspection; “Learn to coach yourself,” she said.
HR and Organizational Development Consultant Susan Omedi talked about the importance of male allies and how the ecosystem that surrounds an individual’s childhood affects their lives and influences their choices.
Mental health advocate and life coach Vanessa Akiwumi said: “we should invest in our physical, emotional, spiritual, social and mental health because it affects how we perform in life.”
It was a fun filled event that allowed young women and men to learn from the authors on leadership, self-improvement and growth.
Benjamin Makai, who works at Safaricom PLC as Senior Manager - Technology for Development (T4D) is one of the students in the first cohort of eight students who will be graduating at the 44th Commencement Ceremony in the Online MBA program, which started in December 2020.
Benjamin is an Intrapreneur, a purpose-driven Social Innovator changing the world from the inside out, and passionate about Sustainable Development. Currently, he works at Safaricom PLC, where he leads a team responsible for ideation, design, co-creation, development, launch, and transitioning of products and services that unlock new digital opportunities while delivering social impact and with a goal to position sustainability at the heart of his organization's Purpose. They leverage Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the framework for their innovations and are guided by the principles of purpose before profit while building capabilities.
His journey towards pursuing the Online MBA began after he saw a post on Paul Kasimu’s timeline, the Chief Human Resource Officer at Safaricom, who was part of the launch of the program in 2020.
“At Safaricom PLC, we believe in learning, unlearning, and relearning, and through our 1 more skill initiative, I developed a keen interest in online learning. Prior to joining the Online MBA, I had completed over 100 online learning courses on Safaricom’s internal platforms. I had put off doing an MBA for a while, and so when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, I decided to take up the opportunity to study for the Online MBA,” he says.
“I enjoyed my studies as the program allowed me to connect from anywhere, in addition to having several ways to engage with the faculty. Lessons can be recorded for future review and revision and it is also affordable. It is efficient, and accessibility of time and place was a plus,” he added.
During his studies, Benjamin developed a keen interest in Strategic Management, and credits Dr. Juliana Namada, for her guidance and encouragement as she supervised his project, noting that Dr. Namada was instrumental in encouraging him to be confident and urging him to believe in his abilities to finalize the course on time, and to remain focused as he worked towards his dreams.
Benjamin holds a BSc. in Computer Science from Egerton University. He was also a 2020 Global Fellow in the League of Intrapreneurs, where he also serves as the current Council Member for Africa, in addition to being a member of the BMW Herbert Quandt- Global Responsible Leaders Network. He has received certifications in development of leadership capabilities from Strathmore Business School. In 2016, he was awarded a certificate of completion for the Rethinking Financial Inclusion Program at Harvard Business School, where, through the Harvard Online Business School, he is currently pursuing the Management Learning path. His final online course for the year will be at the same institution ending in November 2022 focused on Sustainable Business Strategy.
He has been instrumental in forming and managing partnerships and incubating solutions within Safaricom PLC of which some have transitioned to stand-alone enterprises such as Digifarm ( Agriculture), M-KOPA ( Energy), M-Gas (Energy), M-Tiba (Health) and propositions such as Connected Farmer, Shupavu291, GOK Fertilizer Subsidy (E-voucher) among others.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Dr. Rose Nabi Deborah Karimi Muthuri is a researcher at KEMRI Wellcome Trust. She is an experienced researcher in the areas of Health Systems, Public Health, and Psychology. She has authored 35 publications, and has authored and sold two books on Amazon. In addition to her research experience, she has also worked as a psychologist with children aged 1-7 years, young adults, persons living with special needs, and the elderly.
Dr. Muthuri is passionate about actively improving people’s lives both theoretically and practically. She credits her motivation in her work as a health systems and psychology researcher to her passion for learning and effectively applying her knowledge to improving other people’s lives.
Last year, she graduated at 24 with a PhD in Health Systems from the University of Pretoria. During her Doctoral studies, she focused on understanding and contributing to problem solving on issues related to the mental health of human resources for health specifically their happiness and well-being through research. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology (Class of 2018) from USIU-Africa.
In regard to what keeps her going and what keeps her motivated, she notes that “putting God first keeps me motivated, inspired, and tenacious, even in the face of challenges. I also receive motivation and inspiration from many people and experiences. I believe that one can have many role models. This way, one can pick a trait that they like from someone, learn it, and apply it in their lives accordingly. But most importantly, the idea is never to lose one’s self-concept, because that is what makes you unique.”
She also credits the USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor for the role that she played in making her who she is, noting that Prof. Brown was instrumental in encouraging her to be confident in her abilities, and to remain focuses as she worked towards her dreams.
With over 16 years of dynamic experience in Research, Business Consulting, Teaching, Strategy Development and Implementation, Dr. Ruth Mwai’s contribution to the Higher Education Sector especially at USIU-Africa is immeasurable.
Currently she serves as the University Registrar at USIU-Africa where she leads a diverse team in both the Registrar’s and Careers Placement Services Departments. Prior to this, she served as Principal Academic Advisor in the Chandaria School of Business (CSOB). Additionally, she is instrumental in steering the formulation and ongoing implementation of the USIU-Africa’s 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.
Dr. Mwai holds a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration (DBA) Strategic Management (2018), a Masters’ degree in Counselling Psychology (MPSY) (2011) and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) (2008) all from USIU-Africa. Her research work focuses on Strategy Implementation in Kenyan Private Universities and argues for enhancement of influences such as demographics, personality, communication and manager discretion for successful implementation of strategic plans. She is also a member of the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) and has published in various journals.
Her multi-disciplinary background in both strategic management and Counselling Psychology has been instrumental in propelling her achievements. The various teams she has led have appreciated her keen eye for detail, strong work ethic, critical thinking, problem solving ability, oral and written communication skills. As she continues to serve in her current position, her passion for academia continues to drive her towards high value quality impact.
Mariah Kalungu is a children’s book author living and working in Seattle, USA. Her recently published book, “AMKA! Little Lele; You’ve Got All You Need to Be Great,” is currently ranked as the #1 New Release book in Children’s Explore Africa Fiction on Amazon.
Before moving to the US, she worked as Director Contact Center at the OneUni, Inc., a mobile-first education technology and services company that partnered with top universities around the world to enable students earn university degrees primarily using smartphones. She also worked as Team Leader at NCBA and at Equity Bank Ltd.
Her inspiration to start writing children’s book came from her daughter Naima. While searching for books to buy her daughter in the US, Mariah discovered that there were very few children’s books written and published on Amazon that had an African perspective to them.
Being a writer herself from a young age, Mariah set on a journey to writing children’s books. She enrolled in a Book Launch Program at the Women’s Empowerment University in the United States, where she met her mentor and coach, Donna Partow, a bestselling Christian author and publishing coach. Mariah credits her mentor for the big milestones she has been able to achieve in starting her career as an Author. Her children’s books, written from an African perspective, seek to empower children to dare to dream the impossible, and go after their dreams with boldness.
Mariah has a Bachelor’s Degree from University of Nairobi. She also has a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management from the United States International University–Africa.
By Alumni Relations Office
Daphne Karani is a Fashion Designer, Creative Director and Entrepreneur based in Nairobi Kenya. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The House of SAVI, a company driven by excellence to bring transformation in the lives of people through fashion and style hence the tag line, “We brand the real you.”
Daphne who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration in 2018, has admirably maintained contact and relations with USIU-Africa through supporting and working with the current students. She styled and dressed student leaders for the 2022 AIESEC Club dinner as well as sponsored the Mr. and Miss USIU-Africa team with African yet contemporary outfits that they modelled through the runway during the 2022 Culture Night.
During her studies at USIU-Africa, she served as the Student Affairs Council Treasurer 2016-2017 and slowly discovered her passion in fashion and leadership. She also began projects in the slums as a volunteer offering relief, training and mentorship, under her care she has seen the transformation of addicts into agents of change in the community and criminals into leaders. It is in this process of seeing such transformation and realization of their potential combined with her passion for fashion that the House of SAVI was birthed. Since inception, it has dressed top entertainers in Kenyan Music Industry and also provided said services for high profile events.
The House of SAVI headlines as one of the fastest growing brands in the industry whose success she attributes to God. You can get in touch with her work through social media, Instagram @the_house_of_savi.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Mr. Akol Ayii (MBA- Global Business Management, 2011) is the Founder and Group Chairman of Trinity Holdings Group of Companies which has subsidiaries in various sectors including Energy, Infrastructure, Media and Technology.
With his verifiable year-after-year success of achieving revenue, profit, and business growth objectives within start-ups, turnaround, and rapid-change environments, Akol has seen Trinity Holdings Group of Companies employ over 2000 direct employees and an annual turnover of USD 500 million. Apart from South Sudan, the company has established offices in Kenya, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
He was also part of the team that founded the Nile Commercial Bank (NCB) which set the pace for the development of the Banking industry of South Sudan. NCB also played a very important role in the establishment of the Bank of South Sudan formerly known as the Central Bank of South Sudan.
Additionally, he is also supporting South Sudan achieve financial inclusion through mobile money transfer services through a premiere mobile money transfer services company, M-Gurush, which enable South Sudanese send and receive money locally and globally thus providing South Sudanese in diaspora channel support to their families back home.
Mr. Akol has repeatedly produced and sustained revenue and growth in dynamic and changing markets. His achievements in Infrastructure, Oil & Gas, Information Technology, Print Media, and construction speak to a highly ambitious and dedicated leader.
By Alumni Office
Rene Odanga (Class of 2019) has been admitted into one of the top History Departments in the United States of America at Emory University for his PHD, only 5-6 students get admitted to the department per academic year.
Additionally, he was awarded the prestigious George F. Woodruff Fellowship, which is a 5-year program that fully funds students with tuition waivers, medical coverage, and a generous stipend.
Rene holds an undergraduate degree in B.A International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, African Literature, from USIU-Africa, and he will also be graduating with a Masters of Arts, African Studies from Howard University.
By Alumni Office
Dr. Katindi Sivi is among Africa’s top six female futurists, according to Ross Dawson’s ranking. She is the founder of Kenya’s premier strategic foresight organizations, LongView Consult and LongView Futures Foundation that facilitate futures research, policy analysis, foresight strategies and trainings.
She is also the principal trainer at the Africa Foresight Lab, which she set up to foster foresight literacy in Africa - a course that anchors the must have 21st century competencies like critical thinking, complex problem-solving skills, creativity, collaboration, and adaptive leadership, among others. Dr. Sivi strongly believes that investing in Africa’s population to be future oriented will empower them to shape their personal futures and that of their communities on the continent.
Dr. Sivi has successfully integrated foresight methodologies to facilitate policy debates and futures strategies including working with the Government of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Executive Office of the President on the global youth unemployment initiative dubbed Generation Unlimited.
Her work so far, which includes published books and book chapters, is in the areas of: transnational crime in the Horn of Africa; youth demographics; youth employment; socio-economic and gender inequalities; governance and elections; citizen civic engagement; civil society organizations; women futures, gender inclusion and gender budgeting; health-mainly health governance and sexual reproductive health; extractives (minerals); humanitarian aid; and livelihoods, all in the African context. She is also a guest editor with Emerald Publishing.
Dr. Sivi has a PhD in Strategic Foresight from Regent University, a Master of Science in Organizational Development (Class of 2010) and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (Class of 2000), both from USIU-Africa. She also has Scenarios building training from Oxford University, Saïd Business School. She is a member of the Association of Professional Futurists, Collaborative futures, and the Millennium Project. To interact more with her work, please visit www.longviewconsult.com
By Alumni Office
Guided by purpose, progress and prosperity, Mrs. Diana Kolek - Olwangu is a Business Coach, a Business Strategy Consultant, and a Purpose Coach. She is also a Conference Speaker and Transformational Trainer. She has an immense wealth of knowledge and experience in business development, strategy planning, implementation & evaluation, product development, negotiation, partnership and linkages management among other skills.
Kolek is the Founder and Lead Consultant at Evoke Global, a training and consulting firm that works with entrepreneurs to strengthen their capacity to build sustainable, scalable and profitable businesses through business development services.
Through her leadership, Evoke has been able to train and consult with over 200 female entrepreneurs. Additionally, she has been able to establish partnerships with other organizations in order to secure access to financing and loans to women led businesses in Kenya.
She is also the General Manager for Kenpoise Management Services LTD, a subsidiary of Poise Nigeria. Kenpoise is a soft skills training and management consultancy firm, that is in the business of enhancing the skills of professionals in organizations and helping them exude executive presence.
She is passionate about helping SMEs and Mid-sized businesses develop, implement and evaluate their business strategies, get clarity of purpose, evoke their brilliance, develop a powerful sales machine, develop systems and structures that will systematically drive their businesses to profitability, sustainability, scalability and prosperity.
Kolek has built a network of female entrepreneurs under the umbrella of Women Building Legacy Businesses and also runs a weekly show on digital media, ‘The Process Show’. In this show she features different individuals and entrepreneurs to provide insights and valuable lessons to other entrepreneurs.
Moreover, Kolek is a Senior Adviser with Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa (YALDA), an organization with branches in over 15 countries in Africa and the Diaspora. She finds joy in helping young people discover their purpose and how they can align it to the future careers or businesses. She works with different high schools and universities through the YALDA network.
Additionally, she has worked for USIU-Africa for 14 years in different roles in the Finance Department, the latest being the Credit Control Officer, where she initiated the process of developing the credit control policy and the standard operating procedures thereof. This facilitated the increase in collection of student current debt to an average of 95% every semester. USIU-Africa has a great influence in shaping her leadership through the many roles she served in, including as the chair of the USIU SACCO supervisory committee. She also served as a panelist for the 10,000 Women Program, a USIU-Africa initiated program in partnership with Goldman Sachs and Centre for Executive & Entrepreneurial Development (CEED). She served as a student selection panelist for the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa.
During her tenure as an employee at USIU-Africa she served as the Patron of YALDA USIU-Africa branch. She was then appointed as the 1st East African Regional Associate for YALDA International because of her exemplary work for YALDA in East Africa. She launched branches in Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya. She also supported the Ugandan branch especially during the YALDA International conference in Uganda. Diana also participated in the organizing of the YALDA International conferences in Uganda, Nigeria, Botswana and Kenya.
She holds an MBA in Strategic Management (Class of 2015) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems and Technology from USIU-Africa. She also has certification in Strategic Management from the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business. During her spare time, she loves to dance to the salsa tunes, travel, watch movies and play with her daughter.
By the Alumni Relations Office (Courtesy: The University of Vermont)
Our M.A Counselling Psychology Alumnae (Class of 2000) Dr. Jane Okech, has been appointed as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at the University of Vermont (UVM) effective July 1, 2022. She will be responsible for all matters related to recruitment, professional development, evaluation, promotion, retention, recognition, and elevation of all UVM faculty.
Currently, Dr. Okech is the Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs and a Professor of Counselor Education in UVM’s College of Education and Social Services (CESS). She has been a member of faculty at UVM since 2003 and held several leadership positions including Coordinator of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, Counseling Program Coordinator, Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research, and Chair of the Department of Leadership and Developmental Sciences. She has also taught over 70 courses using multiple modalities.
Moreover, she is an active scholar who recently co-authored two books, Counselor Education in the 21st Century: Issues and Experiences (2018) and Group Work in Schools: Preparing, Leading, Responding (2020). Furthermore, her work has received professional accolades including the 2017 Article of the Year Award by the Association for Specialists in Group Work and the 2019 Counselor Education and Supervision Publication of the Year Award by the Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors
In addition to her master’s degree, she holds a PhD. in Counselor Education & Counseling from Idaho State University where she has also served in several positions.
Indeed, she is a perfect example of our tagline ‘Education to take you places’. We congratulate her for her immense contribution in research, teaching and leadership as well as wish her the best as she prepares to assume her new role.
More information about her appointment can be found here.
By Dr. David Mwambari
Dr. David Mwambari is amongst the 397 early-career researchers who won the prestigious and highly competitive European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants (valued at € 1.5 Million). Dr Mwambari’s ERC project is titled: "Traveling Memories, Silences and Secrets: Life narratives of Violence Among Refugees from Africa’s Great Lakes Region (AGLR)". The ERC, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premier European funding organization for excellent frontier research. It funds creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe.
Dr. Mwambari is a USIU-Africa alumnus (BA. International Relations, Class of 2007 and MA. International Relations, Class of 2009) and former Assistant Professor of International Relations in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa. During the 2009 Commencement Ceremony, Dr. Mwambari received a Community service award for his service to the USIU-Africa community.
Currently, Dr. Mwambari is a lecturer of African Security and Leadership Studies at the African Leadership Centre in the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King’s College London, UK. He is also a Colleborateur Scientifique, IACCHOS at Université Catholique Louvain (Belgium).
Dr. Mwambari's research interests include memory politics, peace, and security in East and Central Africa as well as among Afro-Diaspora communities in Europe, North America, and South America.
His publications have appeared in internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals, including African Conflict & Peacebuilding Review, Memory Studies, African Affairs, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, The Journal Leadership of Leadership and Developing Societies, and Qualitative Research. He is a co-editor with USIU-Africa faculty (Dr. Elijah Munyi and Dr. Alex Ylönen) of a volume: Beyond History: African Agency in Development, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield International (2020).
He has also contributed to various debates in international media such as on Al Jazeera, The Elephant and African Arguments. He is a sought-out speaker at international conferences and events. He also serves on different boards of academic institutions in South and East Africa, Europe and North America.
He started out as a self-funded student at USIU-Africa then later received many international scholarships and grants. Dr. Mwambari always takes pride in being an alumnus of USIU-Africa, as it is the University that gave him the “education to take him places.”
Peterson Njagi is an Ad Operations Services Specialist at Amazon Services Europe, S.A.R.L., based in Bratislava. He is responsible for ensuring that Amazon adheres to internal and external advertising guidelines within its growing online advertising program. In this role, Peterson continually assesses advertising standards, conducts creative review and escalation processes, and locates global guidelines as appropriate with the primary goal of maintaining and enforcing a high customer experience for the company.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Studies. After graduating (Class of 2016), he won a scholarship to study his Masters in the Slovak Republic under the Slovak Government Scholarship, which is open to Kenya on a yearly basis. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Comenius University in Bratislava with a focus on National Security Management and Policy Making.
He hopes to contribute positively to the ongoing Police reforms in the country by undertaking research in policing and particularly on the relationship between the Police and the community. In his dissertation, he is investigating how nodal security governance can be effectively implemented in our communities.
By the USIU-Africa Library Team
Photo: Susan Muriuki
Susan Muriuki (Class of 2019) is the founder of Consulate Magazine, the first publication of its kind in Kenya to offer an analysis of current international affairs. The magazine focuses mainly on topics within the International Relations field.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts (Cum Laude) in International Relations with a concentration in Diplomacy and Foreign Policy from USIU-Africa. After her graduation, she went ahead to pursue a course in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Santiago De Compostela in Spain. On her arrival back from Spain, she decided to turn her passion for writing into a profitable venture, and established Susan & Brothers, a media startup in May of 2021.
The company has registered immense growth since its establishment. Its first four publications have been published in collaboration with embassies stationed in Kenya, including the Embassies of Mexico, Poland, Thailand and Argentina. By working with these embassies, the magazine has been able to provide a platform for them to showcase and also discuss the bilateral relations between Kenya and these countries. The magazine welcomes writers especially from the field of International Relations to contribute their opinions on current international affairs. It is also a good read for students within the same discipline. The magazine is available on Press Reader or on www.the-consulate.com, with plans to have physical copies currently underway.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Joel has over a decade experience in the communications industry, over the years, he has cemented his reputation as one of the leading public relations consultants in East Africa with an enviable reputation for quality, innovation and delivery.
His work reputation has been critically acclaimed - and has earned him major industry awards including the Superior Achievement in Brand Building award for the launch of Kenya Airways maiden flight to New York, Best Media Relations Campaign and Best Overall PR Campaign of the year for the launch of mVisa into the Kenyan market.
His unparalleled experience has seen him get appointed in both the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) where he chairs the Media Relations Expert Advisory Panel and the Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK) where he serves as a judge, Chair of the Marketing and Gala Committee and at MSK board where he was recently elected as a Corporate Member Representative.
Joel has a firm grasp of the interplay between public relations and media relations. Having seen the gaps in the industry first hand within the newsroom, he ventured into PR with the sole purpose of delivering results-oriented PR strategies and plans tailor-made to suit the newsroom needs.
He counsels clients on how to manage crises. He specializes in analyzing an organization’s potential for vulnerability through a special crisis prevention audit. He has helped brands such as Safaricom, Kenya Airways, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, Telkom, Bolt and Procter and Gamble navigate through crises strategically and skillfully making their reputations even stronger than they were before.
Joel has a track record of success in leveraging best-in-class communications to help companies differentiate and distinguish themselves and enhance their credibility. His industry work and experience include I&M Bank, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Safaricom, Procter & Gamble, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Salvador Caetano, Glovo, Visa, Renaissance Capital, Kenya Airways, Bolt, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, Weetabix, SC Johnson, Alexander Forbes, Prudential Life Assurance, Heritage, and Liberty and The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) among others.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a double concentration in Public Relations and Broadcast from United States International University - Africa. He is finalizing his Master of Arts in Communication Studies concentrating in Strategic Corporate Communication from the same institution. Joel enjoys playing touch rugby, golf, watching films and spending time with his family.
Gladys Shao is an event planner, decorator, and entrepreneur based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She is the CEO of her own company, Eventfully, which caters to the coordination and execution of various luxury celebrations including weddings and corporate events.
After her time at USIU-Africa, Gladys realized her passion for weddings that went beyond being a great bridesmaid or wedding guest. After some positive encouragement from friends (who dubbed her a professional bridesmaid) she decided to dip her toes into the industry. This eventually led her to attend the South Africa School of Weddings to gain experience from world renown wedding planners like Colin Cowie, who has been severally mentioned in Vogue magazine.
Since then, Gladys has built her brand as one of the top wedding and event planning companies in Tanzania. She has also started an affiliate businesses, Just Shoes & More by Eventfully, a luxury shoes and accessories store that caters to bridal party needs for both brides and grooms.
Gladys prides herself in being a perfectionist, a problem solver, and an outside of the box thinker when it comes to the execution of her work. Her unique eye, can-do attitude, and passion for event planning and coordination are what drives her to excellence each time she takes on a new client.
Gladys holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Journalism from USIU-Africa. She also holds two certifications from the South Africa School of Weddings in Wedding Planning and Luxury Styling & Floral Design.
You can catch up with Gladys’ work on her LinkedIn, Website, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram pages where she blogs, creates IGTV content, and showcases her exquisitely decorated event venues.
By Alumni Relations Office
Ronald Kibaara Meru is currently the Regional Head of Sales at Comviva Technologies Ltd. (Telecommunications Company based in India). During his tenure at Comviva, he has provided VAS solutions to Airtel Africa ranging from Mobile Money platforms to traditional VAS solutions like SMSC platforms.
Ronald has vast experience in the ICT & Marketing industry with over 20 years’ experience. Before joining this role, he worked at the Adtel Phone Company as the General Manager and was instrumental in forming one of the initial Premium Rate Service Providers (PRSPs) in the Kenyan market and helped build the community phone (Simu ya Jamii) business. He joined Adtel after having worked at the Nation Media Group Ltd in the Online & Digital division, where he developed the Nation Media website.
Ronald is a Chartered Marketer (CIM-UK) with a Post Graduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, he also holds a Master Degree in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi (UoN), a Bachelor’s Degree in Information System and Technology (IST) from the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) and a Diploma in Information Technology (IT) from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
Ronald is currently the Chairman of the a Board of Directors at Muthaiga Golf club, he sits on the Board of Directors for the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) - Nairobi Chapter, he sits on the Board of Management (BOM) of Mangu High School, he is the Vice Chairman of the Mangu High School Alumni/Old boys and he also sits on the Board of Directors for Ubapesa Ltd (Digital Lending Company).
By the Alumni Relations Office
Kris is an accomplished business leader with 20+ years’ experience in creating enabling environments and building high-performance teams. Kris is passionate about the entrepreneurial ecosystem and has helped to grow many tech businesses and mentored many tech entrepreneurs on the continent. More specifically, he has extensive experience working with and helping to grow start-ups, Fintechs and Tertiary Educational Institutions.
He is a transformational leader and respected ICT champion with a passion for finding, grooming and coaching talent. He has a tenacious commitment to driving revenue and market-share growth and has always been able to explicitly envision, enable, and successfully execute high value complex projects.
He is currently the Chief Enterprise Business Officer at Safaricom where he is leading the charge to transform East Africa’s most successful Telco to transition to becoming a technology Company. Prior to this he was Managing Director of Telkom Digital where he helped grow Telkom’s Corporate Market share in a highly competitive environment, through the introduction of more innovative solutions and strategic value addition.
Kris is remembered as the youngest Telco executive to run a listed ICT company. He was instrumental in the startup of Access Kenya (Now Internet Solutions) and successfully helped it to become the first listed ICT firm on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. He then helped to expand the business’s footprint into East Africa and steering its acquisition by Internet Solutions in 2014, before exiting as its Deputy CEO, in 2016.
Kris is a distinguished fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Kenya Institute of Management. He holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Warwick Business School as well as an International Business Administration Degree, majoring in Marketing, from USIU – Africa.
He is also the Chair of the United States International University-Africa Council. Other past and present Chairmanships he holds include chairing the Governing Council at the Kenya Institute of Management, the Chair of the Pan African agency BTL Africa, headquartered in Ghana, and the financial solution provider Craft Silicon.
More recently, he took up a cause that is close to his heart; Board membership at the Amahoro Coalition, an African-led initiative of which he is also co-founder, that is championing the economic inclusion of refugees on the continent, majorly by way of post-secondary education.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Stacy Gathoni Wahome is a Fraud Analyst at a top financial institution in Kenya. In this role, she investigates fraud cases, assess fraud risks and analyses and detects money laundering. She recently completed her Masters in Security and Strategic Studies from Macquarie University, Australia last year at the age of 22. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology in 2018 from USIU-Africa.
Her degree fueled her passion for a more inclusive justice system. When she finished her BA, she noted that the field of counter-terrorism, national security and intelligence had fewer women professionals and she sought to do her Masters in order to see and become a woman taking up decision making spaces in the field.
Her career objective is to be a leading global academic and professional as a woman in security. She seeks to show and provide ways in which more African women can be leaders and be part of the field of security and intelligence.
During her Undergraduate studies, she was the Vice President of Outgoing Global Exchange in AIESEC and was a part of other organizing committees for other school events.
While in Australia, she worked with the United Nations Association of Australia on a project to improve the experience of women volunteers in Australia. She also participated in and completed a certification in the Global Leadership Program from Macquarie University, a program that seeks to create students that are capable global leaders.
She is currently a member of the American Institute of Industrial Security (ASIS) Kenyan Chapter and Women in International Security (WIIS).
Caption: Pheodor is an experienced marketer in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, and a turnaround commercial leader with a track record of driving brands back to profitability and growth. He holds a degree in International Business Administration in Marketing from USIU-Africa.
Photo: Pheodor Mundia
By the Alumni Relations Office
Pheodor Mundia Njoroge is the Senior Global Sustainability Manager, Functions and Business Innovation for Unilever tasked with driving digital and financial inclusion.
Before this he was a Strategic Business Manager to the Managing Director and has been instrumental in crafting the 2021 – 2026 strategy for six East African countries with over 300 million consumers. He joined Unilever from SABMiller/AB InBev, one of the world’s largest brewers, managing all their brands in Kenya. Before this he worked at Google Cloud Computing, where he started his career driving the uptake of Google Cloud services.
Pheodor has also served as the Marketing Manager for Sunlight, the number one home care brand in East Africa, with key highlights during his tenure being driving market leadership in the laundry category and launching the first 100% recycled bottle in Africa for Sunlight scourer.
An experienced marketer in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, and a turnaround commercial leader with a track record of driving brands back to profitability and growth, he has held several roles in Marketing, including leading OMO back to growth after a decade of decline and being the only cell that grew globally. He has also led the shopper and customer marketing teams in Uganda and Rwanda as well as the skin care category team.
He is the immediate former Chairman of the Marketing Society of Kenya, leading the Board and Society with a membership of over 3000 marketers through which he co-founded the National Business Compact on COVID-19 (NBCC). Through NBCC, he led a COVID-19 behavior change campaign reaching 15 million East Africans raising over 4 million euros.
Mr. Mundia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business Administration in Marketing from United States International University-Africa and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Planning at the University of Edinburgh Business School – UK. His purpose is to offer a platform to individuals to unleash their potential through offering solutions that impact lives positively.
In his free time, he restores his 1965 Opel Rekord classic car, travels with his family and enjoys live bands.
Dr. Hassan Bashir has over 22 years of experience in the insurance and technology sectors in the East Africa region, including experience in the academic world through his teaching at USIU-Africa’s Chandaria School of Business since 2001. He is an entrepreneur with deep interest in the linkages between enterprise value creation, social economic development, good governance and knowledge.
Dr. Bashir is the Founder and former Group Chief Executive Officer of Takaful Insurance of Africa Limited, a position that he held from January 2011 to September 2018. Takaful Insurance of Africa is a pioneering risk management and financial services firm with licenses in general, long term insurance and pension business in Kenya and Somalia. The company is a pioneer of the Takaful model in the East and Central Africa region and has introduced a new and exciting ethical perspective to risk management in the Eastern Africa market.
Over the last 22 years, Dr. Bashir has played critical roles in the establishment of several successful companies in the pharmaceutical, ICT and financial services sectors. Among these companies are:
Dr. Bashir has also served as a member on several boards of various prominent institutions, including:
He holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration from USIU San Diego, a Master of Business Administration (Marketing), and a Doctor of Business Administration focused on Leadership and Corporate Governance, from USIU-Africa.
Mr. Mohamed Ebrahim Varvany is the Sales Director at Scania East Africa in Nairobi, in charge of increasing sales in the region, as well as providing regional support and development in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya, having transitioned from a Product Manager at AutoXpress Limited. Sales has been Mohamed’s forte and area of expertise from a very young age; connecting and interacting with people to provide them with solutions that enable maximum returns on investment is something he does passionately.
Mr. Mohamed Ebrahim Varvany graduated with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from USIU-Africa in 2010, having completed his Bachelors of Science in International Business Administration there in 2009.
While his professional journey began with selling mobile phones, followed by a more-than-a-decade long stint in the automotive industry, Mohamed has had interactions with communities to empower and benefit them, a critical ethos of the sales concept, even during his time at USIU-Africa, beginning with successfully vying for the role of Vice Chair of the Students’ Affair Council as an Undergraduate, followed by the Graduate Representative role within the same committee while doing his MBA.
While sales has always been his strength, Mohamed understood, while studying for his Bachelor’s degree, that this would not be enough for him to fully understand the workings of an organization, which has several aspects to it that, along with sales, have to interlink efficiently for the puzzle that is the organization to be complete and successful. With this in mind, Mohamed decided to continue his educational journey by enrolling for an MBA, which went on to help his development in several ways.
The MBA curriculum gave Mohamed the opportunity to develop his knowledge and understanding in different areas like Strategy, Marketing, and Finance, among others, that enabled him to polish his core sales skill-set. Furthermore, it also helped him to become more aware of his leadership style, along with shaping his vision of the type of leader he wanted to be while working within his sales specialization.
For those starting out, Mohammed notes that it is important to find a career choice you are passionate about and accentuate this passion by getting the right education, and compliment it by adding several skills that add value and contribute to your passion in a broader perspective, and then there will be no stopping you.
Ms. Wanjiru Njendu is an award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles, USA, with a strong and varied background in the film industry, with a creative imagination earning her the nickname 'Magic' at a young age.
Between building up an award-winning directing portfolio with her films starring actors such as Simone Missick (CBS’s All Rise and Marvel’s Luke Cage) and Adetokumboh McCormack (ABC’s LOST and Netflix’s Castlevania), Wanjiru also has left her mark as a producer. This versatility also led to her being selected as a fellow in the Producer's Guild of America Diversity workshop.
In an effort to showcase Kenya, she produced the 5th Annual Women In Film International Committee’s Short Film Series, “Out of Africa, A Night of Kenyan Film & Culture” which was held at Universal Studios in 2011. The event which was hosted by actor Edi Gathegi and musician-actress Ida Onyango was headlined by Nobel Prize nominated author Prof. Ngugi wa Thiong’o who presented a reading of his works. It also showcased an art piece by artist Wangechi Mutu. 8 Kenyan films were presented during the event with the City of Los Angeles honoring it as one of the top 2011 cultural contributions to the city.
Wanjiru also directed the red carpet interviews with the Oscar nominated actresses for Women In Film’s Annual Pre-Oscar party, a live taping of the SAG-AFTRA / Women In Film Q&A panel for the film MISSRepresentation as well as the purple carpet interviews with the Emmy nominated actresses for the Variety/Women In Film Pre-Emmy party. The interviews showcased nominated actresses like Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alison Janney, among others.
In 2016, her documentary film ‘Safari ya Jamhuri: The Journey to freedom’ was used to provide evidence for a lawsuit against the British Government by the Mau Mau colonial war survivors from Kenya.
Wanjiru has studio experience having worked for both The Walt Disney Studios Company in various areas and Universal Pictures’ as part of their Creative Marketing team. While at Universal she worked on marketing and publicity on The Fast and Furious franchise, the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, Pitch Perfect franchise, the Ride Along sequel, The Despicable Me films as well Straight Out of Compton, Get on up and the Oscar winning film Get Out. She was also part of teams that ran the Oscar campaign for films such as Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, Lone Survivor, 47 Ronin, Sing and Trolls.
In 2020 Wanjiru was invited to become of the Member of the prestigious Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Oscars).
Upon leaving Universal Pictures', Wanjiru dived back fully into directing. She directed Boxed a psychological thriller short film based on the true story of the terrifying daring escape of Henry "Box" Brown, an enslaved man who used creativity to escape from slavery in 1849 by mailing himself to freedom. The film won numerous awards including Best Short film at The Hague Global Cinema Film Festival (one of the highest Human Rights film festivals) and took home Best Diaspora short film at The 2020 African Movie Academy Awards. In 2021, Boxed has been selected by the distinguished Académie des César for their Nuits en Or program which will take place in summer 2021 in Paris, France.
In addition, she was the shadowing director on the Netflix series “Daybreak” under director Mark Tonderai. Most recently, Wanjiru directed Stray, a horror proof of concept film with a feature option, which was acquired by 20th Digital Studios (a subsidiary company of The Walt Disney Company). The film is streaming on Hulu, ABC and FX networks. During the industry’s shutdown due to the pandemic she has been working on development of the feature film of Stray as well as several other films, TV series and animated projects.
Wanjiru is also the Creative Director and serves on the board of Little Einsteins East Africa which is a member of the global Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S.T.E.M) Ed Coalition. Founded in 2016, Einsteins East Africa is a STEM Edutainment program on hands-on learning activities for Children from as young as 1 1/2 to 12 years of age using S.T.E.M. concepts, in a fun and hands on manner. Little Einsteins East Africa is based in Nairobi, Kenya and also runs STEM programs in Kigali, Rwanda.
Wanjiru holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from USIU-Africa and a Master's Degree in Visual Media and Arts with a focus on Film from Emerson College in Boston, USA.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Amb. Dr. Mary Mbiro Khimulu, MBS is currently the Executive Director of Mbiro Company, a private consulting firm engaged in Leadership and Human Behavior skills development. The firm offers advisory services in Project Management, Skill Gap Analysis, Management Training, Facilitating and Organizing Conferences and Workshops.
Amb. Khimulu has extensive Governance experience having served in Global, Regional and National Boards. These include Kenya Export Processing Zone Authority, Kenya Water Institute (KEWI), Founder Member of the Kenya Institute of Directors, Global Board of United Bible Societies, Regional Board Member of UBS Regional Committee, Bible Society of Kenya (First Woman to chair Kenya Bible Society Board), UNESCO Africa World Heritage Fund, Nairobi International School of Theology (now The International Leadership University), Amani Counseling Centre, Jesuits Refugee Services of Kenya, Skills for Southern Sudan and Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School.
She has also served as the Kenya Girl Guides Chief Commissioner, International Commissioner, National Trainer and Vice Chairman, plus Member of World Girl Guides and Girls Scouts (WAGGS) Regional Committee overseeing five African Countries. She was the Executive Director of Windle Trust, a UK Refugee Charitable Trust based in Kenya, set up the National Resource Development as its first Director at World Vision Kenya, and as a Deputy Director (Deputy Vice Chancellor-Academic and Student Affairs) at United States International University-Africa. Her experience includes working at the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), working as a Management Consultant and teaching in four high schools across the country.
Until June 29, 2020, Dr. Khimulu was the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Groundwater Resources Education, Training and Research in Eastern Africa Institute (a UNESCO Category 2 Centre), having been appointed by the President of Kenya in 2016 for three years and for the second term in May 2019 which ended in June 2020 when she was appointed by the President to serve as the Chairperson of Water Sector Trust Fund Board of Directors. Other roles that she has held include:
- Appointment by the USNESCO Secretary General to the Administrative Council of the UNESCO International Fund for the Promotion of Culture (IFPC);
Amb. Khimulu established the Kenya Delegation Office to UNESCO, Paris, France in 2006 as the first full time Ambassador/Permanent Delegate of Kenya to UNESCO and served from February 2006 to September 2013. While at UNESCO, she served as President of the Group of Ambassadors from Eastern Africa; Africa and Commonwealth Countries. She was elected four times as one of the Vice Presidents during UNESCO General Conferences, and served in other UNESCO Committees during her tenure.
4 out of the 7 Kenya World Heritage Sites were inscribed during her tenure and the Turkana Water aquifers were discovered through her initiatives at UNESCO. She played a major role in the appointment of the Third President of Kenya as the UNESCO Special Envoy of Water in Africa by the UNESCO Director General, and in the approval of the UNESCO Eastern Africa Office being located in Kenya. Amb. Khimulu supported the UNESCO Special Envoy of Water in Africa, H.E. Mwai Kibaki, CGH., when he carried out his mandate for 4 years.
Amb. Khimulu has also served as a Deputy Director (Deputy Vice Chancellor) and a Lecturer at USIU-Africa, where she taught students on Management, Leadership and Behavioristic Courses, and also carried other assignments including pushing for the accreditation of the University by the Commission for University Education, working to relocate the campus to its current location, overseeing the execution of the University’s teaching and learning mandate, among others.
Over the last five years, she has been a Speaker at The Centre for Human Security in Abeokuta, Nigeria organized at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library. She has consulted with the Regional Office for Eastern Africa based in Kenya, promoting UNESCO work in the region.
Amongst the honors she has received include the designation of Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS), awarded to her in 2011 by the President of the Republic of Kenya, Ambassador of Peace in 2007 by the Universal Peace Federation(UDF) in Korea, Godmother by the Professional African Women in Diaspora (AWODIAG) in France in 2012 and in 2018, the London Graduate School in Collaboration with Commonwealth University honored her with a Masters Certificate in Business Management Leadership and Doctor of Board Leaderships and Corporate Governance.
Amb. Khimulu holds a Doctorate degree in Human Behavior and Leadership (Management) awarded in 1980, having achieved double graduation on the same day in BSc. in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) and MSc. MOD, both in 1978 from USIU San Diego, now Alliant International University.
Ms. Faith Nkatha is a transformational and influential leader and professional in Fintech in the region with over 10 years of experience. She has both broad and deep experiences and knowledge in Innovation, Sales, Business Development, Payments, Partnerships, Leadership, Product development, Strategy, and Culture Management etc. She is known as a strategic thinker with extensive insights into how present trends will translate into the future, and how to prepare organizations for future-readiness.
Faith works as the Country Manager for Cellulant, one of the leading Fintech and payments companies in Africa. Cellulant uses technology to connect people and their resources, making it easier to do business across Africa. Their goal is to facilitate more transactions between more people so that we can all live better lives. Cellulant’s belief in providing solutions to everyday challenges across Africa has led to digitizing payments end to end for various value chains and as a result providing increased transparency and broader reach within a single mobile commerce platform for financial sector players. Cellulant believes that when we are connected, we can accomplish more, together.
Previously, she worked at the Oracle Corporation leading their Digital Transformation efforts for the Public Sector. Her last role in banking was at Sidian Bank where she worked as the Director for Strategy, Monitoring, and Transformation. She provided valuable insights and oversight to the Bank's Marketing, Customer Experience, Retail and Corporate banking operations.
Ms. Nkatha has been involved in some Government projects, where she was involved from Strategy formulation and implementation and worked closely with Cabinet Secretaries, Ministers, and Boards. As a result of her work with in the Banking and Technology industry, she has developed strong networks and working relationships with Regulatory bodies, Insurance companies, Non-Governmental bodies, Embassies, Religious bodies, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas companies, Government Ministries, and Parastatals.
Faith currently serves on three (3) boards; the Women on Boards Network where she chairs the Finance, Partnerships and Administration Committee, the LVCT Health Board, and the Inuka Africa Board. She is also a Member of the African Women in Fintech and Payments, and a trainer and mentor for the Presidential Digital Talent Program (PDTP) in addition to volunteering at the Mpesa Foundation Academy.
Faith recently graduated from Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley with an Executive certification in Leading Effective Decision making and another in Leading Innovative Change respectively. She holds a Masters of Arts in Psychology from USIU-Africa, which gives her an edge in leadership, people management, managing strategic and c-level relationships, and a better understanding of customers, their needs and how they make decisions.
Faith also has a certification in Leadership, Project Management, and Management Development from the Gordon Institute of Business Science and Strathmore Business School. As a result of her outstanding work ethic, she was nominated to join the Swedish Institute Management Program team representing Kenya in 2020.
During her spare time, Faith is usually involved in some form of adventure with family, doing speaking engagements, and encouraging and mentoring women and young people.
Ms. Pauline Nkatha Laibon is Meru County’s Director of External Partnerships and Affairs in the Governor’s office. She has 10 years’ experience in partnership building, fundraising and event management. In her position, Pauline serves in the Meru Vision 2040 delivery Secretariat for the next three years appointed and gazetted by Meru County Governor H.E. Hon. Kiraitu Murungi as part of the team to deliver Meru Vision 2040.
Prior this, she coordinated the process of developing the Meru Twaweza Program for the County First Lady and the Meru Economic and Social Council as the secretary to the management steering committee of the Council chaired by Amb. Francis Muthaura. She also served in the steering committee of the 1st successful Mt. Kenya Mountain Running championship held in Meru County in February 2020 to raise funds to construct a Cancer Center in the County.
Prior to joining the County Government, Pauline was the Resource Mobilization and Partnership manager for KANCO (formerly known as the Kenya Aids NGO’s Consortium), a membership health NGO established in the early 1990s in Kenya with operations in the Eastern Africa Region with a focus on health advocacy and or implementing health programs.
Before joining KANCO in August 2016, Pauline worked at USIU-Africa as the Internship coordinator under the School of Science and Technology; the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and in the Admissions Department as a Financial Aid Assistant. During her time at the university, she was also part of the Graduation Committee, in addition to being a member of the team who handled the inauguration event of the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza.
Pauline holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Management and Organizational Development (EMOD) and a degree in International Relations from USIU-Africa.
Gladwell Mbugua is the Human Resources Manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) Advisory Business in the East Africa region. Gladwell’s experience spans over ten years with specialization in talent management strategy, human resource, business partnership, reward management, organization design, performance management and change management.
Over the course of her career, she has supported Human Resources functions at a senior level in top-tier organizations both in the East and West Africa markets. Her experience includes Human Resource management at Africa Development Bank in Abidjan, KPMG East Africa, British American Tobacco, Andela, Equity Bank, among others.
Gladwell graduated from USIU-Africa in 2020 with a Masters of Business Administration. Her career objective is to be a global transformative human resource leader who builds organizational capabilities for delivering sustainable innovation and value creation for all stakeholders.
Dr. Donald Manyala is a Parliamentary Researcher and Policy Analyst at the Parliament of Kenya, supporting information needs of Members of Parliament and its staff. Donald specializes in policy analysis and generation of evidence based research to aid decision making and legislation.
In addition to his role as a Parliamentary Researcher, Donald also serves in the Board of Trustees for the Parliamentary Service Commission Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme as a Trustee. Prior to his current role, he worked with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as a Research and Data Analyst in the Boundaries Department.
Donald holds a PhD in Leadership & Governance from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). He holds a Master in Business Administration (Strategic Management) and a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management from the United States International University - Africa (USIU-Africa). He is also an alumnus of the 42nd cohort of the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI).
Dr. Manyala has served in USIU-Africa’s Alumni Association Board as the Treasurer and Executive Committee Member. During his time as a student at USIU-Africa, he served as the Vice-Chairperson of the Student Affairs Council (SAC).
Dr. Manyala has published several publications, including “Moderating Effect of Public Participation on the Relationship between Political and Economic Relations and Service Delivery in County governments of Kenya” and “Contributions of Administrative and Fiscal Relations on Service Delivery in County Governments of Kenya". Other future publications that he has on the way include a book documenting the use of evidence in decision making in African Parliaments.
John Musunga is the Managing Director of Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL). He joined KBL on the 1st of March 2021 from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where his last position was that of Vaccines Market Leader responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Eastern Europe. John has worked in senior local, regional and global roles including being the Managing Director GSK Kenya & East Africa and also as the global Head of Supranationals for GSK’s Global Vaccines based in Belgium. He began his career as a sales representative and progressed into sales and marketing leadership roles in East Africa and South Africa.
Mr. Musunga has considerable strategic and leadership experience and repeatedly led his teams to exceed business targets, increase market footprint and grow market share. During his time in GSK East Africa, he more than quadrupling the size of business and also substantially grew jobs and employment. Outside the organization he worked, John has held a number of external positions including three years as a Non-Executive Director on the Kenya Vision 2030 Board, Chaired the Kenya HIV/Aids Business Council Board and was a past Chairman of the Kenya Association of Pharmaceuticals among others.
John is passionate about driving business results through the power of strong teams and works to create an environment where people can be at their best. He takes pride in acting as a coach and mentor to spot and develop talent and is proud of the many who he interacted with who have made successes of their careers and businesses.
John graduated in 2008 with an MBA in Marketing from USIU-Africa.
Dr. Caroline Wanjiru Karugu is Nyeri’s Deputy Governor, with over 15 years’ experience in the regional capital markets and financial services industry. She holds an MBA and DBA USIU-Africa.
By the Alumni Relations Office
Dr. Caroline Wanjiru Karugu is Nyeri’s Deputy Governor, hailing from Nyaribo, Kiganjo-Mathari Ward in Nyeri Town Constituency. Dr. Karugu has over 15 years’ experience in the regional capital markets and financial services industry, holding various leadership positions in various organizations.
Prior to becoming Deputy Governor, Dr. Karugu was the Chief Executive of Jabali Microserve Ltd, a commercial subsidiary of Jitegemee Trust, an organization dealing with Social Investments. Before this appointment, she served as Britam Group’s Senior Investor Relations Manager.
Before joining Britam in October 2013, Dr. Karugu worked for the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) as the Investor Relations and Communications Manager. At the NSE, she was the pioneering Country Manager of the Securities Industry Training Institute (SITI), an East African securities training organization with the mandate of deepening knowledge within the capital markets participants.
She was also in charge of external affairs and government relations for the East African Stock Exchanges Association (EASEA). While working at the NSE, Caroline participated in the listing of several companies, rights issues, bond offers and private placement projects.
While working as the Corporate Affairs and Marketing Manager of the Kenya Union and Saving Cooperatives (KUSCCO), Carol made outstanding contributions to the Kenyan Cooperative movement where she spearheaded efforts of organizing young people to form SACCOs.
In 2010, she won the prestigious World Young Credit Union Professionals (WYCUP) award sponsored by the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) in the United States. This global award is given to the top 5 individuals who have made significant contributions to their credit union system and have the potential to make a global impact.
Dr. Karugu has also served in various leadership capacities across various organizations, in board and ambassadorial roles. She was among the private sector professionals appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta to take up a board position in the Geothermal Development Company where she chaired the Board Technical and Strategy Committees and had spearheaded the restructuring of the State Corporation. In March 2020, Dr. Karugu was elected as the Chair of the Deputy Governors’ Forum and in November 2020, appointed Kenya Goodwill ambassador for Palliative care by Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA).
Dr. Karugu holds a Bachelor of Commerce Double Major Degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Daystar University and a Global Executive MBA (Strategy) from USIU-Africa in partnership with the Frankfurt School of Finance in Germany. She also holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Degree in Finance from USIU-Africa in collaboration with the Columbia Business School in New York.
By the Alumni Department
Fred Murimi is the Managing Director of Centum Capital Partners Limited (CCAP), a private equity fund, managing a peak of US$250 million of private equity funds for its parent company, Centum Investment Company PLC, East Africa’s largest quoted investment company with over 36,000 shareholders and total assets of over US$ 600 million.
Fred has served in the position of Managing Director since July 2015, in which he has been responsible for the management of Centum’s private equity investments across financial services, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), manufacturing, education, agribusiness and energy. He has driven the value creation and value realization activities in Centum’s private portfolio, which has seen the portfolio deliver a gross US$ IRR of over 20%. CCAP has also been the most active private equity fund manager in the region having achieved 5 exits in the last 5 years alone, in line with Centum’s vision to be Africa’s foremost investment channel.
In his capacity as the head of Centum’s private equity business, he sits on the board of several companies including Almasi Beverages Limited, Longhorn Publishers Limited, Isuzu East Africa Limited and NAS Servair Limited. He has previously served on the boards of Platcorp Holdings, Genafrica Limited and Kenya Wine Agencies Limited and served as Centum’s Group Corporate Affairs Director & Company Secretary from January 2013 until June 2015.
Fred has over 10 years’ experience in the investment industry. Prior to joining Centum, he worked in investment banking with Dyer & Blair Investment Bank and later with Renaissance Capital (Kenya Limited) as Vice President. Fred has also worked as a regulator with the Capital Markets Authority.
He is passionate about developing the investment industry in East Africa and has previously served on the board of the Kenya Association of Stockbrokers and Investment Banks (KASIB) and on the Board Finance sub-committee of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). He is a certified trainer of the NSE Securities Industry Training Institute (SITI) and has most recently been appointed as a member of the capital markets law review panel by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to review the capital markets legal framework to ensure its robustness in supporting a functioning financial market.
Fred holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL. B) from the University of Nairobi, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from USIU–Africa and is qualified in Kenya as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and as a Certified Public Secretary (CPS). He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya (ICPSK). In 2014, he was awarded Certified Secretary of the Year in the Champions-of-Governance (COG) Awards by ICPSK and is a 2015 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow.
By the Alumni Department
Tony Gatheca is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Transcend Media Group (TMG), one of the leading full service integrated marketing, advertising and communication agencies in Kenya with a regional presence in 6 East African countries.
TMG is affiliated globally to McCann Worldgroup headquartered in New York and Mullen Lowe Group headquartered in London. An enthusiastic marketing professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry; Tony has expertise in both Above the Line (ATL) and Below the Line (BTL) campaigns encompassing strategy, creative, media buying, public relations and digital marketing.
Tony has a Global Executive MBA in Strategic Management from USIU-Africa, in collaboration with SolBridge International School of Business, South Korea, having graduated in 2013 and an undergraduate degree in B.COM, Marketing and Business Administration from Daystar University in 1998.
He served as Chairman of the Marketing Society of Kenya (2015-2017) where he instituted far-reaching policy reforms, forged new partnerships and restored credibility within the industry. He has sat in the boards of Kenya Audience Research Foundation (KARF), Advertising Standards Board, Super Brands Council and AIESEC. He is also a member of the Advertising Practitioners Association (APA) and Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK).
Dedicated to youth empowerment, Tony served as a judge and mentor in the inaugural 254 Youth Entrepreneurship Awards in 2019. With a passion of growing teams and dreams throughout the course of his career, Tony has developed award-winning advertising campaigns, engaging the youth.
True to brand, TMG conceptualized and implemented the Trust Condoms rebrand – “Kuwa True”, and the NYS rebrand – “True to self, True to Country”, that both won best rebrand and re-launch, at the MSK Gala 2012 and 2014, respectively.
‘Truth Well Told’, the driving mantra behind the success – Tony believes in producing ‘Work that Works’ and delivers on the brand promise to consumers.
Previously employed in various Media Houses over the course of a decade, including Nation Media Group; Tony was part of the pioneering commercial team of the broadcasting division that launched NTV and Nation Radio in the year 2000. Tony then joined McCann Erickson in 2002, where he learnt the ropes of agency business before returning to work in media for Radio Africa Group - KISS FM and Classic FM as an agency sales manager.
After leading the sales and marketing team at Capital FM, Capital Group Ltd since 2005, Tony embarked on his Entrepreneurial journey, founding TMG in 2010, striving to create campaigns that will transcend beyond generations.
During his free time, Tony loves to play golf at the Muthaiga Golf Club where he is a member.
By the Alumni Department
Geoffrey Odundo is the Chief Executive of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), a position he has held for the past 6 years. He is an accomplished Investment Banker having been in the financial services sector for the last 28 years, 22 of which have been in Capital Markets.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Odundo was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Kingdom Securities Limited. He was instrumental in the setting up of Co-op Trust Investment Services, Co-op Consultancy Services Limited, and Kingdom Securities Limited, all subsidiaries of the Co-operative Bank of Kenya Limited.
Mr. Odundo has also held advisory roles on several corporate finance mandates in both the public and private sectors, in addition to managing key mandates in the asset management industry. He has contributed to the growth of the Capital Markets in his previous role as a Director/Board Secretary - Kenya Association of Stock Brokers and Investment Banks, Chairman of the Financial Standards Committee - Kenya Bureau of Standards as well as the Board Director of the Nairobi Securities Exchange PLC. Mr. Odundo serves as a Director of the Central Depository and Settlement Corporation (CDSC) Limited, Director of the NSE Clear Limited; and a trustee of the NSE Fidelity Funds.
He is also the Vice-Chairman of the REITs Association of Kenya (RAK), a member of the Working Committee of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), a member of the Central Bank Consolidative Forum for Domestic Debt Market (CFDDM), and a Council Member of the Institute of Certified Investment Financial Analysts (ICIFA). Other roles that he currently holds include serving as a board member of the Africa Securities Exchanges Association (ASEA), a Director of the East African Securities Exchanges Association, and a Member of the Thomson Reuters Africa Customer Advisory Network.
Mr. Odundo holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Management from USIU-Africa and an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Economics. He is an Advanced Management Program (AMP) graduate from Strathmore Business School.
By Dan Muchai
Dr. Jeff Kaluyu, a professor at Stratford University accompanied by Stratford’s Senior Executive Vice President Mary Ann Shurtz, delivered a talk on “Emerging Trends in Globalization and its Impact on Global Strategic Management”, to the Strategic Management class of the MBA - Global Business Management concentration.
He shared fascinating ideas on emerging economies and the role of technology in shaping global strategy. According to Dr. Kaluyu, comparisons between economic trends across continents, point to Africa as an emerging and fertile economic ground for business investors. He also emphasized the need for ethical business practices to protect poor citizens and the wealth of the nations.
The students were challenged to embrace the “mind of a strategist” so as to give practical impact in their areas of work.
Dr Kaluyu holds a PhD in Business Administration and a Masters in Economics from Rutgers University. He has served as a professor and administrator in various universities for over 20 years. He is also a seasoned motivational speaker.
After the talk, Ms. Shurtz, also shared her university’s project-based approach and extended a hand for further collaboration to maximize student experience and success among the two universities.
The class is co-taught by Dr. Veronicah Kaluyu (Assistant Professor of Strategic Management) and Prof. Peter Lewa (Professor of Strategic Management, and Dean – Chandaria School of Business)
By Prof. Damary Sikalieh
Research degree supervision is a bi-lateral process, a complex interaction between the supervisor and the student. This interaction plays a significant role in affecting the quality of the supervisory process and was designed to investigate the behaviors of supervisors and supervisees involved in the graduate research process and how these influence the supervisor-student relationship. It was necessary, to investigate this relationship in order to identify what activities supervisors and supervisees are delivering. This study was guided by specific research questions: What activities and roles do the supervisor and supervisee undertake when in a supervisor- supervisee relationship and what expectations do they have of each other? What do these activities and roles mean for the supervisor and supervisee? What challenges exist in the supervisor – supervisee relationship and how can these be effectively addressed? Do the supervisor and supervisee reflect on their research capability and what is the learning thereof?
Using the phenomenological and the competing values frameworks, the proposed study adopted a mixed method design. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from 22 senior faculty and a total of 150 graduate students spanning a variety of disciplines from 3 private and 2 public universities. The questionnaire and in-depth interviews were used for the process. The findings showed lack of and/or inadequate preparation of both the faculty and the students for the research process. There hardly existed harmonized guidelines. This cut across all the 5 universities irrespective of the discipline.
While the majority of the students indicated that they had a good experience with their supervisors, a significant number cited delayed feedback, a lack of a proper strategy to guide the research process, failure to encourage students to present and publish their findings, as well as enable them make contact with other researchers and research networks. A majority of the students felt that they did not have a good experience as some of the things that hindered a good experience with their supervisors. However, the findings on the challenges encountered in the process of research supervision contradict these findings as they indicate that most of them agreed and strongly agreed with the availability of the supervisor, was friendly and approachable, provided guidance in the effective use of their time and listened to them. These findings were corroborated by the supervisors although a majority of them had challenges with students’ ability to find the relevant literature, referencing, critique the literature and the time demands for the supervision process. Both faculty and students were aware of their responsibilities and adhered to them and were aware of their expectations, roles and responsibilities of each other.
It can be concluded that graduate students and their supervisors understand their relationship and know their roles and responsibilities. Once in the research process they encounter challenges which could be attributed to inadequate supervisor and student preparation. Another challenge supervisors encounter with their students is that of plagiarism. However, there is some kind of support for both the supervisors and students. The study recommends that research departments should establish research guidelines and also adequately prepare both the students and supervisors.
From Left: Arthur Dieffenthaler (Air France – KLM Royal Dutch Airlines General Manager, East Africa), Dr. Ruth Mwai (Principal Academic Advisor, CSB), Cecilia Mweru (Internship Coordinator, CSB), Manisha Metta (Regional Human Resources Manager) and Dr. Teresia Linge (Associate Dean, CSB). PHOTO: COURTESY
By Cecilia Mweru
On Tuesday March 26, the Chandaria School of Business hosted, through its Internship Coordination Office, Air France – Klm Royal Dutch Airlines Regional General Manager Mr. Arthur Diefentahaller, and their Regional Human Resource Manager Ms. Manisha Metta for a meeting to discuss various partnership possibilities.
While welcoming the team, Chandaria School of Business Associate Dean Dr. Teresia Linge officially urged them to consider USIU-Africa a dedicated partner, with a strong commitment to linking industry with academia.
She noted the numerous opportunities that exist to forge long-term partnerships that will enhance and complement the foundational classroom learning experience offered at USIU-Africa.
By CTW Team and Mary Mutisya
Last Saturday, students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management program had an opportunity to interact with Chef Avraj Marwa during one of their training sessions. Chef Marwa, who is the Executive Chef at the Sarova Hotels Kenya gave the students an insightful talk on the culinary industry, in which he has worked across several countries.
“My culinary style is a diverse blend of multicultural flavors acquired from my many travels around the world. Currently, my main focus lies in sharing my experiences and work philosophy gained to broaden the vistas of the young chefs we work closely with, and those aspiring to join the industry," he said.
Prior to working as the Executive Chef at the Sarova Hotels, Chef Marwa trained at the Kenya Utalii College and later at Le Cordon Bleu, Harvard X, and Stanford University.
Earlier in the week on July 25, the Hospitality and Tourism Students also got the chance to interact with Dr. Sam Ikwaye, the Executive Officer of the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers- Coast region and the President FKE & Secretary Tourism Professionals Association. In his session, moderated by Patrick Mulindi and Dr. Mutisya, Dr. Ikwaye took the students through several topics, including skills and competencies for the hospitality and tourism industry, gaining a competitive edge in the industry and students’ fit into industry requirements.
Delegates post for a photo during the Academy of International Business (AIB) Conference. Established in 1959, AIB is the leading association of scholars and specialists in the field of international business with over 3007 members in 95 different countries around the world.
By Taigu Muchiri
Early this month, Chandaria School of Business and the Academy of International Business-Africa hosted a joint conference themed ‘Facing the Disruptive forces in Global Business: The way forward’, which presented an opportunity to discuss the latest research on the prospects and perils of doing business in Africa specifically focusing on how the business world is coping with the disruptions unleashed by forces beyond the control of individual organizations and governments. The business world globally is facing unprecedented disruptions due to a combination of factors such as climate change, growing protectionism across the world, gradual erosion in the authority of international trade bodies, and the rise of technologies that threaten millions of jobs.
In her keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Ms. Carole Kariuki mentioned that the global, regional and local business space is more dynamic and competitive today than ever owing to globalization and fast technological advancements which cannot be ignored for any business to remain relevant today. “The uncertainties occasioned by rising protectionism, geo-political realignments, and climate change, among other factors will greatly influence the future social and economic landscape in Africa,” said Ms. Kariuki.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza added that global challenges such as socio-economic challenges, climate change and the fourth industrial revolution are changing the way business is done across the globe. In addition, Africa’s burgeoning population will most likely tilt the scales and shift a lot of business to the continent. The United Nations estimates that Africa’s population will be at 1.7 billion by 2030 and 2.3 billion by 2050 and the continent will account for the largest workforce in the world. He said in order to resolve and address these challenges, universities had a big role to play by developing and preparing the next human capital fit for the 21st century and beyond. He said “teaching will shift from the classroom and will incorporate practical skills and involvement in the community as opposed to the traditional teaching methods that focus on reproducing content learned.”
He further emphasized on the need to continually upskill and re-train faculty in order to deliver graduates fit for the job market; increase research output in African universities to reflect the pressing needs of the world; shift the models of partnerships among universities by leveraging on technology.
The Academy of International Business is the leading association of scholars and specialists in the field of international business. Established in 1959, AIB today has over 3007 members in 95 different countries around the world. Members include scholars from the leading academic institutions, as well as, consultants and researchers with an interest in international business. As the leading global community of scholars for the creation and dissemination of knowledge about international business and policy issues, AIB transcends the boundaries of single academic disciplines and managerial functions to enhance business education and practice.
By Paul Katuse
On Tuesday, November 16, Prof. Paul Katuse and his MBA- Global Business Management / Health Leadership & Management class organized a guest lecture on Strategic Foresight: Future Trends in Health. The speaker of the day was Dr. Katindi Sivi of Longview Group and the Principal trainer at Africa Foresight lab and an alumnus of USIU-Africa. According to Ross Dawson’s ranking, she is among Africa’s top six female futurists. Longview Consult and Longview Foundation facilitate futures research, policy analysis, foresight strategies, and training.
Dr. Sivi mentioned that strategic foresight in health involves anticipating and preparing for future trends, challenges, and opportunities that may impact the healthcare industry. While the future is inherently uncertain, several key trends are likely to shape the future of health. Keep in mind that these trends are based on my latest knowledge, and the actual developments may have evolved further. Here are some potential future trends in health:
It's important for healthcare organizations, policymakers, and professionals to continually monitor these trends, adapt their strategies, and foster a culture of innovation to navigate the evolving landscape of health and healthcare.
By CTW Team
The Chandaria School of Business has recently launched its one of a kind Master of Science in Global Banking and Finance program. Designed to provide specialized education in banking, finance, and related studies, this program aims to develop critical, scholarly, and professional skill sets for individuals aspiring to excel in the financial sector. With a focus on creating global leaders in banking and finance, the program opens up exciting new career opportunities and equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.
In his comments to Campus This Week, the Dean, Chandaria School of Business, Dr. Timothy Okech noted that the Master of Science in Global Banking and Finance program was carefully crafted to deliver high-quality education in banking, finance, and related fields.
“The comprehensive curriculum will give our students the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the financial industry. The program will be valuable to students who are interested in professional certifications such as Certified Financial Analysts (CFA), Institute of Certified Investment and Financial Analyst (ICIFA), and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA),” he said.
“The program is comparable to the best MSc. or MBA Banking & Finance courses in Europe or America. Our students will have the confidence to thrive in diverse financial environments and contribute to the growth and stability of the international financial landscape,” he added.
The program emphasizes practical experience through a Global Study Tour, which provides students with a unique opportunity to witness real-world financial operations in different regions. Supervised by faculty, students will be required to write a comprehensive report based on their observations and insights gained during the tour, enhancing their understanding and application of theoretical concepts.
More details on the program and how to apply can be found here.
By Dr. Kefah Njenga
Professor Stephen M. Nyambegera who is a lecturer at the Chandaria School of Business in Human Resources Management was awarded as the Best Professor in Human Resource Management by the East Africa Education Leadership Award 2019. This award is presented to individuals who have crafted leadership within their area of specialty. The award indicates excellence in the application of leadership principles to business situations.
Dr. Timothy Okech, an Associate Professor of Economics was honored as the Best Professor in Economics Studies. This award recognizes individuals who have made a difference in the lives of others, quality of their work, global reach, outlook and ability to contribute value of social change.
The East Africa Education Leadership Awards is intensely researched process undertaken by the research cell which consists of Post Graduates in History & Management with over 5 years’ research experience. Their mandate is to produce a shortlist of individuals who are involved in extraordinary work and track their achievements. The shortlist is then reviewed by a jury comprising of senior professionals from across the globe.
Members of Alumni department host Alumni from the DBA program during its review
By Susan Muriuki
Four Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Alumni were called upon to take part in a program review on March 20, 2019 at the Chandaria School of Business. The Alumni who included Dr. Majid Twahir DBA (2016) Dr. Agnes Ogada DBA (2017), Dr. Sam Muriithi and Dr. Jacob Ogolla DBA (2016) joined faculty and students currently taking the program. The program review was conducted by a representative from the Commission of University Education (CUE) Dr. Sam Muriithi from Daystar University. The DBA students discussed among other things the status of the DBA program. They mentioned the fact that the program had the best teaching methodology which was combined classroom teaching and case study research which was encouraging to the students. The students also mentioned that they enjoyed the state of the art facilities like the Library that had up to date studying resources. Students are able to access these facilities outside the University and this contributed immensely to their academic enrichment hence they were able to complete their Doctoral programs in real time. In addition, the Alumni expressed their admiration for their supervisors who took them step by step in their academic journey up until on the day of their graduation.
The Alumni further recommended that the University should provide grants and scholarships to the students. They emphasized the need for the University to acquire grants and scholarship that would make it easier for the students to complete their studies. They cited that some of their colleague were unable to finish their education due to financial constraints.
By Caren Ouma
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Strategic Leadership students closed 2022 in style with an event where the DBA Leadership students presented Strategic Leadership Practical Projects to Kenya Airways, Kenya Power, PKPL, and UNILANDS Sacco. The students undertook the following tasks and presented the same to the representatives of these companies whom after the presentations appreciated the students and endeavored to use the documents to implement within their companies to solve their leadership problems:
By Savannah Kagiri
Spanning a transformative span of 10 weeks, commencing in early June, the design thinking and social impact innovation program, founded by Ayushi Chandaria, orchestrated an enlightening expedition for emerging entrepreneurs, guided by a dedicated team of facilitators. This year's program was under the expert guidance of a distinguished cohort, including Leroy Mwasaru (Forbes 30 under 30 honoree), Professor Scott Bellows, Vincent Rapando (Chandaria Foundation Representative), and Savannah Kagiri (first-place winner of the design thinking program in 2022). Together, this dynamic team nurtured participants through a multifaceted voyage, encompassing every facet of the design thinking process. Beginning with the nurturing of ingenious ideation, participants were empowered to harness their creativity, identifying unmet needs and conceptualizing groundbreaking solutions. As the weeks unfolded, the program seamlessly transitioned into the realm of prototyping, where these nascent ideas were forged into tangible prototypes, refined through iterative experimentation and user feedback. This hands-on approach imbued the entrepreneurs with invaluable insights, honing their concepts into polished and viable innovations.
The journey culminated in the art of persuasive pitching, where participants were equipped with the skills to eloquently articulate their visions, weaving a compelling narrative that resonated with potential investors, collaborators, and stakeholders. Sponsored by the visionary Chandaria Foundation, the program's pinnacle manifested in a grand awards ceremony on August 3rd, serving as a stage where the fruits of tenacious labor were celebrated and recognized.
Earning the coveted first-place distinction was the ingenious team Mafuta Okoa, whose remarkable environmentally sustainable energy solution stood as a testament to the prowess of Janet Anyango, John Katumo, and Wison Maingi. Their ardent commitment to addressing pressing ecological concerns through innovative means exemplified the ethos of the design thinking process. Securing a well-deserved second place was the visionary team behind MobiAfya, architects of an innovative healthcare systems solution that bore the collective genius of Dr. John Magambo, Evans Onyango, and Joash Rabura. This triumph underscored the program's efficacy in fostering collaboration, creativity, and the transformative power of design thinking in the realm of social impact innovation.
Noteworthy among the array of pioneering solutions presented were projects centered around the empowerment of technicians, imparting vital skills training, harnessing the potential of creative arts, and revolutionizing the retail sector. The program's diverse landscape of innovations illuminated the far-reaching capabilities of design thinking, shaping a future where impactful change thrives at the intersection of ingenuity and empathy. The distinguished panel of judges presiding over the awards ceremony were all industry experts, including representatives from Dalberg Design and Startinev, further validating the significance and rigor of the showcased endeavors.
The culmination of this year's design thinking final pitch and awards ceremony was nothing short of remarkable, as it marked not only the celebration of visionary solutions but also the inception of a new era. A crowning moment was the launch of the design thinking center at USIU-Africa, a testament to the program's enduring legacy. This center will serve as a haven for innovation, a nurturing ground where countless future innovators will embark on transformative journeys through the design thinking process. As the curtains closed on this exceptional program, the stage was set for a continuous cascade of ingenious ideas, creativity, and impactful change, shaping a world where the boundless potential of design thinking is harnessed to address complex challenges and forge a brighter tomorrow.
Rebecca Mbithi who is currently the Secretary and Director, Legal Services at Family Bank has been appointed as the new CEO of Family Bank, replacing David Thuku who resigned in September last year. According to standard media, “She holds a Masters in Business Administration (Strategic Management) from the United States International University and an LL.B degree from the University of Nairobi.She has previously worked at the Kenya Tea Development Agencies and Rift Valley Railways. At Family Bank, she has been instrumental in Strategy and Business Development, Capital and Debt Raising, Risk Management, Compliance and Controls, providing legal services and strengthening the Bank’s Governance structures. If approved by CBK, she will take on a bank which struggling to find its place in a disrupted market from small lenders where she is bound to face challenges of raising funds, hawkish market consolidation and securing earnings under the rate cap law. ”
Family bank chairman Wilfred Kiboro says that, “Rebecca is a highly experienced professional with an extensive background in leadership in various organisations at director level specialising in law, project finance, corporate restructuring, equity/debt raising and governance.” According to daily nation, “Prior to joining the lender, Ms Mbithi worked at the Kenya Tea Development Agency and Rift Valley Railways. Like the former CEO, Ms Mbithi is an insider of the home-grown lender, having until now served as a company secretary and director, legal services, a position she has held with the bank for the last four years. Mr Thuku was at the lender’s helm for nearly three years from April 2016. He replaced Peter Munyiri in June 2016, after the latter’s contract expired.”
Before converting into a fully fledged commercial bank in 2007, family bank started as microfinance in 1984.
By Scott Bellows
The Master of Science in Management and Organizational Development (MOD) stands as one of Chandaria School of Business' flagship programs. Taught as a cohort, every year around fifty managers spanning all sectors and industries in East Africa converge for a year and a half journey through salient cutting-edge experiential learning in leadership, ethics, organizational behavior, strategic management, project management, and organization development.
One of the anchor lecturers in the program, USIU-Africa's Dr. Scott Bellows, organized an alumni networking event and sent out invitations to the one-thousand plus students who completed the prestigious program. Over 150 alumni attended along with Dr. Scott serving as the host and MC as well as Prof. Fred Newa, Robi Koki Ochieng, Director of Legal Services Helen Ambasa, and Alumni Affairs' Michael Kisilu also attended and interacted with the alumni.
The Chair of the Alumni Association, James Gathere, spoke at the end of the evening and invited those in attendance to join the Alumni Association. The current MOD cohort welcomed the alumni by contributing towards and providing the evening's food and drinks. Scott agreed with alumni to host another event in June 2023.
By Godwin Njeru
The seminar’s theme was “Transforming tourism for climate change”. STTA seeks to build young sustainability ambassadors, empowered with sustainable development knowledge and skills, who can be relied on for innovative ideas and solutions to the challenges we face today in the tourism and conservation sector.
By Elizabeth Kalunda
The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) elected CPA Prof. Elizabeth Kalunda as the Vice-Chair during its 100th Special Council meeting on October 18, 2023. Prof. Kalunda's appointment signifies a pivotal moment for the institute, showcasing its trust in her leadership skills and foresight. Bringing a wealth of experience from academia and industry, her role is expected to usher in a new era of strategic guidance, research, and innovation for ICPAK.
As the Vice Chair, Prof. Kalunda is set to make substantial contributions to ICPAK, an esteemed global player in the accountancy profession since its establishment in 1978. The institute, a member of both PAFA and IFAC, is mandated by the Accountants Act (No. 15 of 2008) to uphold professional standards, conduct research, enhance global recognition, provide examination guidance, ensure financial accountability, fulfill legislative obligations, and undertake functions supportive of its mission.
Prof. Kalunda's leadership extends beyond ICPAK, resonating in her influential roles on various boards and her commitment to education and community development. Her active participation in institutions such as Kasarani Technical and Vocational Centre and her advocacy within the Association of Women Accountants of Kenya (AWAK) exemplify her dedication to shaping the future through education and empowering women in the accounting profession.
This appointment not only underscores Prof. Kalunda's remarkable achievements but also reaffirms ICPAK's commitment to fostering excellence, accountability, and international recognition within the accountancy profession. Her journey becomes an inspiring narrative, particularly for the youth and women, encapsulated in the quote:
"Embrace the power within you, for in the realm of accountancy, CPA Prof. Elizabeth Kalunda stands as a beacon of inspiration. Her journey, marked by resilience and dedication, speaks to the boundless possibilities that await the youth and women in any field. Remember, your potential knows no bounds; it's time to step into the spotlight of your ambitions and redefine the narrative. Let Prof. Kalunda's success be a testament to the heights you can reach. Seize every opportunity, break barriers, and let your brilliance illuminate the path ahead."
By Patrick Mulindi
Thirty-one USIU-Africa Hotel and Restaurant Management program students have just completed a 3-day intensive training on airline and hotel reservations using the SABRE Global Distribution System software which began on Monday, August 28 to Wednesday, August 30, 2023. The training was a collaboration between the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA), Sabron Tech. Ltd and the USIU-Africa Hospitality and Tourism Department. It was conducted by Ms. Catherine Okolla and Nelius Wanjuku, both trainers from Sabron Tech Ltd, Nairobi.
SABRE is an IT platform used globally to connect hospitality and travel suppliers, such as hotels, airlines, car rental companies, cruise liners, etc. with buyers from around the globe. The objective of the training was for the students to acquire hands-on computerized reservations skills. The students were taken through modules which included airline and hotel availability, selecting and pricing air segments and hotel rooms, creating passenger name records, among others. All participants of the training program received certificates in a ceremony that was conducted in the Frieda Brown Center on August 30, 2023.
By Virginia Thuku
On Wednesday, July 7, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension (SGSRE) held a webinar to discuss and promote the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a Finance and Accounting professional course for Business students. In attendance were students, faculty, staff, USIU-Africa alumni and representatives from ACCA Kenya.
Dr. San Lio, the ACCA Program Director at USIU-Africa and lecturer in the Chandaria School of Business welcomed all the attendees and moderated the meeting, noting that the accreditation for USIU-Africa to offer ACCA courses was an indication that the students at the Chandaria School of Business received professional knowledge that equips them to be competent candidates in the regional and global job market.
“By undertaking the ACCA courses, our students will continue to enjoy an education that incorporates practical and professional aspects which will help our students to become knowledgeable accounting professionals,” he said.
Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension encouraged participants to take up professional qualifications that would broaden their knowledge in their specific career areas and improve their chances of securing job opportunities.
Mr. Lameck Mito and Ms. Jully Wambui from ACCA-Kenya took the opportunity to illustrate the structure of ACCA from the entrance levels to the highest strategic professional levels. They encouraged students to take up ACCA because of its unique global recognition and multiple degree qualifications, among others.
USIU-Africa offers the ACCA Accelerate program whereby students are offered tuition on ACCA papers and are prepared to sit for exams, which happen four times in a year, March, June September and December. The University offers the course twice a year, from January to June and from July to December, with classes for the second half of the year scheduled to begin this month. The entry requirements for the program are as follows:
More details on the ACCA program at USIU-Africa, can be found here.
By Salome Asena, Prof. Timothy Okech, Prof. Francis Wambalaba and Prof. Paul Wachana
The United States International University-Africa is in the process of introducing Bachelor of Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship and desires to design a unique program tailored to the market needs. The Bachelor of Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship degree program combines knowledge of business management and agricultural systems value chains with an understanding of how the market economy works.
The degree program will combine economics and business courses in the context of the Agricultural value chain to produce graduates in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship who will contribute to the economic development process by applying their skills in agriculture-based enterprises and agro-based industries in Kenya and the world over.
On Friday February 24, 2023, the Chandaria School of Business hosted a hybrid agribusiness stakeholder engagement for the proposed Bachelor of Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship degree program. In attendance were select agribusiness entrepreneurs, faculty, potential employers, current students, GAME center Alumni, industry experts, among others who were invited to critique and guide the development of the program.
In his welcome remarks, the Dean, Chandaria School of Business, Prof. Timothy Okech welcomed participants and explained the process that the proposal development has gone through since conceptualization. The Dean also highlighted the importance of the course to all entrepreneurs in the agricultural value chain and its anticipated contribution towards economic growth and development globally, regionally and nationally.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs (DVC-ASA), Prof. Munyae Mulinge informed the guests that USIU-Africa has all the necessary resources to promote and teach the program including experienced faculty, physical resources, as well as technological resources. It is anticipated that the Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship degree program will enable students to develop Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge (ASK) that will enable them to become entrepreneurs as well as managers in the agribusiness sector. Finally, Prof. Mulinge stated that, “The program has been developed in response to policy alignments needs aimed at fulfilling SDG 1 and 2 and that the program is also anchored on vision 2030 and other global goals like the Africa agenda 2063 and therefore very timely.”
Regarding the mode of delivery of the program, the program leader Dr. Wachana, pointed out that the proposed program would be delivered through a blended approach and that there will be lectures, case studies, guest speakers and experiential learning. The program will have four specializations namely Project Management and Evaluation in Agribusiness, Research and Consultancy in Agribusiness, Agribusiness Education and Extension, and Agribusiness Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The associate team lead, Prof. Wambalaba, emphasized that the proposed program has specific desired unique outcomes which he elaborated on. He noted that learners will be expected to use case studies in first year and write an annual paper to share ideas about what they know. In year 2, students will write a case study by engaging with stakeholders in the sector and write an annual paper based on the case study findings with stakeholder engagement. In year 3, students will contribute ideas to the industry through internship and they will write an annual paper based on their internship experience. In year 4, the learners will come up with a venture concept or a venture enterprise that they can pursue and be mentored on that venture.
By Juliana Namada and Christopher Barak
Last week, USIU-Africa hosted the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Commissioners for a Strategic Leadership and Governance Program for Senior Managers. The training delivered through the Chandaria School of Business focused largely on global best practice and continuous improvement. The purpose of the course was to equip senior management at the Commission with Strategic Leadership and Governance skills to enhance their operations.
Some of the key areas covered in the training included Strategic Planning, Principles and Practices of a Responsible Leadership Mindset, Performance Management, Strategy Implementation, Financial Quality Assurance, Legal Framework, Ethics and Integrity, Negotiation across different Stakeholders, Change management, Gap Analysis and Risk Evaluation, Social Entrepreneurship, Fundraising and Resource Mobilization Strategies among others.
While making the opening remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs Prof. Munyae Mulinge, recognized the Commission for partnering with Chandaria School of Business for the training. He noted that it was the beginning of a long-term relationship for the two institutions and implored on both sides to nature the relationship.
The training lasted for one week of different exploration of different subject areas by content expert faculty from the School. The training heavily relied on case study methodology as a learning technique that gave participants a chance to analyze real scenarios through reinforcement and application of learning. It featured interactive class discussions, short lectures by subject experts and practical oriented process where participants were able to reflect and discuss their work situations, challenges and subsequent solutions.
In her remarks, the Current Chair of the Commission, Dr. Leah Munyao emphasized the need for continuous training of top government policy makers for effective leadership within government institutions both nationally and at the county government levels. She commented on interactions and observations made during the week by congratulating the USIU- Africa students as being very courteous, focused and observable purposeful attributes seen throughout the week.
The Commissioners recognized world class facilities at USIU-Africa and exemplary service delivery and culture principles exemplified needed to be transferred to public institutions in the Country. In his closing remarks, the Dean, Chandaria School of Business, Dr. Timothy Okech reiterated USIU-Africa’s commitment to offer quality, practical, need based short courses and degree programs. Other short courses on offer by the Chandaria School of Business include Project Management, Strategy Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Industrial Relations and Data Analytics. He appealed to the commissioners to be good ambassadors for USIU-Africa in the Public Service space.
By Christine Memusi
From June 26 to 30, 2023, a group of MBA students enrolled in the Global Business and Health Leadership Master's program at USIU-Africa embarked on an exciting journey. They had the opportunity to participate in a one-week observer-ship program in the United States, specifically under the Kogod Business School unit of the American University. This program proved to be an enriching experience, providing the students with valuable insights, networking opportunities, and essential skills for their future careers.
The week started off with a visit to the World Bank, a renowned institution dedicated to fighting poverty and promoting sustainable development worldwide. It was an exceptional experience for the students as they gained insight into the organization's efforts to foster inclusive economic growth. The students were impressed by the World Bank's commitment to sustainable development on a global scale. They also learned that the World Bank offers numerous internship opportunities for young professionals under the age of 32.
Next on the itinerary was a visit to the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID), a non-profit organization focused on enhancing the vitality of the commercial district in Georgetown. For those interested in urban development, economic revitalization, and community engagement, this visit provided valuable experience. The students had the chance to observe, learn, and connect with professionals dedicated to the sustainable growth and success of the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
The students were also privileged to have a representative from Kaiser Permanente deliver a talk. Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest nonprofit healthcare providers in the United States, showcased their innovative healthcare practices and patient-centered approach. The students gained valuable insights into the organization's contributions to the healthcare industry, emphasizing preventive care and integrated care delivery.
In addition to these professional experiences, the students also had the opportunity to explore the vibrant city of Washington, D.C. During their observership, they visited iconic landmarks such as the White House, the African-American Museum, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Capitol. These visits provided a firsthand experience of the rich history and cultural significance of these institutions. Navigating the city through subway rides allowed the students to immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere, reinforcing the global perspective they had gained through their education at USIU-Africa, extending far beyond their home country of Kenya.
This observership program was not just about work; it also offered moments of leisure and discovery. The students had the chance to appreciate the beauty of Washington, D.C., while also gaining valuable knowledge and experiences that will shape their future careers.
Overall, the observership program proved to be a transformative experience for the MBA students from USIUAfrica. It opened their eyes to new perspectives, expanded their networks, and provided them with invaluable skills for their professional journeys. The memories and lessons from this trip will undoubtedly stay with them as they continue to contribute to the global business and health leadership landscape.
By Whitney Akinyi
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) hosted the Ethics Ambassadors Network launch on September 29 at the United Nations Complex in Gigiri. A total of 39 USIU-Africa students attended the event, adorning African attire, as was the theme of the event, to represent the diverse nature of our continent. Additionally, our very own Ms. Debra Kyalo, Chairperson of the Business Club, took part in the Ethics Ambassadors panel to discuss the role of ethics ambassadors in promoting business integrity at the workplace. The club received a certificate of participation from Dr. David Oginde, Chairperson, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), to become certified Ethics Ambassadors from USIU-Africa.
Prior to the launch, the Business Club hosted the team from UNODC on March 24, 2023, for the introduction of the Global Integrity Education (GIE) Modules. This is an innovative integrity education program is being developed and implemented at firms and colleges in Kenya through the UNODC's Global Integrity Education project, which brings together business and academia. The objective is to encourage ethical decision-making in the business sector by giving recent graduates ethical mindsets and competencies at the beginning of their professions. The project understands that to effectively combat corruption, efforts must go beyond purely legal and administrative means, aiming to alter society's values and norms. Between 14 July and 4 August, 2023, 52 USIU-Africa students went through the GIE modules, and invited to the Ethics Ambassadors Network Launch.
The Club members had the pleasure of interacting with Bishop Dr. David Oginde, Chairperson, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC); Ms. Laura Bertipaglia, UNODC Crime and Criminal Justice Associate, UNODC Vienna, Austria; Ms. Charity Kagwi, Head of Countering Corruption, Crime Prevention, and Criminal Justice Programme, UNODC; Dr. Emily Okuto, Dean, School of Humanities, Africa Nazarene University; Ms. Ruth Wambua, Manager, Ethics and Integrity, Kenya Airways; Mr. Ozem Muriuki, General Manager, Human Resource and Administration, GA Insurance; Mr. Salaton Silas, CEO and Founder, Elitelodgit Risk Management, Nairobi; Ms. Susan Awuor, Founder and People Consultant, Tandem HR Consultants; and Mr. Patrick Wandare Ondegoh, CIPE Project Officer Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).
By Thomas Ngui
On Friday, September 15, Chandaria School of Business (CSO) launched the African Journal of Business and Development Studies- a public online open access journal covering topics in Business and Management Studies and Economic and Development Studies.
Speaking during the launch of the event, Prof. Amos Njuguna, DVC Transformational Teaching, Learning and Research, pointed out that the launch of the journal is a step into the right direction to grow the visibility of CSOB and the university at large. He also said that the journal will go a long way in reducing the negative effects of predatory journals.
Prof. Njuguna emphasized the importance of conducting and publishing research that is aimed at solving societal problems through engaging strategic partners internally and externally. He further urged CSOB to leverage on digital platforms and work with external publications to boost the journal’s international view. Additionally, he confirmed that his office will accord CSOB the necessary support for the journal to be successful.
Dr. Timothy Oketch, Dean CSOB thanked the participants as well as the journal committee saying that the journal will place CSOB and the University in the academic map locally, regionally and globally.
Prof. Veronicah Kaluyu, Assistant Professor of Strategic Management, who chaired the Journal Committee, gave an overview of the journal as well as the journey to successfully launching the journal. Prof. Kaluyu pointed out that the first call for papers will be in October this year. She also said that contributors of the journals will enjoy many advantages including exposure to international scholarship, ethical publication process, wider and broader readership among others.
In his remarks, Prof. Peter Ngure, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, St. Paul’s University, said that it is important for CSOB to index the journal and register it in SCOPUS adding that this will enhance the reputation of the researcher, department and the university as well.
Dr. Katindi Sivi, Founder, LongView Consult & LongView Futures Foundation, Master of Science in Organizational Development (Class of 2010), emphasized the need for institutions to invest in research, saying that if we do not invest in research then those who invest in research will determine what will be published in the journals. She also encouraged contributors of journals to avoid jargon and wordiness to make the journals attractive to the readers.
In the same vein, Prof. Fred Ochieng, Director, Ripple Effect, mentioned that the journal should point out areas where there are research gaps and co-opt practitioners from the industry in the editorial board. He further said that there is need to be agile and respond to scholars in time for the journal to be successful.
Prof. Mellitus Wanyama, Executive Director and Founder, Utafiti Foundation, explained to participants how to identify predatory journals terming lack of indexing, cheap charges to publish in the paper and non-existence or quacks heading the editorial board as the most common identifiers. He further stressed the need to ensure scholarly hygiene, double peer review, emphasis on metrics as well as consideration of artificial intelligence.
The event also featured a walkthrough of the journal website by Mr. Horace Okoth, Librarian-Archives & Repository Services.
The event was also attended by Prof. Damary Sikalieh, Professor, Management & Entrepreneurship, Prof. Teresia Linge, Associate Professor, Management, Prof. Caren Ouma, Associate Professor, Leadership and Management, Dr. Michael Kihara, Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension among others.
The Journal Committee members comprised of Prof. Veronicah Kaluyu, Assistant Professor of Strategic Management, Prof. Allan Kihara Professor, Strategic Management, Dr. K'Aol George, Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Development, Dr. Mary Mutisya, Assistant Professor, Hospitality and Tourism, Dr. Fredrick Odoyo, Assistant Professor of Finance and Accounting and Dr. Thomas Ngui, Associate Professor Leadership.
By Dr. Mary Mutisya
The 103rd mentorship seminar within the series of innovative learning through Sustainable Travel & Tourism Africa – Young Change Makers took place on March 23 and was hosted by the Tourism and Hospitality students from the Chandaria School of Business (CSOB) at USIU-Africa, Nairobi. The theme of the seminar was ‘Industry Collaborations for the SDGs.’
The primary objective of the seminar was to foster the exchange of ideas aimed at enhancing students' knowledge and skills while actively contributing to national, regional, and global discussions on sustainable travel and tourism. Additionally, the seminar aimed to cultivate new competencies in sustainable travel and tourism practices.
The event was graced by the presence of esteemed guests including Prof. Amos Njuguna, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academics - Transformative Teaching, Learning, and Research, and Dr. Victor Boiyo, Deputy Vice Chancellor-Student Life. Our students from Hospitality and Tourism, accompanied by their faculty Dr. Mary Mutisya and Dr. Godwin Njeru, were actively involved in the proceedings. Additionally, students and faculty members from various other universities also participated.
Students delivered insightful presentations addressing various aspects of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pertinent to the tourism industry. These presentations covered topics such as the SDGs that tourism endeavors to address, the barriers encountered by the tourism sector in advancing the SDGs, and strategies for multi-stakeholder collaboration to accelerate SDGs responsiveness within the tourism domain.
The STTA- Young Change Makers Inter-University Seminar provided a valuable platform for the exchange of ideas and knowledge pertaining to sustainable travel and tourism. Through engaging presentations and discussions, attendees gained deeper insights into the challenges and opportunities for advancing the SDGs within the tourism industry. The event successfully fulfilled its objectives of knowledge dissemination and capacity building, thereby contributing to the ongoing discourse on sustainable development in the context of travel and tourism.
By Juliana Namada
On August 3-4, the Doctoral Association of Eastern Africa (DAEA) and USIU-Africa held an academic and professional Conference that brought together Academia, Industry, NGOs, Public and Private sector players for an academic discourse. The conference theme was Building Back Better Through Research. The conference was geared towards sharing knowledge on elevation, advancement, support and implementation of solutions drawn from research findings in Eastern Africa and the Global Arena as well.
It was a vehicle through which postgraduate students enhanced the quality of reach engaging in and providing support and advocacy for quality peer- reviewed research, curricular improvement and establishing publication venues and outlets. Through the forum, we enhanced knowledge sharing from both academics and Industry. The program featured local and international invited speakers all experts in their fields, and provide a wider scope of networking opportunities.
The Conference was a hybrid event, where panel discussions on professional development as well as research papers, presentations and plenary sessions were inclusive. One key feature of the conference was the professional development workshop which had two separate panels focused on research methodology and article publication. The professional development workshop targeted doctoral students, early career researchers and academicians who were keen on sharpening their research skills.
Attendees during the presentation by Dr. Michael W. Nicholson and Dr. David Kritzberg, held at the Chandaria School of Business.
By Swabra Abdallah
USIU-Africa hosted Dr. Michael W. Nicholson and Dr. David Kritzberg on Thursday, 23 January 2020, where they shared their draft findings in a paper on the extent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the United States to African Nations and the reverse impact in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals following the announcement of the “Prosper Africa” initiative in June 2018 by the US government.
Their presentation sparked a discussion about their preliminary results and potential directions for the research with the students and faculty who were in attendance. The seminar was organized by Prof. Martin C. Njoroge (Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences) and Dr. Teresia Linge (Acting Dean of The Chandaria School of Business) with the assistance from the Partnerships and External Linkages office.
Dr. Michael Nicholson is a diplomat and economist with the U.S. Agency for International Development. Currently based in Kenya, he has worked for USAID in Pakistan, Liberia, Armenia, and El Salvador. He has worked in government, consulting, and in academia, teaching undergraduate and graduate-level economics, business, and law while implementing projects in the Middle East and former Soviet Union, and became a Foreign Service Officer in 2010. His publication record includes peer-reviewed journal articles on trade, antitrust/competition policy, international tax reform, economic development, debt, foreign direct investment, intellectual property rights, and the privatization of WASH services.
Dr. David Kritzberg runs a health care clinical and financial analytics consulting business in California. After completing his doctorate in economics from the University of Colorado, he taught at the undergraduate and graduate level at the University of Colorado at Denver before starting his consulting firm. He has published research on choice-based modeling and environmental valuation.
The United States International University-Africa launched the Online Master of Business Administration (MBA), making it the first Online MBA in Kenya and the region accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the United States of America (USA) by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The program targets learners who prefer to learn at the convenience of their homes and offices regardless of where they are in the world and begins in January 2021.
Speaking during the launch, Dr. Nancy Onyango, the Director, Office of Internal Audit and Inspection, International Monetary Fund lauded USIU-Africa for achieving this great milestone and championing online teaching and learning.
“Many economic sectors have embraced digitization in the era of COVID-19 but the education sector, particularly Higher Education has been slow to embrace technology and this has a prolonged effect on both students and institutions of higher learning. This could be attributed to the fact that most institutions are still heavily reliant on face-to-face instruction and have limited budget allocations to support Information Technology infrastructure,” she said.
“IT budget allocation in learning institutions is between 2-5 percent of the entire university budget and therefore the education sector can be described as the least digitized and most people-centric sectors in the economic globally,” she added.
Nevertheless, even before the pandemic, the education sector was facing stiff competition from Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and this was because the courses are flexible, and convenient for both employees and employers. “The increased uptake of online courses will only increase post-pandemic and most learning institutions are restructuring their course offerings to include online degree courses,” she noted.
Mr. Paul Kasimu, FIHRM, Chief Human Resources Officer at Safaricom PLC reiterated her words highlighting that the fourth industrial revolution has accelerated during the pandemic and it is challenging organizations to think critically about how they invest in talent development in order to be ‘future-ready’ for the next global disruption.
He further noted that organization are experiencing unprecedented changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and most people are open to enrolling for online courses to enhance their skills or acquire a new one.
“47 percent of people who study online do so due to existing limitations such as work and life commitments; 21 percent enroll for online studies because their employers encourage them to do so because it is efficient and effective for both parties,” he pointed out.
In March 2020, USIU-Africa implemented the business continuity plan fully that saw it move to online teaching and learning owing to the robust IT infrastructure that it has put in place to ensure that students continue learning remotely. The university invests Kshs. 63, 524, 571 annually to maintain and expand the e-learning infrastructure and an additional Kshs. 30, 000, 000 to boost e-resources at the library.
The program delivery will be purely online, using the Learning Management System, Blackboard Learn, as the default platform for asynchronous teaching and learning, Zoom as the video conferencing tool for synchronous teaching and learning and e-books, e-journals and other e-resources from the library. To ensure that the program is credible, exam protocols are in place to accommodate the changed mode of learning through a combination of two solutions on Blackboard: Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor. Respondus Lockdown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment and is ideal for assessments delivered in classrooms or proctored settings and Respondus Monitor adds webcam and video technology to LockDown Browser to prevent cheating during non-proctored exams – such as those taken remotely.
By Scott Bellows
On October 1, USIU-Africa formally launched the new Kura Yako, Sauti Yako! project designed to foster robust youth-led and youth-managed civic and voter education, dynamically encourage youth participation in the Kenyan electoral process, solidify and strengthen youth resilience against external shocks, and provide contextual understanding of the deep value of their democratic vote.
Funded through a grant from the United States Embassy in Nairobi, the project combines both in-person and virtual outreach with design thinking empowering bottom-up research, gamification, content creation, and training for Kenyan youth aged between 17 and 30 in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, Machakos, and Kitui. The project includes a business, civic education, sociology, and psychology research component across the seven counties. A diverse team of faculty, students, alumni, and staff will work on the project housed in the Incubation and Innovation Center of the School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Extension.
By SolBridge University
Last week, SolBridge International School of Business, Woosong University hosted a cohort of Executive MBA students from USIU-Africa for a 4-day global business executive training and tour. The participants composed of two cohorts (MBA Global Business Management and Health Leadership & Management) included CEOs, medical doctors, HR practitioners, engineers, and consultants in healthcare, telecommunications, and academia.
Participants had an engaging experience in lectures on East Asian Development and implications for emerging economies, the impact of technology on Corporate Social Responsibility, and a practical session on cross-cultural business negotiation that provided insights into the process of two parties from different backgrounds reaching an agreement.
Additionally, the health and leadership cohort received insights into Korea’s health care information systems, policies, and processes. The group had a virtual outpatient tour of the Seoul National University Hospital Bundang Campus and had the opportunity to witness how quickly a patient can see a cardiologist using automated systems, from the point of registration to using the pharmacy app.
Additionally, the group was enlightened on the strategies used in Korea to curb the spreading of COVID-19 in its early stages. The lectures helped participants understand Korea’s healthcare landscape and how the country has successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic. SolBridge University looks forward to hosting the students at a physical visit once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
By Diana Meso.
As part of the month-long black history celebrations, Prof. Chege Githiora, Senior Lecturer of Swahili and Applied Linguistics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) - University of London, delivered a guest lecture on the “African Diaspora in Mexico” at the auditorium on Monday, February 11.
In his lecture, Prof. Githiora described how most Africans went to Mexico as slaves during the 16th century to work in the silver mines in north and central regions, on sugar plantations in the south; in the textile factories in the west coast and in Mexico City; and in households everywhere.
Through their networks created during their slavery period, Africans were able to flourish in major mining centers and the sugar plantations all around Mexico, contributing immensely to colonial Mexico and leaving their cultural and genetic imprint everywhere they lived, though in fact, they were never more than two percent of the total population.
Prof. Githiora bemoaned the fact that the end of slavery and their status as a minority in Mexico contributed to their difficulty in maintaining their African traditions in a constantly changing society. This has, according to him, led to an erosion in their identity as members of African ethnic groups.
Additionally, little research has been done about Africans in Mexico hence there is scarce information about their background and way of life.
Arguably, said Prof. Githiora, there is hope of obtaining more information about Africans in Mexico since researchers have started showing interest in studying the way of life of Africans in Mexico and their contributions to Mexican society.
He lauded USIU-Africa for observing the Black History Month, saying that it is in such platforms that the achievements and history of Africans in various parts of the world can be discussed and Illuminated.
Prof. Githiora also launched his book titled “SHENG; Rise of a Kenyan Swahili Vernacular” which highlights the emergence of Sheng, its linguistic structure, social functions and possible future directions.
According to the book, Sheng is an urban variety of Kenyan Swahili which has morphed from a “youth language” into a vernacular of wider use, making it a unique phenomenon in the study of linguistic change and innovation in an African context. Sheng has also become a reflection of the ethnolinguistic diversity of Kenya and language asymmetry created by socio-economic disparities.
By Mercy Tania
In an era where accountability and transparency are paramount in ensuring a just and fair society, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) stands as a beacon of hope for citizens seeking justice against any misconduct within the police force. On September 15, members of the Criminal Justice Club embarked on a journey to IPOA, where they delved into the intricacies of its operations. This article provides an overview of their visit, highlighting the functions of key departments such as the complaints department, the inspection and research department, the investigation department and the legal department within IPOA and the valuable insights gained during their educational experience.
The Complaints Department at IPOA plays a crucial role in ensuring that citizens have a channel to voice their grievances against the police force. During our visit, we were given a presentation by the head of complaints department on how this department meticulously records and investigates complaints from the public. The students learned that IPOA serves as a bridge between the community and the police, addressing issues ranging from police brutality to negligence. The visit enlightened the students about the importance of accessible avenues for citizens to seek redress, fostering trust in law enforcement agencies.
IPOA's Inspection, Research, and Monitoring Department is responsible for conducting systematic evaluations of police conduct, policies, and procedures. This department strives to identify patterns of misconduct and offers recommendations for improvements. Our visit provided students with insights into the methodologies employed, such as data analysis and on-site inspections. Understanding how data-driven decisions are crucial for policy reform was an eye-opener for many students, as it showcased the power of evidence-based justice system enhancements.
One of the most intriguing aspects of our visit was the presentation from IPOA's Investigations Department. This department conducts in-depth probes into cases of alleged police misconduct, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and ensuring due process. Students gained a firsthand understanding of the complexities of conducting such investigations, emphasizing the importance of impartiality and thoroughness. Witnessing the commitment of IPOA investigators to uncovering the truth left a lasting impression on our club members, motivating them to pursue careers in criminal justice.
The Legal Department at IPOA is the final frontier in the pursuit of justice. This department is responsible for ensuring that cases of police misconduct are prosecuted appropriately. During our visit, students had the privilege of getting a presentation from a legal expert on how they review cases, preparing for court hearings, and advocating for justice on behalf of complainants. The presentation from the legal professional in action was a powerful testament to the importance of a robust legal system in holding law enforcement accountable.
The visit to IPOA was a transformative experience for members of the Criminal Justice Club. It offered a firsthand look into the inner workings of an organization dedicated to upholding justice and accountability within the police force. Club members gained a deeper understanding of the challenges and complexities surrounding police misconduct cases, fostering a greater sense of empathy and awareness. By witnessing IPOA's dedicated professionals in action inspired many students to consider careers in criminal justice, with aspirations to make a difference in their communities. The visit underscored the critical role of accountability and transparency in maintaining public trust in law enforcement agencies. Students also had the chance to interact with IPOA staff and build valuable connections in the field of criminal justice.
The visit to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority was an enriching experience for the members of the Criminal Justice Club. It provided invaluable insights into the functions of the Complaints Department, Inspection, Research, and Monitoring Department, Investigations Department, and Legal Department within IPOA. The knowledge gained during this visit will undoubtedly shape the future endeavors of our club members as they pursue careers in the criminal justice system, inspired by the pursuit of justice and accountability that IPOA embodies. In a world where accountability matters more than ever, IPOA stands as a beacon of hope and a model for effective oversight in law enforcement agencies.
The new School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) building at USIU-Africa is a critical addition to the much-needed academic facilities that will catapult the University to greater heights in many fronts. It is a state of the art facility, with an Atrium garden sitting, providing beauty and comfort to learners, faculty and staff. With ramps for wheel chairs and four (4) lifts, the building is user-friendly and enhances the mobility of students, faculty and staff, including those with physical disabilities. This creates a conducive environment for teaching, learning and research activities.
At the more specific level:
1. The 25 smart classrooms, with a seating capacity of 60 during regular session and about 35 students with social distancing, are a welcome addition to the instruction space at USIU-Africa. These will expand the institution’s ability to return to face-to-face learning during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to develop and implement more market driven degree programs. Most important, the smart classrooms will enhance the quality off delivery by instructors and learning by students.
2. The Confucius classroom, which will be equipped with books and other critical equipment, will enhance the teaching of Chinese Language and Culture at USIU-Africa.
3. The 24 break out rooms with a seating capacity of six (6) persons each will provide additional suitable space for group studying and discussions among students.
4. The building has 64 spacious faculty offices that will substantially ease congestion and the sharing of office space by faculty, which tends to undermine one on one student counselling and mentorship and to discourage many faculty from working from their offices most of the time.
5. The two (2) Auditoriums with a seating capacity of 106 each will serve as important venues for conferences and break out rooms during national and international conferences. One of the auditoriums will double up as a moot court for Criminal Justice Students. A moot court is a replica of a real courtroom where legal proceedings and trials take place. It will not only facilitate the training of students to think creatively and answer questions convincingly, both orally and in writing, but also equip students with networking skills, research and writing skills, teamwork skills as well as boost their self-confidence.
6. The three (3) meeting rooms will increase the available space for school and department meetings available in the university.
7. The numerous postmodern laboratories housed in the building will expand the available space in the University for practical learning:
i) The psychology lab is a state of art and modern 21st century facility for the practice of modern day psychology. It will serve as an observation room, individual and group therapy room and as a room for practical training. The lab is designed in such a way that students and faculty will be able to conduct all aspects of clinical sessions for practicum and internship and associated research. The lab has rooms for child therapy, family therapy, individual and group therapy, psychological assessment, video recording, role plays and simulations that are part of the training requirements for psychology graduates and doctoral students. The rooms are fitted with one-way mirrors to ensure that supervision is adequately provided to the students by faculty during ongoing sessions.
Lab activities will enhance the quality teaching and learning by linking theory and practice; clinical research and practice through psychological assessments, practicum and internship; realization of the program learning outcomes that are clinical in nature and telehealth, which is currently the preferred mode for providing behavioral and mental health services. Upon graduation USIU-Africa Psychology students will have been empowered with employability skills for career progression and practice that will see them address mental and behavioral issues in the country, region and globally.
ii) The language laboratory, stocked with modern equipment, will improve the teaching of languages by infusing a practical component in the learning English and foreign languages. It will provide a complete tool designed for students to learn a language in person through total linguistic immersion. This will develop students’ communication skills, build confidence in learners and help to improve pronunciation in especially foreign languages.
iii) The forensic laboratory will enable students to acquire the hands-on training on the use of forensic analysis in solving cold cases and other cases. It will make it possible for them to learn to conduct DNA, fingerprint, tire-tracks and other such evidence analysis in order to know what crime was committed and who committed it. This kind of training will give criminal Justice Studies graduates from USIU-Africa an edge over their counter-parts in the job market. The facility can also be used (on a borrowed capacity) by other public agencies to process crime evidence for a fee, which will bring the needed revenue to the university.
iv) The IT laboratory will increase the opportunities for computing for students while on campus as well as boost access to high-speed internet.
8. The Crime Scene House will enrich learning for Criminal Justice Studies students by making it possible for to them to enact crime scenes. It will provide learners with valuable training in crime scene investigation, critical skills in site survey, documentation and reconstruction, latent fingerprints, and footwear impression evidence. The house could also be used for in-service short course training for law enforcement officers and investigators.
An interrogation room provided within the new Crime Scene House and equipped with a small table and a couple of chairs will facilitate the criminal justice program to train students, through simulation sessions on how to interrogate suspects of crime. A one-way glass separates interrogators and observers.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza engages students in a Q&A discussion on the ramifications of theTransatlantic slave trade in society, following the screening of the documentary “Slavery Routes” at the UN Office in Nairobi headquarters on Monday, March25. More than 500 students from 12 local universities gathered to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade. The theme of the event was “Power of the Arts for Justice.” Photo: UNIC Nairobi
By Dr Njoki Wamai
USIU-Africa has won a bid to host the 3rd African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA) Meeting this Fall semester from October 22-24, 2019.
The Association’s 3rd Biennial Conference 2019 will also be held for the first time in East Africa, under the theme: African and Africana Knowledges: Pasts, Present and Futures, from October 24-26, 2019.
The African Studies Association of Africa (ASAA) was established in 2013 as an interdisplinary association for African studies to re-center Africa as the global center for African studies, and to provide a forum for learning and unlearning African studies from previous European and American lenses.
A member of the Local Organizing Committee Assistant Professor of International Relations Dr. Njoki Wamai, says that the theme focuses on a particularly exciting on-going conversation about the politics of knowledge on the African continent.
Although Africa has made immense contributions to global intellectual welfare, it is ironic that it continues to be regarded as the poorest continent in knowledge production. The erroneous representation of Africa today is partly as a result of those past representations that still represent Africa in popular media and scholarship as hopeless, poor, dark, and devoid of knowledge.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza in his book on Manufacturing African Studies has observed that, “...since the institutionalization of African Studies in the 1950s African studies has been in a perpetual state of crisis”.
Prof. Zeleza also locates this crisis in “..the unyielding intellectual, institutional and ideological contestations among the producers and consumers of Africanist knowledge who are divided by the inscriptions and hierarchies of race and nationality, locational and spatial affiliations, epistemological orientations, and ambitions”.
To this end the ASAA is looking at past and existing representations about Africa, current counter narratives in various disciplines, and the imagined futures for Africans in knowledge production.
The conference also hopes to take stock of empirical, methodological and analytical contributions made by Africans and Africans in diaspora, challenge dominant discourses on Africa and the inherited structures of knowledge production which still constrain our African imagination as well as provide new pathways for knowledge production in different disciplines.
The ASAA executive committee and the local organizing committee at USIU-Africa have invited panel and paper submissions interrogating questions of knowledge production on Africa in the past, the present, and the future under variety of subthemes available from the ASAA website at www.as-aa.org.
Faculty are also invited to join the local organizing committee by indicating their interest to the Secretary through email (smuchai@usiu.ac.ke) by April 15, 2019. Students interested in volunteering for the conference should also submit a cover letter and resume by the same date.
By Caleb Mukhwana
On Friday, February 16, the Simulation Class of International Relations, nestled within the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa, had the distinct honor of hosting Ambassador Salim Mohamed Salim for an enlightening discourse on Multilateral Diplomacy. Ambassador Salim, a distinguished Kenyan career diplomat with a wealth of experience in international affairs, graced the occasion with his profound insights and firsthand knowledge garnered from his extensive diplomatic career history.
Ambassador Salim has served in various capacities within Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. He has been an integral part of diplomatic negotiations across the globe. His tenure as head of delegation for Kenya's mission in Djibouti until December 2023 exemplifies his commitment to advancing Kenya's diplomatic interests on the international stage.
During the session, Ambassador Salim drew from his vast experience to elucidate the intricacies of multilateral negotiation and the pivotal role played by international organizations in shaping global diplomacy. With eloquence and passion, he underscored the significance of diplomacy as a means to address the world's challenges. The diplomat persuasively urged the young scholars and aspiring diplomats in attendance to embrace their roles with dedication and enthusiasm.
The highlight of the event was the engaging question and answer session, where students had the opportunity to interact directly with Ambassador Salim. With patience and clarity, he addressed their queries, providing valuable insights and guidance to help them navigate the complexities of diplomatic negotiations.
As the Simulation Class prepares to host the Africa Union (AU) summit simulation exercise in March, Ambassador Salim's presentation serves as a catalyst for reflection and growth. It is an opportunity for empowering the young diplomats to hone their negotiation skills and envision their roles on the global stage. The upcoming event, scheduled for March 22-23 on campus, promises to be a gathering of distinguished dignitaries, scholars, diplomats, and other notable guests, further enriching the immersive learning experience for participants. In essence, Ambassador Salim Mohamed Salim's visit left an indelible mark on the minds of the future diplomats, inspiring them to aspire towards excellence in their pursuit of diplomacy and international relations.
As the class eagerly anticipates the forthcoming AU summit simulation exercise, the wisdom imparted by Ambassador Salim will undoubtedly guide them in their quest to become effective and principled diplomats in an ever-evolving global landscape.
By Mercy Tania
The Criminal Justice Club recently embarked on an eye-opening journey to the Kahawa law courts, a unique institution specializing in cases of terrorism, poaching, human trafficking, and drug trafficking. It was an educational experience that not only broadened our understanding of these complex issues but also provided us with invaluable insights into the inner workings of the justice system. One of the highlights of our visit was the opportunity to interact with Magistrate Boaz Ombewa and even witness one of our own stepping into the role of a court interpreter. Here, we share our unforgettable experience.
Our visit kicked off with a warm welcome from Magistrate Boaz Ombewa, who proved to be an exceptional guide through the intricacies of the court. His experience and expertise in handling cases involving terrorism, poaching, human trafficking, and drug trafficking shone through as he spoke to us about the challenges and complexities of such matters.
Magistrate Ombewa enlightened us about the court's structure and the roles of various stakeholders in the courtroom, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and witnesses. We gained a deeper understanding of the due process and legal procedures that are crucial to ensuring fairness in these high-stakes cases.
As a surprising twist to our visit, Magistrate Ombewa offered one of our students the unique opportunity to act as an interpreter for several accused persons during a simulated court session. The excitement in the room was palpable as our fellow club member, Saladin Ibrahim, stepped forward to take on this critical role.
The visit left us with a profound appreciation for the complex nature of the cases that Kahawa law courts handles. It became evident that the court plays a pivotal role in addressing critical societal issues and upholding the rule of law.
Our visit underscored the importance of a fair and efficient justice system in combating these pressing challenges. The courts serve as a beacon of hope for victims, a deterrent for potential offenders, and a platform for society to address these issues head-on. We left with a renewed commitment to promoting justice and advocating for a society free of crime.
Our visit to Kahawa law courts was a profound and enlightening experience. We are grateful to Magistrate Boaz Ombewa for graciously sharing his knowledge and insights with us. Witnessing one of our own students step into the role of a court interpreter was a testament to the transformative power of experiential learning. As members of the Criminal Justice Club, we are more inspired than ever to contribute to a just and fair society. Our visit to Kahawa Law Courts will forever serve as a reminder of the critical role the justice system plays in addressing some of the most pressing challenges our world faces today.
Anastacia Ngunjiri will be starting her studies this Fall at the SciencesPo university in France, after winning the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship and the Emile-Boutmy Scholarship.
By Michael Kisilu
Ms. Anastacia Ngunjiri, a recent graduate in the Class of 2020, BA International Relations has secured two scholarships to pursue Masters in Public Policy at SciencesPo Paris, France- the Eiffel Excellence scholarship issued by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Emile-Boutmy scholarship issued by the university of SciencesPo.
Speaking to CTW following the news of her acceptance at the institution, Anastacia noted that the completion of her undergraduate studies in International Relations at USIU-Africa was one of her greatest achievements.
“USIU-Africa has offered me so many opportunities, that were beyond my imagination. I was able to be part of several initiatives, including representing the University at the 2018 University Leaders Symposium in Bangkok, Thailand on humanitarian affairs,” she said.
“I desire to make a meaningful difference in communities, both local and regional, and this is why I went down the path of Public Policy. USIU-Africa definitely played a part in the choice of my career path as it opened me up to many avenues to learn and interact with people,” she added.
She notes that she received support from her lecturers during the duration of her studies, mentioning Prof. Maurice Mashiwa and Dr. Elijah Munyi as instrumental in guiding her through the direction of policy issues.
“Indeed, USIU-Africa offers Education to take you places, both physically and figuratively. I live by the mantra of owing my life to humanity, because I am a product of compassion,” she says.
During her time at USIU-Africa, Anastacia was a student leader of the Young Diplomats Forum, where she served in the capacity of vice-president. Participation in activities like Model United Nations that are available at the university empowered her and instilled an interest in her for global development issues particularly in Africa. She also volunteered with civil society organizations like the Badili Africa Initiative which promotes the inclusion of women in governance and charity institutions like Joy Divine Gives Back, which supports street families.
She will be starting her studies at SciencesPo in the Fall semester.
USIU-Africa has partnered with a United States of America (USA) based higher education institution to deliver a behavior analysis certificate course, a first in Africa. Dubbed the Kalel Program, the course is designed to enhance capacity building for caregivers and other therapists handling persons with brain development disorders.
The Kalel Program, to be delivered by the USIU-Africa Department of Psychology in conjunction with the University of Nevada, Reno, is a tailor-made behavior analysis study course that will alleviate the plight of autistic persons bridging the skills gap.
According to USIU-Africa interim Vice-Chancellor Professor Freida Brown, the course will provide foundation skills for Behavioral Analysts, allowing them to provide evidence-based therapy for autistic persons. The Kalel Program students will sit for a professional examination and receive an international certificate.
USIU-Africa, she said, is committed to bridging the skills gap in the Sub Saharan market by delivering world-class, demand-driven training courses in diverse fields.
"Special needs children face many challenges in accessing quality education in Kenya. This includes a lack of good physical infrastructure, educational materials, easy access to classrooms, and other services. In addition, teachers are not motivated to take care of the needs of special needs children, resulting in low morale. This program will ensure that the trainees are equipped with requisite skills to provide the necessary care for autistic persons,” she said.
Speaking during the event, Ms. Debra Ntimama, founder of the Kalel Program noted that the Program was founded to create a pool of trained applied behaviour analysts, who would provide quality care to patients diagnosed with autism.
“ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) transformed my child, but the cost of having and hosting an international therapist was never going to be sustainable. This led to a conversation with Prof. Josephine Arasa, who made the suggestion of setting up an ABA training centre at USIU-Africa, as opposed to sending out students to be trained in South Africa. After months of looking for the right partner for the program, we came across the University of Nevada, Reno, who were willing to take us on as a satellite program,” she said.
“We are pleased to offer the first ever ABA training program on the African continent, with 25 students in the first cohort. We are excited at the fact that through you, our children will have a voice,” she added.
Dr. Linda Hayes, the Head of Satellite Programs and Behaviour Analysis at the University of Nevada, Reno expressed her gratitude to all the partners, noting that the partnership would be beneficial to the children in the community, and the community at large. She also noted that the University was keen to expand its partnership with USIU-Africa in the coming years to offer advanced training to students.
The course's first module is already being delivered online, and will come to a close on July 31, 2022. An intensive in-person training will start in August 2022.
Students will be expected to spend at least 4 hours per week on coursework. An assigned qualified instructor will monitor student progress throughout and provide feedback to students. The first portion of the course consists of modules that include videos, readings, and questions. One week of intensive in-person instruction will occur after completing the online part of the course.
The behavior analysis program focuses on the philosophies of behaviorism, the theory and methodology of behavior analysis, basic and applied research in human behavior, basic research in animal behavior, application of behavioral principles to organizational administration and consultation, instructional design and technology, parent and teacher training, and clinical populations, participatory governance, and fiscal management.
Sessions will include demonstrations, one-on-one practice with and without clients, and individualized feedback for all students. Assessments of competency will be provided. Training topics to be covered: Measurement and Assessment of Behavior Skill Acquisition Behavior Reduction Documentation and Reporting Professional American Bar Association Ethics After being deemed competent students will receive a completion certificate from University of Nevada Reno and be qualified to deliver behavior analytic treatment to children on the autism spectrum.
Students will only require a high school completion certificate in order to participate in this course.
By OPCS Press Service
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, delivered a seminal address at the United States International University-Africa, unveiling Kenya's Grand Strategy and delineating a comprehensive roadmap for national prosperity amidst global transformations.
Speaking before a distinguished audience of leaders, scholars, and diplomats, Dr. Mudavadi articulated Kenya's strategic vision with eloquence and foresight, underscoring the imperative for adaptive and forward-thinking policies in an era of rapid change.
"We must align our efforts with the changing world," Dr. Mudavadi emphasized, his words resonating with a sense of urgency and purpose. Drawing upon Kenya's rich heritage and contemporary challenges, calling for a strategic reorientation that harnesses the nation's potential and navigates the complexities of the modern global landscape.
Dr. Mudavadi outlined the multifaceted nature of Kenya's grand strategy, emphasizing its holistic approach encompassing economic, diplomatic, defense, technological, and societal dimensions. "Our grand strategy is a tapestry of interconnected initiatives aimed at achieving our foreign policy objectives," he elucidated, painting a vivid picture of Kenya's strategic endeavors.
Transitioning from overarching principles to actionable strategies, Dr. Mudavadi highlighted Kenya's commitment to proactive global engagement and Pan-African cooperation. "Kenya's foreign policy outlook is both an opportunity and a challenge shaped by global geopolitics," he remarked, advocating for a proactive stance in advancing African interests while forging strategic alliances worldwide.
PCS underscored the symbiotic relationship between domestic development and international engagement, declaring, "Foreign policy is a function of domestic policy." This interdependence, he argued, necessitates a holistic approach to national development that integrates domestic priorities with global aspirations, fostering unity and resilience among Kenyans.
As the address concluded, Dr. Mudavadi's vision for Kenya's grand strategy left an indelible impression on the audience, sparking dialogue and reflection on the nation's future trajectory. His call for unity, foresight, and proactive engagement resonated deeply, galvanizing a renewed sense of purpose and resolve among attendees.
In sum, Dr. Mudavadi's address at USIU-Africa stands as a watershed moment in Kenya's diplomatic discourse, signaling a new chapter of strategic engagement and national advancement on the global stage. As Kenya charts its course forward, Dr. Mudavadi's visionary leadership and strategic acumen serve as guiding lights, illuminating the path to a prosperous and resilient future for all Kenyans.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
On Friday, November 4, 2022 students of the Chinese Club and the Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa had a day of fun and experiential learning through a Mandarin spelling bee competition held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, LT 8 from 9.00 am to 2.00pm.
The event attracted other students of Chinese from other institutions such as The Discovery Chinese and Cultural Center and Laoshi Chinese Digital School whom we had a decent level of interaction regarding Chinese and student activities. A guest from the Kenya China Alumni Network and past advanced students of Chinese who now work as translators also graced the event.
This event promoted student engagement between USIU-Africa and other students of Chinese therefore; through the interactions, students were able to gauge their level of Chinese language. It also brought awareness to students of Chinese on the various areas of learning a student of Chinese ought to expose themselves with.
During the Mandarin spelling bee, students were tested on all four (4) language skills i.e. grammar, spoken, written and listening. There was also an additional section that tested Chinese culture and general knowledge about China. The questions were structured in line with the International Chinese Proficiency exam known as HSK, so as to help students prepare for the said exam in future. The competition attracted students from HSK level 1 – 4 out of the possible 6 HSK levels.
There was one (1) winner awarded for each level, with Simon Biar from USIU-Africa bagging the HSK level 2 win. Our students are looking forward to the next Mandarin spelling bee competition as it was a fun and effective way of learning Chinese language.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
On Friday, March 15, students of the Chinese Club and the Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa had a day of fun and experiential learning through a Mandarin spelling bee competition held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, LT 8 from 9.00 am to 2.00pm.
This year being the Chinese year of the Dragon, it is believed to be auspicious, bring wealth, happiness, and good luck. It was a good year to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Chinese spelling bee in Kenya. The event was colorful and highly competitive. The event attracted other students of Chinese from other institutions from all levels of education that is primary, high school and tertiary level whom we shared a series of edutaining activities with. This event promoted student engagement between learners of Chinese language at USIU-Africa and other students of Chinese.
The annual Chinese spelling bee competition serves as a testament to the growing interest in Chinese language learning and cultural exchange within Kenya. By bringing together students from diverse backgrounds, the event not only promotes linguistic proficiency but also fosters mutual understanding and collaboration, laying the foundation for stronger ties between Kenya and China.
This year, the event attracted support from other likeminded stakeholders such as the Embassy of China in Kenya, China Africa Economic & Trade Chamber of Commerce in Changsha County-China, Kenya China Alumni Network, Chinese Language Teachers Association of Kenya (CLTAK), and Confucius Institutes in Kenya.
During the Mandarin spelling bee, tertiary level students were tested in grammar, spoken, written, listening, translation and Chinese culture.
USIU-Africa bagged three (3) wins in the HSK level. For HSK level 2, Austin Wachira bagged the first place; HSK level 1, Stephanie Mwelu and Irene Aruka bagged the first and second place respectively.
By Margaret Munyae, Edith Amuhaya, Peterson Mwangi, Charity Muraguri
The USIU-Africa Community Service Learning (CMS 3700) course is one of the signature courses that all undergraduate students must complete before graduation. The purpose of this course is to teach the students the meaning and importance of volunteerism, charity, community service and their place in community development. Through this course, students learn about the roles they can play as citizens to make society better. The course is two-pronged where full-time students have to complete, at minimum, 90 hours of community service over 10 weeks, while part-time students work complete 10 hours of hands on service to enable them then decide on and complete a community service project guided by the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs).
Through this course, USIU-Africa aligns itself with the resolution on ‘Volunteering for the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development’ which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2018. This resolution encourages the participation and integration of all people, including the youth, in volunteer activities. The CMS 3700 Community Service Learning course is also in line with the Kenya National Volunteerism Policy, which is anchored on the Constitution of Kenya as well as the Kenya Vision 2030.
This semester, the CMS 3700 Project and hands-on students embarked on their community service in May. As the semester drew to an end, the project students started handing over their projects through handover ceremonies. One such project was conducted by Saleef Nyambok (Senior, Journalism), Allan Lumumba (Senior, IBA), Susan Njangi (Sophomore, IBA, Benjamin Mwawuda (Sophomore, IR), Moses Saruni (Senior, APT), Daniel Akama Okello (Senior, APT). The students carried out their community service project at Promise Giving Children’s Home, which is located in Tena.
The facility is home to 100 children whose ages range from 2 months to 18 years. Until 2019, the facility made ends meet through the selling of onions, a venture that ended when their vehicle was totaled following a traffic accident. Since then they have relied on well-wishers for food, goods and cash donations to keep the facility and activities going. Following discussions with the facility director, Mr. George Onyango, the 6 students raised Ksh. 120,020 to enable them purchase an industrial Juki Straight Sewing machine as well as an Industrial Siruba Overlock Machine. Additionally, the students purchased several yards of material, sewing threads, needles, scissors, among other items. These items will enable the facility sew uniforms for their school going children. To make the project sustainable, the facility expressed its intention to sew and sell school uniforms to the neighboring schools. By doing so, the organization will become self-reliant and avoid relying entirely on donations.
Promise Giving Children’s home also hosted 5 hands-on students namely, Ronald Rotich, Fenton Mwangi, Jemimma Wambui, Mayardit Awut, and Anok Ayang. Having witnessed the challenges the organization was facing, the students decided to join hands with the project students and separately raised additional funds which were used to purchase a second industrial Juki Straight Sewing machine. In total, the USIU-Africa students purchased three industrial sewing machines for the organization. With this purchase, the students have helped Promise Giving Children’s Home realize their dream of becoming self-reliant and indeed continuing to care for vulnerable children in their community.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
On Tuesday, March 26, our Confucius classroom students debuted in the qualifying round of the highly coveted Chinese Bridge Competition at the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi.
Chinese Bridge Competition is an international contest for foreign students on their mastery of the Chinese language, promoted by the Center for Language and Education Cooperation in China and established as a plan to introduce Chinese to the world. The Centre for Language Education and Cooperation is an organization under the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China tasked with providing Chinese language and cultural teaching resources and services worldwide. It is commonly referred to as the Hanban, the colloquial abbreviation for the Office of Chinese Language Council International also known as Confucius Institute Headquarters.
During the qualifying round, USIU-Africa presented four (4) students who competed in the university level of the non-Confucius category. Our students scooped the top three (3) positions and the fourth student scooped the outstanding student award. Austin Wachira, Joan Chepkirui, Mariamu Rajabu were in position one, two and three respectively while Irene Aruka was recognized as the outstanding student.
At the local final scheduled for May 14, our students will be up against students of Chinese from Strathmore University and Confucius Institutes at the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Moi University and Egerton University.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
The Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa began their official duty with a meeting on Monday, January 30, 2023. The aim of the Confucius Classroom is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally and facilitate cultural exchanges.
The board is engaged to realize the mandate of the Confucius Classroom as captured in the signed MoU between Confucius Classroom and Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University. One of its main objectives includes ‘enhancing understanding and friendship between the people’s Republic of China’. The board is committed to see the Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa grow to greater heights.
Confucius Institutes are named after the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551*479 BC). They are public educational and cultural promotion programs, funded and arranged currently by the Chinese International Education Foundation, a government-organized non-governmental organization (GONGO) under the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. The Confucius Institute program was formerly under Hanban, an organization affiliated with the Chinese government.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
The Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa under the close supervision of the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Martin Njoroge, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 welcomed the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University, Prof. Zhou Xiaodong who donated over 2,000 books on Chinese language and culture teaching and learning materials to our Classroom.
Our students of Chinese language and culture were also present to receive the books. The students assured to make optimum use of this rich addition to the library collection.
“The books are a valuable source of knowledge and will go a long way in the teaching and learning of Chinese language especially with the introduction of the Certificate in Chinese Language and culture at USIU-Africa that began in February 2023,” said Wanjiku Mbugua, a lecturer of Chinese language and culture at USIU-Africa.
The Confucius Classroom at USIU-Africa was launched in February 2020 to strengthen the role of Confucius Institutes globally of promoting the teaching and learning of Chinese language and culture; as well as enhancing the mutual friendship between Kenya and China. The Classroom was established by the Confucius Institute headquartered in China through a partnership with Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University to help expand the scope of teaching Chinese language and culture in Kenya.
By Esther Wekoto
Building stronger teams while unlocking the power of collaboration has become essential for achieving success in any work environment. The Criminal Justice Club, on June 2, 2023 engaged in team building initiatives to enhance communication, cultivate strong partnerships and maximize productivity.
The team building took place at Evergreen Park from 9am to 2pm, where members acknowledged teamwork as the foundation of their achievements. Accompanied by their patrons, Ms. Rachael Ngumi and Dr. Christopher Cooper, they had the chance to come together to share their unique skills and perspectives contributing to remarkable results. The members identified reasons teamwork to be crucial as:
The team was able to develop strengthened problem solving and decision-making abilities by sharing experiences and innovative thinking by playing games. The members brought up creative situations and possible solutions through which they compared a work hard or work smart position to understand the better option. The team was able to identify time management and identification of strengths and weaknesses as efficient ways of tackling future pursuits.
It’s also important to note that teams that work together grow together and tend to be more productive and successful. With the identified strengths of the Criminal Justice Club by the members, they look forward to more opportunities and challenges which will influence their growth and dedication.
Criminal Justice Club has identified team building as a transformative tool for teams looking forward to unleashing their full potential. Through identifying the importance of its effectiveness, the club can create dynamic working environments while accommodating each person’s capabilities to achieve extraordinary results.
By Lauryn Ojore
The Hague Academic Field Trip (HAFT) stands as an unparalleled opportunity for Criminal Justice students at USIU-Africa. This week-long expedition held every Fall semester isn't just an annual excursion, it serves as a catalyst that propels students into a realm of a transformative venture bridging classroom learning with real-world insights and professional opportunities into the intricate landscape of global justice, echoing the very essence of our university's motto, "Education to take you places." This year, fourteen students accompanied by Professor Simeon Sungi participated in HAFT from November 18- 24.
The cornerstone of this transformative educational endeavor lies within the International Criminal Law and Procedures class. Students delve deep into the practicalities of international criminal law. From investigations to trial proceedings and punishments, dissecting the complexities of the international justice system. The canvas of this curriculum is painted with the hues of humanity's darkest chapters—genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. These aren’t just terminologies confined to history books or legal texts; they resonate in the fabric of contemporary society. In today's interconnected world, where the consequences of such crimes reverberate globally, understanding their intricacies becomes imperative. Through the class, with a focus extending to the role of the United Nations in global peace and security, students are equipped with the tools to comprehend and navigate the intricate web of legal, ethical, and humanitarian challenges posed by such atrocities in today's global landscape.
Building upon their foundational knowledge, the trip becomes the vessel through which theoretical understanding metamorphoses into tangible experiences. Throughout the trip, students extend their exploration beyond the obvious International Criminal Court (ICC). This year, they journeyed through a spectrum of institutions, including the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), the Kosovo Special Chambers, interacting with the Global Human Rights and Defense organization and even actively participated in an enriching lecture at Vrije University in Amsterdam, and visited the Kenyan Embassy. Students got to interact with judicial luminaries and experts across these diverse platforms. These interactions aren't passive observations; they're dialogues that breathe life into textbook knowledge molding students into informed and engaged professionals in the realm of international criminal law.
The trip isn't confined to the confines of legal proceedings; it's an immersive journey that expands horizons. Within the corridors of institutions visited during the trip lies a mosaic of career avenues awaiting exploration within the domain of justice, unveiling opportunities in forensics, law, IT, research, leadership, and more. This trip becomes a symbolic pivot point, shifting students from a conventional outlook toward a more interconnected and expansive vision of their professional trajectories. It's a realization that their contributions extend beyond the confines of a courtroom, reaching into the collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts that collectively sustain the foundations of justice on a global stage. HAFT empowers students to envision themselves as versatile professionals and embark on a journey of self-discovery. It guides them towards fulfilling careers that resonate with their passions and strengths within the intricate tapestry of justice, armed with a newfound appreciation for the diverse and collective nature of their future roles.
As the students come back from The Hague, it isn't merely a homecoming laden with memories but rather marks the culmination of an immersive journey that equips them with an invaluable investment toolkit for their futures. Students return armed with not only academic expertise but also finely tuned communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities cultivated through engagement with diverse institutions and interactions with legal luminaries. They carry with them the adaptability and resilience honed by exposure to unfamiliar environments. Students forge connections that transcend geographical boundaries. These networks aren't just social; they lay the foundation for future collaborations, internships, and professional opportunities on a global scale, providing them with a launching pad for their careers
In essence, the HAFT isn't just a chapter in students' academic journey; it's a transformative milestone that equips them to traverse the global landscape of justice, armed with knowledge, experience, and a global perspective—an embodiment of the university's promise to provide an education that truly takes them places, both personally and professionally.
By Allan Kariuki
The School of Humanities and Social Science through the Department of International Relations held a public lecture on “Diplomacy and Diplomatic Practice” on Thursday, March 3. The guest speaker, Mr. Saleh Bashir Ali, took the audience through his experience as a practitioner within Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In his address, he spoke about the duties held by diplomatic technicians within the ministry, emphasizing the value of timeliness and humility through his humorous anecdotes. “My team and I deal with different personalities, and must work to meet the needs of important people and their entourages” he said, noting that he had also been able to travel around the world on behalf of the Kenyan government.
Overall, Mr. Ali’s lecture gave the audience a glimpse into the nuances of diplomatic practice. It showed how regimented diplomacy can be and allowed the audience to appreciate the impact that diplomats within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have.
Mr. Ali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Government from the University of Nairobi and a post-graduate diploma in Human Rights and International Humanitarian and Refugees Laws from The Indian Academy of International Law and Diplomacy in New Delhi, India. He has also worked extensively within Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a Senior Protocol Officer, and as a leading clerk at the Kenya High Commission in New Delhi, India. Currently, he works privately as business owner, and as a guest lecturer at Riara University.
By Ernest Mwanzi and Dr. Aleksi Ylönen
The Department of International Relations, through Dr. Aleksi Ylönen and Mr. Dan Odaba, together with Embassy of Finland, Colombia and the Republic of Korea hosted a thrilling three-day film and documentary festival at the USIU-Africa Auditorium from Monday, May 27 to Wednesday, May 29. The festival which was officially open by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic & Student Affairs, Prof. Ruthie Rono was a valuable occasion for students, staff and faculty to learn more about foreign countries, cultures and promote connections between different individuals.
The Embassy of Finland curtain raised the event with a documentary titled ‘Water Journey’. The film is based on the environmental change research done at the Taita Research Station with funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Academy of Finland, but approaches its topic through cinematography and through the daily life of local people.
On the second day, the Embassy of Columbia showcased a film titled 'Gabo, The Magic of Reality’ which is a story about the incredible power of human imagination, which follows the interwoven threads of Gabriel García Márquez's life and work - "Gabo" to all of Latin America - with the narrative tension of an investigation.
The three-day festival came to end with a movie showcased by the Embassy of Republic of Korea named ‘A Violent Prosecutor’. The story line revolves around a prosecution lawyer framed and convicted for murder, as he tries to catch the real murderer from jail with the help of a conartist.
This occasion was well attended by students, faculty and staff and also graced by dignitaries from three embassies who included, Finland Ambassador to Kenya Amb. Erik Lundberg, Colombian Ambassador to Kenya, Amb. Elizabeth Taylor Jay and Korean Ambassador to Kenya, Amb. Yeonghan Choi.
Dr. Tom Odhiambo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Literature at the University of Nairobi giving a talk on Writing in the arts and culture at the Creative Writing Workshop. PHOTO: Ernest Mwanzi
By Ernest Mwanzi and Dr. Martin Mburu
The Department of Languages and Literature through its initiatives to celebrate and inspire production of creative works, hosted a creative writing workshop on Friday, July 26 at Lecture Theatre two at the Chandaria School of Business.
With the theme ‘Celebrating African Geniuses’ the event focused on discussing issues around creative writing and getting to meet celebrated writers to share insights and their experiences to enable USIU-Africa students and the community at large to get involved in creative writing.
Dr. Tom Odhiambo, a Senior Lecturer, department of Literature at the University of Nairobi led a discussion on writing in the arts and culture. He challenged the participants to do more writing because Kenya is a net importer of art and culture. He also emphasized on archiving the existing stories.
John Kamau, Editor, Investigations and Special Projects at the Nation Media Group talked about Creative investigative journalism. He gave a spellbinding presentation about his journey from an archeology student, to a recorded artist and award-winning journalist. “The beauty of writing is in the descriptions, there is a big market for creative writers. I advise students to pursue a degree that is specialized in the field of creative writing before pursuing Journalism,” he said.
Dr. Pablo Rubio, Assistant Professor of Spanish at USIU-Africa, had the arduous task of compressing decades of Spanish and Latin American Literature into a twenty-minute presentation and made a distinction between Spanish and Latin American Literature.
As the workshop came to an end there was a final presentation on writing and publishing in vernacular. Stephen Ndegwa an Adjunct faculty at USIU-Africa drove the conversation focused on his first book, ‘Khoto Mbere’, the first ever individual anthology of Kikuyu poetry, released in November 2018. It was a culmination of years of writing out his thoughts on different life experiences, both at individual and community levels.
He took the audience through the process of self-publishing, the merits and demerits of publishing in vernacular. Ndegwa is in the final stages of completing his second anthology, this time with a collection of English poems. The book will be published later this year. The author also envisions a Kiswahili poetry book in the future.
The department will host another workshop in January 2020 where they will invite more participants, especially students to write short stories and have them discussed at the workshop.
By Quin Awuor
On Friday, May 19, 2023, the Department of Languages and Literature in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa ccelebrated the achievements of over 30 students from Cohort 1 and 2 of their short courses. The Department awarded certificates of completion to these students who had completed various language courses, including Kenya Sign Language (KSL), Swahili, English Writing Intensive, Spanish, Chinese, and French.
The ceremony was filled with an atmosphere of excitement and joy as the faculty, students, and staff gathered to recognize the hard work and dedication of the students at the SHSS rooftop. Each student had the opportunity to share their experiences during the beginners and intermediate short certificate course sessions, and they showcased their newly acquired language skills by speaking in the language they had learned.
One notable student, Rahab Cheche, a KSL graduand and representative of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Director, Ms. Linet Aguko, captured the attention of the audience with her heartfelt remarks. Rahab and Zubeda couldn't finish their address without imparting some keywords and signs in KSL, allowing the audience to have a glimpse into the beauty of Kenya's sign language.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Michael Kihara, Associate Dean at the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension who represented the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Martin Njoroge, during the event. Prof. Kihara's speech highlighted the importance of language learning in today's globalized world and commended the students for their commitment to expanding their linguistic horizons.
The acting Chair of the Department of Languages and Literature, Dr. Awuor applauded the faculty in the Department for their efforts as they continue to provide remedial classes and valuable language short courses that equip students with essential linguistic skills and cultural understanding. With each successful cohort, the Department contributes to the growth and diversity of language education, fostering a more inclusive and interconnected USIU-Africa community and the entire society.
Admissions for Cohort 1 in French and Spanish are still ongoing. Interested individuals should reach out to the Principal Academic Advisor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ms. Lynnette Nzioki on lynzioki@usiu.ac.ke
By Naomi N. Nyarigoti
On February 9, Form Four students from Pioneer School Maragwa together with their teachers and parents’ representatives visited campus. The purpose of the visit was to provide the students with insight into the programs offered by the University and to inspire and motivate them as they made their career choices, and also as they prepared for their upcoming KCSE exams. The event was organized by Admissions Department in collaboration with the Department of Languages and Literature.
The event commenced with an introduction by Faith Adongo, a representative from the Admissions Department while Samuel Irungu from the same Department delivered a presentation on the various academic programs and admissions procedures available at the university. This session aimed to familiarize the students with the opportunities available for higher education.
Student representatives shared their experiences at USIU-Africa leading into a session of question and answer. The session allowed the Pioneer School students to seek clarification on programs offered and other related subjects.
Dr. Naomi Nyarigoti, the Chair of the Department of Languages and Literature, delivered an inspiring motivational speech. Her words of wisdom encouraged the students to pursue their dreams with passion and determination, ensuring they achieved their best. She emphasized the need to have focused reading as they prepared for their forthcoming exams, taking into consideration the cluster point requirements for their dream careers. She encouraged them to consider USIU-Africa as their preferred university.
Dr. Judith Jefwa, from Department of Languages and Literature also addressed the students focusing on the uniqueness of USIU-Africa and disqualifying the misconception that USIU-Africa is for a specific class of people. Dr. Jefwa further encouraged the students to have a sense of purpose and determination in their studies.
The students were then taken on a guided tour of the campus, where they had the opportunity to explore the facilities and learn more about campus life.
The event was concluded with lunch served at the famous Sironi Restaurant, followed by departure of the students, marking the end of a successful and enriching visit.
By Dr. Stella Nyagwencha and Brenda Odhiambo
The Department of Psychology’s Post-graduate Committee last week held the first in a series of research colloquiums to help in the demystification of research for undergraduate students undertaking their projects as well as graduate students at various levels of writing their theses and dissertations. The workshop was attended by a total of 50 participants drawn from faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. Dr. Josephine Arasa, Prof. Munyae Mulinge and Dr. Michael Kihara adequately handled the following topics; quality writing, common mistakes students make when writing and APA writing styles.
Elaborating on the rationale behind the colloquium, Dr. Josephine Arasa noted that research methodology could be taught to anyone, noting that undergraduate students need to learn it for a stronger foundation for their future; postgraduate students have no choice as a thesis/dissertation is the requirement for a Masters and later, a Doctoral degree.
“As someone studying one of the disciplines of medical science, you cannot run away from research, as you may in future have to deal with different types of cases that may not be straightforward and will require extra investigation from your end. If you decide to go into academia, you will be required to guide students as they begin the process of conducting their research, “she added.
Participants expressed appreciation for the sessions, noting that they were keen to attend similar forums in the future. On its end, the Department of Psychology has pledged to host more of the colloquiums in line with the university mission and program learning outcomes.
By Stella Nyagwencha and Jemima Oloo
On Tuesday, May 23, the Department of Psychology hosted a public lecture titled ‘A critical phase: The importance of developmental changes during adolescence and intervention strategies for guiding the way’. The lecture was presented by Dr. Marko Luftenegger, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Vienna and Joy Muth from the Center for Teacher Education at the University of Vienna.
The event was attended by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Munyae Mulinge, and the Austrian Ambassador, Mr. Christian Fellner. In her remarks, the Vice Chancellor emphasized the importance of adolescents in the society and challenged everyone present to implement relevant strategies not only at USIU-Africa but in Kenya, Africa and globally.
The Ambassador, on the other hand, stressed the importance of psychology for life and mentioned some of the important personalities in psychology who came from Vienna, Austria including Sigmund Freud.
In their presentation, Dr. Luftenegger and Ms. Muth emphasized the importance of adolescent stage is as it influences adolescents in the following later stages of life. Negative health problems that arise during adolescence were discussed and myths dispelled as adolescence can also be a stage of pleasure too. The important role that the brain plays in adolescence was emphasized as well as its plasticity. It was noted that growth of the brain is from the back to the front hence the delay in complete development of the prefrontal cortex.
It was noted that most studies done on adolescence are correlational hence not able to determine cause and effect. The audience got an opportunity to take part in fluid intelligence and crystalized intelligence tests. The importance of the school set up was discussed as adolescents spend a lot of time in school.
COVID-19 was a huge disruptor in the education sector, causing advanced effects for both students and educators. According to the presenters, students struggled with increased anxiety ranging from 28% to 41% and the prevalence of depression ranged from 23% to 39%. These students showed an increase in distress, loneliness and alcohol use. This was because of increase in screen time, less physical activity and sleep problems.
Educators also suffered due to COVID-19. The prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress ranged from 10% to 49.4%. Educators experienced a decrease in feelings of accomplishment, an increase in depersonalization and emotional exhaustion. Teachers who were younger, female and had chronic health issues struggled more with well-being.
The adverse changes and challenges exposed certain groups more than others for instance, individuals from poor and underdeveloped countries, individuals with special educational needs, individuals from families with low socioeconomic status and underprivileged students with subpar access to quality education.
The lecture ended with a discussion on the interventions that have been identified based on research done so far. We were all challenged to avoid depending on WEIRD research (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic populations) which is carried out among 10% of the world populations but tends to be is generalized globally.
By Terry Odhiambo
The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice hosted its sixth annual conference themed, “Children in conflict with the law: Experiences from Western and African Criminal Justice Systems.” The virtual conference attracted over 50 academics, students, and practitioners from the global south and global north who shared research on juvenile delinquency, good practice, and strategies for policy and prevention of delinquency. The conference’s main objective was to highlight the complexities of juvenile justice practice and provide a critical examination of juvenile justice theory and practice from a comparative perspective, which is vital for the future development of international juvenile justice practices.
The Keynote speaker, Professor Camille Gibson from Prairie View A&M University, Texas, USA, highlighted the atmosphere of Juvenile Justice in America while sharing challenges, successes, and prospects for the future. The research was shared in the following sub-themes: Responding to Juvenile Offenders, the Juvenile Justice System, Police and Juvenile Offenders, Children in Conflict with the Law, and Mental Health, Juvenile Justice, Human Rights, and International Law and Juvenile Justice and Legal Aid.
As part of mentoring students, a special panel was constituted for five Criminal Justice students, Ms. Sophia Mohamed, Ms. Nayanka Singh, Mr. Teddy Osoro, Mr. Kenneth Eshiemomoh, and Ms. Cynthia Nyaboke. They shared their research with the participants, who enriched their papers by responding to critical questions and providing guidance on improvement. The Special Panel of Criminal Justice Practitioners also presented police procedures in dealing with cases of children in conflict with the law and the role of the prosecution.
This conference reflects the Department’s and the University’s commitment to quality research and scholarship. The papers presented at this conference will be published in February 2023 in the upcoming book “Juvenile Justice in African and Western Criminal Justice Systems.” This book intends to provide a comprehensive introduction to juvenile justice from a comparative perspective between African and Western criminal justice systems
By Terry Odhiambo
The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice hosted its seventh annual conference-themed "Protect and Serve: Promoting Better Policing through Shared Best Practices." The 1st hybrid conference attracted over 80 physical and online attendees ranging from students, academics, and practitioners who shared cutting-edge research on policing from different parts of the world. This cross-cultural and interdisciplinary dialogue helped enrich the global understanding of criminology and criminal justice practices. The conference’s main objective was to bring academics, students, and practitioners together to discuss key issues in criminal justice and law enforcement.
Two esteemed keynote speakers graced the conference; Mr. Japheth Koome, EBS, Inspector General, National Police Service, represented by Dr. Resila Onyango, National Police Service Spokesperson, and Mr. Elema Halake, CEO of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). Dr. Resila Onyango, representing the Inspector General of the National Police, provided significant perspectives on the existing condition of law enforcement in Kenya and the efforts underway to improve service provision and strategies for crime prevention.
Mr. Elema Halake, the Director of IPOA (Independent Policing Oversight Authority), shared essential information about IPOA's role in overseeing and ensuring accountability within the police service. His detailed explanation of IPOA's responsibilities, such as investigating police officers' conduct and promoting police welfare, gave attendees a comprehensive understanding of the agency's efforts to enhance police-citizen trust and improve law enforcement practices.
These distinguished keynote presenters undoubtedly added depth and authority to the conference's discussions, making it an important platform for advancing knowledge and promoting better policing practices in Kenya. The engagement of students, academics, and practitioners with these key figures in the criminal justice system is a valuable opportunity for all involved.
As part of mentoring students, two special panels were constituted for Criminal Justice Students who shared their research with the participants. Participants enriched their papers by responding to critical questions and providing guidance on improvement. A Special Panel of Criminal Justice Practitioners also shared best practices and areas of improvement in policing sector in Kenya, contributing to the ongoing efforts to promote better policing practices in the country. Some notable organizations and agencies that participated in the conference are Amnesty International -Kenya, Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), Probation and After Care Department, and the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
This conference reflects the Department’s and the University’s continued commitment to quality research and scholarship. The papers presented at this conference will be published in January 2024 Special Issue of the recently launched Africa Journal for Crime and Justice.
By Alumni Relations Department
On February 3, the Alumni Relations Department together with the Dean, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, co-hosted alumni from the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D), Clinical Psychology program for a breakfast event aimed at nurturing collaboration and connection between the alumni and the university. The Psy.D alumni group was led by USIU-Africa faculty Dr. Charity Waithima, the Program Lead, and Dr. Mercy Njeru, the group’s coordinator. Other participants who graced this event included Ms. Christine Nzyoka, Internship coordinator and Mr. Michael Malenya, Chair of the Academic Committee in the Alumni Association (representing the Chair of the Alumni Association).
The event commenced with warm greetings and introductions, setting the tone for an atmosphere of camaraderie and professional networking. Alumni engaged in insightful discussions, sharing experiences and insights from their diverse journeys in private practice and academia. During the event, Mr. Michael Kisilu, Head of Alumni Relations, presented an overview of the Alumni Department’s activities and discussed potential areas of collaboration for alumni engagement. This presentation sparked discussions on various collaboration opportunities, further enriching the dialogue among attendees.
Notably, the Alumni Association was recognized for scooping the prestigious title of ‘Alumni Association of the Year’ for the second year in a row during the East Africa Employability Summit & Uongozi Career Awards, 2023-24 organized by the Corporate Career Academy (CCA). Discussions centered on the benefits offered by the Association, including access to resources such as the library, gym facilities, counseling services, and career support. The launch of an alumni medical insurance program underscored the Association's commitment to supporting alumni beyond graduation. Plans for future events in Nairobi and Mombasa, including webinars and sports tournaments, garnered enthusiasm as attendees expressed eagerness to engage with students and alumni across Kenya. As the event concluded, sentiments of gratitude permeated the room, affirming the enduring bonds forged within the clinical psychology community.
In their remarks, both Dr. Waithima and Mercy Njeru emphasized the importance of fostering engagement and collaboration among alumni and undergraduates, highlighted mentorship and networking as fundamental pillars of success in the field. Undoubtedly, this event exemplified the spirit of collaboration and comradeship that defines our alumni community.
Dr. Dana Brown during the Association for Psychological Science (APS) convention in Washington DC. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Diana Meso
Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Dana Basnight-Brown in collaboration with two other scholars, presented research papers at the 31st annual convention for the Association for Psychological Science (APS) that took place in Washington DC from 23 to 26 May.
The first paper titled “The Universality of Emotion Representations: An Investigation of Color and Emotion Associates in a Non-Western Population" which was in collaboration with Psy.D (Doctor of Psychology, Clinical Psychology) graduates Bernice Nderitu and Joyce Ngugi was based on the cognitive association between color and emotion and its important implications for many areas of psychology. It further examined the link between words that differed in valence and emotion type, in a Sub-Saharan African population. The results revealed that color association in Sub-Saharan Africa is different from that of Western countries.
Dr. Dana’s second paper titled “Clinical Implications of Multilingualism: An Exploration of Language Selection in Sub-Saharan African Therapists" sought to find out the important implications the use of multiple languages during psychotherapy has for both therapists and clients. It focused on the quantitative and qualitative data obtained on language selection processes for Sub-Saharan African therapists. The results revealed that language switching behaviors were dependent on the valence of the emotion being expressed.
The APS Convention brings together psychological scientists from disciplines across the globe, to learn about research and trends from world-renowned psychological scientists, improve skills and deepen knowledge, and forge life-long collaborations with colleagues.
The Chancellor Dr. Manu Chandaria,
The Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Zeleza,
Members of the Board of Trustees,
The University Governing Council,
The University Management Board,
Faculty Members,
Staff,
Students,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon to you all.
I am delighted to be here today on this ground-breaking ceremony for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences Building of United States International University-Africa. I must admit that although I lived in the neighbourhood for many years, I set my foot in the Campus only a week ago by invitation by the Vice Chancellor. However, I am highly impressed by what I saw. Indeed, it is evident that a lot of transformational work has been going on here for some time.
Mr. Chancellor, I am here today at a time when our Education system is undergoing a lot of reforms from the Kindergarten to the University. At the center of this reforms is the question of whether or not the education we have today help advance holistic human development and therefore national growth and development as envisioned in our national aspirations and goals of the Big Four and Vision 2030.
This existential discourse continues to pre-occupy not just the universities, but policy makers both in public and private sector. As such, the University as a teaching/learning and research center remains critical in getting an answer to this fundamental question and help in getting solutions to the many challenges we face today as a country and the continent in general.
It is instructive to note that universities, USIU included produce graduates annually in different fields of specializations which are expected to promote not just their own career development but more important, transform humanity and make this world a better place. At the center of this transformation is the realization that as a country, our collective destiny as a people remains shaky and unpredictable if as universities we do offer holistic education that ultimately provide practical solutions to the many contemporary challenges we face as a generation and lay a strong foundation for generations to come.
I am glad to note that USIU-Africa continue to produce graduates whom regardless of their majors develop and demonstrate the ability to think critically, analytically and creatively. This commitment to academic excellence has brought you where you are today. Indeed, this breaking-ground ceremony further demonstrates how you wish to shape the future of this excellence in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Mr. Vice Chancellor, I take note that in your letter of invitation, you have noted “that the building once complete will provide a creative and inspiring learning space and experience for the students in their quest for interdisciplinary engagement, blending theoretical foundations and analysis with practical exposure to contemporary issues in society and industry”
I wish to emphasize that if we stopped at the Blending of theoretical foundations and analysis without practical exposure to contemporary issues in society and industry, we shall not offer any practical solutions to the many challenges facing us. Indeed, a link between research in universities and industry is key. This is however possible if we worked together with the industries and society while developing or reviewing our curriculum. For example, how can humanities and social sciences help advance the national anti-corruption movement and national unity and integration as championed by the President? How does the quest for interdisciplinary engagement advance the Big 4 agenda and the Vision 2030? How does this school advance the African Union 2063 Agenda and the United Nations sustainable development goals? How does the graduates from this School help the critical sectors of our economy leading to growth? All these are critical questions that as faculty we need to address. It is however clear in my mind that a curriculum or education that does not align itself to addressing the challenges envisioned by her people is just education for education sake. I look forward to this School being an example regionally and globally to setting the pace of how humanities and social sciences practically advance human and national development by offering practical solutions leading to societal transformation.
Mr. Vice-Chancellor, Humanities and social sciences deal with the heritage and the question of what makes us human. We are therefore first human before we add a career, a title, a profession to ourselves. Understanding therefore the ideal human being, the values that ought to drive such a human being, his /her role in the development and growth of self and society is very important. I am informed that the School currently houses the disciplines of Psychology, International Relations, Criminal Justice and Languages. All these are very important if well-grounded to address the various questions I had raised earlier. They are the “software” of our being as a people and communities.
Lastly, I wish to implore the school to build on partnerships with industries and similar schools around the world that would help enhance the quality of teaching/learning and research. These partnerships need to be strategic and geared towards the Big 4, Vision 2030, AU Agenda 2063 and UN Sustainable development goals while domiciled within the mission of USIU-Africa to:
“Promote the discovery and application of knowledge, the acquisition of skills and the development of intellect and character in a manner which prepares students to contribute effectively and ethically as citizens of a changing and increasingly technological world.’’
I once again thank you very much for this great opportunity to not just being a guest of honor in this ground-breaking ceremony but more important, laying a great foundation for future leaders of our country, the region, Africa and the world through the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa.
Thank you and God bless you all.
Dr. Peter K. Munga, EGH
November 8, 2018
By Mercy Tania and Terry Odhiambo
The Criminal Justice Club recently visited the Directorate of Criminal Investigation’s New National Forensic Laboratory in Nairobi on August 1, 2023. The trip was nothing short of an enlightening expedition into the heart of modern crime-solving techniques. From crime scene investigations to cybercrime, ballistics to explosives, imaging, and acoustics to fingerprints and document examination, each facet of this multifarious discipline plays an indispensable role in the pursuit of justice.
In their courses, criminal justice students frequently examine theoretical concepts. Visiting the DCI allowed them to see these principles in action. They were able to observe how different investigative methods, tools, and procedures are used in real-world criminal investigations. As witnessed during the tour, criminal investigation is a multifaceted field that includes a variety of specialist teams. By witnessing these distinct units at work, ranging from crime scene analysis to cybercrime investigations, ballistics, explosives, digital forensics, and more, students received insight into the various components of a criminal investigation.
Students were exposed to cutting-edge equipment and tactics utilized in solving modern-day crimes by visiting the Directorate. Understanding how technology may help with investigations is essential for remaining current in the profession. With technological improvements, the criminal investigative sector is continually evolving. Criminal investigations frequently necessitate collaboration among many divisions and expertise. Seeing how these units operate together as a cohesive force taught students the significance of teamwork and cooperation in solving challenging issues.
Criminal justice students got to see firsthand the difficulties that field investigators confront, such as coping with limited resources, time limits, and the ever-changing nature of criminal activity. This experience allows students to understand the criminal justice system's intricacies genuinely.
Students may have experienced moral dilemmas and the need to adhere to ethical norms in the quest for justice throughout their visit. Understanding the ethical components of criminal investigations is critical for prospective criminal investigators. Witnessing the experts' dedication and enthusiasm at the Directorate may have inspired criminal justice students to seek careers with a purpose and commitment to upholding justice. Visits to professional groups such as the DCI allow students to network with seasoned professionals, which may lead to internships, job opportunities, or mentorship that greatly benefit their future careers.
This visit helped to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical practice. Students were able to see how the topics they learned in class were put into action during actual criminal investigations. Experiencing the world of criminal investigation firsthand challenged students to think critically, adjust to new situations, and improve their problem-solving abilities, all of which contributed to their personal and professional development. The visit to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation was a transformative experience for criminal justice students, providing them with a thorough understanding of the field, reigniting their passion for justice, and preparing them for the challenges and responsibilities that await them in their careers.
By Coralie Irenge
The USIU-Africa French club had the wonderful opportunity to visit and volunteer at the Mitahato French Village in Githunguri, Kiambu County, a non-profit organization focused on bringing French education to school children in Kenya starting with its residential area, on Saturday March 18, 2023. The Mitahato French village hosted an event to celebrate the Day of the Francophonie on Saturday March 18, 2023, where our members were honored to have esteemed guests such as the ambassadors of France, Angola, Congo Brazzaville, and the United Nations (UN) Ambassador in attendance amongst many other recognized French officials, French clubs, and French students in Kenya.
The founder of Mitahato French Library, Chris Mburu, converted his backyard into a French library in 2020 during the COVID-19 period as the children in the village were idle. Mitahato is known for its free and unique fun way of teaching French to both adults and children. They use fun methods such as singing, dancing, playing games and village walks.
Chris organized a reading competition for the volunteers to encourage fluency and literacy in French, with the winner (Martina from Kenyatta University) receiving a two-way ticket to Congo Brazzaville to practice their French skills. In addition to this, the two best-performing children (Ian Mbugua and Lydia Wangari) from the program were also selected for the same two-way trip, which was an incredible opportunity for them to immerse themselves in the language and culture they had been studying.
Zeus Bamporineza, one of the French Club members, participated in the dix mots French challenge in which he composed his poem titled ‘Lydie, Ma Belle…’ with required 10 French words for the challenge: année-lumière, tic-tac, dare-dare, rhymes, synchrones, déjà vu, hivernage, plus-que parfait and lambine.
USIU-Africa was well-represented among the volunteers, but we also had volunteers from other schools who were just as passionate about this cause. The Day of the Francophonie celebration was a momentous occasion, with the banana tree theme and decorations adding to the festive atmosphere. It was heartwarming to see the children enjoying themselves, engaging in games, singing, and dancing in French.
As volunteers, our representatives were excited to participate in the events of the day, but our main goal was to contribute to the efforts of Mitahato French Village in promoting French education in rural Kenya. We were committed to taking this mission seriously, but that did not stop us from having fun and letting our hair down. It was a wonderful chance to collaborate with other like-minded individuals and to positively impact these children's lives.
By Nina Berman
Recently, the Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the United States International University-Africa hosted a launch of a book titled Disability and Social Justice in Kenya: Scholars, Policymakers and Activists in Conversation, co-edited by Nina Berman and Rebecca Monteleone, which brings together a wide range of voices on matters regarding disability in contemporary Kenya.
The event featured a thought-provoking keynote address by Dr. Willy Mutunga, former Chief Justice & President of the Supreme Court, 2011-2016. He stressed a key point made in the book, namely that Kenya has followed the cultural model of disability from the beginning of its disability movement, thus trailblazing an approach that global North scholars have engaged with only since the 1990s. He also stressed the tension between theory and practice in terms of implementing the legal framework and highlighted the need for solidarity in pursuing social justice, in Kenya and globally.
The keynote was followed by comments from three panelists. Dr. Kimani Njogu, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Twaweza Communications, advocated for paying attention to language when it comes to matters of inclusion. He saw the book as a calling for Kenyans to address the issues that are raised in it and stated that the conversation between policy-makers, scholars, and activists is crucial to this process.
Dr. Mbugua wa-Mungai, a disability researcher, author and inclusion advocate stressed the mandate to co-create with persons with disabilities, to have them at the table on every matter from the beginning. He also emphasized that the needs of persons with disabilities vary greatly, even within a certain category of disability, and advocated for customizing approaches to support each individual. This point was reiterated by Ms. Mercy Mugure Gichunge, Board Member of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities and an expert on the rights of persons with disabilities. She further highlighted the need for increased political representation of persons with disability, which has in fact gone down on the county level since 2017.
The event was followed by a reception that was sponsored by Disability Innovations Suite, maker of a locally manufactured wheelchair, PEPESI ,which is custom-fitted and designed using a web-based platform which can be viewed at kochi.vercel.app.
A student attends to a guest who visited the USIU-Africa stand during the recently concluded First UN-Habitat Assembly at the UN Office in Nairobi.PHOTO:Courtesy
By Lucy Njeri Irungu and Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa participated as a stakeholder in the first United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly that took place from May 27-31 May 2019 at the United Nations Office in Nairobi under the theme “Innovation for Better Quality of Life in Cities and Communities”. The assembly brought together member states, organizations of the United Nations, inter-governmental organizations, UN-Habitat agenda partners / stakeholders, local authorities, professionals, researchers, academia, informal sector organizations, trade unions, financial institutions, private sector, children and youth groups, people with disability and older persons to discuss affordable housing, the blue economy, livable Somali cities, safe cities for girls, climate action and frontier technology.
USIU-Africa was one of the institutions of higher education that nominated ten of its students from the International Relations department (Lucy Irungu, Ramadhan Kibibi, Abdikaffi Kanyare, Louis Mugisha and Aijaz Arham) and Journalism department (Nicole Desa, Hudson Amenya, Ekta Dodhia, Gloria Ndikumana and Elizabeth Muthoni) to attend this gathering. The students had an opportunity to attend as delegates and shape the discussion around some of the immediate threats such as global warming and creating safe, livable spaces. They also had an opportunity to market the institution to the delegates attending the meeting. These platforms provide networking opportunities and promote discovery and application of the knowledge acquired. It was also an opportunity for the students to expand intellect and character as they prepare to contribute effectively and ethically as citizens of a changing and increasingly technological world.
By Ngare Willsmith Ochillo
National Security challenges require flexible and skillful security managers and leaders capable of developing innovative solutions and enduring partnerships to successfully devise and execute strategic security options to address the dynamic security situations that are common along our border with the republic of Uganda.
In light of this statement, as part of the project Supporting Small Arms and Light Weapons Control in Africa; the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), Bonn, Germany, together with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in collaboration with the Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IPPIA) at the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), the National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) and the Kenya School of Government (KSG) organized a workshop which took place at School of Humanities 5th floor conference room on February 28.
Dr. Moses Onyango, the Chair of the Department of International Relations gave the opening remarks. This was followed by a brief report from National Crime and Research Centre (NCRC) by Vincent Opondo on Small Arms in West Pokot. Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) refer to a category of weapons that are generally designed for individual or small group use, including handguns, rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers, among others. The proliferation and misuse of SALW have been a major security concern in many parts of the world, including Africa and in Particular West Pokot which was the case study.
Representing the USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor Professor Margee Ensign, Professor Munyae Mulinge, the Deputy Vice - Chancellor Academic Affairs, welcomed guests to the event. He noted that it was an honor for the institution to host the event which in turn was successful. He noted the effects that the arms have brought to the livelihoods of the pastoral communities and retaliated that these arms become dangerous only when used by human beings. “Without human intervention, I do not see any harm arms have on us because it needs the expertise of humans to kill and destroy,” he said.
Dr. Lamis Saleh (BICC), then gave key highlights on the “Small arms, conflict and peacebuilding” in form of Qualitative data as Professor Kennedy Mkutu (USIU-Africa) discussed on “Arms and pastoralist conflict on the Kenya-Uganda border: Current trends and governance considerations” from the Qualitative data he had gathered. The second session was then a highlight of “Land commodification in West Pokot and implications for conflict dynamics” by Dr. Per Knutsson and Dr. James Drew (Gothenburg University).
It was noted that, forceful disarmament has led communities to be very secretive about ownership of small arms. Police posts established along the common border with Uganda and between neighboring counties have quelled conflict to some extent, but much remains to be done before community members can voluntarily relinquish the illegal arms.
Students posing outside the Rwandan Senate with Amb. Rugema Michel, Rwandese Senator and Chairperson of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs,Cooperation and Security on March 7, 2019. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DAN ODABA
By Dan Odaba and Dan Muchai
Forty-eight International Relations majors representing 9 nationalities (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, the Netherlands, Somalia, Ethiopia and Sweden) successfully concluded the Spring Semester Field Study trip to the Republics of Rwanda and Uganda respectively.
During the trip, which commenced on March 1-10, the students visited the Kenyan Embassy in Rwanda where they were addressed by Amb. John Mwangemi on Kenya`s Mission operations and implementation of Kenya`s foreign policy.
A trip to the Kigali Genocide Memorial - which honors the memory of the more than one million Rwandans killed in 1994 through education and peace-building - was an important site for the students to learn about Peacebuilding initiatives and the history of activities that took place prior to the 1994 genocide.
The students’ trip to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) was especially crucial to the students specializing in Development Studies, since the RDB`s vision is to transform Rwanda into a dynamic global hub for business, investment, and innovation.
At the Never Again Rwanda (NAR) - a peace building and social justice organization that arose in response to the 1994 genocide perpetrated against Tutsis – the students were exposed to the the organization’s vision of a nation where citizens are agents of positive change and work together towards sustainable peace and development. The NAR aims to empower Rwandans with opportunities to become active citizens through peacebuilding and development, while placing a particular emphasis on the youth as the future of a peaceful society.
Next on the list was the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) where the students learnt of how the idea of establishing a commission for national unity and reconciliation was first thought of by the Arusha Peace Accord signed in 1993, to assist the government of national unity - then anticipated - to foster unity and reconciliation among the people of Rwanda who had experienced long periods of bad governance characterized by divisions, discriminations, human rights abuse and acts of violence. After the tragic genocide of 1994, the establishment of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission was made even more necessary, culminating in its inclusion in the national Constitution adopted in 2003. This visit to the NURC thus provided insights to the students on Rwandese reconciliation initiatives and healing process after the 1994 genocide.
Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs students as well as the rest of the students had an opportunity to understand Rwanda`s Foreign Policy implementation strategies at the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINAFFET) Headquarters.
At the Senate (Upper Chamber) of Rwanda, the students were delighted to learn and discuss the increasing number of women in parliament and experiencing parliament operations. They were addressed by Amb. Rugema Michel, who is a Senator and Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security.
At the African Leadership University, the students explored strategies used by the university to empower students to take ownership of their own learning.
The trip also included a visit to the Kabaka’s Palace at Mengo, near the capital city of Kampala in neighbouring Uganda. The subnational Kingdom of the Ganda people, is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda.
Built in 1922, the Palace has remained empty since 1966 when Kabaka Mutesa II, then president of Uganda, was ousted and forced into exile. Though the building’s interior is closed to visitors, the students toured the notorious prison beneath the palace, which was especially active during the regime of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, learning how Uganda went through the period successfully, before returning to Nairobi.
The class is taught by International Relations Lecturer, Dan Odaba, who was accompanied by School of Humanities and Social Sciences Administrator Ms. Fenny W. Muthusi.
By Shyat Lemoshira
The IRL 4151-A Summer 2023 class field trip to Rwanda, also known as Le Paye des Mille Collines (The Land of Thousand Hills), was led by Dr. Elijah Munyi, a Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Mr. Christopher Barak, a Course Adviser in the same School. This delegation arrived in Rwanda on Saturday, July 8, 2023, and stayed for one week. They paid visits to the Rwanda Cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Rwanda (MINAFFET), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement, the Rwanda Parliament, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Imbuto Foundation, Access to Finance Rwanda, and the Kenya High Commission in Rwanda.
The objective of the field study was to get a thorough understanding and experience relating to the concentrations of the Bachelor of Arts in International Relations: Diplomacy and Foreign Policy, Development Studies, and Peace and Conflict. Rwanda Cooperation under MINAFFET provided insights into Rwanda's transformation process and development, as well as diaspora participation in development. They also explained the policies, programs, and efforts in place for diaspora engagement in Rwanda's development and foreign policy. Enviroserve Rwanda also provided the children a tour of their facility in the Bugesera district. Through e-waste recycling and management, the company aims to contribute to Green Growth and the Circular Economy. Students gained knowledge about their e-waste process of management and were encouraged to spread the word about e-waste disposal and environmental preservation.
The Green Fund Rwanda (FUNERWA) and the delegation addressed methods for creating an ecosystem that provides growth capital to high impact environmentally friendly enterprises while also acting as a catalyst for attracting funding and green investment. The Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement spoke about Rwanda's efforts to promote unity and reconciliation, as well as the policies and measures put in place to improve community resilience, civic education, memory, preservation, and genocide prevention.
The USIU-Africa delegation also made a visit to High Commissioner Amb. Philip Githiora and the Kenya High Commission in Rwanda. Amb. Githiora described his diplomatic history and explained the responsibilities of Mission employees as well as the Mission's roles in projecting, promoting, and safeguarding Kenya's interests overseas through innovative diplomacy. Aside from these official excursions, the students took tours of Kigali, Uganda's Kabaka's Palace, and other prominent Rwandan attractions.
Ultimately, the field study was a huge success in terms of providing students with practical experience and interaction in political, economic, and social spheres in both the academic and non-academic domains.
By Amina Jillo & Shyat Lemoshira | Photos: Kenya High Commission in Rwanda
"Rwanda can be a paradise again, but it will take the love of the entire world to heal my homeland. And that's as it should be, for what happened in Rwanda happened to us all - humanity was wounded by the genocide" ~ Immaculee Ilibagiza.
The 2023 Spring Semester IRL4151 Field Study class recently returned from a 10-day trip to Rwanda where they learnt about Rwandan history, their plight of transformation and restoration from their grueling past.
The class took part in a series of talks and meetings arranged by Rwanda Cooperation with representatives from governmental and non-governmental institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MINAFFET), the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), IBUKA, an umbrella organization that caters and connect with genocide survivor associations, AOG Rwanda IGENZI Social Enterprise, Ministry of Justice and the Rwandan Cooperation itself. All these institutions emphasized how, with a common goal and vision of recovery a country’s challenges can be met with viable solutions.
The class also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial where they learnt about the History of the genocide against the Tutsis, the historical events leading to the genocide, the culmination of years of manipulation and discrimination and the aftermath. Towards the end of the trip they were able to go for a fun excursion to the Kings Palace Museum in Nyanza, where they learnt about the traditional Rwandan community and its rich colonial past and interactions with the Belgians, then to lake Kivu bordering Congo in the West where we took boat rides, swam and others indulged in lake side delicacies such as fish skewers and platters.
Ambassador Philip Githiora and the Kenyan High Commission in Rwanda welcomed the students to their mission in Kigali. Amb. Githiora provided experience as a civil servant and shared tips on patience and benefits of providing consistent performance in one’s profession.
It was truly an amazing experience where we not only learnt a great deal but also got to tour the city and the country as a whole. The class was accompanied on the trip by Dr. Nicomedus Minde, Prof Pauline Ndungu and John Riungu, course advisor for School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
By Michelle Karume
The Institute for Advanced Systemic Family Therapy are in-depth training for advanced marriage and family therapists. This in-person training was held in London, United Kingdom on June 21 - 23, 2023. These intensive courses reflect the clinical challenges mental health professionals face today. The Institutes are designed with the experienced clinician in mind and are presented by experts in the field. Dr. Karume was one of the four trainers at the Institute. Her training session was “Good Grief; Using a Systems Framework for Grieving Children”. Four of the senior MA. MFT students were in attendance at the conference. This was the first time students were given access to the Advanced Institute.
Some students from the MA Marriage and Family Therapy as well as professionals in the MFT field were also invited to attend the couples training on Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship, held in Uganda this earlier this month. The 5-day training was an in depth training on the systemic theory that allowed participants to gain competence in all stages of the theory. The training was both theoretical and experiential.
Photo1:
(R-L) Wairimu Wahome (USIU-Africa MFT student,) Dr. Karume (USIU-Africa MFT Program Leader, Trainer), Dr. Yulia Watters (MFT Trainer), Dr. Angela Lamson (MFT Trainer), Dr. Willliam Northey (MFT Trainer), Aashni Shah (USIU-Africa MFT student), Zvisineyi Chiromo (USIU-Africa MFT student), Rehema Gathumbi (USIU-Africa MFT Student), Dawn Berry (AAMFT Director of Events) at the in-depth training hosted by the Institute for Advanced Systemic Family Therapy. Photo: Courtesy.
Photo2:
(R-L top row)-Nicole Akinyi (USIU-Africa MFT student), Alice Kamundi (USIU-Africa MFT alumni), Juster Mutegi (USIU-Africa MFT student), Lillian Gitau (USIU-Africa MFT student), EFT Trainer.
(R-L bottom row)-Ronald Asiimwe (EFT Trainer, Conference coordinator), Patricia Arisi (USIU-Africa MFT alumni), Dr. Elmien (EFT Trainer), Daisy Kosgey (USIU-Africa MFT alumni), Vruti Shah (MFT USIU-Africa alumni) at the Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT) Uganda Project.
Overview
The building is located within the academic zone in line with the USIU-Africa master plan. The location is adjacent to the Science Centre and sports fields, and is easily accessed from Gate B.
The new School of Humanities and Social Sciences building will go a long way in enhancing humanities education programs, as well as serving as a research and response lab. It provides classroom space, laboratory teaching and research facilities, office areas, meeting rooms and auditorium lecture rooms.
The building design facilitates social learning by creating spaces where students can easily connect and collaborate.
The new complex will double the existing classroom capacity as it will accommodate 1,500 students at a time.
KEY FEATURES
This is a 6 floor building including a basement, and covers a plinth area of 13,500 square meters.
The key features of this magnificent state of the art building are:
Sustainable and Environmental Friendly Building Materials
During the construction of the substructure, a balanced cut and fill exercise was incorporated, so that minimal amounts of material were transported off the site. The building levels were therefore set to allow for a certain amount of cutting which was then turned to fill both at the end of the building and around the site.
Priority was always given to resources which were either available or manufactured locally. Concrete is the predominant material for the superstructure, with either locally available stone or concrete blocks for both external and internal walling. High quality solar control low energy windows were sourced locally, and where possible a renewable or recyclable materials that require minimum energy in the manufacturing and production process were used. Materials used are all non-hazardous to human health and were selected to limit transportation which in itself is a source of pollution, and this also supported the local economy
The long building elevations are oriented to face north and south, which minimizes the amount of solar gain into the offices, classrooms and laboratory areas.
External Finishes
The building is finished with 1.5 mm Marmaron mosaic finish and glazed top coat render on concrete to give a maintenance free external surface.
Internal Finishes
Floors to all classrooms, break out meeting rooms, conference pods, faculty offices, walkways and washrooms are finished with high quality granite and ceramic tiles for ease of cleaning and maintenance.
Main entrance lobby, connecting bridges, circulating stairways, are finished with high quality granite tiles for durability, ease of cleaning and maintenance.
Other internal finishes are balustrading made of glazed toughened glass and stainless steel railing, and suspended acoustic ceiling panels.
Landscaping
The whole area of the site was a hockey pitch with some indigenous trees between the existing buildings and the new development. As part of green energy irrigation, the landscaping will be done with water collected from the rainwater collection pond located near the science building.
Electrical Services
Low energy LED fittings have been incorporated into the building, and a provision for installation of photovoltaic solar system has been set up on the roof.
Occupancy sensors are also provided in the corridors, washrooms and classrooms.
Emergency and back power 630 KVA generator is provided to ensure continuous learning and for the safety of the building occupants in case of main electrical failure.
Three (3) 40 KVA Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units and a 400 KVA Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) is installed to ensure reliable clean power to server room, classrooms, breakup areas, lifts and other critical areas.
The whole building is covered with reliable internet and WIFI services for continuous learning in all spaces within the building.
Audio visual installations are available in classrooms, auditorium and board room while a video conferencing facility is installed in the board room.
Digital signage is also installed in the main entrance and on all floors for campus communication and education notices.
Mechanical Services
Water
Water supply is from both the Nairobi City County mains and the boreholes already on site. Efficient plumbing fixtures and flush valves for all washrooms are installed in order to manage water usage.
Water is stored in a 96 cubic metre tank at the basement and in two 64 and 48 cubic metre tanks on the roof.
Rainwater is harvested from the roof and is collected in a large pond the site next to science center and is in turn recycled for irrigation.
Hot water is only required in small quantities in the building, as only cold water is provided in the washrooms. Where hot water is required in the kitchens, solar water heating panels have been provided on the roof together with an electrical geyser override system.
Fire Protection
For safety of occupants, the building is installed with fire alarm and detection system hose reels and portable fire extinguishers.
Fire hydrant ring main is installed around the building and is connected to the diesel and electric standby fire pumps.
Fire suppression system is also installed in the switch room and server room. The building has adequate fire escape routes and safety signs are strategically located in the building.
Mechanical Ventilation and Air-conditioning.
Areas where heat gains are excessive due to usage such as server room, UPS room and boardroom air conditioning is installed.
Other areas like washrooms, kitchenettes and meeting rooms are installed with foul air extraction units.
Sewer Line
A new sewer line was constructed along Mirema Lane through Gate B to the manhole at the junction of Mirema Drive and Lumumba Drive to serve the building. The newly installed sewer line will ease any future sewerage connection to university developments.
Security
CCTV security monitoring systems are installed in the building together with biometric access control to server room, classrooms and critical spaces.
Accessibility
Four (4) high speed lifts are provided in the entrance lobby to facilitate movement between the various floors. Uninterrupted Power Supply and a Voltage Regulator are connected to the lifts to ensure safety during emergency and power failures.
Ramps are provided at the main entrance and all entry points throughout the building to allow access for People with Disability as well as for equipment trolleys.
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By John Sande
By CTW Team
Photos by Edson Macharia
The new School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) building will go a long way in enhancing humanities and social sciences education programs. It provides classroom space, laboratory teaching and research facilities, office areas, meeting rooms and auditorium lecture rooms. In addition, there are fourteen flexible meeting rooms which are set up for modern teaching methods with the latest audio-visual equipment. It also features a covered terrace and glazed façade. It is located within the academic zone in line with the USIU-Africa master plan. The location is adjacent to the Science Centre and sports fields, and is easily accessed from Gate B.
The building design facilitates social learning by creating spaces where students can easily connect and collaborate. The new complex will double the existing classroom capacity as it will accommodate 1,500 students at a time.
The key features of this building are: -
Caption: This is a six-storey building including a basement, and covers a plinth area of 13,500 square meters.
The 25 smart classrooms, with a seating capacity of 60 during regular session and about 35 students with social distancing, are a welcome addition to the instruction space at USIU-Africa. This will expand the institution’s ability to return to face-to-face learning during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to develop and implement more market driven degree programs. Most important, the smart classrooms will enhance the quality of delivery by instructors and learning by students.
Caption: The building has both regular and tiered classrooms, with a seating capacity of 60 during regular session and about 35 students to achieve social distancing.
The numerous post-modern laboratories housed in the building will expand the available space in the university for practical learning.
The rooms are fitted with one-way mirrors to ensure that supervision is adequately provided to the students by faculty during ongoing sessions.Lab activities will enhance the quality of teaching and learning by linking theory and practice; clinical research and practice through psychological assessments, practicum and internship; realization of the program learning outcomes that are clinical in nature and telehealth, which is currently the preferred mode for providing behavioral and mental health services. Upon graduation, USIU-Africa Psychology students will have been empowered with employability skills for career progression and practice that will see them address mental and behavioral issues in the country, region and globally.
Caption: The numerous post-modern laboratories housed in the building will expand the available space in the university for practical learning.
The two (2) Auditoriums with a seating capacity of 106 each will serve as important venues for conferences and break out rooms during national and international conferences. One of the auditoriums will double up as a Moot Court for Criminal Justice students. A Moot Court is a replica of a real courtroom where legal proceedings and trials take place. It will not only facilitate the training of students to think creatively and answer questions convincingly, both orally and in writing, but also equip students with networking skills, research and writing skills, teamwork skills as well as boost their self-confidence.
Caption: A Moot Court is a replica of a real courtroom where legal proceedings and trials take place. It will be used primarily by Criminal Justice students.
The Crime Scene House at the building will enrich learning for Criminal Justice Studies students by making it possible for them to enact crime scenes. It will provide learners with valuable training in crime scene investigation, critical skills in site survey, documentation and reconstruction, latent fingerprints, and footwear impression evidence. The house could also be used for in-service short course training for law enforcement officers and investigators. An interrogation room provided within the new Crime Scene House and equipped with a small table and a couple of chairs will facilitate the criminal justice program to train students, through simulation sessions on how to interrogate suspects of crime.
Caption: The 24 break-out rooms with a seating capacity of six persons each will provide additional suitable space for group studying and discussions among students. The building also has an Executive Boardroom to host meetings with large numbers of people.
The building is currently open for viewing. To visit the building, please reach out to the Operations Department and schedule a visit through your Dean/ Department Head/ Division Head. Ensure that you keep time and arrive early on the allocated day and time.
Read about the "Academic value of the new SHSS building".
By CTW Team
United States International University - Africa, through the Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IPPIA), School of Humanities and Social Sciences traveled to Michigan State University to attend a symposium on "Race/Ethnicity and the Question of Postcolonial Citizenship in the Black Diaspora". The symposium is being held as part of the partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) Global African Diaspora Grants Sponsored by the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) at Michigan State University.
Professor Ngugi Wa Thiongo reads an excerpt from one of his books during the launch of a book entitled ‘NGUGI:
Reflections on his life of writing’ at USIU-Africa: PHOTO:Ernest Mwanzi
By Taigu Muchiri
The School of Humanities and Social Science had the privilege to host Professor Ngugi Wa Thiong’o during a book launch in his honor on Thursday, June 13. The book entitled ‘NGUGI: Reflections on his life of writing’ is written by Prof. Simon Gikandi and Prof. Ndirangu Wachanga and reflects on his writings since the early 1960s. The book is a collection of essays that document the life and work of Ngugi wa Thiong'o and includes a variety of contributors such as writers, activists, publishers, critics and emphasizes on his contribution to African literature. Professor Gikandi is the Robert Schirmer Professor and Chair of English at Princeton University and Prof Wachanga teaches Media Studies and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin.
Speaking during the event, the Vice Chancellor mentioned that this was a great opportunity for Kenya and the world to recognize the author. He said that this was an indeed proud moment for USIU-Africa to host the author at a special occasion when the university is commemorating 50 years of academic excellence. “We cannot ignore the work of Professor Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and his contributions that he has made towards African literature by putting Africa on the map.”
Dr. Willy Mutunga, the former Chief Justice, acknowledged the author and his great work that has spanned over fifty years and continues to make a great impact on African literature. He said, “This book is indeed a reflection of a great author who continues to receive prestigious awards across the globe.”
In making his remarks, Professor Wachanga said that it was an honor to have worked with Professor Gikandi on this project to highlight the works of Professor Ngugi and that this project will forever remain close to his heart.
Professor Ngugi recognized and appreciated the two professors who chose to focus writing career and added that he was grateful to the USIU-Africa community for hosting the book launch. He emphasized that African language must be preserved otherwise we are at risk of losing our heritage. He encouraged students to write in their native language and translate the books to English and other languages as opposed to authoring books in English. He said that even after 50 years of writing, he continues to write his books in Gikuyu language and they have translated to many languages. At the end of his speech, the Professor received a standing ovation from the attendees who appreciated his work.
The renowned writer is a distinguished professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine. He has authored over thirty books and is a recipient of over seven global awards in literature.
By Simeon Sungi
Professor Simeon Sungi, an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice participated in the Second Judicial Colloquium of the IRMCT held in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania on February 28-29. The President of the IRMCT, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana invited him to participate as a presenter in the colloquium. The colloquium carried the theme ‘The new face of atrocity crime proceedings: Internationalization of Standards, Regional Dialogues on Procedural and Cooperation Matters, and Use of New Technologies’.
Prof. Sungi’s panel included Judge Aminatta N’gum, Judge of the IRMCT, Judge Iain Bonomy, Judge of the IRMCT, and Ms. Kate Gibson, Counsel before the IRMCT. Mr. Iain Edwards, Counsel before the IRMCT and Kosovo Specialist Chambers moderated the session whose theme related to ‘Safeguarding Human Rights in Criminal Proceedings for Atrocity Crimes: Fitness to Stand Trial and Counsel’s Representation’.
The panel examined the rights of an accused person, with a particular focus on two threshold issues that a court must often satisfy itself before proceedings can commence: fitness to stand trial and the availability of adequate legal assistance. Due to the time that can elapse before alleged perpetrators are arrested, it is not uncommon for courts adjudicating atrocity crimes to also find themselves addressing matters arising out of the advanced age of the accused. In this regard, increased attention is being paid to fitness to stand trial as an issue that national, regional, and international courts and tribunals must properly resolve in the face of sometimes complex medical situations while adhering to applicable human rights protections. Another essential aspect of fair trial proceedings is the right to be represented by qualified Counsel, along with the practical implications of ensuring this right can be duly exercised. Panelists highlighted the recent jurisprudence rendered concerning these topics before the IRMCT and other international tribunals and discussed their implications for atrocity crimes proceedings generally.
Prof. Sungi's presentation focused on the right to fair trial and disability discrimination. The case being analyzed was the recent IRMCT case Prosecutor v. Félicien Kabuga, MICT-13-38 (2021). Félicien Kabuga was the President of the Comité d’initiative of Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (“RTLM”) during the time of the crimes pleaded in the indictment and President of the Comité provisoire of the Fonds de défense nationale (“National Defense Fund”) from about April 25, 1994 to July 1994. Kabuga was indicted by the former International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for genocide, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law. Kabuga is alleged to be the main financier and backer of the political and militia groups that committed the Rwandan genocide. He had been at large until May 16, 2020, when he was arrested near Paris by French authorities.
After the arrest in France, Kabuga’s transferred to the IRMCT Hague branch. The Trial Chamber received twice-monthly medical reports from the United Nations Detention Unit’s Medical Officer related to Kabuga’s health, to determine his fitness to travel to and be detained at the IRMCT Arusha branch. Given a Defense request for medical experts to assess Kabuga’s fitness to stand trial, the Trial Chamber appointed three independent medical experts, one Prosecution medical expert, and one Defense medical expert. The Trial Chamber held hearings on May 31, June 1, and June 7, 2022 to allow for the examination of three of the medical experts and submissions of the parties on Kabuga’s fitness to stand trial and to be detained in Arusha.
In the Decision on Félicien Kabuga’s Fitness to Stand Trial and to be transferred to and detained in Arusha, issued on June 13, 2022, the Trial Chamber found that the Defense had not established that Kabuga is presently unfit for trial. In the same decision, the Trial Chamber, nonetheless, noted that Kabuga suffers from cognitive impairment, is in a vulnerable and fragile state, and requires intensive medical care and monitoring. The Trial subsequently held that Kabuga was unfit to stand trial because of his disability. The Prosecutor applied the Trial Chamber’s decision that declared Kabuga unfit to stand trial, but the Appeal Chamber agreed with the Trial Chamber’s decision and ordered the Trial Chamber to permanently stay Kabuga’s case.
Prof. Sungi's presentation affirmed that the fitness to stand trial is a fundamental principle of justice, ensuring that individuals understand the charges against them and can participate meaningfully in their defense. However, individuals with disabilities may face unique challenges in meeting the criteria for fitness to stand trial, and they may also encounter discrimination within the legal process. He cited international instruments that protect this right, for example, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD): The CRPD, in Article 13, recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to access justice on an equal basis with others, including through effective accommodations to ensure their effective participation in legal proceedings. Article 13 (1) stipulates that state parties shall ensure effective access to justice for persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, including through the provision of procedural and age-appropriate accommodations.
Prof. Sungi, however, faulted both the IRMCT Trial Chambers and the Appeal Chamber’s decisions that declared Kabuga unfit to stand trial because he deliberately evaded justice for almost three decades, using his wealth and political influence. His disability is a result of advanced age, Kabuga is 89 years old now. The IRMCT decisions send a bad message to victims of mass atrocity crimes and the public at large that one can commit serious crimes, wait until he or she is advanced in age and courts will declare them unfit to stand trial. The criminal justice system should have found a process that upholds Kabuga’s rights as an accused person to hold him accountable for the crimes he is alleged to have committed during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and moderate Hutus.
The new Master of Arts (M.A.) in Criminal and Transitional Justice program in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice trains students on issues relating to mass atrocity crimes (international crimes) and means of responding to such crimes to create safe communities and building peace, stability, and reconciliation in the aftermath of mass atrocity crimes. The M.A. program admits students in the fall (September) semester every academic year.
For more about Mr. Kabuga’s case see https://www.irmct.org/en/cases/mict-13-38
By Lavie Mutanganshuro
On March 29, 2023, the Rwanda High Commission and the United States International University-Africa (USIU–Africa), held a symposium to commemorate the upcoming 29th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi. The symposium discussed Rwanda’s journey to recovery, prosperity, the remaining challenges, and how they can be addressed. The event brought together diplomats, representatives of different institutions and organizations, and students from different universities in Nairobi.
Speaking during the event, the High Commissioner of Rwanda in Kenya, Dr. Richard Masozera, said that unity and inclusive governance have been key in building the modern Rwanda following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that claimed a million lives in 100 days.
“Our leadership began from scratch, by uniting a people that had been fed hate and divisionism for years, which later culminated into the genocide. We focused more on what unites us; the immeasurable things we have in common, and decided to ignore our differences,” Dr. Masozera said, adding that it was not an easy process, but rewarding in the end.
The same sentiments were shared by Prof. PLO Lumumba, who stressed that governance is key in preventing the genocide, as well as reviving a destroyed nation.
He said that the revival of post-colonial African states demands to revisit Africa’s governance structures and emphasize on what people have in common instead of their differences, so that nobody feels excluded. “This is an inter-generational project that we must work towards,” he added.
Home-grown solutions
After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda’s infrastructures were completely destroyed, and many professionals had succumbed to the tragedy while others had to seek refuge outside the country.
One of the sectors affected was the country’s judicial system, yet there was a backlog of genocide cases that needed to be cleared. In response, the government of Rwanda introduced Gacaca, a home grown solution whereby ordinary citizens with good reputation were selected as judges.
Members of the community would come together and provide factual information they have about a given genocide suspect in that particular community, and the judges would later determine whether the person is guilty or innocent based on gathered information. Through this judicial system, about two million cases have been tried in a period of ten years.
According to Prof. Margee Ensign, Vice Chancellor of USIU-Africa, the various home-grown solutions were fundamental in helping rebuild a country that was then in a devastating situation.
“Gacaca was probably the largest experiment in reconciliation and public justice in modern history. Through this system, the foundation of trust, justice and hope was laid in Rwanda,” she said.
Prof. Ensign also hailed Rwanda’s extraordinary progress in gender equity, poverty reduction, health and education as well as Imihigo, a performance-based contract where local leaders pledge what they will accomplish in a given period of time as a way to ensure responsible and accountable leadership.
Impunity and genocide denial
While Rwanda has made remarkable progress 29 years after the genocide, the country still faces a number of challenges as far as its tragic history is concerned, some of them being impunity and genocide denial.
A number of genocide fugitives are still roaming freely in some African countries as well as outside the continent. On this, Dr. Alphonse Muleefu, a Lecturer at the University of Rwanda’s School of Law, argues that it remains a responsibility of individual countries to not only prevent the genocide but also punish it.
“Some countries have used their state obligation under different international legal instruments to bring to book genocide fugitives on their territories. However, there is still a big number of genocide fugitives given a safe haven. This is simply due to lack of political goodwill, and in turn that impunity fuels genocide denial and undermines the progress made,” Dr. Muleefu stated.
Since 2007, Rwanda’s National Public Prosecution Authority has issued 1,148 indictments and arrest warrants to 33 countries in Africa, Europe, North America and Australia. However, out of these, only 29 suspects have been deported or extradited for trial in Rwanda, while only 25 genocide suspects have been tried by foreign host countries.
By Diana Meso.
Dr. Elijah Munyi, Assistant Professor, International Relations, was part of the panel during a youth webinar held to discuss how to tap into Youth’s potential to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, held on Friday, June 5 by the East African Youth Congress Trust.
In the discussions, youth were urged not to fear change but embrace it and to take charge in progressive leadership. The discussions further pointed out that the Kenyan government is putting strategies in place to ensure that youth get business and leadership opportunities to help cushion them during this pandemic. They were also encouraged to help in identifying the challenges and needs in their communities and move rapidly to address them.
Also, in the discussions were Hon. Anne Nyaga (CAS, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives), Dr. Alex Awiti (Vice Provost East Africa-Aga Khan University), Raphael Obonyo (Co-founder, The Youth Congress), Irene Kendi (Youth Adviser to the CS, Ministry of Public Service and Gender), Emmanuel Atamba (Youth Ambassador, Route to Food), Lawrence Muli, (Co-Founder, ADRES Group) and Edward Wanyonyi (Communications Manager, Tetra Tech International Development) among others.
The East African Youth Congress Trust focuses on identifying, developing and implementing plans solely for the reduction of challenges in Africa whilst integrating and empowering the youth.
Prof. Mulinge (in black coat) taking participants through the results of the study on postgraduate research at USIU-Africa. The colloquium was attended by members of faculty and postgraduate students.
By Sarah Masila
On Thursday, March 5, 2020, USIU-Africa's School of Humanities and Social Sciences hosted a colloquium session conducted by Prof. Munyae M. Mulinge, Professor of Sociology at USIU-Africa, alongside Dr. Josephine N. Arasa, Associate Professor of Psychology at USIU-Africa. The session, which took place at the Deputy Vice Chancellor –Academic Affairs’ Board Room at the Chandaria School of Business was primarily focused on the analysis of the policies and practices governing the quality of postgraduate research training at USIU-Africa.
Discussing the results of their study, Prof. Mulinge and Dr. Arasa noted that the University did not have a standard policy on the training of postgraduate students, and that adherence to existing policies was low.
“Without a standardized policy on the training of postgraduate students, we run the risk of undermining the quality of postgraduate research at the institution. Currently, we only have poorly coordinated school or departmental policies and guidelines that regulate some aspects of the training process. However, our study indicated that levels of knowledge of and adherence to existing policies and practices is low among faculty and students,” Prof. Mulinge said.
The study also pointed out a variety of challenges that were affecting the quality of postgraduate research training, which included the lack of a standardized university-wide policy and guidelines; reliance on Adjunct faculty as supervisors; the teaching of research methods and the shortage of qualified, experienced and active research faculty, among others.
In their recommendations, Dr. Arasa and Prof. Mulinge highlighted the importance of strengthening the training process, with one of the major initiatives being the development, approval and adoption of a university wide policy and practices document; offering of a comprehensive and appropriate formal training especially to new and promising supervisors on the technical, ethical, professional and administrative aspects of supervision and the reduction in the number of supervisees allocated to adjunct faculty.
By CTW Team
On Friday, February 18, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) through Prof. Josphine Arasa, Associate Professor of Psychology, hosted five representatives; Dr. Fabian Wolff, Dr. Claudia Quaiser-Pohl, Dr. Wilfried Echterhoff, Lea-Christin Wickord, and Mirko Saunders, from University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany under the RoKoNairo project.
Sponsored by the Germany Academic exchange Program (DAAD), the RoKoNairo project aims to enhance diversity and intercultural competence among psychology students, to enable them deal with dimensions of diversity, concepts of intercultural competence and cultural differences as well as acquire intercultural and digital competencies using telepresence robots. The project is a partnership of three institutions; USIU-Africa, University of Koblenz-Landau and University of Nairobi.
The team lead by Dr. Fabian Wolff (RoKoNairo Project Lead) paid a courtesy visit to Prof. Freida Brown, Interim Vice Chancellor, then proceeded to LT7 in SHSS to demonstrate to students, staff and faculty under the Department of Psychology how the telepresence robot works. The telepresence robots are machines on wheels equipped with a webcam, a microphone, a screen and a loudspeaker.
Basically, the telepresence robots which can be controlled remotely via the internet will enable interactions between the person operating the robot and people within range of the robot via a video conference. Participants in one seminar room can move around autonomously in the other seminar room and interact with the people physically present there. In this way, among other things, particularly personal intercultural encounters are to be made possible. In addition, the robots will be used to allow lecturers and students giving short talks or presentations to be present in both seminar rooms at the same time, thus contributing to an increasing breakdown of boundaries between the two seminar rooms.
Moreover, as part of the project, ten students and one faculty from each institution will participate in the planned seminars of 4 sessions of 6 hours each starting Summer this year. Additionally, one student from USIU-Africa will go to University of Koblenz-Landau while a student from University of Koblenz-Landau will come to USIU-Africa for one month as part of an internship experience in the project. Later in the year two faculty from the Department of Psychology will travel to Germany as part of the activities in the project to evaluate the project with the other partners.
Also, present at the event was Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic & Student Affairs, Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean School of Humanities and Social Sciences among others.
By Quin E. Awuor
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences recently hosted the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza for a key note address titled "Higher Education in post-Covid-19 World: Challenges and Opportunities for African Universities”.
The webinar, which was held on Wednesday, 26 May 2021, was in celebration of World Africa Day, and was attended by the University’s Management, Vice-Chancellors from private and public universities in Kenya and in Africa, the acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor USIU-Africa, Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Deans of Schools, Chairs of Departments, Professors, faculty, staff, students, friends and partners of USIU-Africa plus many other participants from both academic and non- academic institutions.
In his welcoming remarks, the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Martin Njoroge thanked Prof. Zeleza for honouring the invite, noting that the Vice Chancellor was among the School’s faculty who were at the forefront of ensuring that the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the University at large delivered its core mandates of teaching and learning.
“Professor Zeleza has held distinguished academic and administrative positions in Canada and the United States for 25 years before his appointment as Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at the USIU-Africa in January 2016. He has worked as a consultant for the Ford and MacArthur foundations on their initiatives to revitalize higher education in Africa and served in more than two dozen international and national associations,” he noted.
“The distinguished professor has published more than 400 journal articles, book chapters, encyclopedia entries, reviews, short stories and online essays and authored or edited 27 books, several of which have won international awards and five short monographs. His most recent books include The Transformation of Global Higher Education, 1945-2015 (2016) Africa and the Disruptions of the 21st Century (2021),”he added.
Prof. Zeleza, dwelt on three key issues in his address; namely, the plan for African higher education set at the First African Higher Education Summit held in Dakar, Senegal, in March 2015, a review of the challenges exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic and finally, the plan for reform and transformation in four key areas: digitalization, leadership, institutional cultures, and financing.
In his presentation, Prof. Zeleza explored the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exposed and exacerbated the systemic deficiencies and inequalities in all sectors of the economy throughout the world. In his address, he noted that as a result of the pandemic, academic institutions all over the world had gone through multiple challenges, which necessitated a discussion on how universities could create transformative trajectories for themselves.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has unraveled every key sector that provides basic rights and services worldwide. The education, health and industry have been greatly affected by effects of the pandemic. This has led to death, destroyed livelihoods and caused major disruptions,” he said.
“The pandemic has exposed major gaps that exist in the education sector. For Higher Education, there are four major areas that have been highlighted during this crisis that is afflicting tertiary institutions in Africa. These key issues are finance, digitization, leadership and institutional cultures. If these four issues are addressed then, we can look to navigate the post-COVID-19 era,” he added.
According to the World Bank as of mid-last year, there were 9 million students enrolled in universities in Sub- Saharan Africa. The overall spend on tertiary education by governments at the same time was 21% compared to 43% investment on primary school education and 27% on secondary school education. Internet access was restricted to only 25% of the population and the region contributed to less than 1% of global research.
These challenges point out to the outstanding challenges tertiary institutions faced at the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic which led to institution closures and job losses.
In his presentation, Prof. Zeleza identified eight priority areas for higher education, namely: a commitment of various stakeholders to expand higher education; promotion, diversification, differentiation, and harmonization of higher education systems at the national, institutional and continental/regional levels by African countries; increasing investment in higher education to facilitate development, promote stability, enhance access and equity; develop, recruit and retain excellent academic staff and pursue cutting-edge research and provision of high quality teaching; commitment of African Higher Education institutions to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, public service and provision of solutions to the development challenges and opportunities facing African peoples across the continent; capacity building in Research, Science, Technology, and Innovation; pursuing national development through business, higher education and graduate employability: nation-building and democratic citizenship and mobilization of the Diaspora.
Prof. Zeleza’s presentation concluded by noting that Higher Education is too essential for Africa's future to be held captive to haphazard interventions and superficial reforms. He noted that to correct the massive disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be critical for all stakeholders to commit to undertaking fundamental transformations in Higher Education, which is achievable if governments, the private sector, civil society and the universities work together to remake the future of African Higher Education.
Watch the recorded webinar via YouTube above, or read the comprehensive presentation here
Photo: Lyn Graybill
Caption: Prof. Graybill is one of the two fellows joining the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. She was a Fulbright scholar for Sierra Leone from 2009 to 2010 and is a Fulbright scholar to Kenya from June through December 2021, conducting research on transitional justice and teaching in the fall semester.
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences has welcomed two fellows to the School. The two fellows, Prof. Lyn Graybill and Dr. Henry Wambuii will be conducting research and teaching during the duration of their time at USIU-Africa.
Prof. Graybill is an independent scholar whose research has centered on peacemaking in Africa. She has written extensively about the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and most recently the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its relationship to the Special Court for Sierra Leone. She is particularly interested in indigenous methods of conflict resolution, the role of religion in conflict and conflict resolution, and the impact of war on women. She is the author of three books: Religion and Resistance Politics in South Africa (1995); Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa: Miracle or Model? (2002); and Religion, Tradition, and Restorative Justice in Sierra Leone (2017). She is the co-editor with Kenneth W. Thompson of Africa’s Second Wave of Freedom: Development, Democracy, and Rights (1998). She has published articles in diverse journals including Ethics & International Affairs, Third World Quarterly, Africa Today, Peace Review, Human Rights Review, Women’s Studies International Forum, Iris, and Current History.
Speaking to CTW, Prof. Graybill noted that her work has focused on the intersection between religion and politics in Africa. Her first book, Religion and Resistance Politics in South Africa, examined the twentieth century anti-apartheid movements in South Africa and the ways in which their leaders used religious ideas to justify goals and methods and mobilize their followers. In regard to her research, Prof. Graybill noted that she would be carrying out an inquiry into the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC).
“To complement my earlier research, I plan to conduct the same kind of inquiry that I did in South Africa and Sierra Leone in East Africa by examining Kenya’s Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC). In addition to this, I will be teaching two courses at the School of Humanities, namely Introduction to Political Science (POLS 2201) and Critical Issues in Africa (IRL 4811),” she said.
Prof. Graybill was a Fulbright scholar for Sierra Leone from 2009 to 2010 and is a Fulbright scholar to Kenya from June through December 2021, conducting research on transitional justice and teaching in the fall semester.
Dr. Wambuii is a tenured Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Missouri. Dr. Wambuii received his B.A. from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, his Master’s degree in International Development Administration (MDA) and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Western Michigan University.
He has conducted extensive research on politics in the developing world. Most recently, his published research has been on issues surrounding responses to HIV/AIDS and the pandemic's impact on political participation and governance. Other research interest is on poverty alleviation strategies in the developing world. His publications include a book titled The Politics of HIV/AIDS and Implications for Democracy in Kenya (2006), a book chapter entitled "For the Sake of Children: Community Based Projects in Kenya" in The Children of Africa Confront AIDS (2003) and several journal articles published in the African Studies Review, Journal of Third World Studies and the International Journal of Ecology and Development, among other journals. Dr. Wambuii has also authored several articles published in the International Encyclopedia of Political Science (2010).
Dr. Wambuii teaches several classes at UCM for both the Political Science and the International Studies programs. Recent classes taught are Principles of International Development, Modern sub-Saharan Africa Politics, Government and Politics in Latin America, Comparative Government and a class on Introduction to Politics. Other classes include Global Education Policy and Senior Seminar in International Studies and a new class on International Human Rights.
By Michelle Karume and Carol Yogo.
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) held a colloquium on “The correlation between early childhood trauma and adult chronic and mental health diseases among Kenyans; A quantitative study” presented by Dr. Michelle Karume (Assistant Professor, Psychology) on Wednesday, February 12.
The study found out that there is a correlation between childhood trauma and adult chronic illness and that those with childhood trauma and no intervention have a higher possibility of developing a non-communicable disease in adulthood.
The study further suggested that prevention of childhood trauma and awareness of such findings to stakeholders such as Ministry of Health, Behavioural Specialists-Marriage and Family Therapists, Clinical Psychologists, Paediatricians and Medical practitioners can help reduce the effects of childhood trauma in adults.
By Ngare Willsmith Ochillo
This field research project licensed by the National Commission for Science, Technology & Innovation (NACOSTI) under License Number 562158 aimed to assess the socio-economic impacts of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project on the local pastoralist communities residing in Suswa, Narok County, Kenya. The SGR project commenced on 14 September, 2017 till 16 October, 2019 when it was inaugurated by the former President Uhuru Kenyatta. The project was jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the Export-Import Bank of China and is part of the Mombasa- Malaba Railway. It starts from the West End of Nairobi Terminus through Nairobi National Park crossing Magadi Road at Embulbul. It then descends North West of Ngong Hills through a tunnel into the Rift Valley and proceeds to Mai Mahiu before terminating the 120-kilometer stretch at Duka Moja in Narok.
The study was conducted as part of the fulfilment towards the award of a Master of Arts in International Relations in collaboration with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC) and United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) research project on organized violence and large-scale land use changes entitled “Violent Futures: Contestations along the Frontier”, which is part of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) “Future Rural Africa: Future-making and social-ecological transformation” (CRC 228) initiated by the Universities of Bonn and Cologne and funded by the German research association DFG (“Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft”).
The research focused on Suswa, a region in Narok County, which has experienced changes due to the construction and operation of the SGR. The study area is home to Maasai pastoral communities whose mainstay is pastoralism which is a livelihood strategy adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions.
A qualitative approach was adopted to gather comprehensive data on the socio-economic impacts of the SGR project between November 2022 and May 2023. The primary data gathered were augmented by The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) data analyzed through Nvivo data analysis software which was used to interpret, code, and analyze the data.
Key Findings
The following are the key thematic findings of the study:
Socio-economic Transformation: The construction and operation of the (SGR) brought about socio-economic changes- such as job opportunities during the construction phase which were largely enjoyed by communities from outside. In the case of the Suswa SGR Project, the study highlighted that the Kamba community greatly benefited from the job opportunities at the expense of the residents. This disparity was because of the academic qualifications of the natives as well as job experience which the Kamba community boasted about having worked with the China Communications Construction (CCC) from Mombasa, leading to short-term economic benefits for the local community.
Disruption of Key Livelihoods: The SGR infrastructure, including fences and tracks, has disrupted traditional pastoralist livelihood practices. The altered livestock mobility and grazing patterns have resulted in challenges for the native community in accessing crucial water sources and traditional grazing lands. This, in turn has negatively impacted livestock productivity and overall household income.
Cultural and Social Changes: The SGR project attracted a male-dominated workforce from various regions in the country. As a result, these men left their homes and families behind to work on the project for extended periods. This led to a significant number of women being left without their husbands, assuming the roles of primary caregivers and decision-makers in their households. Additionally, there were cases of early pregnancies among the residents in Suswa as men working in the SGR project interacted with the young girls in the society who were vulnerable.
Key Recommendation (s)
Need for Mitigation Measures: The research findings emphasize the importance of implementing mitigation measures to address the adverse impacts of the SGR project. These measures include developing alternative livelihood options that align with the cultural values and traditional knowledge of the Maasai community, compensating for the loss of grazing lands and water access, strengthening market linkages, and promoting community participation in decision-making processes.
Psychology Lecturer Ms. Elsie Opiyo Newa (center right) listens keenly to feedback from Associate DVC-Academic Affairs Prof. Munyae Mulinge, during the Question and Answer segment of her research presentation on Thursday, March 14 in the DVC-ASA boardroom. PHOTO: DAN MUCHAI
By Taigu Muchiri and Dan Muchai
Psychology Lecturer, Ms. Elsie Opiyo Newa presented findings on Thursday March 14, based on research carried out on perceptions of the University community concerning the internship program. The research conducted together with Psychology Department Chair and Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Josephine Arasa, revealed overall positive perceptions by the University community concerning the internship program.
The internship program is integrated in undergraduate study and managed by the Internship Office, which is responsible for preparing students for a smooth transition to the work environment, as well as secure internship placements.
The researchers noted that over the years, students, faculty and the Internship Office have expressed their views on the process and how it can be improved to better the students’ experience. Funded by a KES 500,000 internal grant, the study sought to find out students’ rating of the delivery of the internship program, benefits that students receive, strengths and weaknesses of the program, challenges and strategies for improving the internship experience.
Their evaluation tool indicated that the internship program is highly rated by over 60 percent of interns who completed the program by the end of the Spring 2017 semester. On the other hand, the research also revealed the challenges faced by students such as securing placements, poor orientation by several companies and university supervisors, a failure by interns to integrate into their internship site’s organization culture, inaccessibility of sites, to mention but a few.
The findings also cited inadequate supervision of students either due to an inadequate travel stipend for faculty, which affected their ability to meet basic travel costs, or students who change their duty stations without informing instructors. The study also noted some students failed to adhere to professional dress codes, while client organizations did not uphold professional and ethical standards.
The Internship Office also expressed challenges in finding suitable internship sites for the large number of students seeking internships every semester, a fact that placed the burden of searching for the limited internship opportunities available, to the students.
To counter this challenge, the internship office mentioned that it had entered into partnerships with several companies to ensure that students secure internship opportunities but it had not eased the process.
Overall, the results of this study suggested that USIU-Africa runs are a well-organized and executed internship program that has the potential to effectively deliver most of the benefits expected of a good internship program.
The study found that the internship program was perceived as providing interns with benefits associated with a good internship program the world over. In this respect, respondents indicated the program integrated theory with practice, by enabling learners acquire the new knowledge, and skills from a work environment, that adequately prepares them for the world of work, as well as bolster their professional and career growth.
The study’s recommendations invited the careful curation of ideas from internal stakeholders on how the program could be improved, and proposed the adoption of the work integrated learning model that effectively links industry with academia. It also recommended strengthening of in-the-classroom and on-site orientation of interns, including rigorous training of students in report writing.
The study finally concluded that if the internship program’s challenges are not properly addressed through concerted efforts by internal and external stakeholders, they may undermine its potential to present a learning experience of lasting positive effects on interns.
The presentation was attended by Associate DVC-Academic Affairs Prof. Munyae Mulinge, and officials from the Internship Office, Placement and Career Services and faculty undertaking supervision of internship classes.
VC hails U.S. accrediting body’s seal of approval
By Diana Meso
On Thursday, March 7, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza, announced that the university has been reaccredited for another eight years by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). This was the first re-accreditation since the university received accreditation as an independent institution in 2008.
This commendation follows an accreditation visit by a team from WSCUC to inspect USIU- Africa’s systems for re-affirmation of accreditation which commenced in 2016. This process reaffirms to the stakeholders that USIU-Africa is an accredited institution that has been rigorously evaluated and meets or exceeds the criteria required to maintain accreditation.
It further means that USIU-Africa programs are relevant in the market, and that the education offered is fair and accurate, including the description of services available to students and the accomplishments of its graduates,
It affims that a student graduating from USIU-Africa meets the threshold expectations of quality to practice their professions which places them as the preferred candidate to employers. Additionally, this confirms that the university is in a position to keep improving its products, services and processes based on the guidelines provided by WSCUC.
The reaffirmation process takes two-to-three years which usually involves the completion of an institutional self-study and institutional report, an off-site review by WSCUC, and an on-site visit from the WSCUC team.
Prof. Zeleza thanked Board of Trustees, University Council, Management Board, University Senate, faculty, staff, students and the Alumni Association for their efforts and participation in the important process.
He specifically thanked Prof. Angelina Kioko (Professor of English and Linguistics) who was the Accreditation Liaison Officer, the Steering Committee and Taskforce and the group of editors that went through the submissions.
The WSCUC Action Letter together with an analysis of the Letter can be accessed through the University intranet: https://cx.usiu.ac.ke/ICS/
By Stella Nyagwencha
The Department of Psychology in the School of Humanities & Social Sciences in collaboration with the University of Nevada Reno graduated 29 students who successfully completed the certificate course in Applied Behavior Analysis technician training course. The program dubbed the Kalel program is a brain child of Ms. Sanaipei Ntimama and was borne from her desperate desire to find a therapist for her child (Kalel). She worked tirelessly to make sure that the program kicked off at the University with the help of Dr. Laura Barcelos Nomicos from the University of Nevada – Reno and the Psychology Department.
The University of Nevada, one of the leading Applied Behavior Analysis providers in the world has been offering training in behavior analysis at off-campus locations since 1995. Their aim in doing so has been to provide training in regions where it is not currently available or is inaccessible to fully employed human service workers. To date hundreds of students, and many more children, across the globe have benefitted from their programs.
The Kalel Program is the first of its kind to be offered in Africa. The first portion of the course is offered online for 15 weeks followed by an in-person intensive instruction. The program is designed to teach students how to use the basics of behavior analysis to work with children and adults with develop¬mental disabilities. The training covers measurement and assessment of behavior, skill acquisition, behavior reduction, documentation and reporting and professional ABA ethics.
The team behind the program: Ms. Sanaipei Ntimama (Founder, parent & advocate) Dr. Laura Barcelos Nomicos (Director – Global Institute for Behavior Analysis, University of Nevada – Reno), Dr. Stella Nyagwencha (Psychology Department Chair–USIU-Africa), Dr. Josephine Arasa (Psychology Department–USIU-Africa) and Ms. Lynnette Nzioki (Principal Academic Advisor–USIU-Africa).
For more information on the course, kindly contact Lynnette Nzioki on 0730 116626 or send an email to aba.kalel@usiu.ac.ke
By Prof. Onesimus Otieno
The Carnegie Africa Diaspora Fellowship Program, in collaboration with USIU-Africa and University of Eastern Africa, Baraton (UEAB) has been holding virtual workshops on Online Pedagogy every Tuesday and Thursday beginning on July 8, 2021, with the trainings expected to go on until the end of the month.
The trainings are being carried out by selected fellows from the Carnegie Program, including the following:
The past four workshops have been attended by 489 participants from partner institutions including USIU-Africa, the University of Eastern Africa- Baraton, Kenyatta University, Daystar University and Thika Technical Training Institute. The workshops have covered topics like:
For the remainder of the month of July, the workshops will be held virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00am – 12:00 noon. Future workshops will cover topics such as;
By Stephanie Mwelu
The Confucius Classroom and Chinese Club were honored guests at the University of Nairobi (UoN) Confucius Institute on February 7, where they joyously celebrated the Chinese Spring Festival, marking the Chinese New Year. The event unfolded at the University of Nairobi's Confucius Institute, a vibrant venue chosen for its cultural significance.
The festivities commenced with a showcase of traditional Chinese customs and performances, highlighting the essence of the Spring Festival. Attendees were treated to a cultural extravaganza featuring traditional music, dance, and artistic displays. The event aimed to foster cross-cultural understanding and strengthen ties between the Confucius Classroom, Chinese Club, and the UoN Confucius Institute.
Participants immersed themselves in the rich tapestry of Chinese traditions, embracing the spirit of the Lunar New Year. The occasion served as an educational and engaging platform, allowing members to deepen their appreciation for Chinese culture. Overall, the celebration at the UoN Confucius Institute provided a memorable experience, blending cultural exchange and festive cheer.
By Millicent Mudiwa
On May 19,2023, the Criminal Justice Club had the privilege of attending the International Justice Symposium organized by the Wayamo Foundation and the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) in partnership with the Graduate School of Media from Aga Khan University. This symposium offered an invaluable opportunity to delve deeper into the complexities of the war in Sudan and explore the potential paths toward resolution, mainly through the lens of Transitional Justice. In a world marked by ongoing conflicts and human rights abuses, the pursuit of justice becomes a crucial element in post-conflict societies. The war in Sudan in 2023, with its devastating consequences, has captured the attention of many. This was an opportunity for CJS Club members to engage with experts in the field through networking and knowledge sharing through a global lens.
The Criminal Justice Club members gained valuable insights from exploring aspects such as measures and mechanisms employed to address past human rights violations, promote accountability, and facilitate the transition from conflict to peace. Discussions were also around international criminal prosecutions, truth commissions, reparations, institutional reforms, and memorialization efforts. While these processes aim to rebuild trust, heal societal divisions, and prevent the recurrence of violence, they must also consider the specific needs and challenges faced by marginalized and vulnerable groups when it comes to Transitional Justice.
The key take-aways from this symposium that the club members learned are as follows: it is challenging to navigate the complexities of transitional justice in a rapidly changing world. Secondly, there is an essential need to recognize and address the concerns of marginalized and vulnerable groups during transitions. Lastly, it is vital to incorporate a comprehensive and inclusive approach while working towards building a more just and equitable society.
The symposium brought together experts in International Criminal Law including Mark Kersten, International Criminal Lawyer, Serge Brammertz the United Nations Mechanisms Chief Prosecutor, Nema Milaninia the Special advisor to the U.S ambassador at large for Global Criminal Justice, Mikel Delagrange an International Criminal Justice and Victims expert at the foundation and Ms. Zaynab Bangura the Director General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi who gave the opening remarks and Ms. Navi Pillay, the Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and African Group for Justice and Accountability reminded us of the importance of daring with facts, confronting unasked questions, and striving to make a lasting impact on transitional justice and international justice.
“Let us embrace this challenge and contribute to a world where justice is perceived holistically, leaving no one behind”, was the last phrase that the Wayamo Foundation Director said. Indeed, just like the club’s vision, “The heights yield to endeavor” students were driven to actively engage in activities that promote justice, such as advocating for human rights, working towards equality and fairness, addressing social injustices, or supporting legal reforms. They did so through networking with the various seasoned professionals and organisations which were present at the symposium.
By Mercy Tania
In a world where basic human rights are frequently violated, organizations like Amnesty International serve as beacons of hope, working tirelessly to protect vulnerable individuals and promote global justice. The Criminal Justice club recently paid a visit to the Amnesty International headquarters, learning about their important work and witnessing the impact of their humanitarian initiatives.
Amnesty International, founded in 1961, is a global movement dedicated to the protection of human rights and the promotion of justice. The organization is a non-profit organization that conducts research, raises awareness, and takes action to prevent and alleviate human rights violations. Their mission is to promote justice, equality, and dignity for all people.
The organization acts as a humanitarian watchdog, constantly monitoring and documenting human rights violations around the world. Members of the Criminal Justice club were able to interact with Amnesty International's dedicated team of researchers, activists, and legal experts who work collaboratively to expose violations and advocate for justice during their visit.
To expose and combat human rights violations, the organization takes a multifaceted approach that combines research, advocacy, and grassroots activism. Amnesty International monitors a wide range of issues, including political repression, discrimination, and persecution on the basis of race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation.
Amnesty International's efforts to protect the rights of Ugandans, particularly those in the LGBTQIA+ community, were a focal point of the visit. Discriminatory laws and societal attitudes in Uganda have made it extremely difficult for LGBTQIA+ people to live openly and without fear of persecution.
In Uganda, where same-sex relationships are illegal, Amnesty International has been actively campaigning against the criminalization of homosexuality. The organization has documented cases of LGBTQIA+ individuals facing violence, discrimination, and harassment, and has advocated for the repeal of laws that violate their basic human rights.
The organization has strategically collaborated with local activists and organizations in Uganda, assisting them in challenging discriminatory legislation and fostering community resilience. Amnesty International's global network has amplified the voices of those directly affected by these laws, drawing attention to the urgency of the situation and putting pressure on the Ugandan government to take corrective action.
The visit also focused on the story of Eugine, a student who died during a school disturbance but no one was held responsible for it. Eugine's case was taken up by Amnesty International, which brought attention to the lack of accountability and the necessity of a comprehensive investigation. The group had started a petition to get justice for Eugine, asking the authorities to look into his death's circumstances in a clear-cut and unbiased manner.
Amnesty International's larger campaign for justice in situations where people have been the victims of violations of their human rights is symbolized by Eugine’s petition. To demand accountability and reparations for victims, the organization uses a variety of tactics, such as internet campaigns, grassroots activism, and interactions with foreign and national authorities. You can learn more about Eugine’s story here and help sign the petition to bring those responsible for his death held accountable.
During the visit, club members observed firsthand the important humanitarian work that this organization does. Amnesty International is a powerful force against violations of human rights throughout the world because of their dedication to standing up for justice and safeguarding marginalized communities. With Eugine's story serving as a poignant reminder of the significance of holding people and institutions accountable for their actions, the Criminal Justice club was inspired to carry on their advocacy for a world that is more compassionate and just.
By Millicent Mudiwa
The Criminal Justice Club had a remarkable experience on Thursday, March 16, 2023 during their visit to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, located in Arusha, Tanzania. The members of the club were fascinated by the workings of the court, and they had the privilege of engaging in a conversation with the youngest judge of the court, Hon Justice Sacko Modibo, who hails from Mali, who shared with the students on his experiences with the court.
In addition to the discussion with the judge, the Club also had an informative conversation with the Registrar of the court, Dr. Robert Eno, a Cameroonian. He explained the court's focus and vision. The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights is a judicial body established by the African Union in 1998. It is tasked with interpreting and applying the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Registrar explained that the court's primary focus is to protect and promote human and peoples' rights in Africa. The court serves as the final court of appeal for human rights cases in Africa and has jurisdiction to hear cases brought before it by African Union member states and individuals.
The Club learned that the court has a vision of ensuring that human and peoples’ rights are respected and protected in Africa, and that its decisions and judgments promote justice and fairness for all. The Registrar went on to explain that the court's work is crucial to the continent, as it provides a forum for individuals and organizations to seek redress for human rights violations.
The Club members were fascinated to learn about the court's process and how it functions. They were impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the court's judges and staff, who work tirelessly to ensure that justice is served.
The conversation with the youngest judge of the court from Mali was a highlight for the club members. He shared his experiences as a judge and his passion for promoting human and peoples' rights in Africa. His insights were invaluable, and the club members left the court feeling inspired by his dedication and commitment to the cause.
During the trip, the Criminal Justice Club also visited the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in Arusha on Wednesday, March 15. To the delight of the club members, their visit turned out to be more than just a tour. They were fortunate enough to have an interactive session with the Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Mr. Serge Brammertz. The Chief Prosecutor spoke passionately about the vision of the organization and how it has been instrumental in implementing justice in society.
The United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals was established in 2010 to carry out the remaining functions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Its mandate is to investigate, prosecute, and try the most serious international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The court is a Residual Mechanism which means its interests in completing the cases which were handled by the ICTR and ICTY.
During the discussion, Mr Brammertz spoke about the complexities of international criminal justice and the challenges faced by the organization in delivering justice. He emphasized the importance of the rule of law and the need to hold individuals accountable for their actions, no matter their status or position in society.
He also highlighted the role of the organization in providing support to national judicial systems and promoting the development of national capacities to investigate and prosecute international crimes. He explained that the organization's work is not just about punishing those who commit international crimes, but also about preventing such crimes from happening in the first place.
The Club’s Tanzanian trip concluded with a team-building activity that took members on a breathtaking hike in the Meru forest in Arusha, Tanzania. The destination was the Napuru Waterfall, a hidden gem in the heart of the forest that is not often explored by visitors.
The hike was a challenging but rewarding experience, and it gave members of the Criminal Justice Club the chance to connect with nature, bond with each other, and improve their physical fitness. The journey to the waterfall took several hours, and it required the group to navigate steep inclines, rocky terrain, and narrow paths through dense foliage. But despite the physical demands of the hike, everyone was in high spirits, motivated by the stunning scenery and the prospect of reaching their destination.
Upon arrival at the Napuru Waterfall, the group was rewarded with a stunning display of nature’s beauty. The waterfall cascaded down a rock face, sending a misty spray into the air that created a serene atmosphere. The group members took a moment to appreciate the beauty of their surroundings before settling down for a well-deserved break and some snacks.
The team-building activity also provided an opportunity for members of the Criminal Justice Club to get to know each other better. The hike allowed them to bond over their shared interests and passions. The challenging terrain and physical demands of the hike required teamwork and collaboration, helping to build trust and communication between members.
The Napuru Waterfall provided a stunning backdrop for the day’s activities, and the challenging hike created an unforgettable experience that brought the group together. It was a reminder of the importance of taking a break from the daily grind and connecting with nature and our fellow humans.
By Prof. Martin Njoroge
Prof. Martin C. Njoroge, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, USIU-Africa, has been appointed to the Editorial Board of The University Journal published by Doctoral Association of Eastern Africa (DAEA). He and other newly appointed editors of the journal, went through an induction session on July 12, 2021.
The University Journal is a high quality open-access, peer-reviewed and refereed multidisciplinary research journal, dedicated to serve the society by the global dissemination of information through an unparalleled commitment to quality, reliability, innovation and research work. The University Journal welcomes and acknowledges high quality theoretical and empirical original research papers, case studies, review papers, literature reviews and conceptual framework from researchers, academicians, professional, practitioners and students from all over the world.
The Doctoral Association of Eastern Africa is an academic and professional association of doctoral holders who are dedicated to the elevation, advancement, support and sustainability of doctoral education in Eastern Africa. The association’s primary goal is to enhance the quality and quantity of doctoral production in East Africa by engaging in and providing support and advocacy for quality peer-reviewed research, curricular improvement and establishing publication venues and outlets.
The Association commits to establish, nurture and maintain doctoral forums for doctoral members, as well as enrolled doctoral students in Eastern Africa with a view to enhancing doctoral completion rates as well as enriching the doctoral content. The association is not a university and is not affiliated to any university. The association provides useful doctoral and educational service to its members, and enrolled doctoral students. Various training and mentorship activities are conducted throughout the year, targeting doctoral students registered in various universities in the Eastern African region.
DAEA is a Kenya registered association (No. 46618 of March 2015) whose membership is open to doctoral holders as well as doctoral students from Eastern Africa and elsewhere. Please visit the association’s website www.daea.or.ke for more details.
Researchers, academicians, professionals and advanced graduate students are invited to submit manuscripts for the Volume 4 Issue 2. For any further information, please visit the website of the Journal: www.daea.or.ke or Contact the journal’s Editors at editor@daea.or.ke .
By Mercy Kaburu
Over the last ten years, the department of International Relations has prepared students to participate in the Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN), an annual simulation conference targeting student across the globe. The conference aims at sharpening delegates in tackling global pressing issues.
This year, the University is represented by a team of seventeen (fifteen students, a Chaperon-Christopher Barak, and a faculty Advisor-Dr. Mercy Kaburu). Apart from taking part in the HNMUN, the delegation is scheduled to visit the Centre for African Studies, Harvard University and Hip hop Archives Museum. In addition, the delegation will be undertaking a guided tour of the United Nations in New York. The last leg of the tour will be in Washington DCI where the delegation will take part in the International Model African Union (IMAU), an annual simulation conference organized by Howard University. Students will also get an opportunity to visit Center for African Studies in Howard University, courtesy of the Director Dr. Johnson Krista. Finally, students will take a tour of the Capital and other monuments in Washington DC.
The three-week academic tour of the United States is immensely informative and organized with the aim of exposing the students to the practice of diplomacy, and to help them establish valuable academic and social networks that they will exploit in their future endeavors.
Dr. Lugusa holds a Doctorate in Ecological Economics from McGill University.He joins the Department of International Relations as its first Post-Doctoral Research Fellow.
Caption: USIU-Africa’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza and Centre for Behavior Change and Communication (CBCC) MD, Mr. Peter L’parnoi sign the MOU which makes USIU-Africa the only institution in the region offering courses in Social and Behavior Change.
By Ruth Njuguna
USIU-Africa through the Department of Psychology and the Centre for Behavior Change and Communication (CBCC), entered into a partnership agreement to offer short courses and certification programs in Social and Behavior Change (SBC) through the Social and Behavior Change Regional Hub.
The two institutions signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sealing the partnership agreement. Through this training, USIU Africa will be the only institution in the region to offer courses in SBC through the Department of Psychology in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The inaugural course, the Social and Behavior Change Training and Certification Programme for Practitioners was conducted virtually for five days between March 22 and March 26, 2021. This class was officially opened by Professor Munyae Mulinge, acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) Academic and Student Affairs, USIU-Africa. The launch, which was graced by over 40 participants, also had present key management staff including the Chair of Psychology Department, Prof. Josephine Arasa and the CBCC Managing Director, Mr. Peter Lengewa. The five-day course had over 20 SBC learners, who successfully completed the certificate course.
Caption: Participants in the first Social and Behavior change training for practitioners online class.
Social Behavior Change (SBC) is an approach that helps to address complex and dynamic behavior-linked issues at individual, organizational and societal levels. This approach supports people-centered development and has been shown to influence lasting and sustainable behavior change.
CBCC faculty took the SBC learners through an intense program that included an initial rigorous individual capacity assessment that enabled the lessons to be adapted to suit their needs. The course is structured in key modules that are aligned to SBC systematic processes and key SBC principles. The learners were not only exposed to SBC theories but also practical examples and case studies of various SBC projects. The learning did not stop after the five-day course period, as the learners were given practical assignments to test the SBC theories within their actual work settings. This enabled them to successfully kick-start various SBC initiatives with acquired concepts.
Speaking following the training, Dr. Elsie Newa, a lecturer at USIU-Africa noted that the training was both eye-opening and insightful, giving her new tools in the practice of her profession.
“The training was an eye opener for me. The timeliness, rigor and professionalism that the team showed in the presentation of each session is commendable. As a counseling psychologist and lecturer in Psychology, the training has given me tools that I will endeavor to apply particularly in the ecological model in my counselling sessions and in class. This will help me to get an understanding on how culture and deep-rooted norms influence behavior including intrinsic reasons why some people change while others may not. I will put all the factors in consideration,” she said.
This sentiment was echoed by Elsie Wandera, CEO, Heroes for Change, who noted that the knowledge she had acquired would be used in putting in place impactful social interventions.
“The program by CBCC and USIU-Africa has been very informative for me. The lessons and principles I have learnt will be useful in ensuring at an organizational level we are able to develop impactful and concrete SBC programs and interventions that will impact communities,” she noted.
Having successfully undertaken this initial SBC course for practitioners, CBCC and USIU-Africa will be offering the second class on July 19-23, 2021. To secure your spot, apply here.
By Stella Nyagwencha
The Psychology Department, School of Humanities and Social Sciences hosted an exciting virtual event on Friday, January 26 in partnership with the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Health and Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya. The World Health Organization Quality Rights E-Training builds the capacity of mental health and associate professionals to deliver rights-based mental health services and care towards ensuring the wholesome recovery of mental health service users. The course is anchored on the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with disabilities which qualifies persons with mental health conditions as psychosocial disabilities. It is globally accredited and is certified by WHO upon completion.
The event was graced by the Deputy Vice Chancellor - Student Life Dr. Victor Boiyo. He affirmed USIU-Africa's commitment in ensuring that the Psychology Department is empowered to provide world class services for their clients. He also reiterated his commitment to ensure that all students are provided with the most conducive environment on campus to thrive in their studies including through counselling and disability protection services. Students who did not attend the orientation can watch it on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqAmAUu4BPk and join the WHO Quality Rights WhatsApp Group through this link https://chat.whatsapp.com/EmEk1e3W3DE8PnohLUJ7bJ
By John Sande
Last week, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS), Department of Psychology hosted Ing. Natascha Ditha Berger, MSc. for a public lecture on "Integrative Therapy and Brainspotting" Method. Brainspotting is a powerful therapeutic technique that delves into the brain's natural ability to process and heal from trauma, stress, and emotional pain. It's a method that guides individuals to access and process unresolved experiences and emotions that are stuck in the brain.
With Lydia Winda as a volunteer client, as Natascha demonstrated the technique enabling Lydia identify a "brainspot" - a specific point in her visual field that correlates with an emotional or traumatic issue.
As Lydia focused on the spot, she was able to access the deep layers of her subconscious mind, reaching areas where traditional talk therapy might not be as effective. Her brain began processing and released the trapped energy, allowing healing to occur.
Brainspotting process can be intense as it brings up buried emotions, but helps individuals reprocess traumatic experiences, reduce their emotional charge, and foster resilience, ultimately leading to a renewed sense of self and a brighter outlook on life.
In attendance was Ambassador Dr. Christian Fellner, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Kenya, Ambassador Prof. Ruthie Rono, Psychology Faculty - SHSS, Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean - SHSS, faculty members and students, among others.
By Joyce Muchemi and Terry Odhiambo
The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences is launching a Master of Arts in Criminology and Transitional Justice starting Summer (May) 2023 semester. Global and market trends demonstrate the need for alternative means of attaining justice for victims during post-conflict peacebuilding initiatives as a means of promoting reconciliation and sustainable peacebuilding efforts.
While existing programs have largely dealt with judicial (trial) methods of punishing offenders leaving little room for the restorative component, this program has identified this gap will offer a blend of both judicial and non-judicial methods of addressing conflicts and subsequent historical injustices. The program is a first of its kind in East and Central Africa and will fill this skill gap by offering relevant theory and practical training in this field.
The uniqueness of the program also lies in the fact that it will expose students to criminology as it relates to transitional justice issues and the challenges emanating from such circumstances. Being a postgraduate program, it will equip students with knowledge of the subject matter.
The program is in line with the African Union’s (AU) quest of developing policy measures and institutional mechanisms that societies adopt in order to overcome past violations, divisions, and inequalities and to create conditions for both security and democratic and socio-economic transformation.
Key courses in this program include restorative justice, reparations and truth commissions, international criminal courts and tribunals, ethics, criminological theory, indigenous justice systems, and international criminal law among others. The students will also get an opportunity to critically analyze the effectiveness of previous transitional justice practices, commissions, tribunals, and rulings. In addition, students will get an opportunity to visit some of the major memorial sites and libraries.
The program’s uniqueness lies in the fact that it enables students to delve deep into criminal and transitional justice issues as opposed to existing programs. It is therefore a game changer to those aspiring to join / already in careers in the criminal and transitional justice fields. Those working in INGOs, NGOs, cohesion and integration commissions, human rights organizations, the United Nations (and its agencies) embassies, government ministries, ombudsmen, and the criminal justice system among other fields can benefit from this course.
By Stacie Mwangi and Terry Odhiambo
On July 10, 2023, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) achieved a significant milestone for the University and the nation. The unveiling of two groundbreaking programs, The Master of Arts in Criminal and Transitional Justice, Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and the Africa Journal of Crime and Justice, is a new journey that gives hope to the Criminal Justice System locally and in the region. As institutions seek to train students to be agents of positive change and champions of justice, this milestone portrays USIU-Africa as pacesetters. Amongst the distinguished guests that graced the event were Mr. Irungu Houghton, Director, Amnesty International, Kenya; Ms. Frances Ngubeni, JUTA representative; Professor Collins Odote, representing the Attorney General, Hon. Justice William Ouko, representing the Chief Justice of Kenya and Dr. Serge Brammertz, the UN Under Secretary General, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. Also in attendance were the Director of Kenya Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru, Dr. Hassan Wafula and Mrs. Florence Mueni and her team from the Department of Probation and After Care Services, faculty staff, students, and Alumni of USIU-Africa.
The Chair of the Department, Dr. Simeon Sungi, narrated that the creation of the two programs had taken a long time, but finally, the process was over. He highlighted that the MA in Criminal and Transitional Justice was one of its kind in East and Central Africa. He further thanked the Dean of the SHSS, Prof. Martin Njoroge, for the support he had given the Department to ensure that the courses and the Africa Journal for Crime and Justice were ready. Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean of SHSS, reiterated the School and the University’s commitment to developing new programs that promote academic excellence and research. He shared that the Africa Journal of Crime and Justice was the second journal to be launched at USIU-Africa, noting that both journals now exist at the University and are housed in SHSS. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, Professor Munyae Mulinge, in his opening remarks, lauded the efforts of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice (DSCJ) for their commitment to creating new programs that respond to the needs of society. He highlighted that the New BA in sociology will graduate students as double majors: a double major allows students to graduate with a single degree with two areas of specialization.
Mr. Irungu Houghton, the Executive Director of Amnesty International, gave his remarks on the possibilities the new courses create. He noted that the work criminal investigators, prosecutors, pathologists, journalists, human rights defenders, and the judiciary do is critical to this country. And the launch of the new programs could be a start of a new generation of professionals that would provide the leadership the country needs. Mr. Irungu Houghton extended heartfelt congratulations on the successful accreditation process for launching two new programs at the University. He praised the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and the Master of Arts in Criminal and Transitional Justice programs for achieving dual accreditation. The successful launch of these programs during the event marked the commencement of a significant and influential journey for USIU-Africa and the future of global society. He expressed that these programs are a beacon of hope for a brighter tomorrow, with the students emerging as the potential catalysts for positive change. Mr. Irungu Houghton recognized the enormous effort, devotion, and competence required to accomplish such a feat, emphasizing the importance of this achievement for the University and its commitment to academic excellence.
Professor Collins Odote commended the School for introducing these courses, as they will contribute to achieving legal reforms and provide a platform for multidisciplinary legal education. Representing the Attorney General, he noted that the launch of the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Master of Arts in Criminal and Transitional Justice, and Africa Journal of Crime and Justice is significant for the Attorney General, who serves as the government’s primary legal advisor. He encouraged the Department to ensure that the journal is genuinely international by avoiding inbreeding.
Ms. Frances Ngubeni Juta, representative, congratulated the DSCJ for the outstanding achievement and reaffirmed JUTA’s commitment to working with the Africa Journal for Crime and Justice. She explained that Juta’s legal journals provide a place for the expression and scrutiny of changing law both within and outside South Africa. Juta’s law publications, which cover a wide range of legal themes and contain the opinions and critiques of academics, are available in various traditional print and research-enabling electronic formats, with workplace applicability and research ability at the forefront.
Hon. Justice William Ouko expressed sincere thanks and humility in response to the faith and confidence shown upon him by USIU-Africa, which appointed him chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice’s advisory board. He acknowledged the immense responsibility that comes with the role and stated that he intends to depend significantly on the collective wisdom and efforts of the board members to accomplish success.
The Chief Justice of Kenya, Hon. Justice Martha Koome, through her excellent message read by Hon. Justice William Ouko, commended the University for its initiative in launching two new academic programs and a journal to enhance understanding and research in criminal justice. This commendation stems from the belief that these endeavors will facilitate a more profound comprehension of crucial issues within the discipline and encourage dialogue and collaboration among diverse stakeholders. By fostering such partnerships, the University is paving the way for developing practical solutions to tackle the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities encountered in criminal justice. She further expressed that she is confident that the new academic programs and journal will provide a forum for in-depth research and discussion of the complex international challenges. She hoped that the new programs would delve deeply into these discussions, analyze their complexities, and offer contributions that can change the trajectory of justice in Kenya and beyond.
A brief documentary screening on “What led to the genocide in Rwanda?” was a monumental session during the launch ceremony. The segment was complemented by the keynote speaker, Dr. Serge Brammertz, the UN Under Secretary General, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, who linked his journey as a prosecutor to this new program and gave a glimpse of what the future looks like for students who are upcoming practitioners. He noted that “when it comes to Transitional Justice, understanding that ‘Justice delayed is not justice denied’ is very important. This is one of the practicalities that proves that time is not a limiting factor in the pursuit of justice and the lack of expedited processes does not mean impunity.”
The two new programs will be offered from September 2023
By Sandrine Wambura and Sarah Masila
The USIU-A Human Rights Club launched its first-ever webinar on police brutality in Kenya, on Friday, June 19, 2020, with a total of 60 participants. The webinar was designed as a platform for students and professionals to talk about the current violations in human rights and how we could all be involved to stop police brutality.
Also in attendance at the webinar were several panelists, who included Ms. Julie Wanjira Wanjiru, Co-Founder and Secretariat Member of the Mathare Social Justice Centre (MSJC), Ms. Ruth Mumbi, a Human Rights Defender and a Convener at the Grassroots Women Initiative Network (GRAWINET), and Ms. Gacheke Gachichi, a coordinator at the Mathare Social Justice Center (MSJC).
Speaking during the webinar, the Human Rights Club Patron, Dr. Njoki Wamai noted that police brutality was a hot button issue globally that needed swift resolution, a point that was supported by the panelists.
Ms. Wanjiru noted that for people in certain areas, the presence of police did not necessarily guarantee their safety, meaning that their day to day lives were made more difficult with the addition of trying to keep themselves safe from the police.
“In an area that is filled with four police stations one would agree it is the safest place to live in, whilst it is in the same place increased rate of deaths appear unlike in any other areas,” she said.
" The police brutality that we have seen in the United States, as well as in our country, not only during the lockdown period but also in several other instances, reinforces the notion that poor people deserve such callous treatment. It would therefore be an achievement for us as a nation if we ended police brutality," said Ms. Mumbi.
Ms. Gachichi noted that it was time for each individual to take a firm stand in addressing the injustices in our society, adding that the need for documentation when such tragedies happen is vital.
"Each of us must volunteer to become the voice of future activism, without any doubt, because our wellbeing as a community depends on the amplification of our collective voices on the issues closest to our hearts, " she noted.
The hosts of the webinar, International Relations students, Sandrine and David Mugambi, said that they hoped to have the webinar as a monthly series that would educate and integrate all voices from the community.
The USIU-Africa Human Rights Club hosted a second webinar on right to education on Friday, August 7 2020. The session was held to discuss the impact that COVID-19 has had on University, its , students, parents, lecturers and the steps that are being taken to address them.
In attendance as panelists were:
Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean of School of Humanities and Social Sciences at USIU-Africa;
Hudson Amenya, the Secretary General Student Council USIU-Africa;
Solomon Mainye, Fundraising Officer at USIU-Africa.
The session was hosted by Human rights Club members Lee-Anne Ndegwa, Boniface Muthomi and the club patron Dr. Njoki Wamai.
In his comments, Prof. Njoroge noted that the institution had been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that the University had to adjust to delivering its mandate of teaching and learning online.
"With the lockdown in place and schools closed, we have had to invest in learning resources such as Zoom licenses which were needed to facilitate the smooth transition from physical to online learning.,"he said.
"Many people think online learning is cheaper that physical learning, which is untrue. . Online learning is actually expensive because of the investment in buying licenses, upgrading the infrastructure used,and the development of content that is delivered across these online platforms, "he added.
Mr Mainye noted that during this period he has received a lot of pleas from the students who are not able to meet the financial demands of the school. He said that in as much as the Educate Your Own program has been able to raise a good amount of money to benefit the less fortunate, there are a number of students who are still unable to be sponsored once the funds run low. . He applauded the University for partnering with the Mastercard Foundation to launch the Scholars Program that will provide full scholarships to young students who possess exceptional skills and talents.
During the Q&A session, participants praised the efforts that had been made by the University to ensure that teaching and learning continued as seamlessly as possible during this period, with special mention being made of the Respondus Lockdown browser that was used to successfully administer examinations in the Summer Semester.
By Daisy Atino
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), in partnership with the British Institute in East Africa, Kenya School of Government (KSG) and USIU-Africa’s Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IPPIA), recently hosted JSPS Eastern Africa alumni, local and international scholars for a two-day conference marking Kenya’s 60th anniversary.
The event, held last week on 26 & 27 October embraced a hybrid format, taking place both at the SHSS Rooftop and virtually via Zoom, with sessions running from 8 am to 5 pm.
Distinguished guests including Japan's Ambassador Ken Okaniwa and representatives from the Ministry of Interior and Foreign Affairs also graced the event.
Throughout the two days, participants were treated to insightful presentations from esteemed experts in their respective fields. These included Professor David Anderson from the University of Warwick, Dr. Francis Khayundi, an Assistant Professor at USIU-Africa, and Dr. John Mwangi from Laikipia University among others. The conference also provided a unique opportunity to hear from Mau Mau war veterans Gitu wa Kahengeri and Njenga Kiarie, who shared their experiences and perspectives on Kenya's history and struggle for independence.
To commence day one, the conference started with a look back at Kenya's history, acknowledging the struggles and achievements that have shaped the nation over the past six decades. It further delved into the role of women in leadership, acknowledging their pivotal contributions to Kenya's development. And the discussions also fed into democracy and governance, and the crucial elements that have played a significant role in shaping Kenya's political landscape.
On the second day, the conference shifted the focus to contemporary issues that concern Kenya such as security and peace like banditry in the north western part of Kenya. The discussions also centered on the youth and their role in Kenya's future and how their energy and potential can be utilized to drive the nation forward.
Overall, the Kenya at 60 conference was a vibrant and dynamic event that not only celebrated Kenya's rich heritage but also provided a platform for discussing its future challenges and opportunities. With a diverse range of topics and expert speakers, the event shed light on the complex and multifaceted aspects of Kenya's development journey.
It was a testament to the power of collaboration between local and international organizations in fostering dialogue, understanding, and progress in the nation.
By Moses Onyango
The Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IPPIA) in conjunction with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nairobi, held a Public Lecture titled ‘Developing Peace: The Evolution of Peacekeeping Operations and North-South Bilateral Cooperation’ at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS).
The delegation from the Royal Norwegian Embassy were received and hosted by the Deputy Vice Chancellor - Finance and Operations, Prof. Elizabeth Kalunda and discussed potential future collaboration in areas of research and capacity building.
The event was graced by Ambassador Gunnar Andreas Holm, the Norwegian Ambassador to Kenya and Professor Stig Jarle Jansen from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). The lecture also brought together several experts and academicians in the fields of diplomacy, peace and security.
The Ambassador's paper analyzed the historical evolution of peacekeeping operations, focusing on their inception, development, and current trends and discussed the significance Norway and the North-South bilateral cooperation in the context of peacekeeping missions, with a special emphasis on recent developments and discussions surrounding the deployment of Kenyan police forces to Haiti, while Professor Stig Hansen's paper focused on the historical and current situational analysis of Haiti in the context of peacekeeping.
The main aim of the lecture was to foster dialogue among experts from academia, government, diplomatic communities, and international organizations regarding the challenges and opportunities in contemporary peacekeeping operations.
By Shyat Lemoshira
On Thursday, June 15, 2023, H. E Tareque Muhammad, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Kenya, held a public lecture on Why the Rohingya Crisis Matters in collaboration with the USIU-Africa Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs (IPPIA) in the USIU-Africa School of Humanities and Social Sciences. H.E Tareque Muhammad described the Rohingya community's history and evolution since their settlement in Arakan in the 17th century, as well as their current refugee crisis. Since 1785, the Arakan state has been known as the state of Myanmar.
The Rohingya are people from the formerly Rakhine (Arakan) state, located inside the Arakan Mountain range. They had citizenship privileges prior to the ascension of Ne Win to power in 1962. He established his Buddhist philosophy, which contributed in the marginalization of the Rohingya by withholding National Registration Certificates to a few Muslims. Furthermore, the government of Ne Win amended the citizenship regulations in 1982, rendering the Rohingya people stateless. To avoid unnecessary focus on Muslim persecution, H.E Tareque Muhammed emphasized that the population is heterogeneous, consisting of Buddhists (40%), Muslims, and Hindus. The United Nations imparted white cards to the Rohingya, but these do not guarantee them civil and political rights.
Bangladesh has also committed $350 million to the effective creation of integrated structured settlements in Bhasan Char with a capacity of 100,000 people which will help to relieve congestion in the highly packed Cox Bazar camps. Lastly, Muhammed informed the audience about the consequences of no repatriation: crime, drug and human trafficking, terrorism, a decline in security and stability, and difficulties in local integration of Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) due to Bangladesh's current population of over 169 million. Regardless, the Bangladesh government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), will establish education facilities to give basic education to Rohingya refugees in their Arakan language.
The High Commissioner interacted with the students and faculty in the question-and-answer session after providing his insights on the topic. He was impressed as he realized the interests of students in addressing this humanitarian crisis as they relate it to refugee crises in Eastern Africa caused by conflicts and climate change impacts. Kenya shares such challenges as it is ranked 15th globally and 5th in receiving refugees that commonly dwell in the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps. The High Commissioner emphasized that the Rohingya dilemma requires increased international attention and support as Bangladesh handles it humanitarianly without jeopardizing its national interests. This event concluded with a joint tree planting activity by the High Commissioner along with faculty and students from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
By Randiek Ryan
The Japanese club was recently revived this year by a group of vibrant students who are passionate about the language and culture in its entirety. After only getting officially elected into office a few weeks after the spring 2024 semester began, the committee was able to plan and carry out a few club events with minimal experience. Despite the seemingly large obstacle before them, they took their newly held positions with pride and worked on it step by step.
The club’s first event was a collaborative event with the extremely generous and welcoming Japanese Embassy that helped them kick-start the club with educational videos, presentations, scholarships/learning opportunities, and interactive Japanese games, art styles, and other cultural activities. Baraka Munene, Susan Awuor, and Perez Lungulu were the Embassy representatives who aided the committee in making this a memorable first event.
Next, was the two-day culture event that was a time for students of all nations to showcase their culture in all its forms. The Japanese club dove for this opportunity to get a stall where they could further market the club and demonstrate the Japanese way of life. With their newly established relationship with the Embassy, they got artifacts, clothing, and games to entertain fellow interested students and staff. Furthermore, Brian, Susan Awuor, and Perez Lungulu - two of whom are alumni of the university - came to support their venture that made all their efforts worth it!
To bring the exciting semester to a subtle close, the club organized a final club meet-up at Shokudo - a Japanese restaurant located in Gigiri on March 29. Knowing that tensions were starting to rise as exam week approached and deadlines due, a simple yet elegant, vibrant yet relaxing time out in the suburb of Gigiri did the trick. The seventeen members, coming from different majors and years, got to connect, unwind, and learn more from each other and Japanese in general.
To summarize, the Japanese club was dormant and struggling to pick up its pace. Even with volunteers to lead as early as Fall 2023, it still looked bleak for the club. Nonetheless, with enough commitment, pursuit, and wise direction, the club was revived and took steady steps. They still have a long way to go with many ideas still brimming in mind; but what they’ve accomplished is proof of their capability. The club is hopeful that this is the start of many more. They are deeply grateful to the university’s administration, Japanese Embassy, their patron, and most of all their club members for making it a success thus far!
By Dr. Mikhail Gromov
Can the African mind be decolonized? Can Africa be understood without a hint of post-colonial theory? These were the questions in the minds of participants during the VIII USIU Seminar on Post-Colonialism in Theory and Practice, held at the Library Conference room from March 2 to March 5.
Organized by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS), the seminar shed more light on post-colonialism, its theoretical background and its impact on the current state of affairs, decades after colonization occurred in Africa.
The event saw various speakers take on different topics; Dr. Fatma Ali (Associate Professor of International Relations) gave an introduction to post-colonialism, while Dr. Mikhail Gromov (Assistant Professor of Literature) enlightened participants on the different theories that have developed post-colonialism. Prof. Macharia Munene (Professor of History and International Relations) gave an insight to post-colonialism in African politics, and Dr. Njoki Wamae (Assistant Professor of International Relations) expounded on the influence of post-colonialism on the theory of international relations.
In the discussions that followed the presentations the participants pointed out, that in the current l world of “global village” it is virtually for the African people impossible to avoid influences from other cultures, but this should not be a reason for nursing the mentality of inferiority and dependence, since the whole world now is multicultural and hybrid in nature. However, participants concluded that it is advisable for Africans to merge various cultures and adopt what will impact them positively. At the same time, many old and obsolete notions about the world hierarchy with regards to international relations and politics, social hierarchies with attentions to the state of women in the formerly colonized world should be revised, and post-colonial studies and theory render a remarkable assistance for that process.
By Prof. Henry Wambuii
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences recently hosted Prof. Henry Wambuii, visiting Carnegie Diaspora Fellow from the University of Central Missouri, U.S.A in a public webinar titled “Human Rights and the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Impact Analysis.”
The webinar, which was held on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, was initiated by the International Relations Department at USIU-Africa and was moderated by Dr. Njoki Wamae from the IR Department. The event started with opening remarks from Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and was attended by faculty, staff members and students at USIU-Africa, as well as participants from other academic and non-academic institutions in Kenya.
In his welcoming remarks, the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Martin Njoroge, thanked Prof. Wambuii for the timely presentation and noted the relevance of the webinar to the key goal of enhancing both faculty and students research here at USIU-Africa.
Prof. Njoroge further expressed his appreciation for the role that Carnegie Diaspora fellows play at enhancing quality education at USIU-Africa adding that Prof. Wambuii’s presentation was a fitting example of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and indeed the University’s push to achieve the core mandates of teaching and learning.
Prof. Wambuii is a tenured Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Missouri U.S.A. His teaching and research expertise is in the areas of 'international development', 'comparative politics', and 'human rights and democratization in developing countries.'
Recent research has focused on comparative democratization and governance in developing countries. Other research has focused on strategies for poverty alleviation and economic growth and public policy formulation with a special focus on the issues surrounding the response to pandemics and the impact on human rights across the world.
Prof. Wambuii’s webinar presentation focused on the need to set an acceptable balance between the effort to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic while at the same maintaining and promoting human rights protection for all. As noted in the presentation, “Human rights law obliges governments to do some things and prevents the same governments from doing others.”
Prof. Wambuii pointed out emergent political suppression as one of the unfortunate outcomes as many countries grapple with the ongoing pandemic. As noted in the presentation, “in a good number of countries, the pandemic has provided a fitting excuse for undermining democratic institutions, restricting legitimate dissent, going after disfavored people or groups and extending authoritarianism, often with well calculated far-reaching consequences unrelated to the current public health crisis.”
Another aspect of the presentation dealt with the issue of global disparities and resulting vaccine discrimination against less developed countries. A concerning COVID-19 era reality is the unfortunate case of many less developed African, Asian, and Latin American countries facing unsurmountable challenges in obtaining vaccines even as the developed countries enjoy excessive supply of the same. While existing restrictive intellectual property laws are partly to blame for the commodification of essential medicines such as vaccines, existing neocolonial power relations between the developed and developing world continue to disadvantage poorer countries, often resulting into extreme debt and ever rising national inequalities that contribute to human rights violations in among others the right to health and adequate living standards.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Wambuii made the case that for governments across the world to put together effective public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is need for extensive public involvement to establish trust, as well as the need for governments to recognize the significance of working within established human rights frameworks, complete with guidelines on maintaining and promoting both civil and political rights as well as economic, social, and cultural rights.
Finally, participants in the webinar engaged extensively in a questions and answer session moderated by Dr. Njoki Wamae. The discussion dwelt on important issues of creating public trust and protecting different aspects of human rights, even as different countries mount necessary campaigns and search for fitting responses to the raging pandemic.
By Kevin Mudavadi and CTW team
USIU-Africa alumna, Ruth Nyabuto Nyakerario, has been named as one of 2020’s Rare Rising Stars, an award given to the UK’s top ten black students. Ms. Nyakerario was selected out of a pool of more than 150 nominated candidates.
Ruth, completed her undergraduate at USIU-Africa in 2017, receiving a Magna Cum Laude in International Relations (IR). It is during this period that she developed a keen interest in Displacement, Forced Migration and Homelessness. It was this interest that prompted her to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship in 2018, which enabled her to pursue a Masters in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies in 2019 and a Masters in African Studies which she is pursuing at Oxford University.
During her studies at USIU-Africa, Ruth experienced an awakening to the host of issues that were caused by the socio-economic divide that affect people across the African continent, which spurred her to increase her efforts in trying to provide a solution to some of these problems.
“Sitting in class and hearing about the issues that were brought about and continued to persist as a result of economic inequality prompted me to try and find a way to provide solutions to these issues. After reconnecting with some of my friends from high school, I decided together with my friend, Viney Gisore, to establish our foundation, Out of the Streets.”
“The Foundation is committed to ensuring that homeless children in Kenya have access to education, food, empowerment, clothing, and, if possible, re-united with their families. The programme started in February 2015 with feeding programmes, with Viney and I cooking self-funded hot meals and sharing lunch and a few hours with the children every week. After a short while, word spread, and we would have 150-200 homeless children coming for meals each time,” she adds.
As part of her efforts to expand the Foundation’s reach and impact, Ruth spearheaded talent events at rehabilitation centres for street children and established libraries, in addition to establishing a center in Majengo that would run weekend education sessions for 50 students, most of whom were not in school.
Currently, Out of the Streets is working towards establishing its own rehabilitation centre, and is currently fundraising, hoping to incorporate the lessons they have learnt thus far into their strategy. They also intend to work in conjunction with other similar community-based organisations that reach out to children in other locales.
Ruth, who is currently interning at the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, hopes to go back to community work, and apply her classroom knowledge to the solution of real life problems.
By Kevin Mudavadi and Brenda Odhiambo
Muema Wambua, an alum of the class of 2011 and a PhD candidate in the Department of International Relations is one of the three-time recipients of the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa fellowships, awarded by the Social Sciences Research Council (SSRC), in New York. The fellowships include; Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship, Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship, and Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship. He was awarded the fellowships in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively.
Mr. Wambua holds a Master of Arts in International Relations (Summa Cum Laude) from USIU-Africa and a Bachelor of Arts in History (First Class Honors) from Kenyatta University. He has a keen interest in International Relations, especially in the thematic areas of international interventions, peace and conflict research, as well as international trade. In addition, he is a director in the Department of Trade, Industrialization and Innovation in the Government of Machakos County, Kenya. In June 2018, he was appointed as a part-time lecturer in the Department of Peace and International Studies at Daystar University, Nairobi.
The Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa program responds to an emerging dilemma within higher education in the global South caused by the extraordinary emphasis on increasing undergraduate enrollment without proportionate investment in faculty development. This situation erodes the ability of universities to produce the next generation of researchers, leaders, and practitioners. The program currently operates to strengthen tertiary education in Africa through a series of institutional and individual interventions, creating a pipeline for the development of faculty and research communities.
In his remarks following the award of the fellowship, Wambua notes that he has a chance to be one of the leading voices in International Relations, both in the region and globally.
“As one of the 173 fellows in the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa program, I have the opportunity to explore new avenues of inquiry in the field of International Relations, in addition to finding new forms for community engagement and undertaking research on some of the most important issues of the day, as envisioned by the SSRC,” he said.
Mr. Wambua is the author of “The Ethnification of Electoral Conflicts in Kenya: Options for Positive Peace,” published in the African Journal on Conflict Resolution (2017) by ACCORD and “Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding: The ICC and TJRC Processes in Kenya,” published in the African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review (2019) by Indiana University. Wambua has also contributed a chapter titled ‘Hurting Stalemate in International Interventions: An Analysis of the African Agency in the IGAD-Led Engagements in the South Sudan Crisis, 2013-2018,’ In Munyi, E., Mwambari, D. & Ylönen, A. (eds.). Beyond History: African Agency in Development, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (2020) published by Rowman & Littlefield.
The Next Generation Social Sciences Program is funded by the Higher Education and Libraries in Africa Program, Carnegie Corporation of New York.
By Wanjiku Mbugua
On November 23, students of the USIU-Africa Confucius Classroom and Chinese club were invited to network with the Chinese club of Strathmore University. The event was also graced by Chinese club students from the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi and Discovery Chinese Cultural Center.
During the event, students got an opportunity to participate in an enriching experience that promoted cultural understanding and fostered connections with other students of Chinese Language. Students engaged in discussions, exchange ideas and learnt from each other.
The interactive workshop introduced participants to traditional Chinese arts and crafts, calligraphy and paper cutting. Students were also treated to captivating performances showcasing traditional Chinese music, dance, and martial arts, providing a sensory journey through Chinese culture.
By Prof. Martin Njoroge
Prof. Martin Njoroge, Dean School of Humanities and Social Sciences, USIU-Africa, was the distinguished facilitator during the Doctoral Association of Eastern Africa’s annual workshop hosted by the Association on Friday March 10, 2023. The theme of the workshop was Career Pathing for Doctoral Graduates. He took the participants through the topic: “After doctoral degree, then what?” The Doctoral Association of Eastern Africa (DAEA) brings together academic and professional doctoral holders who are dedicated to the elevation, advancement, support and sustainability of doctoral education in Eastern Africa. DAEA provides a unique platform to vigorously advance the rigor, breadth and depth of doctoral and post-doctoral education in the Eastern African Region.
During the workshop, Prof. Njoroge observed that a doctoral degree demonstrates advanced knowledge and expertise in a particular field. He noted that the doctoral journey, however, is a long and lonely path but worth all the sweat at the end of the day because successful completion of the doctoral studies opens many exciting opportunities. Despite the importance of doctoral degree, he added, only 1% of the world’s population has it (Coldron, 2022). Interestingly, most common direction for Doctoral graduates is academia but there are other avenues. It is reported that only 30% of PhD graduates end up in academia three years on (HEPI, 2020). Others transition into industry, the public sectors, NGO world, or become entrepreneurs.
Prof. Njoroge quipped that people pursue doctoral studies for various reasons: as part of academic requirements, for promotion and career growth, for self-actualization, to be a role model, for example to one’s children, to prove a point, because of one’s passion for research or just because one wishes to change career. He advised the attendees to share their doctoral research findings to influence policy and impact the world. Doctoral holders can publish books, book chapters, journal articles, write articles in newspapers or even present the findings at conferences as a way of disseminating the many recommendations in their dissertations. One can also intentionally give talks to postgraduate students or participate in radio and TV talks where findings and recommendations relevant to the focus of the conversations can be shared.
Prof. Njoroge encouraged all the workshop attendees to pursue their career goals by working out the strategies that will work for them to grow after their doctoral studies. Publishing and being active in scholarship, though not easy, will lead to productivity and growth and those who do so reap the benefits that accrue from the same. He advised them to maintain a good rapport with their doctoral supervisors even after graduation because new doctoral holders will need their supervisors to hold their hands as they grow in the world of grant writing, research and scholarship. He concluded by noting that even as one grows academically and professionally after the doctoral studies, one should, at the same time, enjoy life and maintain good relationships with God, family, neighbours and colleagues, being purposeful to live and lead a life that matters. Earlier in the week, Prof. Njoroge had been invited by the Graduate School at Pan Africa Christian University to facilitate a capacity building Webinar on Dissemination of Findings: Publications and Conference Presentations. The Webinar was attended by almost 100 participants who, from their comments, found the conversation timely and impactful.
Recently, the Department of International Relations (IR) hosted a 3-day research workshop and training event dubbed ‘Afrobarometer week’ in collaboration with Afrobarometer, an independent pan-African research network that provides data on African citizens’ values, evaluations, and experiences.
It included a series of events and meetings aimed at introducing Afrobarometer’s rich treasure trove of data, as well as its unique research analysis tools, to the USIU-Africa community comprising of faculty, staff and students.
The research training was organized in collaboration with the Department of International Relations in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension.
The key objectives of the maiden event were to:
During the three-day event, the Afrobarometer team drawn from South Africa, Malawi and Michigan State University in the United States, interacted and trained a host of Undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate students on how to access and apply Afrobarometer’s public data for research and academic writing. In particular, the PhD students from the Department of International Relations, were taken through personalized training on how to access and apply data from the Afrobarometer online data analysis platform.
The Afrobarometer team wishes to appreciate the faculty and students for committing their time during the three-day training.
The Afrobarometer week was an initiative led by Dr. Mercy Kaburu who is a lecturer in the Department of International Relations at USIU-Africa and currently a fellow with Alliance for African Partnership-African Future’s Program at Michigan State University (MSU).
By Swabra Soud
As part of the Black History Month celebrations, USIU-Africa was privileged to host Dr. Julie MacArthur, Dr.Willy M. Mutunga, Dr. Mickie Mwanzia and Mr. Mwongela Kamecu for the launch of Dedan Kimathi on Trial: Colonial Justice and Popular Memory in Kenya’s Mau Mau Rebellion by Julie MacArthur (Editor), Willy Mutunga (Introduction), Ngugi wa Thiong’o (Foreword), and Micere Githae Mugo (Foreword).
During the seminar held at the Chandaria School of Business, the authors shared their insights of the book, which unearths a piece that demonstrates how his capture and trial in 1956, and subsequent execution, for many marked the end of the rebellion and turned Kimathi into a patriotic martyr. The seminar was organized by Dr. Njoki Wamai (Assistant Professor, International Relations, School of Humanities and Social Sciences).
Speaking during the launch, Dr. MacArthur noted Dedan Kimathi’s status as one of the figures who stood out in Kenya’s fight for independence.
“No figure embodied the ambiguities, colonial fears, and collective imaginations of Kenya’s decolonization era more than Dedan Kimathi, the self-proclaimed field marshal of the rebel forces that took to the forests to fight colonial rule in the 1950s. He personified many of the contradictions that the Mau Mau rebellion represented: rebel statesman, literate peasant, modern traditionalist. His capture and trial in 1956, and subsequent execution, for many marked the end of the rebellion and turned Kimathi into a patriotic martyr,” she said.
In addition to containing the transcript from Kimathi’s trial, the book also includes provocative contributions from leading Mau Mau scholars reflecting on the meaning of the rich documents offered in the book and the figure of Kimathi in a much wider field of historical and contemporary concerns.
Dr. Julie MacArthur is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. She is the author of Cartography and the Political Imagination. She has published articles on refereed journals. She has also worked extensively in African cinema, both as a curator and an academic.
Dr.Willy M. Mutunga is a Kenyan lawyer, intellectual, reform activist, and was the Commonwealth Special Envoy to the Maldives. He is also an active member of the Justice Leadership Group. He is the retired Chief Justice of Kenya and President of the Supreme Court of Kenya.
Dr. Mickie Mwanzia Koster is an Assistant Professor of History in Africa and the African Diaspora at the University of Texas located in Tyler, Texas, USA. She has a B.A. in Mathematics and Information Science from Chatham College, MBA from Case Western Reserve University, M.A. in History from Cleveland State University, and a M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Rice University.
Mr. Mwongela Kamecu is an academic researcher with six years of experience who has written book chapters, magazine columns as well as blog posts. His domain is African political history although he multitasks and can write creative as well as descriptive articles. His key interests are politics, music and social movements.
By CTW Team
Last week, Prof. Adam Branch, Professor of International Politics at the University of Cambridge was on campus and gave a public lecture presentation on 'Grounding Climate Change and Justice to the community. The presentation was as a result of a 3-year research study in Northern #Uganda on the relationship between conflict, development and environmental climate change crisis.
The researchers employed a political ecology framework to assess the environmental impact of the conflict and development projects after the long war. Prof. Branch argued that there were tensions over land, water and forests between the government and the community represented by the thriving Charcoal trade in Northern Uganda. The interdisciplinary study also employed historical and ethnographic methods to explore community understandings of climate change and development.
By Dr. Pablo Rubio Gijón
Most students are well acquainted with popular crime drama series Money Heist (Spanish: La casa de papel) and Narcos. Many can even sing snippets of reggaeton songs in perfect Spanish. Others regularly follow, or know people who do, Latin American telenovelas (soap operas). It is obvious that Spanish, a tongue spoken in 21 countries across four continents, is becoming popular in Kenya. However, what Kenyan students might not be so well aware of is the richness and diversity of the motion picture industry in Spanish. Countries so far apart as Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Spain, Colombia or Cuba, just to name a few, have recently yielded astonishingly well-made films. Some of those movies have been awarded numerous international prizes, even the Academy Awards. Unfortunately, Kenyan audiences have little or no access to them.
To this end, we have selected five recent Spanish language films across various genres to highlight the diversity of the stories told and the fact that Spanish language films are as entertaining as any others.
We will screen movies weekly every Wednesday at the Library Conference Room at 3:30 pm until March 4, 2020. The first screening was Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales (2014), an Argentine dark comedy compilation movie composed of six standalone shorts. Below is the schedule for the rest of the screenings:
12 February - The Noble Family (Directed by Gary Alazraki, Mexico, 2013)
19 February - Habanastation (Directed by Ian Padrón, Cuba, 2011)
26 February - The Invisible Guest (Directed by Oriol Paulo, Spain, 2016)
4 March - The Milk of Sorrow (Directed by Claudia Llosa, Peru, 2009)
Enjoy!
By Jemima Oloo
"I’m a child of the universe, I have lived in almost all continents" ~ Micere Githae Mugo.
How do you say goodbye to a child of the universe? By celebrating its wars and wins. The USIU-Africa community hosted a tribute to Prof. Micere Githae Mugo, a force in the literary world and an oratory champion.
In attendance of the tribute was our former Associate DVC Student Affairs, Prof. Wangari Mwai, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Presbyterian University, Ugandan poet and novelist Austin Bukenya, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Martin Njoroge, Prof. Njoki Wamai, an International Relations lecturer, and other esteemed members of the faculty and student bodies.
Prof. Micere Mugo was an activist, poet, literary critic and Professor of literature in the Department of African American Studies at Syracuse University. She was the first female Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Nairobi.
Prof. Mwai celebrated the spirit of activism in Prof. Mugo that changed national course and challenged especially the tyrannical rule of President Daniel Moi that saw her exiled from the country in 1982. A scholar whose words impacted many through her prowess in language and especially using Kikuyu in her poetry and writing.
Writing can be a lifeline, especially when your existence has been denied, especially when you have been left on the margins, especially when your life and process of growth have been subjected to attempts at strangulation- Prof. Micere Mugo.
Micere Mugo in her poetry describes what it means to be a feminist “To be a feminist is to embrace my womanness, the womanness of all my mothers, all my sisters, it is to hug the female principle and the metaphors of life that decorate my being…To celebrate my birth as a girl to ululate that my gender is female, to make contact with my being. To have dialogue with my father and brother to invite their partnership fellow guerillas to match with them to war torn zones.
In her lifetime, Prof. Mugo talked about issues of racism, feminism and classism that earned her numerous awards such as Marcus Garvey Award, For Foundation for Research on African Orature and Human Rights, Royal African Society Lifetime Achievement Award in African Literature, United Women Africa Award for Visionary leadership and many others.
Apart from her courage, Prof. Mugo will be remembered for her Utu (kindness), as she was the embodiment of love and kindness. May her legacy of Utu never fade away.
By Joyce Wangari
Led by the Panel Chair, Dr. Dana Basnight-Brown, a team of USIU-Africa’s faculty, alumni and students presented a host of topics under the theme ‘Theory and practice of Psychology in Kenya: Opportunities and challenges’ at the American Psychological Association 2020 Virtual Convention. For the first time ever, the APA 2020 Virtual Convention under Division 52 International Psychology hosted a hospitality suite with a panel of psychologists from Kenya.
The APA is arguably one of the largest conventions in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants and whose body is credited for, among other things, global publication standards such as the APA Style. Some of the presenters at the convention included:
The Convention was held on Thursday, August 6 to Sunday, August 9, and all sessions were recorded and uploaded on the APA website under the on-demand videos, which will be available to watch by registered convention attendees for a whole year until August 2021, as found on the official APA 2020 Virtual Convention page, http://div52.net/division-52-at-the-apa-convention/apa-virtual-convention-division-52-events/theory-and-practice-of-psychology-in-kenya/. It can also be accessed via the APA website under the scholarly networking group 'APA 2020 Virtual Networthing' for registered convention attendees:-https://www.facebook.com/groups/apa2020virtual or on YouTube via https://youtu.be/CZ5MLZdK_nM.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Ms. Moraa Joy Michelle, the winner of the 2020 One Belt One Road International English speaking contest has been elected as the Vice President of the USIU-Africa Chapter of Global Unitalks, the organizer of the English speaking competition that she won. Joy was shortlisted out of over 300 applicants and went head to head with other speakers and global contestants for the award. Upon her completion of her Global Unitalks International English – speaking competition journey, she was selected among the world’s top 6 English public speakers from over 1000+ young global competitors worldwide.
In his communication to Ms. Moraa, and to the University at large, Unitalks’ Director General, Prof. Luo Jie congratulated her on her win, noting that she had made USIU-Africa proud.
“We thank you for your participation in this year’s Global Unitalks International English Speaking Contest. We were amazed by your excellent speech and sophisticated public speaking skills and highly appreciate your hard work and participation,” he said.
“We look forward to meeting you and other students from USIU-Africa in many more of our competitions. We are going to continue supporting USIU-Africa students, as we believe that the university has many upcoming talents who need global platforms to showcase their capabilities to the world, “he added.
Speaking to CTW, Prof. Quin Awuor, who is one of the Contest’s jury members, praised the team of students who took part in the competition, noting that their team work was what had propelled them through the competition.
“Joy, Lynda (Muthama) and Grace (Kinyua) were able to make it to the finals of the competition because of the support that they gave each other during the preparation for the competition. I am extremely proud of the team for taking a leap of faith and taking part in the competition, and representing USIU-Africa excellently on a global platform, “she said.
By Josh Maiyo
Learning at USIU-Africa strives to integrate real-word experiences for students to acquire skills and knowledge that meets the demands of the modern work environment. On June 14-16, a delegation of USIU-Africa students and alumni from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences attended the just concluded Global Forum on Remittances and investment and Development (GFRID Summit 2023) held at the UN Office at Nairobi (Gigiri).
Our students were part of over 600 global and African delegates, including senior Kenyan government officials such as the Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya and the Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs among others. The summit was devoted to addressing the opportunities and challenges in enhancing the role of diaspora remittance and investment for development in Africa in the post-pandemic landscape.
Oloo Aloyu, who is writing his Master of Arts thesis on the role of remittances in enhancing household incomes in Nairobi said that the conference not only expanded and deepened his knowledge on the topic, but also provided contact with key informants for his data collection. Safari Mugenya, a recent Master of Arts in International Relations (IR) graduate appreciated the networking opportunities for her future career growth, while Master of Arts in International Relations students Esther Kairu and Grace Kibui hailed insights gained in furthering practical understanding of the real world of international relations and development.
Dr. Josh Maiyo, Assistant Professor in International Relations who coordinated the student delegation highlighted the critical role of practical field trips and conference participation in the quality of educational experience at USIU-Africa.
By Stacie Mwangi and Terry Odhiambo
On July 17, 2023, the students and faculty from the Criminal Justice program commemorated International Justice Day by participating in a symposium held at the Kenya Women and Children Wellness Centre (KWCWC) founded by Mrs. Deloris Jordan. The symposium's objective was to explore the intricate challenges associated with attaining justice for victims of sexual violence in conflict situations under the framework of international criminal justice. Dr. Elizabeth Meassick, Vice President of Development at the KWCWC, described the center as a facility dedicated to preventative and response efforts. She mentioned that the significance of the Data Centre lies in its ability to safeguard evidence and guarantee the preservation and protection of such evidence, ensuring that justice, albeit perhaps delayed, is not denied.
The Rt. Hon Patricia Scotland KC, the Commonwealth Secretary General, delivered the inaugural keynote address. In her address, she acknowledged the significant milestone of the 25th anniversary since the ratification of the Rome Statute. She noted that after 25 years, the Statute continues to uphold the principle that acts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide shall not evade accountability. She acknowledged that sexual violence is employed as a strategic tool during armed conflicts, serving to instill fear, manipulate ethnic compositions, and dismantle societal structures. Nevertheless, she emphasized the imperative for the younger generation to assume responsibility for upholding global justice principles.
Some of the discussions were on the necessity of adopting intergenerational strategies to address sexual assault, driven by a fervent aspiration to comprehend our nation's history and the global landscape of justice on an intellectual level. Panelists also provided insight into the profound consequences of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and emphasized the importance of comprehending the significant influence of cultural norms on SGBV. This understanding is crucial for pursuing justice, eradicating impunity, and safeguarding the dignity of individuals within our society. There were also discussions on the obstacles that impede efforts to enhance national capabilities, particularly within the context of Kenya.
Dr. Simeon Sungi shared his expertise on "Advancing Accountability and Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Conflict” alongside Professor Marion Mutugi, EBS, Commissioner, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. She explained that the Commission has advocated for the government to recognize the rights of survivors, implemented restorative justice practices, and established contingency plans to prevent conflicts. Dr. Sungi provided an overview of the national and international frameworks used to define sexual offenses. Furthermore, he underscored the importance of recognizing rape as a distinct criminal offense.
Dr. Serge Brammertz, the United Nations Under-Secretary General at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, expounded upon the insights gained through the prosecution of these crimes, i.e. the inclusion of sexual violence as a component of conflict; the inextricable linkage between conflict and manifestations of sexual violence; the current focus of the judicial system is primarily on the perpetrators of crimes; and it is imperative to adopt measures within the justice system that prioritize the needs and experiences of victims and survivors.
The symposium provided students with in-depth knowledge and understanding of sexual violence in conflict, gaining insights from experts, practitioners, and survivors. It also highlighted the need for a multifaceted approach and collaboration between different disciplines, bridging the gap between theory and practice. The event also highlighted the international dimensions of the topic, emphasizing the role of international justice mechanisms in holding perpetrators accountable.
Students were encouraged to be bold advocates against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), inspiring them to work towards a safer future for their communities. The symposium also provided insights into the challenges faced by national institutions in addressing sexual violence, such as updated legal frameworks, survivor protection mechanisms, and preventive measures. Networking opportunities were provided, fostering relationships, exchanging ideas, and potentially finding career opportunities in the criminal justice field.
The students were accompanied by Dr. Simeon Sungi and Ms. Terry Odhiambo
By Lauryn Ojore
Front Left to Right: Elsie Sirengo, Maria Marenga, Chantelle Mukabi, Angel Musomba, Jane Nyaga and Fresher Diana.
Back Left to Right: Louis Gitu, Lauryn Ojore, Joshua Wambugu, Jane Nyaga, and Kashaka Jeremiah
Front Left to Right: Chantelle Mukabi, Angel Musomba, Maria Marenga, Elsie Sirengo, and Fresher Diana.
USIU-Africa’s Spoken Arts and Debate Society (SADS) has once again made its mark in the international debating stage, this time at the Elle Parle (She Speaks) Women’s Championship, held in Mukono, Uganda from 26 to 29 May. The tournament and its notable partners aim to bring together the top female debaters from across the region, to engage in formal debates centred around the political, social, and economic topics that affect women from their unique perspectives as such only the best female debaters from the region were invited to speak, however men were allowed to judge and observe the discourse.
Travelling to Uganda accompanied by their chaperone Jane Nyaga, were two teams of 4 members Fresher Diana, Elsie Sirengo, Maria Marenga, and Angel Musomba invited on merit as well were 4 judges Kashaka Jeremiah, Joshua Wambugu, Lauryn Ojore, and Louis Gitu, with Chantelle Mukabi, the former SADS Chair, serving as the esteemed position of the Central Adjudication Panel.
Despite only sending two teams, SADS made history with all teams proceeding to the final round, resulting in USIU-Africa teams making up half of the final teams, which is a testament to the quality and competitiveness of the USIU-Africa debate program.
One of the exceptional teams at the tournament was Angel Musomba and Maria Marenga, who recently graduated from the Novice to Open Speaker Category after various finals appearances, broke 1st to the semi’s and final round, earning various achievements such as 1st runners up, 1st and 2nd best overall speakers and the best overall team of the tournament placing 1st and the top of the debate tab towering over all other teams with a total of 21 out of 24 possible points.
The second team that performed exceptionally well at the tournament was made up of Fresher Diana and Elsie Sirengo, breaking 5th in the semi finals and proceeding to the finals where they earned the award for 2nd Runners up and 9th best and 11th best speaker respectively.
The performances at the tournament were not limited to the debaters, with all three adjudicators, Louis Gitu, Joshua Wambugu and Kashaka Jeremiah earning recognition for their performances after scoring highly in the adjudicators test, this is evidenced by their placement on the panel of judges for both the semifinals and grand final, with all judges breaking among the top 5 judges, later being recognized as the 4th, 3rd and 1st Best overall adjudicators of the tournament.
The Elle Parle Women’s Debate tournament was a highly successful event for USIU-Africa’s SADS team, and an amazing opportunity for the debaters, particularly the female debaters to showcase their skills and engage in meaningful discourse that will inform future policy and social change in the region and beyond, the team’s performance at the tournament, has cemented USIU-Africa as a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.
Mr. Antony Kiplimo (Developer Lead, Africa’s Talking) speaks to female students in the School of Science and Technology during a mentorship forum organized by the Department of Computing on Thursday, February 28 at the Incubation and Innovation Center, in the Freida Brown Student Center. PHOTO: TAIGU MUCHIRI
By Patrick Wamuyu & Taigu Muchiri
The School of Science and Technology hosted a mentorship forum for female students in its programs on Thursday, February 28 at the Freida Brown Student Center. The forum was aimed at engaging women in technology and providing them with support through exposing them to initiatives that enhance their career development.
The forum discussions were led by alumna Joylene Kirui (Applied Computer Technology, 2016), a Principal Cyber Security Assurance Officer at Safaricom, Mercy Wamalwa (Applied Computer Technology, 2016), Analyst-Risk Advisor at Deloitte East Africa, and Mr. Anthony Kiplimo, Developer Relations Lead at Africa’s Talking.
The three speakers guided their audience through a discussion on the essential skills that every IT student needs to acquire before graduation, the current market needs for computing experts in the Kenyan and global tech ecosystem, as well as how to build a code portfolio –integral to securing a post-graduation position.
Ms. Kirui and Ms. Wamalwa expounded on their post USIU-Africa-experience strongly urging the assembled students to build an online portfolio on content sharing sites such as Github, since a resume was insufficient in demonstrating technological ability.
The speakers emphasized that IT industry careers were still lucrative and such skillsets in demand around the globe, though they noted that women were still deploringly under-represented in the STEM fields especially in information technology.
This revelation reflected current studies that suggest women make up only 20% of the IT workforce, thus underscoring new initiatives by the Department of Computing to, according to the Departmental Chair Dr. Patrick Wamuyu to “…encourage participation and improve retention of female students enrolled in our programs”.
The device designed by the students for remote monitoring of infants’ growth and health parameters, which will then communicate with health facilities to inform them of children who require immediate attention for timely intervention.
By Dr. Patrick Wamuyu
USIU-Africa won the first prize in Dell’s Envision the Future competition, held annually as part of Dell Technologies commitment to enhancing human progress through technology that can work where it can do the best for people and the planet. This year’s competition focused on the use of Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Multi-Cloud technologies to develop innovative solutions that address the current and emerging challenges on the well-being, healthcare and education sectors. The competition was open to undergraduate students from the Middle East, Russia, Africa and Turkey region.
USIU-Africa’s team was made up of four senior students studying B.Sc. in Applied Computer Technology, Khushi Gupta, Jeet Gohil, Dharmik Karania, and Abdihamid Ali. The team was mentored by Dr. Leah Mutanu, a lecturer in the Department of Computing, working together with Mr. Hillary Kavagi, an IT Lab Technician. The team was required to create videos to demonstrate their innovation for the competition and received help from the technical team at USIU-Africa.
The student’s innovation involved the design of a system that can be used for remote monitoring of infants’ growth and health parameters. In most rural areas in Kenya, access to basic child health services often requires a long journey to the nearest health facility. The cost of the journey, in addition to a small fee charged at the health facility, is out of reach for most rural families. The net result is that many families in remote rural areas do not visit health facilities until it is too late. Thus, many children in rural areas continue to suffer from preventable health related problems that could easily be addressed. Consequently, under-five mortality remains unacceptably high at 46 deaths for every 1000 births according to UNICEF.
The developed solution provides community health workers, or care givers, with a portable, safe, and accessible Internet of Things (IoT) device that can be used to monitor growth parameters of children from rural or other marginalized areas. The device will then communicate with health facilities to inform them of children who require immediate attention for timely intervention.
The competition was divided into 4 stages, namely the submission of abstracts, submission of the interim design report, the final project and report submission, and ended with an interview with the steering committee and engineers from Dell Technologies, to whom the students had to pitch their innovations. A total of 227 project abstracts were received from more than 100 universities, with only 26 projects from 8 countries making it to the final stages of the yearlong competition.
The visiting team from Google engage with APT and IST students.PHOTO: Ernest A.Mwanzi
By Dr. Patrick Wamuyu and Taigu Muchiri
On Tuesday, May 21, 2019, a team from Google visited USIU-Africa as part of the new Google initiative called Black Googler Network whose main focus is to empower the black community within Google and beyond. In order to achieve this, Googlers from all around the world devote their time to make trips to various communities with an aim of providing professional development and mentorship programs. The team was drawn from Google’s different offices such us Dublin, London, South-Africa and other location and were joined by students mainly from the APT and IST majors.
The Googler team started gave a brief background of the Black Googler Network and explained how they are helping Black communities from around the world. The moderator engaged the panel of speakers during a questions and answer session where the team from Google explained to the students the benefits of working with Google and how the students could get an opportunity to work with one of the biggest IT companies in the world. The students got very insightful answers from the panelists and they were given an opportunity to ask more questions that related to their personal advancement as they continued with their studies at USIU-Africa.
As the question and answer session came to an end, the Googlers formed focus groups with the students to network and share with them on other important aspects such as CV writing and career building.
This course is designed to teach university students the foundational skills required to develop blockchain applications on the Hyperledger open source platform.
Class Location: LKB Hardware Lab
FRI 10 & 17 MAY 2019 (9AM - 4PM)
For two Fridays
No Cost for 2018 Students
Register using this link: https://bit.ly/ibmregistration
A Certified Ethical Hacker is a skilled professional who understands and knows how to look for weakness and vulnerabilities in target systems and uses the same knowledge and tools as a malicious hacker, but in a lawful and legitimate manner to assess the security posture of a target system(s)
To register use this link: https://bit.ly/cehregistration
May 18 June 29, 2019 (8.30AM – 5PM)
6 Saturdays
Location: USIU-Africa, Lilian K. Beam Building
Ksh 50,000/= (current USIU-A students)
Ksh 80,000/= (other Parties)
Covers cost of training + 1 Exam voucher
By Agnes Igecha, Felix Kiptoch and Diana Njenga
On Wednesday, February 1, the Coding for Employment Center of Excellence was launched at USIU-Africa in partnership with the Africa Development Bank and Junior Achievers Kenya.
The Center will provide 1,800 Kenyan youth with the skills needed to secure Information and communication technology, Information systems, and ICT services employment through demand-driven training. It will teach technical and entrepreneurial skills that are transferable across industry segments. This program is set to benefit youth aged 15 to 35 who are currently unemployed or underemployed, with special consideration given to vulnerable and disadvantaged youth.
The Center will strategically position Kenyan youth to compete for "present" and "future" jobs. Beyond skill development, the program aims to foster the development of an "innovation ecosystem" in which key stakeholders (private sectors, youth, and government) in the sector can take a long-term, integrated, and holistic approach to promoting the innovative use of digital tools to solve social problems in Africa. This is set to be achieved through delivery of both E-learning and physical training sessions to be availed at the Center of Excellence launched at USIU-Africa School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The launch was attended by several guests from various institutions and bodies, including the Executive Office of the President, Mastercard Foundation, The University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Riara University. The Center was officially opened by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Margee Ensign, while the event proceedings were handled by the Dean School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Extension, Professor Amos Njuguna.
A panel discussion was also held, moderated by Mr. John Wali, Executive Director of Junior Achievers Kenya, and featuring Mrs. Hendrina Doroba, Division Manager, Education and Skills Development-African Development Bank (AFDB), Professor Patrick Wamuyu, Chairperson ICT Department in USIU Africa, Hillary Kipng'etich, an AFDB CFE graduate, and Ken Mwenda, Managing Director of EMobilis.
The event concluded with a colorful ribbon cutting that was done by Mr. Mukhtar Ogle, Secretary to the Executive Office of the President, to officiate the launch.
By Gabriel Okello
On Saturday, March 16, data science students at USIU- Africa had a thrilling day of fun and hands-on learning at the Datathon competition which was held at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences LT8 from 9:00 A.M. This event promoted student engagement and gave participants the opportunity to use analytics, harness the power of data, and think creatively and innovatively on how to generate tools that are useful in solving dynamic problems faced in Kenya and Africa.
By working in teams, datathon participants extended their knowledge base by learning from each other and gained experience working in a fast-paced environment. It brought together students from diverse backgrounds with the same interest in data science which fostered mutual understanding and collaboration. Data science and analytics are indispensable tools for addressing a wide range of real-life problems across various domains evident in the choice of models created by participants to suit different sectors of the economy and to improve decision-making, and create positive societal impact. This event did not only provide a stimulating challenge for data enthusiasts but also served as a valuable learning experience and a platform to showcase the growing data science program.
Dr. Gabriel Okello, Chair of the Data Science Department kicked off the ceremony with the opening remarks and encouraged everyone to embrace the opportunity wholeheartedly and to immerse themselves in the experiences that lay ahead, to engage with one another with openness and respect, and to leave a lasting imprint on the fabric of the event.
There were three able judges and 16 teams participating each having five minutes for presentation and five minutes to answer questions to present their project findings and solutions to the judging panel and the engaging audience. Each team presented a PowerPoint presentation of their project together with a live demonstration of the platform they created. Some were interactive as they engaged the audience to scan a code to view their interface. All teams received input from the judges on what they liked and what to consider and improve on moving forward. There were time penalties for teams that took more than the allocated time. The projects were evaluated from the PowerPoint presentation, team member’s presentation skills, and their live demos.
The winning team was Kilimo Guards whose mission is to revolutionize East African agriculture through an innovative pest prediction system. Leveraging machine learning and data analytics, their system empowers farmers to proactively manage pest risks, ensuring crop safety and the health of communities. The second position was awarded to Finlingo, an AI-powered educational platform which delivers clear, accessible financial education via web and mobile interfaces. Through interactive learning experiences, Finlingo demystifies financial concepts, empowering users to make informed decisions. The third position was awarded to Habari Harbour, which aims to empower artists, influencers, and content creators by providing real-time monitoring and alerts on trending topics and enhancing their ability to engage with audiences and grow their presence. With affordability and accessibility at its core, Habari Harbour bridges the gap between data analytics and impactful creativity, guiding Kenyan creatives toward informed decisions.
By Lavender Nafula
In January 2016, Kenya Education Network (KENET) subscribed to Elsevier Scival web-based research analytic tool that researchers among KENET member institutions to visualize their research performance, benchmark relative to peers, develop strategic partnerships, identify and analyze new, emerging research trends, creating uniquely tailored reports. The data gathered from Elsevier Scival is used to measure research productivity and to discover research champions in areas such Engineering, Computer Science, Material Science, Earth and Planetary Sciences and Agricultural and Biological Sciences. KENET use the data to advise members on emerging research trends and the ranking of research publications depending on how highly ranked the publications are.
Dr. Leah Mutanu Mwaura, an Associate Professor and Chair of Department, Computing and Informatics, USIU-Africa recently won the coveted Top Ranked Female Researcher award in the Special Interest Group (SIG), Computer Science. The award was based on the number of publications according to (2018-2023) Scival Scopus with her research having 10 citations and h-index 3. The two (2) most highly cited publications were "Leveraging IOT solutions for enhanced information exchange" and "Enhancing Computer Students' Academic Performance through Predictive Modelling - A Proactive Approach" which was presented at the 14th IEEE International Conference on Computer Science & Education (IEEE-ICCSE), Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Mutanu's research focus areas include Software Engineering, Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT) Technology and Autonomic Computing. The research is based on using technology in healthcare, agriculture and education by finding solutions for poor maternal and infant health, enhancing food security by addressing the issue of crop pests and livestock diseases and enhancing academic performance in computer science education. Her publications have been centered on five (5) main areas include citizen observatories of disease outbreaks, self-adaptation solutions around health, remote patient monitoring, health information exchange and computer science education. Citizen observatories of disease outbreaks involve collecting data from citizens through web platforms and mobile applications which allow consumers to key in the symptoms experienced enabling the system to determine the possibility of a disease outbreak in a location. Self-adaptative solutions train themselves and work autonomously to pick services which consume less resources in a resource constraint environment. Remote patient monitoring focuses on how the caregiver/doctor can monitor a patient when they are different locations using IoT technology and Health Information exchange solutions. The transfer could be from the patient to the caregiver or from the caregiver to a health center. Remote patient monitoring solutions have made timely interventions possible.
Dr. Mutanu has collaborated with research institutions such as Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) on research focused on health and The International Centre of Insect Physiology (ICIPE) focused on research focused on pests to source grants which can fund the research. She has also been an international beneficiary recipient grants on IoT devices which aid in data collection leading to publications on the research conducted. Some of her research papers presented in international conferences include "Consumer-centered validation for runtime adaptation in service-oriented system" in the 2016 IEEE 9th International Conference on Service-Oriented Computing and Applications (SOCA), Macau, China and "What, where, when, how ad right of runtime adaptation in service-oriented systems" in the International Conference on Service-Oriented Computing in Malaga, Spain. Her paper titled "Enhancing health care access through remote infant screening" won the best paper award at the 9th European Alliance for Innovation (EAI) Conference on Smart Objects and Technologies for Social Good.
As an Associate Professor, Dr. Mutanu has supervised graduates researching on managing information systems, software development and Machine Learning. She has also utilized the KENET Virtual Lab (VLab) for computing and storage services while conducting her research. The VLab is a virtual cloud environment that provides research ICT services to the Kenyan community of researchers on different areas by allowing researchers to provision their own instances of pre-configured appliances (images) loaded with specific scientific software for sharing code and visualizations. The platform provides select pre-configured virtual appliances running software tracks such as statistical analysis, Quantum Espresso, NumPy/Scikit which can be deployed on demand. Users can then self-provision the virtual machines by specifying the then select amount of CPU, RAM and Disk Space desired to run the appliance. The VLab has been used for research and educational purposes to seamless computing resources management. The platform is secure and isolated only accessible for use by approved users affiliated to KENET member institutions.
When asked what the future of Computer Science looks like, Dr. Mutanu painted a bright future citing the demand for computing skills and the need to adopt a multidisciplinary approach in computer science. "There is a need to incorporate other disciplines in the training part to create more creators of technology rather than consumers of technology in the face of unique challenges," highlighted Dr. Mutanu.
By Verrah Otiende
In the dynamic landscape of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Dr. Verrah Otiende emerges as a trailblazer, dedicated to reshaping the narrative for women and girls in these fields. With an illustrious background in statistics, and research, Verrah has not only excelled in her academic and professional pursuits but has also become a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of female STEM enthusiasts.
Currently serving as an Assistant Professor in Statistics and Data Science in the School of Science and Technology, her commitment extends beyond the classroom, with a focus on curriculum development that aligns with industry standards and academic best practices, ensuring that the content remains relevant and meets the highest academic standards.
Verrah's impact is not only confined to traditional academic settings. As a mentor, she plays a pivotal role in programs that empower young women to explore and excel in STEM fields. She is engaged as a mentor at the AIMS Girls in Mathematical Sciences Program (GMSP) and the Mawazo Learning Exchange (MLEx) Fellowship Program.
At AIMS GMSP, Verrah contributes to a transformative 9-month program designed for bright and creative female high school students. Through monthly online meetings, and virtual masterclasses with leading scientists, she guides participants in identifying and solving specific problems, introduces them to cutting-edge research, and enlightens them on diverse STEM career options.
In the Mawazo Fellowship Program, Verrah serves as a mentor to young African women pursuing their Ph.D. studies. She provides tailored guidance to mentees, sharing her wealth of experience and insights. Committed to the development of the next generation of female African scholars.
Verrah's mentoring philosophy extends beyond academic and professional competencies. She places a strong emphasis on empowering mentees with science communication skills, enabling them to translate technical knowledge into practical terms that the public can engage with effectively. Her dedication to fostering an inclusive and interactive learning environment reflects her belief in the transformative power of mentorship.
In a world where diversity and representation in STEM are crucial, Verrah Otiende stands as a catalyst for change. Through her multifaceted roles as an educator, researcher, and mentor, she is actively contributing to the emergence of a new era where women and girls lead in science, innovation, and sustainability. Verrah's journey exemplifies the profound impact that mentorship can have in shaping the future of STEM, one mentee at a time.
E.KRAAL Innovation Hub is an initiative focused on building a community around the innovation space in the cybersecurity sector in Kenya.
In line with this mission, the application deadline for the second cohort of the National Cyber Security Training that kicks-off September 2019 has been extended to June, 30, 2019. Applications can be made through: https://ekraal.org/program/training/apply
This free six (6) months training targets individuals interested in a career in cyber security and offers practical hands-on training taught by seasoned cybersecurity professionals.
Caption: (L-R) Dharmik Karania, Abdihamid Ali, Khushi Gupta and Jeet Gohil of Team REWEBA.
The team won the grand prize for their IoT-based infant monitoring solution, which remotely analyzes infant parameters during post-natal screening and serves as an early warning intervention system. Photo: Imagine Cup
Four students from USIU-Africa have been named as the winners of the 19th edition of the annual Imagine Cup, which brought together thousands of students from 163 countries to reimagine technological solutions that would positively impact their communities.
The four students from the School of Science and Technology, Khushi Gupta, Jeet Gohil, Dharmik Karania and Abdihamid Ali (Team REWEBA), pursuing Bachelor of Science in Applied Computer Technology, won the grand prizefor their IoT-based infant monitoring solution, which remotely analyzes infant parameters during post-natal screening and serves as an early warning intervention system. The team won USD75,000 (KES. 8,058,750), a mentoring session with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and a USD50,000 (KES. 5,372,500) Microsoft Azure Grant.
Speaking after the win, the team members explained the rationale behind their project, which was submitted under the Healthcare category, noting that the program was designed to solve the problem of lack of healthcare access in marginalized communities.
“Before putting together the project, the four of us had interned at a local hospital, where we saw first-hand the challenges that faced mothers, especially in terms of access to healthcare for newborn babies. This lack of healthcare access, compounded by the effects of the pandemic contributed to a high mortality rate,” they said.
The project, Remote Well Baby (REWEBA), is an early warning system that digitally monitors babies’ growth and health parameters and sends them to doctors for timely intervention. It combines Machine Learning, IoT, Analytics, and more to provide innovative functionalities for infant screening, mimicking the process of post-natal screening in a hospital.
Khushi Gupta, one of the team members noted that the development of the solution was driven by the need to enable equal access to healthcare and preventing instances of infant mortality.
“Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of infant mortalities, highlighting the gap in healthcare services. REWEBA is the only remote healthcare solution that provides regular growth monitoring for infants from the comfort of the home, while also giving direct access to doctors for immediate intervention,” she said.
The Imagine Cup seeks to challenge students to come up with something that matters to them, and along the way, have a chance to develop their skills and have access to the tools, resources, learning materials, and mentors to help competitors bring theirs projects to life. This was reiterated by team member Jeet Gohil, who noted that they learned about various technologies and their use during the development of their project.
“There’s a lot of technologies that we came to discover {through building our project}, for example Azure DevOps, IoT, and Functions. We learned a lot about how to build IoT systems,” he said.
The team hopes to enhance and scale their project to include additional infant screening factors and a postnatal screening device for mothers, and over time, they hope to launch a start-up to support and improve healthcare access across the country. The team also hopes to expand the project throughout the African continent, and India, which they note are some of the regions with some of the highest infant mortality rates.
Additional reporting by Imagine Cup/ Microsoft Corporation
The Big Data Engineer training prepares students to use the Big Data Platform and methodologies in order to collect and analyze large amounts of data from different sources. This course covers skills in Big Data architecture on Apache Hadoop, Ambari Spark, Big SQL, HDFS, YAN, MapReduce, ZooKeeper, Knox, Sqoop and HBase. Students also practice Data Science concepts with open source tools including essential Python libraries and Jupyter notebooks
To Register use this Link: https://bit.ly/ibmregistration
May 24 June 28, 2019 (9AM – 4PM)
For 6 Fridays
Location: USIU-Africa, Lilian K. Beam Building
Ksh 5000/= (Cost for Training and Exam)
By Duncan Ondigo and Taigu Muchiri
Kenya has set a new target of female cybersecurity professionals to reduce the yawning skills gap amid a relentless surge in cybercrime. With global data showing that women hold only 25 per cent of cybersecurity jobs and Kenya not fairing any better, the Cyber Shujaa initiative run by the USIU-Africa, Serianu and Kenya Bankers Association intends to scale up the population of women fighting cyber criminals. Additionally, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in 2021, there was a ransomware attack every 11 seconds.
This, said USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor Professor Margee Ensign, will be made possible through Cyber Shujaa’s mentorship, practical skills training and group support activities. She was speaking during the Cyber Shujaa graduation ceremony of the second cohort of graduands of the program that is supported by the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) and aims to train and place 2,000 (50% female) Kenyan youth in formal employment or guide them to set up enterprises.
“Our strategic focus is to align our curriculum with industry and government in order to solve national and global cybersecurity challenges,” she said, reiterating her commitment to the partnership as the academic and research partner to drive the youth engagement, curriculum development, training and immersion, data collection, analysis and policy-based research.”
Echoing her remarks, Serianu Chief Operating Officer Joseph Mathenge noted that the country will have to scale up its efforts to bridge the training, placement and retention gap for the youth in IT and cybersecurity if it is to stem the rising tide of losses to cyber criminals, which could reach Kshs 10 billion per annum by end of 2022.
“The current partnership between the public, private sector and academia as illustrated by our relationship with the government, USIU-Africa, Kenya Bankers Association. While we expand awareness and investments in the necessary technologies, the requisite human resource to drive the operations needs a concerted effort to develop,” said Mathenge. He added that education, training, and research infrastructure is necessary to enhance the overall economy’s cybersecurity preparedness, while growing a population of world-class women cyber security professionals. Programs like Cyber Shujaa are the only way that Kenya will beat the global average.
Kabuthia Riunge, Group Head, Cybersecurity, KCB Bank Group lauded the program noting that the global cybersecurity workforce is growing, but so is the gap in professionals needed to carry out its critical mission.
“The 2022 Annual ISC Squared Cybersecurity Workforce Study surveyed 11,779 international cybersecurity practitioners estimated the size of the global cybersecurity workforce at 4.7 million people – the highest ever recorded. However, despite the growth, cybersecurity workforce gap analysis revealed that despite adding more than 464,000 professionals in 2022, the global cybersecurity workforce gap has grown more than twice as much as the workforce, with a 26.2% year-on-year increase, making it a profession in dire need of more people. In Kenya, the number of skilled cybersecurity professionals in Kenya is lagging far behind demand, forcing companies to scramble for the few available at a higher cost. The Cyber Shujaa program helps bridge the cybersecurity workforce gap, addresses youth unemployment, underemployment and inactivity as well as promotes entrepreneurship among the youth.”
Fidelis Muia, Director of Technical Service, Kenya Bankers Association said that the they remain committed to applying innovative solutions to security challenges and will continue to engage on partnerships that seek to deliver value to our stakeholders, the banking public, and the economy at large.
“This graduation ceremony of the first two cohorts of the program is testament that collaborations can indeed deliver real solution to complex challenges posed. It is the ambition of the banking industry, through KBA, to continue spurring growth in the economy through innovation.”
Since the inception of the program in March 2022, two hundred and eighty-nine students have successfully completed the program, with 30% being female. The second cohort saw a total of 115 students graduate: 9 specializing in Entrepreneurship and Business Development, 22 specializing in Data Protection, 24 specializing in Cloud and Network Security and 61 specializing as Security Analysts. Graduands from this program are expected to take up jobs as security analysts, auditors, vulnerability assessors, penetration testers, security operation center staff, incident responders and forensic investigators.
According to a 2022 study, despite the global cybersecurity workforce hitting an all-time high with an estimated 4.7 million professionals in 2022, the industry is still short by some 3.4 million professionals. Serianu estimates that Kenya’s shortfall still remains at 10,000 per year.
Transforming Big Data into big knowledge and developing a knowledge-based economy require investments in the requisite infrastructure. Following the migration of most services onto digital platforms, data is being generated, and stored, every second.
Paul Okanda - Director of ICT and associate professor of computing. Click here to read more.
By Patrick Wamuyu
The Safaricom Engineering Community – Performance Engineering Chapter will be hosting a one-month Accelerate program at USIU-Africa from Friday, May 19 to Friday, June 9, 2023. Safaricom’s technical immersion program will be on DevSecOps, Chaos Engineering, and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE). These fields have become essential for any organization that wants to provide reliable and secure services to its clients. By hosting this technical immersion at USIU-Africa, Safaricom seeks to prepare USIU-Africa students to meet the demands of the industry and help them understand how DevSecOps, Chaos Engineering, and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) can be incorporated into their future careers.
During the one-month immersion, Safaricom will provide hands-on training and real-world scenarios, giving students a chance to apply the concepts they learn in a practical setting. They Safaricom Engineering Community will also share their industry experience and insights, which will give the students a glimpse into the day-to-day life of a DevSecOps engineer, Chaos Engineer, and SRE.
Should you want to be part of the program, register and share your CV with Sebastian Opiyo at the Hardware Lab. Physical mentorship meetings will be held on May 26 and June 2 from 10:00 pm - 2:00 pm.
The graduating class of coding and computer literacy skills training, run by the School of Science and Technology, in conjunction with RET International
By Dr. Collins Oduor and Dr. Leah Mutanu
On Friday, October 30, the School of Science and Technology took part in a graduation ceremony for students drawn from Kakuma Refugee Camp, who were taking part in the coding and computer literacy trainings conducted by the University in conjunction with RET International, an organization that works in emergencies, in conflicts and in fragile environments around the world to alleviate suffering and catalyze sustainable development of vulnerable young people and women.
The project attracted youth refugees from the Kakuma Refugee Camp, as well as youth from the surrounding host community, who were trained on how to develop websites and applications that would be useful in the solution of problems that faced their community. The trainings were scheduled to take place face to face for five days and offsite tutorials for four weeks. The pandemic affected some of the offline sessions but the participants were able to pick up and successfully complete the training within the expected timelines by attending online sessions.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Leah Mutanu noted that the project would be critical in equipping the youth with skills that would improve their income generating capacities, as well as improve their employability.
“The goal of this project was to equip our trainees with skills necessary for building mobile as well as web applications, which they could use to enable business start-ups as well as develop scalable solutions to problems they face in the camp,” she said.
“Through these acquired skills, the youth will be able to access online jobs in the outsourcing industry besides using animation in the camp for information dissemination, community mobilization, entertainment and education,” she added.
On their end, RET thanked USIU-Africa for being part of the initiative by devoting their time and resources to the success of the program.
“We would like to thank USIU-Africa for participating in this trainings, and demonstrating its commitment to corporate social responsibility. We thank you for your partnership in this program, as we keep seeking different ways in which we can catalyze youth empowerment through capacity-building for youth associations and youth-led projects for positive social change,” they said.
By Dr. Collins Oduor
As part of its efforts to ensure that our students are equipped with practical knowledge, the School of Science and Technology recently hosted an interactive class session with Mr. Dancun Ondimu, Principal Prosecution Counsel, Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP).
During the session, Mr. Ondimu touched on various issues, including the legal framework for cyber security in Kenya; current Information Security Laws in Kenya, East Africa, African Union, Commonwealth and the United Nations; prosecutor evidence presentations and penalties for Cyber Security offenders and National bodies and their responsibilities in relation to Information Security Laws and cyber security.
Speaking during the session, Mr. Ondimu noted that it was high time that the legislation governing cybersecurity was brought into law.
“Cyber space is an integral part of our daily lives, making its security critical since it has implications on the security and progress of our nation,” he said.
Cybersecurity is defined in the Kenya Information and Communications Act (2013) as "the collection of tools, policies, security concepts, security safeguards, guidelines, actions, training, best practices that can be used to protect the cyber environment.
“Although the provisions of the KICA are useful in the war against cybercrime, plenty remains to be done at legislative and policy levels in order to help stem the tide of cyberattacks. The Cyber Security and Protection Bill 2016, gazetted in 2016 is yet to be tabled before Parliament,” he noted.
In his vote of thanks, Dr. Oduor thanked Mr. Ondimu for taking his time to demystify cybersecurity laws to the students, noting that the information he had provided to the students would be valuable to their future careers.
By Dr. Collins Oduor and Brenda Odhiambo
As part of its efforts to impart students with practical, real-world knowledge, the School of Science and Technology has been hosting guest speaker sessions for its Summer 2020 classes. The first session, hosted on Monday, June 29, touched on all matters Information Systems Security Law, and was attended by Mr. Dancun Ondimu, Principal Prosecution Counsel, Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP).
During the session, Mr. Ondimu touched on various issues, including the legal framework for cyber security in Kenya; current Information Security Laws in Kenya, East Africa, African Union, Commonwealth and the United Nations; prosecutor evidence presentations and penalties for Cyber Security offenders and National bodies and their responsibilities in relation to Information Security Laws and cyber security.
Speaking during the session, Mr. Ondimu noted that there was a pressing need to ensure that there was effective legislation to govern the cyberspace, which has become a key component of our daily lives.
“Cyber space is an integral part of our daily lives, making its security critical since it has implications on the security and progress of our nation,” he said.
“Efforts by various Government actors are ongoing to ensure that we have a local policy and legal framework on cybersecurity that is aligned to other global policies on it,” he added.
Speaking after the session, Dr. Paula Musuva thanked Mr. Ondimu for taking his time to speak to the students, adding that information systems security and cyber security laws still needed some demystification.
“Thank you for being such a great guest speaker, and for providing critical clarifications in this mysterious area of information systems security and cyber security laws. I am sure that our students will use this information to shape their future and career goals,” she said.
The second session, held on Wednesday, July 1, on the Applications of social media in Business featured Dr. Patrick Wamuyu, the Team Leader and Principal Investigator for the SIMELab project, who covered an array of topics touching on social media and business. One of the key topics he spoke about was the management of social media data, data analytics and business intelligence for high performance organizations.
“Social media data analytics are a core component of any business strategy. More and more businesses globally are turning to data drawn from social media to extract insights vital to their businesses. In so doing, organizations are able to fully optimize their operations and become more effective,” he said.
At the end of the session, all 27 students were invited to be part of SIMELab’ s three-day virtual training on social media research and insights using Brandwatch as well Social Networks Analysis using NodeXL. The online training will cover essential data mining, text analytics, and visualization of data from Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms.
The next session will be held on Monday, July 6, 2020 and will feature Ms. Annipha Nkatha,
Customer Operations Manager – Social Media, Safaricom PLC as the guest speaker.
By Brenda Odhiambo
As part of its ongoing guest speaker sessions, the School of Science and Technology hosted Safaricom PLC’s Customer Operations Manager-Social Media, Ms. Annipha Nkatha, who spoke to the students on the importance of social media to the well-being of a business.
In her presentation, Ms. Nkatha noted that social media was critical for the success of a brand, adding that it was key for brands to invest in strengthening their platforms in order to ensure that they generated visibility for their brand.
“At Safaricom, we have made significant investments into our social media platforms and presence by investing in a dedicated team, top-notch systems for dashboards, routing and analytics, aligning our platforms to business strategy, among others. This has resulted into several positive outcomes for us, including customer loyalty, brand trust and sustained revenue generation,” she said.
“It is imperative for every business today to leverage social media use in the correct way if they want to position themselves well and survive in the long term. This is because today’s target audience is primarily found on social media, and they engage with their favourite brands and connect with them on different levels,” she said.
According to the recently released SIMELab report on social media use and trends, social media use has grown exponentially in the country, with WhatsApp being the favourite communication platform in Kenya, followed closely by YouTube and Facebook. The report further states that to target consumers better, businesses need to focus their efforts on adverts on both television and social media, which provides a great way to advertise the brand/product through niche targeting and affordable costs. This sentiment was echoed by Ms. Nkatha, who noted that it was important to keep up with developments on each platform, and do research on where your target audience consumed most of its information from.
“Before starting any marketing campaigns on new platforms, you must have evaluated and found out where your target audience consumes most of its information from, and where they discover new brands. This allows you to tailor your communications appropriately, while maximizing your returns from your campaigns,” she noted.
In closing, Ms. Nkatha underlined the importance of measurement, noting that regular analysis of the data collected from your social media platforms would allow you to optimize your business, as your decisions would be backed up by credible research and numbers.
“Reporting is key to see if you’re getting value from your investments across your platforms. At Safaricom, we make use of several platforms like Hootsuite, Crimson Hexagon and Google Analytics to assist in the analysis of our marketing efforts,” she said.
The School of Science and Technology will host more guest speaker sessions as follows:
SFE 4050A Software Process and Project Management
Guest Speaker: -
Dr. Leah Mutanu, PhD.
Software Engineering/Machine Learning /AI Specialist Faculty
Scheduled for Friday, July 10,, 2020
Time 6.00pm-7.00pm
SFE 4050A Software Process and Project Management
Guest Speaker: -
Mr. Edwin Nyamanga
Software Systems Implementation Specialists and Project Management
International Representative and Director East Africa Region-Jonas Club Software
Scheduled for next Friday, July 10, 2020
Time 7.30pm- 8.30pm
By Dr. Patrick Wamuyu and Winnie Nyakio
On March 6 and 7, the School of Science and Technology held its fifth annual Hackathon and Innovation day with the theme being ‘Bridging the gap between the Talent and Industry.’ The event was officially opened by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza who took the opportunity to welcome everyone in attendance, and reiterated that today’s generation was the one that would invent and develop new technology for the future.
A total number of 253 students from 19 different universities were in attendance. Some of the universities present were Dedan Kimathi University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Zetech University, Muranga University, Cooperative University, University of Nairobi, Technical University of Kenya, KCA, The East Africa University and Strathmore University.
The event was graced by the Chief Executive Officer at Techno Brain Kenya, Mr. Manoj Shanker, Managing Director, Microsoft Africa Development Center (ADC), East Africa, Mr. Jack Ngare. USIU-Africa’s head of ICT, Dr. Paul Okanda represented the university during the Fireside Mentorship Chat.
There were competitions that were held on both days, with USIU-Africa coming in second and third on Innovation day and third on Hackathon day. A list of winners is provided below:
Innovation Day winners
Hackathon Day winners
Speaking during the event, Dr. Paula Musuva expressed her appreciation to the organizing committee, praising it for organizing one of the best hackathons in recent times.
“It was a pleasure being part of the initiative and being part of the panel judges for the Hackathon. Let us continue building on past successes and always pushing forward. The most impressive and encouraging part is that this one has been our best Hackathon,” she said.
“As an institution, we should work towards solidifying partnerships and sponsorships by securing them early and demonstrate value to sponsors. Let us always build better participation among our students. Congratulations on all the work that has gone into this and past events, “she added.
By Dr. Patrick Wamuyu
Information technology has become critical to industry, government, and individual well-being. Securing these vital services and structures and the availability of trustworthy information whenever and wherever it is required, has become both an area of intensive research and also of burgeoning commercial activity.
In keeping with the University’s mission to provide students with a world class education to take them places, the School has introduced the Master of Science in Information Security (MSc. ISEC) program whose objective is to prepare Graduates for the intellectual, analytical and practical challenges of a career in Information Security.
The two-year program is product of technical collaboration with leading industry partners in the region and will be supported by leading international faculty who are experts in this field. The program is designed to work together with industry experts, and the curriculum is informed and audited by the industry.
The program will be delivered through face to face and online mode of instruction and will cover units such as software security, network security, risk management, malware analysis, cryptography, fraud detection, auditing and the study of how security should be managed. Security experts will learn about the technical, legal and commercial aspects of the industry and have the chance to complete a supervised dissertation on a topic of their choice.
The program will be hosted in the Department of Computer sciences that offers excellent facilities for students, with modern lecture halls, study rooms, library, Innovation and Incubation Center, and computer labs.
"The recent Huduma Namba registration and the international tiff between the United States and Chinese technology firm Huawei over the development of the 5G network shows that big data is the next frontier in technological advancement" Paul Okanda - Director of ICT and associate professor of computing. Click here to read more.
Dr. Collins Oduor attends the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum
By Diana Meso
While universities across the world have moved a step higher in integrating ICT in their learning experience, there are still major setbacks that hinder this incorporation to realize its full potential.
This was discussed during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum themed “New teaching approaches for higher learning institutions in the digital era” that took place in April in Geneva, Switzerland where Assistant Professor of Information Systems Dr. Collins Oduor was part of the panelist.
The forum aimed to demystifying how capacity building, using ICTs, supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030, narrowing down to target 4a, which aims at ensuring, building and upgrading education facilities that are child, disability, gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.
Some of the key ICT achievements in universities pointed out include introduction of information theory and coding in their curriculum, introduction of digital syllabi and curriculum, e-management of classrooms and e-office hours and interactive lab simulation.
On the other hand, the challenges identified include increased competition from other forms of learning and knowledge production, difficulties in measuring knowledge received from the virtual classrooms, commodification of higher education and lack of online solutions to manage large classes among others.
In his presentation, Dr. Oduor emphasized that implementation of ICT based teachings ought to begin from basic ICT training of faculty and students, procuring hardware, software and maintenance of the equipment. Giving an example of USIU-Africa, he pointed out that lectures are not only delivered through classroom interactions, but also through Blackboard (e-learning platform) and LAN School where students are able to interact, carry out group work and share presentations.
In conclusion, it was recommended that institutions of higher education should create an international network of professional collaborators that can help sustain institutional partnerships between the university, industry, government and civil society, adapt curricula to new ICT tools and interactive technologies, design curricula to ease students’ entry into the workforce among others.
WSIS Forum is a global United Nations (UN) multi-stakeholder platform and the world's largest annual gathering of the ‘ICT for development’ community, facilitating the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines for advancing SDGs, co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD.
By Diana Meso.
USIU-Africa through the School of Science and Technology (SST) has been offering ICT skills training; mentorship, basic computer skills, computer coding skills and computer digital animation skills as a Community Service and providing virtual learning to 60 youth and adolescents in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana County.
The training which started late last year is an initiative by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) through Refugee Education Trust (RET) under the US Marafiki program at the US Embassy Nairobi. It is aimed at enhancing vulnerable youth to acquire technological skills for self-reliance and bridging digital divide to improve their livelihood.
Expected to last for eight months, the training further aims at equipping the youth with skills necessary for building mobile as well as web applications, to improve refugee youth income generating capacities, improve employability and enable business start-ups as well as develop scalable solutions to problems they face in the camp. The training was also an opportunity to assist the youth access online jobs in the outsourcing industry besides using animation in the camp for information dissemination, community mobilization, entertainment and education for free or for pay.
Seven members of faculty and staff including Dr. Collins Oduor (Assistant Professor, Information Systems and Technology), Mr. Brian Omusse (SST ICT Lab Assistant), Dr. Leah Mutanu (Lecturer, Information Systems and Technology), Mr. Hillary Igunza (SST ICT Lab Assistant), Dr. Rachael Diang’a (Assistant Professor of Film and Chair, Cinematic Arts Department), Ms. Emily Nyabere (Lecturer of Animation) and Mrs. Rachael Mutuku (Office Administrator-Student Mentoring & Support, SST, SPHS) have been conducting the training at the refugee camp.
By Patrick Wamuyu
In November, the Computer Department played host to two events, Droidcon Kenya 2022 and the Google DevFest. Droidcon is a global conference focused on the engineering of Android applications, providing a forum for developers to network with other developers, share techniques, announce apps and products, and to learn and teach. This was a three-day developer focused gathering held on November 16 to 18. Droidcon is a community driven Android Development conference, offering best-in-class presentations from leaders in all parts of the Android ecosystem. This event happens once every year.
The event, which attracted 502 attendees, had workshops and code labs focusing on the building of Android applications and gave the participants an excellent chance to learn about the local Android development ecosystem, opportunities and services as well as meet the engineers and companies who work on them. The 3-day event consisted of a community day and 2 developer days.
The community day drew developers and developer communities from all over Kenya and the world. Speakers were drawn from Kenya and the global Android developer community.
The DevFest, which was held for the fourth time at USIU-Africa is an annual event hosted by the Google Developers Group across the world to bring the technology closer to the developers. It was an all-day developer conference with focus on multiple technologies through presentations, mentorship sessions, and training workshops. There were workshops, hands-on experiences, hacking and debugging events, all centered on the Google technologies. The event had 3600 participants.
The DevFest events are hosted by the Google Developer Groups community, featuring leading experts on Google technologies in areas like Android, Firebase and so much more. Google Developers Group (GDG) is where developers of all levels, interests, and background meet to learn new skills and share passion for the Android technology.
GDG organizes hands-on workshops, training, events, talks, and meetups, online and in person on a range of technical topics. GDG is the Google’s outreach program that to scale awareness and education on its technologies and has been running for 11 years in Kenya and have 6 groups with the largest being Google Developer Group Nairobi, also known as GDG Nairobi. This group has had over 9,000 unique developers go through its training and events in the last 5 years. The Kenyan groups are part of a global network of over 1,000 chapters across 140 countries and so there’s always opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration at a global level. All these groups are volunteer-led, and open to everyone who is interested in learning more about Google’s developer technologies.
Google’s commitment to support developers extends to students and aspiring developers as well. Google Developer Students Clubs provide students with the opportunity to connect, learn and grow while still in university, equipping them with much needed practical skills required by the industry. We currently have GDSC USIU-Africa which was established in 2019.
Kelvin Kinyua (Technical Consultant at Techno Brain) engages Whoopie Wanja (APT, Major) during the Blockchain Developers Workshop at the Science Center on Friday, July 19.PHOTO: Diana Meso
By Paula Musuva and Diana Meso.
On Friday, July 19, the ICT club hosted the Hyperledger Nairobi meetup at the Science Center to discuss blockchain technologies, where participants were introduced and assisted to develop and test blockchain applications on the open source Hyperledger environment.
Hyperledger is an open source collaborative effort created to advance cross-industry blockchain technologies. It is a global collaboration, hosted by The Linux Foundation, including leaders in finance, banking, Internet of Things, supply chains, manufacturing and Technology.
Blockchain applications are revolutionizing how businesses operate by protecting them from fraudulent transactions and costly middlemen and protecting customers’ data and tracking the authenticity of products they consume.
A blockchain is a data structure that provides a ledger for recording transactions that involve the exchange of assets. The ledger works like the books of accounts which record financial transactions in a business and it is distributed (not stored on one server) on a peer peer-to-peer network making it difficult to compromise it at one location.
Blockchain is unique because it is immutable, in that, once a transaction is validated by the participants and recorded on the blockchain it cannot be modified thereafter. Immutability of records, authenticity of participants and data protection enforced using strong cryptographic algorithms gives blockchain a high degree of trust and people believe that it is a true reflection of the history of assets and all valid transactions performed on the assets.
Some of the industries that are being transformed by the use of blockchain-based applications include:
Hyperledger Nairobi will be hosting the next coding meetup on Saturday, July 27 at the IBM offices located on the 4th floor of The Atrium Building off Chaka Road. Interested candidates can sign up through https://www.meetup.com/Hyperledger-Nairobi/events/zrtqtqyzkbkc/
Caption: Dr. Collins Oduor (third from the right) with some of the students and parents following the career talk at Makini Cambridge School. The talk was attended by 34 Year 9 students and their parents.
By Dr. Collins Oduor and CTW Team
As part of its community service efforts, the School of Science and Technology last week participated in a career talk at the Makini Cambridge School. The career talk was carried out as part of the School’s initiatives to reach out to students across various schools, including providing career advice to attendees, clarifying queries about the university and its processes and strengthening existing relationships with high schools.
The theme of the Talk was ‘Mentoring young adults into the professional career world’ and was attended by thirty-four Year 9 students and their parents. The presentation covered the background of USIU-Africa, choosing career paths, local and international opportunities for students, and student academic motivation.
In his presentation, Dr. Oduor began by giving a brief background of USIU-Africa, and what made the university stand out from its contemporaries.
“USIU-Africa is one of the universities with a global outlook in the East African region, with over 74 countries represented, and accommodating young people from across all the 47 counties in the country. The opportunity to encounter and the experience you receive from these interactions will be unforgettable,” he said.
Dr. Oduor also spoke about how the University has adapted to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that USIU-Africa has ensured that students continued to access quality education by staying on the cutting edge of technology to continuously enhance online learning.
“USIU-Africa has leveraged our state-of-the-art technological infrastructure and systems, we ensured seamless transition to online learning platforms such as Blackboard, the Library e-resources and video conferencing through Zoom and BlueJeans, demonstrating our preparedness for academic and business continuity in times of adversity,” he said.
“We are also developing cutting edge programs to tap into the current demands of the digital revolution that will enable acquisition of skills necessary for a successful career in the 21st Century,” he added.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Oduor thanked the School and its administration for the forum to speak to the students, noting that it was through mentorship that students could access meaningful opportunities for their personal growth.
“Mentorship is a critical strategy in the support of career development, as it provides students with the chance to form positive professional relationships that allow them to explore various career options, develop their skills, and stay engaged academically as they prepare for their careers,” he said.
By Caroline M Kausi
On Saturday, March 16, USIU-Africa tech enthusiasts and aspiring developers gathered at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences for a transformative experience at the Global Power Platform Bootcamp 2024 (#GPPB2024). Hosted by esteemed industry professionals, the event aimed to equip attendees with the latest insights and skills in leveraging Microsoft's Power Platform for application development, data analytics, and automation.
The event kicked off with excitement as attendees arrived and registered, eager to dive into a day filled with learning and networking opportunities. Welcoming remarks were delivered by Shadrack Kiprotich, a distinguished Microsoft MVP, and Caroline Kausi, a Gold Microsoft Student Learn Ambassador, setting the tone for an engaging and educational Bootcamp.
The morning sessions delved into the intricacies of low-code development with Power Apps, presented by the knowledgeable Didi Kashemwa, followed by an exploration of advanced analytics and strategic decision-making with Power BI, led by the insightful Samwel Chacha. Attendees gained valuable insights into the limitless possibilities offered by the Power Platform and how these tools can drive innovation in various industries.
As the day progressed, discussions turned towards career opportunities within the Power Platform space, with experts from Pundit Spaces shedding light on the diverse roles and pathways available to aspiring professionals. Victor Ngeno founder CodeAfrika captivated the audience with his session on mastering complex data structures in Power Apps, emphasizing the importance of harnessing the power of JSON and collections for efficient application development.
Additionally, to deepen attendees' understanding of the Power Platform, Gilbert Okello founder of Gilosoft shared tips and tricks on parsing JSON outputs in Power Automate. The event culminated in a closing keynote by Dr. Leah Mutanu, Chair, Department of Computing and Informatics, leaving attendees inspired and motivated to continue their journey of learning and growth in the ever-evolving field of technology.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Three students from the School of Science and Technology have been selected as part of the 85 teams that are representing Kenya in the Red Bull basement, a competition that sees University students from around the globe share innovative ways to use technology to bring about positive change.
The competition, which was launched in 2015, will be held virtually this year, in keeping with the global restrictions to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizers hope that a virtual event, which breaks down location and physical barriers to entry will spur participants to come up with a wider array of innovative ideas.
The students who are in the running to represent the country, and also representing USIU-Africa are:
The voting process is currently closed, with selection of the best projects by a local panel of judges closing on November 1. The shortlisted projects will be presented at the Global Workshop, scheduled to run from December 11 to December 13, 2020, and preceded by a Development phase from November 2 to December 10. This will culminate into the Final Pitch, to be held on December 13, where one idea will be crowned as the “Best Idea of 2020”.The students will be competing against their peers from other local universities, including the University of Nairobi, Maseno University, JKUAT, Strathmore, among others.
By Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa and Yelbridges will launch the Cyber4Growth report on April 11, 2019 at the Freida Brown Student center. The report was preceded by a training of trainers on cyber security in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. USIU-Africa nominated two students to undertake the training inorder to improve their skill set. The Cyber4Growth project was launched to promote economic growth in East Africa by improving cyber resilience among organizations in the region. The project was funded by German government through KFW DEG and other German corporates - SEC Consult, Tuv Rheinland and CYRISO. The project offered private and public organizations in East Africa with hands-on training which is essential to raise the level of security awareness but also to promote the economic competitiveness of companies in the region. The overarching goal is to promote fair trade between East Africa and Europe where data privacy and cyber security are paramount for business.
A baseline survey carried in out in 2017 indicated that 95 percent of African organizations operated below globally acceptable cyber security standard. The cost of cyber-crime had skyrocketed from a $2 billion in 2016 to $3.5 billion in 2017. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania recorded a total loss of $376 billion. During the same period the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) reported that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flow in Africa slumped to $42 billion in 2017, a 21 percent decline from 2016. The cost of cybercrime in Africa has a direct correlation with FDI inflows as well as the economic growth of the continent.
According to Palo Alto Research Center, there is a global deficit of over 3 million professionals in the industry putting over 65 percent of organizations reporting that they have a shortage of Information Technology (IT) staff dedicated to cyber security. In Africa, there are less than 10,000 certified cyber security professionals to protect a population of over 1.3 billion people across the continent. East Africa faces an acute cyber security skills gap; IT teams lack the know-how on cyber defense skills to defend their organizations against cyber-attacks.
In 2018, cyber security global spending on IT security products and services was over $114 billion, an increase of 12.4 percent from the previous year. On the contrary, the cost of cybercrime during the same period increased to $600 billion despite increased investments in IT security solutions. Reports also indicate that there is over reliance on IT security solutions by the organization forgetting that only 8 percent of cyber incidents are detected by the security products. However, these products do not seem to solve the long term problem of dealing with cyber security.
The report shows that that only five percent of universities in East Africa offer IT related bachelor courses with concentration in cyber security. The cyber security workforce deficit will only be addressed when the academia is able to churn skilled professionals from their institutions of higher learning.
The event will culimnate in the launch of the virtual conferencing centre that will build capacity in East Africa by setting up a cyber security center in Thika, Kenya to provide skilled security analyst to organizations in the region. The security analysts will be trained in-house to enhance their skills level as well offer security services to global companies and will provide global standards to ensure that the highest quality of work is offered. In addition, Virtual Reality (VR) will be incorporated as the security analyst offer awareness and training to clients.
Yelbridges is an East African cyber security company with its head quarters in Nairobi Kenya and a branch office in Ebene, CyberCity in Mauritius.
By Collins Oduor and CTW Team
The 2023 USIU-Africa Innovation and Hackathon event, sponsored by Blipearth Inc., was a huge success, attracting over 100 students from different universities in Kenya. Blipearth Inc. is a leading technology company that focuses on sustainable solutions for environmental challenges.
The event was officially opened by Prof. Munyae Mulinge, DVC Academic and Student Affairs, followed by remarks from the Dean of the School of Science and Technology, Prof. Valarie Adema, who emphasized the objectives of the hackathon, which included enabling students to understand what the technology industry has to offer, guiding them on how to hack technical solutions and creativity, and connecting them with key technological experts and innovation judges.
The 2023 USIU Innovation and Hackathon event brought teams of students, developers, and innovators from different Universities to compete in creating innovative solutions to real- world problems. Participants were given a set amount of time to present their projects to a panel of judges who were to evaluate and select the top two winners based on their creativity, feasibility, and impact. There were four categories that the participants could pitch their ideas, namely Health, climate change, emerging trends in ICT and Agriculture.
The winners of the various categories were as follows:
On the second day, the students competed in the Blipearth app hackathon, and USIU-Africa emerged as the winner, followed by Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology and JKUAT. The event was aimed at encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork among participants, as well as promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the various fields.
The USIU-Africa Innovation Day and Hackathon is an annual event organized by the School of Science and Technology since 2019 with participants from different universities in Kenya.
By Prisca Akinyi
In a remarkable triumph for Kenyan innovation, Team IRIS, led by Prisca Akinyi, secured an impressive 2nd place in the L'Oréal Brandstorm competition. Out of a staggering 92,000 registrants representing 150 universities worldwide, Team IRIS stood out with their groundbreaking concept, "Iris," an assistive technology aimed at bridging the communication gap between consumers who use sign language and beauty advisors in stores. Their innovative approach not only garnered recognition but also showcased Kenya's talent and potential in the global arena. This accomplishment signifies a significant milestone for the team and the country's contribution to the ever-evolving beauty industry.
In its 31st edition, the competition challenged participants to "Unlock the New Codes of Beauty" by leveraging emerging technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and the Metaverse. Team IRIS embraced this challenge wholeheartedly, showcasing their prowess in merging innovation with inclusivity to revolutionize the beauty shopping experience.
At the heart of Team IRIS's concept lies their innovative creation called "Iris." This assistive technology addresses the communication barriers faced by consumers who use sign language when seeking beauty advice in stores. By utilizing AR and AI, Iris enables a seamless and inclusive shopping experience by bridging the gap between sign language users and beauty advisors. Through a gamified approach, Iris also brings the community together and provides an engaging platform for teaching sign language, fostering inclusion, and promoting understanding.
The climax of the competition took place on June 16, 2023 at the Viva Technology stage in Paris, France. The intense finals brought together exceptional teams from around the world, showcasing their innovative solutions and vying for the top spot. The team will be getting an internship award at the L'Oréal offices amongst other rewards.
By CTW Team
USIU-Africa and leading telecommunications giant, Safaricom PLC, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see both organizations carry out mutually-beneficial knowledge transfers, trainings, and capacity building initiatives in telecommunications.
The MoU will see both institutions jointly work together to build capacity through undertaking joint career fairs, having symbiotic support in knowledge gathering and dissemination, carrying out joint CSR programs, youth upskilling, among others.
During the signing of the MoU, the Dean of the School of Science and Technology, Prof. Valerie Adema noted that the partnership will see both USIU-Africa and Safaricom leverage each other’s resources, knowledge base and unique perspectives to innovatively strengthen the rapidly expanding technological field in the country.
“It has been said severally that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly brought about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is very technology-driven. This partnership will position both institutions as resource centres for all things technology,” she said.
“Our students will now have the opportunity to get in to the technology industry from the ground up as they complete their studies, by being part of several initiatives, including product development, big data analytics, among others,” she added.
Speaking to CTW, one of the lead developers of the Memorandum, Dr. Collins Oduor, noted that the MoU would strengthen the practical aspect of the education offered by the School of Science and Technology.
“One of the critical aspects of the MoU is the component of youth upskilling, where we will work jointly with Safaricom to host hackathons, digital competency garages, offer short term courses on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, data visualization and analytics, provision of funding for startups, among other initiatives that will complement the current course offering the School. By the time our students will be graduating, they will have a practical feel of what the industry is about,” he said.
“The MOU will also be critical in strengthening our research output as a School, as it will also entail the development of a Safaricom AI and Data Analytics Research Lab at USIU-Africa which will be used in the research of areas of topical interest to both parties,” he noted.
USIU- Africa’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Tiyambe (Left) and Cyber Security Institute’s CEO, Dr. Mark Matunga during an MOU signing ceremony held at the University. The partnership will see both institutions leverage on existing infrastructure to grow the country’s expertise on cyber security as Kenya increasingly strengthens its capacity to respond to technology and data security issues. PHOTO: Ernest Mwanzi
By Brenda Odhiambo
USIU-Africa and the Cyber Security Institute (CSI) have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see both institutions offer research and innovation, training and capacity building programs in cyber security. In partnership both institutions will leverage on the existing infrastructure to grow the region’s expertise in cyber security.
USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza said the partnership will see both USIU-Africa and Cyber Security Institute leverage each other’s resources, knowledge base and unique perspectives to innovatively solve cyber security challenges in the country as Kenya increasingly strengthens its capacity to respond to technology and data security issues.
“The recent launch of Kenya’s Huduma number and the reported opportunities and challenges bring to the fore need for concerted efforts in providing safe use of technology in driving national development. We believe this cooperation will see us advance cybersecurity education programs and research to enable us contribute to the technological growth in the region”, Prof Zeleza added.
“We cannot take lightly the fact that we live in an age fraught with digital and cyber risks. It is for this reason that we were keen to partner with USIU-Africa. Through the partnership, we look forward to working with USIU-Africa and its other partners in tackling the various cybersecurity issues facing our nation, “said Dr. Mark Matunga, Cyber Security Institute’s CEO.
Speaking at the launch, Continuity East Africa’s Country Managing Director, Mr. Eric Kariuki noted that cybersecurity had a close link with business continuity, noting that it was important for businesses to find a way to mitigate risks in the event of business disruptions.
Through the partnership, both USIU-Africa and CSI will establish a Centre of Excellence focused on cyber security services in training and capacity building for education. CSI will support USIU-Africa by bringing in industry expertise to develop a dynamic curriculum both as a concentration and as a certification course based on reputable IT industry standards and known best practices. In conjunction with the University, the Institute will identify potential areas of research in cyber security best practices and provide practical solutions in tackling the biggest challenge in use of technology.
Four students from USIU-Africa have qualified for the 2023 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship set to take place in May. The team emerged winners in the education category of the 2023 Imagine Cup world finals qualifying round, where they beat 15 other teams to become the top-scoring team and 2023 Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) champions and received a cash prize of USD 5,000.
The team, consisting of Muna Said Nomy, Zakariya Hussein, John Onsongo Mabeya and Syntiche Musawu are currently pursing undergraduate degrees in Applied Computer Technology and Data Science and Analytics students at USIU-Africa. Their innovation, TAWI, seeks to make a difference in the lives of those struggling with auditory processing.
The home-based software leverages real-time speech recognition technology to help children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) communicate more effectively. Instead of traditional hearing aids, TAWI uses earphones to amplify speech and cancel out background noise, making it easier for children with APD to engage in conversations and interact with others. It includes noise cancellation, sound amplification, speech-to-text conversion, and auditory training exercises.
Team TAWI is the second team from USIU-Africa to make it to the finals of the competition in three successive years. Team REWEBA, made up of Khushi Gupta, Jeet Gohil, Dharmik Karania and Abdihamid Ali, also from USIU-Africa was the first student team from Africa to win the competition in its history in 2021.
Should they be successful, they will have the opportunity to win the Imagine Cup trophy, the grand prize of USD 100,000 to develop their project, and a mentoring session with Microsoft Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella.
The entire USIU-Africa community wishes them all the best as they represent Kenya and USIU-Africa.
Reporting done courtesy of the Microsoft Corporation.
A team of four students from the United States International University-Africa, and winners in the education category of the 2023 Imagine Cup world finals qualifying round have won the World Championship. The team qualified from 48 competing global teams to be selected among the top 3 to compete in the World Championship at Microsoft Build. They won the grand prize of USD 100,000, a mentorship session with Microsoft’s Chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, and Level 2 access to Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub.
They faced winning teams from the Americas and Asia regions; Eupnea from the United States of America, and CS-M Tool from Thailand, respectively. TAWI, the winning solution, seeks to help people with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) communicate more easily. It leverages speech recognition tools from Azure Cognitive Services and OpenAI Whisper to enhance speech, reduce background noise, and transcribe speech to text in real-time.
Muna Numan Said, John Onsongo Mabeya, Syntiche Musawu, and Zakariya Hussein, pursing undergraduate degrees in Applied Computer Technology and Data Science & Analytics all met during a hackathon and decided to join forces and pursue a common cause. They identified individual strengths and shared tasks in order to prepare for finals: John, Muna and Zakariya were in charge of the front-end and back-end coding, Syntiche was in charge of User Interface and Interaction. They coined the name of their application TAWI from Kiswahili meaning sprouting leaf signifying children are the next generation of innovators and world leaders and they wanted to improve the lives of children affected by APD.
An elated Muna Said could not contain her joy when they were announced as the winning team, saying: "This is a big milestone for the team, for Kenya and for Africa. We had imagined changing the lives of only a few children but now we get an opportunity to scale our project beyond borders."
They are the second team from USIU-Africa to participate in and win the Microsoft Imagine Cup World Championship after team REWEBA won the 2021 Microsoft Imagine Cup Championship for their IoT-based infant monitoring solution.
The Imagine Cup is an annual technology competition for students from around the world to come together to push the boundaries of what's possible and bring their groundbreaking solutions to a global stage.
This year's competition witnessed an unprecedented level of ingenuity and creativity, as teams from diverse backgrounds and cultures set out to redefine the limits of technological innovation. The journey began with tens of thousands of aspiring young minds, and after months of intense competition, the winner was announced during a hybrid event.
The Imagine Cup World Championship at Microsoft Build showed the final three teams presenting to a distinguished panel of judges, hosted by Akosua Boadi-Agyemang and Darrion Nguyen.
Reporting done courtesy of the Microsoft Corporation.
Sophie and Salome take a selfie following a WRENmedia communications training workshop in May, 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya.
With extensive expertise in agribusiness development, Salome Asena currently works as a research officer for the United States International University Africa’s (USIU-Africa) Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship Centre, based in Nairobi Kenya. As part of a project funded through the Cultivate Africa’s Future Fund (CultiAF), USIU-Africa has developed and tested a unique training programme to engage Kenya’s youth in profitable agri-businesses. Here, we spoke with Salome about the impacts and future aims of the project, as well as the importance of communicating the research findings.
UISU-Africa’s project seeks to build the capacity of youth – particularly young women – in establishing agribusinesses across Kenya. How and why is your approach different to others working with the youth?
USIU-Africa takes more time compared to other organisations because it uses three ways to interact with the youth through its ‘Metro AgriFood Living Lab Model’. The first is through an intensive one-week business training course, which focusses on financial management, business registration, ICTs and marketing. After this initial training, participants take another week to implement what they have learnt and give us their feedback.
Secondly, the university provides business innovation support and mentorship following the two week’s training. Finally, the financing phase, during which we hold an elevator pitch event where participants have five minutes to present their businesses to convince representatives from financial institutions to fund them.
In this second phase of our CultiAF project, which runs from October 2018 to September 2020, we are hoping to influence policymakers to adopt the Metro AgriFood Living Lab Model as an agribusiness funding model that works. We have recruited over 1,200 agribusiness entrepreneurs from nine counties in Kenya. We are currently shortlisting participants and looking to train 300. We want the finance institutions providing country-wide agribusiness funding to utilise our results and replicate our model.
How many young people did you work with in the first phase of your CultiAF project? And can you tell us about one or two young people that stand in terms of what they have managed to achieve?
In phase one, we worked with 39 young people (22 men and 17 women). Following presentation of their business plans, 20 participants (12 women and 8 men) were selected for the mentorship phase, and 18 got through to the final stage called the business ‘launch’. During this last stage, ventures are supported to increase their market products or to become registered.
This time around, we are targeting 300 young people as mentioned above, anticipating that along the line, the numbers will decrease. Some will go through the mentorship training and some will be ejected before this stage, so we will have around 120 coming through to the final stage.
Of the outstanding participants from last year, we had one entrepreneur from Kisumu County who had started catfish farming as a hobby and, by the end of our project, he had managed to turn it into a business, selling his fish for US$1.5 each. During the course, he visited with a model farmer who was running mobile fish ponds so he implemented the aspect of mobility into his business as well; the mobile fish ponds are ideal for urban dwellers because they can be transported and require less space than fixed ponds. Secondly, there was a young lady running a poultry farm from Makueni County who, after completing her USIU training, organised a one-day workshop to train others in poultry production and business management. Those trained worked for her to supply her business with high quality produce in high quantities so, by training these young people, she created other job opportunities. This was one of the ripple effects of our programme.
You attended the presentation training workshop with WRENmedia on refining project key messages prior to a one-day conference before the 2016 African Green Revolution Forum. Was this training helpful to your team? And if so, has it impacted the way in which your project communicates its results?
It was helpful because the project team learned how to package our message – whether externally or internally, and it also helped us identify our key audiences. This was particularly important for the first phase to make it more focused.
The training also changed the way we seek and receive information from our audiences and how we synthesis that information. But most importantly, we learned how to communicate our research. This was the main highlight because the team learnt the importance of disseminating research findings and identifying emerging results throughout the entire duration of the project, and how to share it widely with different audiences, such as the project stakeholders, the media, the youth etc.
If you had one key message about what you do and the value of supporting young people – what would that be?
Entrepreneurial development is a long-term engagement which requires a multi-intervention approach. The emphasise should be on moving away from subsistence farming or commodity production to value addition and farming as a business; for example, the production of chicken samosas as opposed to selling chickens whole, the packaging of honey from bees, and the selling of fresh juice as opposed to raw fruits. You can get value from whatever you are doing, you just have to put your heart into it!
Sophie Reeve
This article first appeared on WRENmedia
By Taigu Muchiri and Shadrack Lomoywara
The African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) in partnership with the Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) and the United Nation’s SDG Partnership Platform are organizing the 2019 Agripreneurs Congress that will convene at USIU-Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) on June 6-7, 2019.
The two-day gathering seeks to enhance sustainable collaboration and sharing of knowledge among key players in the agribusiness arena. The theme of the conference “Catalyzing Social Investment for Youth Focused Agribiz” is banking on youth participation in the agricultural sector which could hold the key to many challenges facing the youth such as high rates of youth unemployment. These challenges can only be resolved if there is intentional positioning of youth at the forefront of agribusiness opportunities and strategic investment to help modernize and grow the sector. The congress will provide an exciting platform and opportunity for development partners, philanthropists, researchers, policy makers, civil society, youth groups and corporate entities to shed light on this topic and resolve to find innovative solutions that will help the youth of Africa actively engage in and drive this sector.
The discussions will be spearheaded by officials from Kenya’s National and County Governments, representatives from international and national NGOs, representatives from the United Nation’s SDG Partnership Platform, social impact investors, fund managers, philanthropists, agribusiness practitioners, partners of AVPA and members from AVPA’s partner networks in Europe and Asia, captains of industry as well as friends, students and alumni of USIU-Africa.
The African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, Pan-African network for social investors who are dedicated to building a vibrant and high impact social investment community across Africa. The USIU-Africa’s GAME Center aims at improving management and leadership capacity at small scale agribusiness entrepreneurs and leaders of producer organizations including youth, farmers and farmer associations. The Center focuses on enhancing the innovation and analytical skills of these change agents, market oriented skills, improving efficiency and effectiveness, improving productivity within the agricultural market systems and providing information to increase the quality and productivity of the agricultural sector.
For any enquiries/clarification, contact Anne Maina at amaina@avpa.africa or Salome Asena at sasena@usiu.ac.ke.
By Diana Meso and School of Graduate Studies, Research & Extension (SGSRE)
In line with our 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, Goal 2: Distinction in research and scholarship, we focus on Prof. Francis Wambalaba, Professor of Economics, who has and is currently spearheading different research and consultancy projects sponsored by USIU-Africa and other organizations.
Externally, Prof. Wambalaba has been contracted and funded by various local and international organizations to carry out various research projects as shown below;
1. Research Project: “Gender Sensitive Implications of COVID-19 on Youth Agripreneurship Resilience (2020-2021)”, intended to determine levels of resilience amongst male and female agripreneurs in Poultry, Horticulture and Fish (PHF) agribusiness value chains considering the effects of COVID-19 pandemic and consequently inform knowledge transfer and policy.
2. Research Project: Cyber Security Risk Minimization Best Practices - African Experiences (2019-2021), to determine the best cyber security risk minimization practices in an African context, especially within the banking industry. This analysis will be used to advise financial institutions on which measures to take in order to enhance their cyber security.
3. Research Project: Cybersecurity Risks and National Policy Implications - East African Experiences (2019-2021), to assess the cybersecurity risks stemming from lags between policy development and technological advances in the banking industry with particular focus on the East African Region.
4. Research Project: How Safe is the Kenyan Banking System? The KBA $6 Trillion Global Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation Agenda (2019-2021), to identify key cyber security risks in general, and in the banking industry in particular.
5. Research Project: Insect Feed for Poultry, Fish and Pig Production in Kenya & Uganda (2018-2021), to implement ICIPEs proof of concept by incubating the insect for feed technology for animal feed.
6. Research Project: The Effectiveness of The Metro Agri-Food Living Lab for Gender Inclusive Youth Entrepreneurship Development in Kenya (2018-2021), to scale up and evaluate the effectiveness of the Metro Agri-Food Living Lab for gender inclusive entrepreneurship development among the youth.
7. Research Project: Inclusive Climate Smart Business Models in Ethiopian and Kenyan Dairy Value Chains (2017-2021), to identify scalable climate smart dairy business models in the context of ongoing transformation from informal to formal dairy chains in Ethiopia and Kenya.
8. Consultancy Project: Horticulture Scoping Study II in Kenya to Update a Horticulture Scoping StudyI Conducted in 2016 – 2017. (2021-2022), to update a horticulture scoping study1 conducted in 2016 – 2017.
9. Consultancy Project: Consultancy Services on Developing the Strategic Plan For Kepsa/ Natural Resources Forum (2021-2022), to develop the five-year strategic plan for the Natural Resource Forum to ensure it fulfills its aspired mandate
10. Consultancy Project: Support SAQA in delivering its mandate by providing its expertise in development of standards and guidelines to guide assessment of national qualifications in Kenya (2021-2021), to enrich, refine and finalize the draft standards for assessing National Qualification
11. Consultancy Project: Blue Print for Tangible, Commensurate and Sustainable Economic Development of the Luo – Nyanza Region (2020-2021), to develop the Blue Print for Tangible, Commensurate and Sustainable Economic Development of the Luo Nyanza Region (Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay and Migori Counties).
Internally, through the University’s Internal Grant, Prof. Wambalaba is spearheading the following projects:
1. Research Project: Rideshare Transport Baseline Survey Towards A Rideshare Mobile App: A Case for Progressive Organizations In Nairobi (2020-2021), to determine effective rideshare strategies towards the development of a mobile rideshare App.
2. Research Project: The Effects of Non-Motorised Transport (Nmt) Infrastructure On User Experience in Nairobi, Kenya (2020-2021).
By Kelly L. Mataiyan
The Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) Center at the School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Extension has been selected as one of the ten recipients of an International Development Research Center (IDRC) COVID-19 rapid response initiative grant to document the pandemic's impact on food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to this, the GAME Centre will also be studying the gender-sensitive implications of COVID-19 on youth agripreneurship resilience, targeting over 500 entrepreneurs across the country.
The project will be collecting short-term data on the impact of the pandemic (and control measures) on local food systems, specifically on the most vulnerable populations, document planned and spontaneous responses in real-time and the rewiring of food systems as they happen, and inform recovery policies for a more efficient and equitable policy and action that minimizes or alleviates the impacts of COVID-19 on nutrition and food security.
The project builds on the Metro Agri-food living lab for gender-inclusive youth entrepreneurship development also funded by IDRC and the Australia Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and led by researchers affiliated to GAME Center led by Professor Francis Wambalaba who is the Principal Investigator, Professor Amos Njuguna, Professor Damary Sikalieh, Dr. Paul Wachana, Dr. Joyce Ndegwa and Dr. Elizabeth Kalunda.
Other organizations selected alongside USIU-Africa to document COVID-19’s impact on food systems in Africa include the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), The University of Malawi, Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project in Zimbabwe, Economic and Social Research Foundation in Tanzania, the SAMRC/Wits Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science in South Africa, the National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda, the Centre for Population and Environment Development in Nigeria, the Cooperation Society for International Development in Canada, and the Consortium for Economic and Social Research in Senegal.
Project implementation at the GAME Center offers unique and diverse professional and academic development opportunities for faculty, staff, and students who wish to participate in different activities including consultancies, field data collection, analysis, research publications, communications, and project management.
Akosa Wambalaba presents the findings during the colloquium.PHOTO:Ernest Mwanzi
By Ernest Mwanzi
On Thursday, June 6, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension hosted a colloquium on Social Enterprise Development towards Urban Livability and Safe AgriFood Supply, a research that was done to evaluate implications of urban Agri-social enterprises on urban poverty, food safety, and livability at the Chandaria School of Business.
This research focused on the current practices and implications of marginalized urban populations AgriFood practices with respect to urban poverty, food safety and livability; the challenges poor urban populations face in practicing urban AgriFood activities; and the effective strategies and policy interventions for mitigating challenges against poor urban populations’ AgriFood practices.
The study showed the challenges which the poor urban populations face in practicing urban AgriFood activities which included, exposure of crops cultivated along urban roadsides to pollution; crops being irrigated with contaminated water; and underground farmers illegally producing unsafe, unhealthy and environmentally unfriendly foods.
As a result, four policy interventions for mitigating challenges against poor urban populations’ AgriFood practices were covered. The first policy area was on inclusive industrialization and innovation and the support of providing urban farming supportive infrastructure; providing information on city-owned properties suitable for urban farming; and providing publicity markets and large international food logistics terminals and how they can support more inclusive practices.
The second policy area focused on general enhancement of urban farming, calling for holistic incentive strategies through establishing food enterprise zones; and reducing use of trucks by increasing alternative non-polluting means to distribute urban produced foods.
The third policy area was on using urban farming as a sustainable economic growth and decent work and a call to support local food processors by marketing their products through targeted branding and campaigning, as well as agri-tourism initiatives; holistic incentive strategies where financial and zoning incentives are offered in designated parts of the city; and holistic incentive strategies to stimulate integration of urban farming, healthy food retail, and value-added food processing.
The final policy issue was on management of water and sanitation. It emphasizes on educating professional planners to create healthy, livable and sustainable communities; selection and use of drought-resistant plants, use of soil that retain humidity and can increase water efficiency in urban projects; and educating planners about the current disconnect between planning and food systems.
This research was conducted by Prof. Francis Wambalaba, Professor of Economics, Dr. Gabriel Okello, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Akosa Wambalaba, Lecturer, French, Yogo Carol, Senior Research Officer and Mark Namasake Graduate Assistant and funded through an internal grant from USIU-Africa.
The USIU-Africa Incubation and Innovation Center cordially invites you to our upcoming training, event, coaching, and guest speaker series "Building Unique Impactful Businesses" for June, July, and August that include:
DATE & TIME | TOPIC | SPEAKER | |
Tuesday, June 15th, - 5.30pm | Building Investor-Ready Businesses | Tonee Ndung'u (Founder & CEO of Kytabu Inc.) | |
Friday, June 18th, - 5:30pm | Building International Consulting Business. | Karen Musikoyo (International Agribusiness Consultant) | |
Tuesday, June 22nd, - 5:30pm. | Creative Agribusiness Design | Caleb Karubu (Media Personality and Agribusiness Expert) | |
Tuesday, June 25th, - 5:30pm | Contract Law for Entrepreneurs | Hellen Ombima (USIU-Africa, Director of Legal Services) | |
Tuesday, June 29, - 5:30pm | Impactful Social Entrepreneurship | Vincent Mwango (Ashoka Africa Director) | |
Friday, July 2nd, - 5:30pm | Labor Laws Entrepreneurs Should Know | Marion Waithera (Advocate of the High Court) | |
Tuesday, July 6th, - 5:30pm | Psychology in Entrepreneurship | Joyce Wangari (Psychologist Entrepreneur) | |
Friday, July 9th, - 5:30pm | Human Centered Design in Entrepreneurship | Emmanuel Nandokha (Design Thinking Strategist) | |
Tuesday, July 13th, - 5:30pm. | Creating New Businesses Out of Your USIU-Africa Major | Nimo Mbere (Clinical Psychologist) | |
Tuesday, July 20, - 5:30pm | Current Trends in Technology Startups | Hungai Amuhinda (Prolific Software Entrepreneur) | |
Friday, July 23rd, - 5:30pm | New Tax Laws for Entrepreneurs | Kenya Revenue Authority Tax Education |
Training, Bootcamps and Fieldtrips
June 17th (Thursday) at 5:30pm to 8:30pm | Training | Business Model Canvas |
June 23rd, 24th, 25th (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) at 11:00am to 1:30pm | BootCamp | Product Refinement Training and Focus Groups |
Friday, July 2nd, 2:00pm on campus (USIU-A swimming pool area) until 5:00pm | Entrepreneurship Team Building (In-person) | |
Tuesday, August 16th, Depart USIU-Africa campus at 9:00am return at 5:00pm. Company visits | Entrepreneurship Field Trip (In-person) |
The Zoom details for all virtual events, trainings, and guest speakers are as follows:
Zoom Link: https://usiu-ac-ke.zoom.us/j/98963727893
Zoom Meeting ID: 989 6372 7893
Password: incubator1
Want to become an entrepreneur, launch a new business, or grow your startup venture? As you may know, here at your alma mater, we run an entrepreneurship incubation program for current students and alumni. We offer free entrepreneurship coaching, mentoring, training, guest speakers, focus groups, investor pitching, networking, and office space.
During this Summer 2021 semester due to the Covid-19 pandemic, all our support to student and alumni entrepreneurs remains online (except two in person events). Every week this summer we hold open coaching (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays), mentoring (Thursdays and Fridays), training (Tuesdays and Thursdays), focus groups (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays), prospective customer surveying (Saturdays), and guest speakers (Tuesdays and Fridays). If you would like to enter the USIU-Africa incubation program, please fill out the registration form.
By Joanne Alividza
The role of the Human Resources organ in an organization’s success is increasingly gaining traction as employee satisfaction and retention has become a topical issue world over. It is in this context therefore, that the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), the world’s first international university network, plans to host a convention on Human Resources in Higher Education (HR in HE) in partnership with USIU-Africa. The convention, whose theme is “Strategic Positioning of HR in HE” is set to take place at the USIU-Africa campus in Nairobi from April 25-26, 2019.
This event calls to aid the mandate of human resources professionals in institutions of higher learning as they collaborate with Vice Chancellors in institutional value addition and attainment of excellence. Consequently, the event will provide a platform for cultivation of a network of human resources practitioners in higher education within the region as part of the larger Commonwealth community. In attendance will be Vice Chancellors, human resources professionals and registrars from universities and colleges in Kenya and the wider East Africa region.
Hosted within USIU-Africa’s Institute of Higher Education Research and Leadership Development (IHERLD), the convention will address key mandates of IHERLD by building into programs that support senior leadership organs of Higher Education Institutes, middle level managers, policy makers and teachers involved in developing and implementing competency based curriculum as well as create opportunities for policy dialogues and research on Higher Education.
This event is envisioned to expand the important conversation surrounding human resources and engage maximum participation of higher education leadership organs in order to build their collective daily workings but also inform their contributions towards academic, operational and service excellences. This engagement will lead to student retention, diversification and internationalization, build capacities and mobilize resources within institutions of higher education.
USIU-Africa is excited to announce that its Design Thinking Center, a hub dedicated to fostering innovation and empathy, will be launched in August 2023. On Thursday, June 22, 2023, the center proposal was inaugurated in the presence of esteemed guests, including Chancellor Dr. Manu Chandaria, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Margee Ensign, and Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Kevit Desai. The proposal event featured inspiring presentations, showcasing the progress made by previous design thinking and social impact innovation winners from last year's program. These presentations underscored the power of design thinking in driving real-world solutions.
The Design Thinking Center at USIU-Africa would be an expansion of the active and ongoing design thinking and social impact innovation program initiated by Ayushi Chandaria, a Stanford graduate. With a vision to transform innovation and business in Africa through design thinking processes, Ayushi has played a pivotal role in shaping the development of the center. Starting with over 500 high school students in 2019, Ayushi has expanded the design thinking program and other design initiatives across Kenya. The program has since been extended to college students and included online programs to increase its reach.
This year's program will be facilitated by a dedicated team that includes Leroy Mwasaru, a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, who will lead the program's content. The team also includes Dr. Scott Bellows, Vincent Rapando (Chandaria Foundation Representative), Baraka Munene (USIU-Africa Alumnus), and Savannah Kagiri, the first-place winner of the design thinking program in 2022.
The Design Thinking Center at USIU-Africa aims to empower students with a human-centered approach to problem-solving. Through interdisciplinary education, research, and hands-on experiences, students will develop a deep understanding of design principles and methodologies. The center believes in the transformative potential of design thinking and seeks to create a community of empathetic problem solvers. By integrating diverse disciplines and considering social, cultural, and environmental contexts, students will develop innovative solutions to complex challenges.
The launch of the Design Thinking Center later this year would signify a significant milestone in USIU-Africa's commitment to nurturing design leaders who can drive positive change. Building upon the foundation laid by Ayushi Chandaria and the dedicated team, the center is poised to make a lasting impact on innovation and business in Africa. Through creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking, the center inspires students to become agents of innovation and social impact. USIU-Africa invites students, faculty, and the wider community to join this transformative initiative as they collectively shape the future with empathy and ingenuity.
By Salome Asena and Diana Njenga
Economic empowerment of women makes them self-reliant and is one of the most effective strategies in combating poverty, creating decent jobs, enhancing social-economic growth, achieving gender equality and reducing gender-based violence. For these reasons, it is mainstreamed in the Kenya Vision and African Union 2063 aspiration. It is therefore not surprising that the Government of Kenya has laid in its strategy, elaborate effort and dedicated resources through private sector intermediaries and public sector platforms for enhancement of women economic empowerment.
USIU-Africa has crafted a program that coaches women to take advantage of the opportunities that are available in the private and public sectors to enhance their economic empowerment and contribute to the overall good of the society. On Wednesday, February 8, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension officially launched the Women Economic and Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Certificate Program. The introduction of the program was preceded by a virtual webinar panel discussion on "Women Economic and Empowerment and Entrepreneurship: The Role of Innovation and Technology in Skill Building."
The panel discussion for the virtual webinar was facilitated by Ms. Salome Asena, Senior Research Officer, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension. The panelists were; Ms. Veyrl Adell - Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Signified Group and Kinda Africa; Ms. Racheal Ngumi - Principal Officer, Gender Equity and Social Protection at United States International University -Africa, Ms. Maureen Otieno - Gender Justice and Women’s Rights Strategist at Oxfam, Hon. Anne Gathigia - Former County Executive Committee Member Youth Sports, Gender and Social Services, Prof. Amos Njuguna – Dean School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension at United States International University-Africa and Prof. Michael Kihara Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension at United States International University-Africa.
Women who are economically empowered become independent, which is one of the best ways to fight poverty, create decent jobs, boost social-economic progress, achieve gender equality, and lessen violence against women. In relation to this, Ms. Salome Asena moderated a panel through a virtual webinar on how innovation and technology has an impact on skill building.
Ms. Veryl Adell leads the Signified Group, a company that developed a product that facilitates efficient business growth. This is largely facilitated by modules that simplify work, such as payroll accounting and human resource management. Additionally, it would allow for the establishment of jobs for young people with record-keeping skills. Ms. Adell stated technology increases efficiency, employment, financial inclusion, and is highly recommended if women economic empowerment is realized.
Women's rights are human rights, according to Ms. Maureen Otieno, who addressed the relationship between economic empowerment for women and women's rights. She further added that Oxfam has programs that create an environment where women can achieve their goals by giving them the agency to break down social barriers and norms. The agency provides a platform for women to exercise and advance their rights, promoting gender justice and guaranteeing a connection between those rights and women's economic empowerment.
Regarding the link between policy and women's economic empowerment, Hon. Anne Gathigia (former County Executive Committee Member Youth Sports, Gender and Social Services, Nyandarua County) provided some insight. She said, "We have amazing policies, but putting them into practice and getting access are the challenges. The struggle of using a 4G network in rural areas limits the development of technology, making access the main barrier to the implementation of the various programs designed to empower women."
The relationship between women's economic empowerment and social inclusion was highlighted by Ms. Racheal Ngumi. She underlined the significance of women participating in the market's opportunities. Women's economic empowerment fosters a transformative forum for talking about access-related issues. This would promote equality and have an impact on how women can access programs for economic development and gender issues.
Prof Amos Njuguna, Dean School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension officially launched the Women Economic Empowerment Program and shared on how the University targets through the program to increase gender awareness, increase self-esteem and facilitate change in our communities. Its distinctiveness is in its incorporation into the market, which will make it easier to get over barriers when establishing businesses through USIU- Africa's Innovation and Incubation center. This is anticipated to be accomplished through utilizing experiential learning to empower women with the skills required to cope with such scenarios. More precisely, the program aims to narrow the digital agenda gap by providing training on engaging technology for business analysis, marketing, and innovation while establishing links with stakeholders, financiers’ and regulators.
The virtual webinar proved successful and received positive review from the attendees as they look forward to the program's unveiling the week of Monday, February 13, 2023.
By Diana Meso
On Wednesday, March 23, the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), under the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension (SGSRE) partnered with IDinsight to host a webinar to discuss obstacles women in leadership or women aspiring to be leaders face and how to overcome them.
Prof. Amos Njuguna (Dean, SGSRE & Chair, NIERA), presented the findings of a research study called “Gender bias and sentiment towards political leaders in Kenyan news” that he carried out with Emma Pair, Nikitha Vicas, Anne Weber, Valerie Meaussone, James Zou and Grayl Darmstadt, published in December last year.
The study aimed to find out how the media has been reporting on both men and women political leaders and how that has affected the uptake of leadership positions as well as public and political discussions by women. Data was mainly collected from the Daily Nation Newspaper (1998-2019).
Prof. Njuguna explained that research shows that gender biases can be traced back to the agrarian revolution (1750-1850) gendered labor roles, that decided what men or women should or shouldn’t do and in turn depicted women to be inferior to men.
Over time, this has nurtured a culture of negative social attitudes against women, thus causing violence against women and inadequate representation in “democratic” societies. It has also put women in a paradox; if they conform to the societal stereotyping, they are not seen as strong leaders, yet if they exemplify agentic qualities associated with sturdy leadership, they are evaluated negatively and branded as “unfeminine”.
He went on to mention that although there was an increase in number of women that got into parliament after the 2010 Kenyan constitution that aimed at ensuring gender representation, women are still underrepresented in politics and leadership roles.
Prof. Njuguna said that research by NDI shows that there are aspects of gender stereotyping and patriarchal structures propagated through the media which to some extent has contributed to the application of double standards for men and women resulting to “over cautiousness” when the women are in politics thus makes them miss out on leadership opportunities.
According to the study findings, there has been a greater relative increase in the negative sentiment surrounding females compared to males, women leaders receive less media coverage than male leaders and that when women are represented in the media, they are put in a more negative light than men. This has led to women tending to avoid media-based public discourses and instead turn to social media to reach voters as seen in the 2017 elections.
The study recommended that intentional biasness should be addressed through adherence to ethical guidelines which should be incorporated in journalism curriculums and corporate policies and programs that demonstrate the effect of biases in the press on people’s mindsets and resulting consequences on economic development.
Moderating the session, Dr. Fridah Njogu-Ndogwe, East and Southern Africa Regional Director, IDinsight concurred with Prof. Njuguna’s presentation, pointing out that in the ongoing research by IDinsight on “Formative research on women in leadership in economic, banking and financial services” in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and India, social economic challenges, cultural, political and policy environment, internalized biases and competing responsibilities are coming out as barriers that face women in or pursuing leadership. She further said that global and regional campaigns, national legislation and policies, internal organization policies, networking, mentorship and fellowships have eased the situation however more needs to be done.
The webinar also involved a panel discussion by Betty Sungura Nyabuto, Commission Secretary/ CEO National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), Faith Gitonga, Country Manager, Cellulant, Dr. Katherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) and Dr. Fiona Wanjiku Moejes, Ag. CEO & Director of Programmes, Mawazo Institute.
The panelists shared their knowledge and personal experiences on what contributed to their success, gender norms that hold women back from taking leadership positions, the role of media in bridging the gender gap, actions men can take to support women in leadership, impact of having women in leadership and what policies governments in Africa can put in place to empower girls and women.
All panelists agreed that having a strong support system around them in terms of allies, families, mentors, coaches and sponsors, identifying and seizing leadership opportunities, as well as getting out of the norm, taking risks and identifying one’s purpose has contributed to their success so far.
Additionally, the following recommendations were made by the panelists:
By Philip Khamati
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of demand-driven research in shaping effective policies and programs. Demand-driven research is characterized by its responsiveness to the needs and priorities of stakeholders, including policymakers, practitioners, and communities affected by the issues being studied. This approach emphasizes the need for research that is directly relevant to the challenges faced by decision-makers, with the goal of informing evidence-based policy and program development.
The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) in partnership with the African Alliance for Partnership (AAP) hosted a public virtual dialogue on promoting demand-driven research in Africa on Friday, June 2 2023 from 2:30-4:00pm CAT/3.30-5.00pm EAT. The webinar, titled Leveraging Demand-Driven Research for Evidence-Based Policymaking and Program Development: Challenges and Opportunities had the participation of over 80 faculty and students from universities, funding agencies and non-governmental organizations among others aimed at promoting dialogue and policy engagement on topical issues related to the development of the African continent.
In his keynote address, Dr. Sam Oti, Program Specialist at Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) highlighted the role of Demand Driven Research Initiatives (DDRIs) in developing Demand Focused Evaluations (DFEs) for implementers in informing decisions that consider time, budgetary and operational constraints when implementing projects. These initiatives should respond to specific needs of users while creating awareness among relevant stakeholders involved. Dr. Oti urged participants to reflect on who’s demand counts, whether DDRI projects are rigorous enough and the willingness of funders to pay for these rigorous evaluations.
During the panel discussions, Chris Chibwana from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation noted the need for purposeful research in the context of limited resources and donor fatigue. Research has to be decision relevant embedding a larger purpose of improving lives. This was reiterated by Robin Miller on undesirable consequences of impact evaluation projects and the need for fit training of personnel conducting impact evaluation training.
Further, Dr. Elizabeth Mkandawire - FSNet Africa, called on researchers to desist from working in isolation and embrace new ways of conducting research through collaborative approaches that involve stakeholders while ensuring evidence-based research is understood by end users. Maureen Gertrude from Oxfam Kenya Programme added to this by calling upon strategic research partnerships in generating evidence that stimulates conversations around emerging trends such as unpaid care and domestic work.
Research institutions including universities should relook and restructure incentives for researchers beyond publication records and incorporate the impact of research works as provoked by Prof. Joost de Laat, Director, Utrecht Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe). He further noted the need for universities to spur the capacity and interest of students to embrace impact evaluation through teaching.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Richard Mkandawire from AAP called for agency in translating research into use with capacity to influence change and reform that impacts the society. Here is the webinar recording.
By Diana Meso
On Thursday, September 22, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension (SGSRE) hosted staff and faculty to a meeting to present their research report for the 2021-2022 academic year, table plans for 2022-2023 academic year, discuss how the school can support staff and faculty increase their research output as well as address questions related to research policies, processes, sourcing and management.
Prof. Munyae Mulinge, DVC, Academic and Student Affairs, in his opening remarks thanked faculty and staff for their immense contribution towards research and commended SGSRE for their effort towards involving the university community in research. He encouraged participants to integrate the five goals of the university’s 2022-2026 strategic plan into their everyday tasks so as to live by the university’s call of Education to take you places.
Prof. Amos Njuguna (Dean, SGSRE) in his presentation pointed out that even though his school mainly focuses on Goal 2: Distinction in research and scholarship, specifically Strategic objective 1: Triple research productivity by 2026 and exceed 160 high impact publications annually and Strategic objective 2: Triple external research funding by 2026, the school works with other stakeholders to feed in and achieve all the other goals for the 2022-2026 strategic plan.
Prof. Njuguna termed this year’s graduation (386 masters students and 26 doctorate students) as the most improved number of graduands especially in Doctor of Clinical Psychology and Masters of Arts in Communication Studies.
He explained the support and services offered by SGSRE to graduate students which include teaching and training them in grant and proposal writing, providing them with data analytics, networking opportunities through the Graduate Connect event and ethical review of research including Bio-medical related research (accredited by National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation-NACOSTI).
He also mentioned that SGSRE has partnered with Placement and Career Services (PACS) to use evidence driven approaches through action research to be able to connect graduate and undergraduate students to the labor market.
On publications, Prof. Njuguna said that although the school achieved 91% in publishing high impact research publication in credible sources, they are confident that they will meet the 800-publication threshold within the current strategic plan, adding that they plan to enroll in the Times Higher Education rankings.
On external funding, SGSRE exceeded their target by 29% to bring in Ksh. 365,443,243 with an average grant period of 20 months against the set target of 260 million Kenya shillings. Some of the notable projects include:
Prof. Njuguna also mentioned the various innovations that are taking place in the Innovation and Incubation Center- Freida Brown Student Center- 3rd floor, headed by Dr. Scott Bellows. This year alone, there have been seven startups formulated and 21 trainings conducted on different topics. Some of the remarkable startups that were formulated in the center include purefresh that provides clean water and has so far employed 200 people with operations across four counties. Additionally, through the center, one of our students was a finalist in the Boabab Summit Social Venture that took place in Kigali, Rwanda.
Prof. Njuguna said that more can be done to improve the university’s research profile, he pointed the following as crucial to deal with for the effective and efficient realization of our 2022-2026 strategic plan, specifically Goal 2;
Going forward, Prof. Njuguna said that SGSRE will give operational support and focus in the following areas to enhance research and scholarship opportunities.
He concluded his presentation by thanking the Management Board, Faculty, Marketing and Communications department, Human Resource department, Student Affairs, Finance Division, student interns and Ms. Virginia Thuku, Academic Advisor and the entire university community for their immense support.
By Jennifer Nyakinya
In February 2022, the School of Graduate Studies Research and Extension launched an executive short course on practical approaches to Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL). The course equips participants with knowledge and skills in MERL and is unique in that it bridges the gap between theory and practice and connects to the policy ecosystem. The course is conducted at the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels. It offers flexibility to learners as it is conducted virtually over the weekend. The course also appreciates prior learning and therefore flexes the entry points to allow learners to build on the knowledge they already have.
Specifically, participants in the beginner’s class are exposed to the basic concepts of M&E, definitions, terms and frameworks useful in understanding different functions. The intermediate class focuses on the practical application of frameworks, theory of change, developing collaborative learning agendas, dissemination plans and data analysis using MS Excel and SPSS. The outcome of the advanced level (masterclass) ensures participants are able develop evaluation proposals that consider impact evaluation methodologies, critiquing different pathways to results, framing evaluation questions using globally accepted methodologies and using results of evaluations to inform program design, implementation and evidence based decision making.
The first cohort completed the course in December 2022 and were awarded their certificates on 27th January, 2023 in a colourful ceremony at the School of Science and Technology. In attendance were the course instructors – Ms. Jennifer Nyakinya, Program Manager of the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA), Mr. Carol Yogo, Senior Research Officer, Graduate School, Ms. Sylvia Murungaru, M&E Specialist, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension. Also in attendance were Dr. Jon Bonyo, Principal Research Officer and Ms. Salome Asena, Senior Research Officer from the Graduate School.
The ceremony was graced by Dr. Juliana Namada, an accomplished researcher and Chair of the USIU-Africa’s Institutional Ethical Review Committee. Her remarks emphasized the need for researchers and evaluators to apply ethical procedures in their work and obtain research permits from the National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI). Dr. Namada singled out critical ethical procedures in research such as including informed consent for respondents, confidentiality, having exit strategies and debriefs.
Prof Njuguna, highlighted the schools work in impacting the community through its various donor-funded projects. He singled out the M&E course as a pathway to ensuring credibility in processes and systems in the development space. Prof Njuguna noted that a fundamental outcome for this and subsequent cohorts would be the establishment of a community of practice of evaluators where we envision the deeper application of the knowledge and skills acquired in class.
The Masterclass is currently ongoing and recruitment for the second cohort to join the beginner and intermediate class is underway through this link.
By Elizabeth Kalunda, Paul Wachana, Francis Wambalaba, and Akosa Wambalaba
In Africa, the challenge of uneducated, unemployed labor markets persists, primarily due to a disconnect between graduates' skills and economic demands. Externships, such as apprenticeships and internships, have emerged as essential tools to bridge this gap, enhancing student employability. Despite the literacy rate in many countries in Africa, high youth unemployment, particularly among agricultural vocational training graduates, remains a concern.
Knowledge transfer, defined as the sharing of useful knowledge between settings, is pivotal for learning, problem-solving, and innovation. Apprenticeships, involving technical training under skilled practitioners, facilitate proficiency in various professions or arts. Internships, deeply rooted in experiential learning since 1906, play a crucial role in enhancing skills, critical thinking, and communication abilities.
In response to these challenges, the innovative ANAM apprenticeship program was meant to tackle youth unemployment by training students interns into agents in underserved areas in the agricultural sector. These agents are expected to provide valuable services in the dairy sector value chain including farming business consultations. Interns, initially lacking agriculture knowledge, were expected to play a pivotal role in enhancing farmers' livelihoods and establishing consultancies within the dairy supply chain, contributing to sustainable economic growth and food security. The ANAM program represented a proactive approach to addressing youth unemployment and fostering positive change in Kenya's agricultural landscape.
This research study aimed to determine the baseline data of farmers and student interns, examine effective knowledge transfer strategies for enhancing youth employment and entrepreneurship in the dairy sector, and explore how apprenticeship/internship capacity building programs can be designed to effectively enhance male and female youth employment and entrepreneurship.
The study utilized a mixed concurrent quantitative and qualitative research approach, combining descriptive and explanatory research designs. The population consisted of 12 youth interns in their final year of study and 120 dairy farmers from six co-operative societies in three Kenyan agricological zones: Western, Rift Valley, and Central.
Data collection involved employing both quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (focus group discussions & content analysis) methods. A desktop review was conducted to scrutinize knowledge transfer strategies for youth employment. The data analysis process encompassed descriptive analysis and content analysis of intern reports. The analysis aimed to establish baseline data and evaluate the effectiveness of knowledge transfer strategies. In the qualitative analysis, coding, theme generation, and narrative creation were employed. The final step involved interpretation to assess knowledge transfer, its impacts, and the effectiveness of strategies employed.
The study involved 11 interns from USIU-Africa, with 64% (7) being male and 36% (4) being female. Two students were from Tanzania, and the rest were from Kenya. Their program distribution included six students in Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration (IBA), three students in Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, and two in Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance programs respectively. Notably, one female student intern did not participate in the study. These interns were allocated to three study regions as follows: four in Bungoma, three in Uasin Gishu, and four in Nyandarua. In conclusion, the study's intern team consisted of a diverse group of students with varied academic backgrounds and regional placements, contributing to a comprehensive data collection effort.
The study involved 70 out of 72 farmer respondents from various co-operative societies, with Njabini, Tulaga, and Sirikwa co-operative societies each representing 17.1% of the respondents. Kitinda co-operative society had 18.6%, while Bukembe & Biliso co-operative society had 15.7%. 54.3% of dairy farmers were male, and 45.7% were female. Most farmers were between the ages of 37 and 71, indicating a lack of early youth engagement in the sector. A significant portion of respondents (61.4%) had only completed primary education, suggesting limited formal education among the surveyed population. In conclusion, the study reflects a diverse representation of cooperative societies membership, with variations in participation. The demographic data highlights the need for promoting youth engagement in dairy farming and potentially providing education and training opportunities to enhance the sector's sustainability.
The results from the farmers baseline data revealed that traditional intergenerational knowledge transfer from parents plays a significant role in equipping young farmers with dairy farming skills, but there is a need for more diversified knowledge dissemination approaches. Additionally, the study highlighted disparities in milk sales through dairy co-operatives between high and low seasons and emphasized the potential of knowledge transfer in addressing these variations. The role of co-operative societies in providing extension services to dairy farmers was emphasized, but it also raised concerns about the diversity of knowledge being disseminated. The heavy reliance on cooperative societies as the primary source of extension services could limit exposure to modern and innovative dairy farming techniques. Regarding credit facilities, the study found that a significant proportion of respondents obtained credit services from cooperatives, indicating a reliance on these institutions for financial support. However, some respondents reported no access to credit facilities, highlighting potential gaps in financial accessibility within the community.
The research findings emphasized the significance of work-based learning models, such as internships and apprenticeships, in preparing the youth for careers in the agricultural sector. The study's findings from interns emphasized the importance of practical experiences in farm management, and understanding challenges and opportunities in the dairy sector. Furthermore, the research emphasized the importance of connecting the youth with farmers, promoting youth-focused programs within co-operatives, and providing mentorship and financial incentives to attract and retain young farmers in the dairy sector.
Below are some citations from the interns:
“I met different people during my visit to Nyandarua county. These people used different styles in managing their farms and cooperatives. These different styles led to different results…. When it came to farmers, those who practiced zero grazing and semi grazing and also followed a strict feeding regime had higher milk yields.”
“…This internship has been transformative, equipping me with knowledge and insights into the complexities of Kenya's dairy farming industry. The valuable knowledge transfer will undoubtedly shape my journey, as I aspire to make meaningful contributions to agricultural development and policy-making.”
“Here, we were able to get a firsthand perspective and outlook of the co-operative’s condition and operating environment. Afterwards, we were then able to visit the local farmers from the Viliso area as well as their local bomas. We got to interact with them, collect effective primary data as well and document the conditions of their bomas and cattle.”
“One of the farmers Mr. Charles from Viliso showed us an innovative way he would collect cattle waste and save it for fertilizing his farm. This would be a good technique for farmers to source out their own organic waste.”
“Another experience worth noting is the warmth with which the Biliso group members received us. There were songs and ululations, the first time I have experienced this kind of welcome. I can never forget that feeling alongside the appreciation that was shown to us, even before the project is complete and the results are not yet a reality. Thus, such a good spirit for the success of the project.”
In conclusion, this study provided valuable insights into the challenges faced by Kenyan dairy farmers and proposes comprehensive strategies for knowledge transfer and youth empowerment. Implementing these strategies can lead to enhanced employment opportunities, increased entrepreneurship, and sustainable growth in the dairy sector, ultimately contributing to agricultural sustainability and economic development. In addition to technical and agricultural knowledge, the interns also gained valuable soft skills such as hospitality and an understanding of country life.
The study recommends future research to prioritize interactive, technology-driven methods that bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application in agriculture. It underscores the importance of implementing structured experiential training, fostering collaborations, and encouraging youth participation for the sustainability of the agricultural sector. The challenges identified by interns in Kenya's dairy industry emphasize the need for a multifaceted approach involving the education sector, policy makers, NGOs, and the private sector. This comprehensive strategy aims to address the complexities of the industry and promote long-term resilience and success.
By Brenda Owino
Kenya’s Ministry of Education acknowledges that most graduates from universities and tertiary institutions fail to secure jobs long after graduating. This is attributed to insufficient capacity and requisite skills to transition students to the workforce or entrepreneurial ventures. Establishing the Office of Career Services (OCS) in Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) has therefore been identified by the Ministry as an essential intervention to address this challenge. The OCS should model other prominent centers worldwide that incorporate recruitment, counseling services, apprenticeships, career fairs, graduate tracker services and industry linkages as transition strategies to the job market.
In line with the government initiative, USAID Empowered Youth (EY) supports the integration of youth employability in the courses offered at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. Specifically, the establishment of EY Career Centers at the institutions will equip students, a critical supply element, with pre requisite employability skills demanded by sectorial industry players for transition into the job market.
As a preliminary activity, EY organized a Career Advisory and Counselling Training workshop in Kisumu from August 29 –September 2, 2022. The workshop convened 43 participants representing Career Development Advisors and government officials from 6 high touch counties namely Kiambu, Kakamega, Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa and Isiolo.
Mr. John Obiero Awiti, County Minister, Department of Education, ICT and Human Capacity Development - Kisumu County, opened the workshop by stressing that the OCS will help TVETs to bridge the skills gap in training and employment in the industry thus improving youth employability. Mr. Bernard Isalambo, Deputy Director of TVET highlighted the positive attitude among youth towards TVETs. He pointed out that more youth are now open to joining these institutions regardless of the lower grade requirement compared to universities. He added that this in itself is a great opportunity for the OCS to provide these young people with the information and skills needed to pursue meaningful employment.
Cecilia Waihenya, the Principal Placement Officer at USIU-Africa and Dr. Bernard Oloo, a lecturer and life coach at Egerton University, facilitated various sessions to build on participants knowledge, understanding and practice of operationalizing career centers in line with the government policies. Prof Amos Njuguna, Partner Lead and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension at USIU-Africa emphasized the importance of providing demand driven skills training for youth to transition into the labor market as a prerequisite for success. Further, he elaborated that findings from EY’s Labor Market Analysis identified key economic sectors with the highest potential to create employment opportunities for youth.
Prof. Alexander Kahi, Partner Lead USAID EY from Egerton University encouraged participants to embrace setting up of career centers as it stands to benefit millions of youth who have been periodically disadvantaged due to lack of career guidance. EY’s Chief of Party, Mr. Elijah Otiende reiterated that to ensure its success, young people should be at the center of decisions made by the OCS. Its success heavily depends on the ability to build sustainable relationships with the youth, thereby attracting and maintaining labor supply to the job market. He also urged the institutions to be proactive in systematically operationalizing the career centers and align the OCS functions with their strategic plans.
Urging the need to promote gender, equity and inclusion within TVETs, Dr. Josephine Obonyo, EY Gender Specialist, encouraged the career officers to provide equal opportunities for both genders. She noted that there was an unfortunate trend in some institutions, where certain courses were strictly reserved just for women because of their socialization thus limiting their choices for learning. She added that the OCS can greatly change this narrative and perceptions.
At the end of the workshop, the participants reflected on their overall experience lauding the EY conveners for an insightful workshop. In particular, the field visit to YMCA’s OCS offered an opportunity for experiential learning as participants shared opportunities, successes, barriers and solutions to ensure sustainability of career centers beyond the project period.
By Diana Meso (Courtesy of Iris Group)
In an online colloquium organized by the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension (SGSR&E) on Thursday, March 3, Dr. Whitney Fry, a Global Health and Gender Specialist and a Senior Associate at Iris Group, led discussions on the key findings after a nine-month action research study on Menstrual Health Hygiene Management (MHM) in the Workplace.
The research conducted in two Kenyan workplaces: Shona EPZ and Thika Cloth Mills, was to determine if providing adequate MHM in the workplace contributes to improved business and social outcomes, including women’s economic empowerment as well as assess the benefits and costs of improved MHM in the workplace for women workers and the enterprises that employ them.
The research involved three stages of intervention which were in partnership with the companies under study;
The research findings presented by Ms. Joan Njagi, a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) research consultant, showed that increased access to menstrual products (which was the key intervention of the study) contributed to decreased anxiety at work, increased product choice, reduced use of poor-quality products and reduced financial burden.
Additionally, through infrastructure-related improvements like installing shelves and stalls in the washroom as well providing water taps in the toilet stalls so that menstruating people can wash their menstrual products in privacy, the research reports that there was reduced stress, increased toilet access and increased access to supplies.
Moreover, through MHM sensitization & BCC efforts, there was increased MHM knowledge, improved menstrual waste disposal practices, increased confidence to manage menstruation and increased understanding of menstruation-related needs.
Comprehensively, improved MHM in the workplace contributed to a more supportive working environment by reducing menstrual stigma and psychosocial stress as well as increasing self-efficacy. It further contributed to better outcomes for women and business by reducing absenteeism, increasing job satisfaction and improvements in productivity.
Breaking down the economic implications of having improved workplace MHM, Dr. Jake Eaton Senior Associate at Iris Group reported that from the two companies under study, for every Kes 100 invested in improving MHM in the workplace, there was Kes 154 return in benefits within the study period. Additionally, Dr. Eaton said that if the intervention continues for 2 years, then for every Kes 100 invested, there will be Kes 313 return in benefits under base-case scenario.
Dr. Michael Kihara, Associate Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, in his closing remarks as the moderator, thanked the presenters for their efforts to create awareness and help sensitize on the challenges faced by menstruating people and how to make them comfortable during such times.
More information on this research can be found here: https://www.irisgroupinternational.com/mhmintheworkplace
Graduate students together with facilitators from Emerging World and Maersk take a group photo outside the Library.Photo: Diana Meso
By Shadrack Lomoywara and Ernest Mwanzi
On Monday, May 20, 2019, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension through its partnership with Emerging World (a firm that specializes in leadership development) and Maersk Global (World’s largest shipping company) hosted students to a learning and knowledge exchange forum.
The event took place at Chandaria School of Business where 68 graduate students had an opportunity to interact, learn and exchange knowledge with peers from other countries across the world. The half day event gave participants leadership skills, critical thinking, connection to global partners and more importantly obtaining a working relationship with the partners from around the world.
Students were paired with their fellow colleagues from other countries for purposes of experience sharing and networking.
The MAERSK leadership development forum is a global initiative that seeks to provide experiential learning.
By Yviona Musa
On International Women’s Day 2023, a transformational virtual webinar on various issues on women was held. The webinar, hosted by Ms. Salome Asena, a Senior Research Officer at the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension, shed light on key areas that need concentrated attention. Gracing this occasion were highly respected women who have been pacesetters and change evokers in their respective professional fields. The discussion kicked off with a question-and-answer session.
Ms. Munoko Karen Musikoyo, an Agribusiness and Gender Expert at FARA who has been a voice on matters of climate change spearheads the conversation on gender equity, with an emphasis on the various challenges faced in her field of work. These include the problem of seeing that women’s roles are scarce at the level of leadership and decision-making. Another challenge discussed is the lack of balance in the distribution of resources with men being the main beneficiaries of such as well as the lack of inclusion for women in various sectors.
Another important issue discussed was that of Gender-based violence. Ms. Rachael Njeri Ngumi, the Principal Officer, Gender Equity and Social Protection at USIU-Africa and an advocate of the High Court who represents victims of Gender Based Violence, spoke on the existence of gender-based violence on the digital platform. She emphasized on the importance of sensitization of the masses to its existence and providing a community engaging in its prevention and response mechanisms. Rachael highlighted the importance of women’s protection against cyber harassment.
Later they were joined by Ms. Immaculate Lucy, the acting Assistant Director of Gender and Social Services in the County Government of Nyandarua. She dived into the conversation on gender budgeting approaches and the implications of technology on the same. Ms. Munoko spoke on the issue of the distribution of innovation and technology and how it can be better suited to fit women and be easily adaptable to their needs. Ms. Immaculate Lucy spoke on the accessibility of youth funds and her desire to ensure ease of access to the same. She expressed the importance of accountability and education for men who cause teenage pregnancies and the implications they should face. She also spoke of resource distribution and the fundamental guidelines on allocation. Finally, she spoke on the youth attitudes which negatively affect progress and the need to educate them on the importance of adjusting their view and embracing hard work and patience.
The Webinar was wrapped up with a vote of thanks from Ms. Jennifer Nyakinya, Program Manager – Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa after closing remarks from the women as they each expressed their views on the various aspects of the most important issues that need to be addressed.
By Dr. Joshua Rumo
With the understanding that several Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been forced to rethink their business models and purpose to remain viable and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, the School of Science and Technology in partnership with the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension and the Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) launched a new initiative that will support SMEs weather the uncertain times.
The project, initiated by Dr. Joshua Rumo, Dr. Leah Mutanu and Dr. Collins Oduor and supported by Ms. Salome Asena, Ms. Virginia Thuku and Mr. Shadrack Tonui, will offer a no-cost digital service to help them transition to a digital revenue or operating model. Each project is done by a team of student volunteers under the guidance of a mentor. The focus is on quickly solving one technology problem or providing one new online capability to the SME. Each project spans 2 – 3 weeks. In view of the current pandemic environment, all project activities like interaction with the client, team meetings all through to the final delivery of the completed product are done remotely.
The proposed services include but are not limited to:
In addition to helping SME’s, the project is also designed to help students gain valuable work experience, with the first cohort of 12 students taking part in the pilot phase of the programme, applying their classroom knowledge to real life businesses. Through the initiative, these students have been able to develop and host fully functional websites for several companies including:
Following the success of the pilot phase of the project, the School of Science and Technology and the GAME Centre have seen an uptick of requests for the service, with 120 small enterprises signing up to have their businesses technologically improved. In order to handle this influx of requests, the project is currently recruiting Graduate and 3rd and 4th year Undergraduate students in the MIST, APT and IST programs with good academic standing to participate in the program. To sign up, please click on this link: https://forms.gle/CG9KAGsuKoKtcTKK9 . For any inquiries, reach out to us on jrumo@usiu.ac.ke, lmutanu@usiu.ac.ke and sasena@usiu.ac.ke.
By Salome Asena
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Africa, many governments have begun to tighten borders, restrict gatherings and close schools. The crisis has already fundamentally changed people’s lives not just with regards to public health but in terms of politics, the economy, public services, and much more.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, it is anticipated that there will be disruptions in April and May. For example restrictions of movement will slowly reduce farming and food processing, there will be a shortage of fertilizers, veterinary medicines and other input could affect agricultural production in Kenya and in the world (International Finance Corporation, 2020).
As part of its efforts to assist small businesses to reposition and protect themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic, the USIU-Africa Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) Center has scheduled free online discussions with Agribusiness SMEs both locally and globally. Theses interactive sessions will provide a platform for Agribusiness SMEs to share their survival tactics during these uncertain times which include support food safety assessments, staff training, and guidance attaining international certification. The main aim of the webinar is to;
The online Agribusiness Webinars will be delivered in English and will be offered twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
By Scott Bellows
Building off of our ‘Women in Entrepreneurship’ series last semester, the USIU-Africa Incubation and Innovation Center will be holding training, coaching, and guest speaker series for this Spring semester built around the theme of ‘Business Venture Scaleup’. The upcoming speakers for February and March that include:
- Wednesday, February 10, at 6:00pm: Charity Kamunya and Peter Kirugumi, Partners at P & C Kamunya Advocates. Topic: Emerging Legal & Tax Highlights for Kenyan Entrepreneurs.
- Wednesday, February 17, at 5:30pm: Linus Gitahi, Board Chairman of Tropikal Brands Afrika Ltd and former Group CEO of Nation Media. Topic: Scaling your Business Startup.
- Wednesday, March 3, at 5:30pm: Vincent Rapundo, Chandaria Foundation. Topic: Social Entrepreneurship and Linking with Foundations.
- Wednesday, March 10, at 5:30pm: Max Musau, CEO of JIWE Studios. Topic: Gaming Industry Startups in Kenya.
- Wednesday, March 17, at 5:30pm: Stephen Ngigi, Founder and CEO of Matteh Limited. Topic: An Entrepreneur's Journey: Pivot or Persevere.
- Wednesday, March 24, at 5:30pm: Tom Kirengo, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Imara Mediplus. Topic: County Outlook: Creating Large Scale Rural Businesses.
- Wednesday, March 31, at 5:30pm: John Magambo, Managing Director of Capital Hill Securities. Topic: Entrepreneur's Dilemma: Employment or Business Startup.
Meetings can be accessed using the following credentials:
Zoom Meeting ID: 989 6372 7893
Password: incubator1
The center runs an entrepreneurship incubation program for current students, faculty, staff, and alumni. It offers free entrepreneurship coaching, mentoring, training, guest speakers, focus groups, investor pitching, networking, and office space.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, all our support to students and alumni entrepreneurs will remain online. Every week this Spring, we will hold open coaching (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays), mentoring (Thursdays and Fridays), training (Mondays and Wednesdays), focus groups (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays), prospective customer surveying (Tuesdays and Wednesdays), and guest speakers (Wednesdays). To join the incubation program, please fill out the registration form on this link: https://forms.gle/eBu6skwXnteJuFLc7
By Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa through its GAME center was part of thirty-four IAU member institutions that were featured by the Aiming Higher initiative that showcased a series of videos on higher education, produced by BBC Story Works. These impact videos are a tool to show that higher education is instrumental to the development of sustainable and democratic societies; shaping minds, promoting diversity, ethical leadership and social responsibility. In light of increasing global challenges, higher education institutions play a key role in addressing the societal transformations that will take place in the future.
Universities across the globe are shaping sustainable, democratic societies, and helping to tackle some of the biggest challenges societies face such as climate change, poverty, and food insecurity among others. Each film highlights how these universities contribute to these goals through projects that work towards sustainable development, internationalization, leadership and innovation. Various institutions had the opportunity to show how these important core values are fostered and implemented. They also show to what extent higher education is central to prosperity, innovation and social change, and contribute to fairer and more sustainable societies.
The four-minute video, featured under the sustainable development category, tells the story of a small scale farmer in Makueni County who has been able to improve her livelihood by running a chicken farm. Eunice Musyoka was a recipient of the GAME agribusiness entrepreneurship program conducted at USIU-Africa. The center and it’s consortium of partners Busara Center for Behavioral Economics and Signifide Group is conducting a research project titled ‘The Effectiveness of the Metro Agri-Food Living Lab for Gender Inclusive Youth Entrepreneurship Development in Kenya’, funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). This project has been designed to identify and test innovative business models for taking innovations to scale, and supporting Kenya’s youth to actively engage in profitable agri-businesses. The research uses the metropolitan living lab model to guide current and aspiring youth entrepreneurs in developing profitable agri-business enterprises. To view the complete video, click here.
The International Association of Universities (IAU) is a membership-led organization with the purpose of advancing higher education and its important role in the development of our society. Founded in 1950 under the auspices of UNESCO, it is the leading global association of higher education institutions and organizations around the world, comprising more than 650 Members in some 130 countries. IAU serves as a global forum for leaders in higher education to reflect and rally around common priorities. It acts as the voice of higher education to UNESCO and other international higher education organizations. The Association caters to its Members but extends its services to organizations, institutions and authorities, as well as other stakeholders in the field of higher education, by offering various services such as networking events, research, trainings and advisory services. IAU is an independent, non-governmental organization and official partner of UNESCO (Associate Status) and has consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council.
By Jemima Oloo
The Network of Impact Evaluation Research in Africa held a stakeholders’ workshop program on Wednesday to address the state of the orange economy in Kenya.
The convening drew participants from the national and county governments, institutions of higher learning, private sector practitioners and the youth among others.
The Dean School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension, Professor Amos Njuguna highlighted key areas to consider to solve the pertinent problem of unemployment amongst the youth and especially those in the creative industry.
The growth rate of the creative industry in Kenya, according to the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research Analysis (KIPPRA) indicates significant growth in arts, entertainment and recreation sectors. However, growth in the arts and entertainment sector has been seen to take a downward trajectory whenever the country faces national or global disasters such as COVID-19.
According to Prof. Njuguna, it is imperative to highlight the issue because young people are three times more likely to be unemployed, especially young women, persons with disabilities, refugees and those in rural areas. This is in spite of the many interventions that have been done, current interventions are short term, focusing on direct delivery. It is important to note that over 800,000 young people join the market every year.
The challenges facing the creative industry
County Executive Committee Member Public Service, Administration, Youth, Gender, Social Service and Sports, Mombasa County Mr. Kenneth Ambani speaking as a longtime creative in the industry linked the lack of formal education in the Kenyan Curriculum as being the first stumbling block for creatives.
“Most of us have learnt our crafts on set,” Mr. Ambani explained. “The gap is that there is no formal education, leading to the rise in cartels in the industry.”
Other challenges raised include access to finance, access to market, weak policy support from the government, business registration permits, decreasing demand or increased competition and tax administration.
The creative industry experiences numerous social economic disadvantages, cultural barriers and poor policies: poverty, the disjoint between the education system and the creative industry, limiting beliefs on content creation, complex bureaucratic systems and limited training.
Additionally, creators encounter frustration in the creative industry, the sector is plagued with informality, especially in terms of informal contracts and payments. Other issues that creatives face include breach of contracts, underpayment and piracy. On top of this, creators have to deal with unsustainable careers in the creative space due to poor remuneration, the inability to grow their brands and low endorsements by brands.
Despite the aforementioned challenges, there is light at the end of the tunnel for content creators: there is a rising demand for content and content diversity. Kenya has the most improved technology in East Africa, in addition to regulatory quotas which state that local content has to make up for 40% of what is broadcast on TV and radio. The significant rise of internet users is a game changer for creatives since it widens their audience.
Professor Njuguna opened up the floor for informative discussions on how to design sustainable programs in the creative industry that create jobs directly and indirectly in order to improve and upgrade existing talent that matches current market demand with supply.
By Philip Khamati
The Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) hosted at USIU-Africa was privileged to co-host this year’s Africa Evidence Summit (AES) with the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA). Every year, the AES brings together African scholars, U.S. based faculty, policymakers and practitioners to present their research findings and foster collaborations that incorporate evidence as an integral part of decision making. This year’s edition themed Bolstering African Scholarship to advance the impact of evidence, took place in Nairobi, Kenya on June 19-20, 2023 attracting over 500 participants.
Prof. Amos Njuguna, Dean - School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension atUSIU-Africa and NIERA Chair noted in his welcome remarks that the AES brings together various stakeholders in the policy ecosystem to share and appreciate what has already been done and to showcase contributions by researchers and solutions that have been implemented. In his key note, Dr. Eliya Zulu - Executive Director, African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) urged African experts and scholars to step up, define, own and drive Africa’s research agenda in alignment to decision makers’ needs.
This year’s summit provided an opportune platform for showcasing NIERA’s impact through programs such as the Demand-Driven Research Initiative (DDRI). This research is characterized by its responsiveness to the needs and priorities of stakeholders, including policymakers, practitioners, and communities affected by the issues being studied. This approach emphasizes the need for research that is directly relevant to the challenges faced by decision-makers, with the goal of informing evidence-based policy and program development. To this end, research highlights from three projects namely i) Gamified Savings as a Problem Gambling Intervention by Dr. Laura Barasa & Dr. Annet Adong; ii) Artistic Pathways: Navigating the Road to Employment in the Creative Sector by Prof. Amos Njuguna and ii) Reducing Poverty Among the Urban Poor in Uganda: Evaluating the Effectiveness and Inclusiveness of the Parish Development Model by Dr. Nantongo Mary Gorret, were presented at the summit.
Another special feature was plenary sessions on incentivizing and resourcing African-led publications and the critical support needed for inclusive evidence generation paramount to policy decision-making. The sessions were an integral part of NIERA’s joint initiative with CEGA that aims to examine the extent of inclusion of African scholars in global development research. The 2-day summit also featured poster sessions which was an opportunity for attendees to display ongoing and completed programmatic and research work in various sectors. In her closing remarks, Jennifer Nyakinya - Program Manager at NIERA urged attendees to amplify impactful evidence and address policy makers' concerns. She emphasized the need to sustain the momentum and maximize the impact of evidence.
This year’s summit was held in partnership with the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), Afrobarometer, Busara, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
By Millicent Tatendaishe Mudiwa and James Williams
On October 25, 2023, the University's campus was abuzz with intellectual fervor as it hosted a thought-provoking colloquium that delved into the intricacies of an impactful research project. Dr. Simeon Sungi, the Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, and a distinguished scholar, presented their findings on the profound Research topic, "The Effect of Prison on the Future Behaviour of Children of Incarcerated Mothers at Langata Women's Prison in Nairobi, Kenya." The colloquium was an engaging platform where the scholarly community, students, and faculty members gathered to gain insights into the pressing issue of maternal incarceration and its repercussions on children. The study was a testament to the University's commitment to research excellence and the importance of understanding the complexities of the justice system and its social implications.
At the heart of the research were the stories and experiences of children whose mothers were serving sentences at Langata Women's Prison. Dr Simeon Sungi, who spearheaded the research, explained that this topic was of paramount importance as it highlighted the often-neglected collateral consequences of incarceration. The main reason why Dr Sungi was interested in this aspect was the whole idea of how children are the hidden victims of the Criminal Justice system and how they are deemed invisible, unseen, and unheard.
The study aimed to comprehend the challenges these children face and to uncover ways in which society and the justice system can better support them. With Dr. Sungi, were his two students in their final year of the B.A. in Criminal Justice studies Millicent Mudiwa and James Williams, the dedicated research assistants, played a pivotal role in the data collection period of the research by conducting interviews, collecting data, and analyzing the narratives of the children from their mother's perspectives. Their dedication and hard work were evident as they formulated the comprehensive data, which included the children's emotional, psychological, and educational well-being and the experiences of the incarcerated mothers.
One of the standout elements of the colloquium was the involvement of Clean Start Africa, an organization dedicated to supporting women and children affected by incarceration. Respondents from Clean Start Africa, including the organization's Director, Ms. Theresa, were present, and they shared their valuable insights. Clean Start Africa played an instrumental role in the research through the respondents who gave valuable insights regarding their experiences, this was done through qualitative data analysis, and group interviews.
The research findings highlighted the challenges faced by children of incarcerated mothers, such as stigmatization, emotional trauma, and difficulties in accessing education and healthcare. Some of the major findings from this research included even aspects of how the children mimic the socialized prison way of living, including the salutes to the guards and even getting used to the regular contraband strips or search sessions. The research also illuminated the need for comprehensive support systems, both within the prison system and in society, to ensure the children's well-being and prospects. Dr Simeon Sungi emphasized the importance of community-based programs and initiatives to provide essential resources to the children and their mothers during and after incarceration, despite acknowledging and valuing the preexisting law which was enforced in good faith in the persons deprived of liberty’s act of 2014 under section 22. Ms. Theresa’s presence and contribution underscored the critical role of NGOs and advocacy organizations in effecting positive change in the lives of those affected by the criminal justice system.
The colloquium concluded with a stimulating discussion that highlighted the need for reforms in the prison system and the importance of breaking the cycle of intergenerational incarceration. Dr Simeon Sungi left the audience with a profound understanding of the challenges faced by children of incarcerated mothers and the urgency of addressing this issue. The University's commitment to research and collaboration with organizations like Clean Start Africa serves as a beacon of hope in raising awareness and finding solutions to complex societal issues. The colloquium was not just a moment of intellectual exploration but also a call to action, reminding us of the importance of empathy, compassion, and social responsibility.
As we reflect on the insights gained from this remarkable colloquium, it is evident that the research conducted by Dr. Simeon Sungi and his team is a crucial step toward creating a more inclusive and compassionate society for the children of incarcerated mothers in Nairobi, Kenya. We hope that this research will continue to inspire change, both within our university community and beyond, in addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by these children.
By Brenda Odhiambo
On Thursday, July 9, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension hosted a colloquium on the impact of remote schooling on parents whose children were enrolled in private secondary schools in Nairobi County. The study sought to explore the impact that synchronous and asynchronous remote schooling had had on the parents of primary and secondary school students, who had to suddenly adjust to this mode of learning.
The paper, which was the first of its kind to explore the impact of remote schooling on the parents of remotely schooled students in Kenya, was focused on determining whether there were better ways that parents could adjust to both working from home and homeschooling their children, in addition to exploring whether home schooling affected parents’ productivity in their work.
Dr. Emmanual Adejoke, the lead author of the paper, noted that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic had led to a sudden shift in lifestyle for both parents and students, which created several challenges for parents, who now had to homeschool their children through remote learning, and to students, who had to adjust to learning away from the classrooms.
“Due to the pandemic, the continuity of education was at stake, as there was no way to determine the exact time at which the pandemic would be over, so that schools would resume, which meant that there would be a loss of things that were learnt in the past, which was an issue of concern among parents and students,” she said.
“Parents also had the additional challenge of trying to meet basic needs due to the loss of income and jobs as a result of the pandemic, in addition to trying to meet the costs of the adoption of the technology required for the adoption of remote learning,” she added.
According to the study, among those who had remote learning programs for their children, it was determined that parental assistance with technology for remote learning was a major challenge, with a 55.5% response rate, while 51.8% of the study’s respondents noted that they faced financial challenges of catering for the technology tools. Respondents also reported facing challenges in terms of unavailability of technology and extra costs of feeding the students at home at 37.3% and 26.4%, respectively.
In her presentation, Dr. Adejoke highlighted the fact that with remote learning, it was not possible to appropriately determine and control the optimal levels of parental involvement in students’ learning, noting that there was no existing standard that controlled what is imparted to guardians about their duties or how that data is conveyed.
“Some online schools expect guardians to watch a video that clarifies their job as a supervisor, or mentor, however, doesn’t consolidate an ensuing check for comprehension or perception to ensure that guardians are sticking to the prerequisites. Moreover, guardians don’t have the preparation to give similar assistance needed to encourage their child’s participation in online schooling,” she said.
In his comments, Dr. Collins Oduor, the paper’s co-author noted that parental involvement was critical in the student success, noting that it was important for schools to have different levels at which parents would be involved in their children’s schooling.
“For parental inclusion to happen and be viable, schools must furnish guardians with different chances to have their influence in their children’s training. Teachers must also ensure that the structure is adhered to by having continued correspondence with families,” he said.
He also pointed out the importance of parental reinforcement in the success of their children’s virtual learning, noting that it entailed supporting parental behaviors that contributed to the development and strengthening of a child’s positive attitude towards learning, as well as a parent’s positive attitude such as self-confidence which impacts on the child and encourages better attitude towards virtual learning.
Dr. Oduor highlighted some of the positive aspects of remote learning, which included: reduced schooling costs due to a lack of commuting to and from school, ability to monitor the quality of education offered, ability to monitor the children’s character and attitude to education, better support for children with disability, among others.
The study concluded that remote learning could be easily accepted by many Kenyan parents, with 39.8% of the respondents noting that they would recommend the implementation of remote schooling, having experienced some benefits from it, with 24.8% indicating that they would not recommend its implementation. In their recommendation, Dr. Adejoke and Dr. Oduor noted that it would be critical for the government to address the factors that may hinder effective remote learning, thus encouraging parental involvement and support. They also recommended that the government and education practitioners should officially develop and implement standards and curriculum for the implementation of remote learning in Kenya in preparation for future pandemics.
By Salome Asena
The School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension and the International Center for Evaluation Development (ICED) has organized for a 3-day in person Grant Writing Workshop that will be held on Tuesday November 2, 2021 to Thursday 4, 2021 at the Chandaria School of Business.
The workshop will include researchers who have won the ALL-IN grant, thus the workshop is an opportunity to interact with other like-minded peers on how to write successful grants that help in closing the gap between evidence and policy by focusing on a locally determined research agenda and utilizing the local knowledge and connections.
This workshop will provide an opportunity for applicants to review their proposals with a cohort of their peers and an expert facilitator, led by expert presentations to set the groundwork for the collaborations. Each attendee will be put into a small group of approximately 5 applicants and 1 facilitator, depending on number of attendees and number of facilitators. Beginning with a peers and facilitators matching on Tuesday morning after the opening session, researchers can develop a rapport within their assigned group that will be the foundation for subsequent workshop activities.
Each group member will be responsible for reviewing one peer’s ALL-IN proposal and will initiate the conversation about their assigned proposal in the context of the session. A facilitator will moderate the subsequent discussions of the entire cohort and provide expert perspectives throughout. This will help both strengthen the proposals, but also to build the broader capacity in proposal development through hands-on workshopping of their respective work.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza speaks during the opening session of the NIERA Day. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa was proud to host a team from the East Africa Social Science Translation (EASST), Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA) members across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda on July 24. NIERA is an independent network of East African scholars that conduct rigorous evaluations of social and economic development programs to improve people’s wellbeing and is hosted at USIU-Africa.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza welcomed the team mentioning that it was an important event that brings together technical experts from academia, private sector, development organizations and think tanks to discuss development issues facing Africa and how African scholars can effectively address them. “As such I am proud to be a partner to this network and challenge fellows to take research for development seriously; specifically research conducted by Africans for Africa”, said the Vice Chancellor. He appreciated the 27 fellows who are fundamental to the network and most importantly the Hewlett Foundation, whose unwavering support cannot go unnoticed.
Research programs at USIU-Africa are coordinated by the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension which provides a one stop shop for all graduate students’ needs and supports academic research in line with the University policy. In the 2018/2019 academic year, the university received Kshs. 12 million in internal grants and Kshs. 107, 444, 175 external grants. The research productivity of the university has also continued to grow with 378 publications and 51 conference papers presented. USIU-Africa is undertaking several initiatives in impact evaluation which include the International Centre for Evaluation and Development (ICED) that promotes the use of research and evaluation findings and evidence for effective policy making, action and practices.
The Metro-Agribusiness Living Lab is another impact evaluation program that seeks to expand opportunities for youth in agri-business and is currently funded by the Cultivate Africa’s Future Fund through International Development Research Center, IDRC and the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research. It bridges the gap between business innovation, action research and business training. It is currently in its second phase and has recruited 480 youth owned agribusinesses for training, mentorship and access to funds. The program is implemented in nine counties namely; Nyandarua, Nairobi, Kiambu, Kakamega, Bungoma, Kisumu, Siaya, Nakuru and Kericho.
The other research initiative is operated under the Kenya Youth Employment Opportunities (KYEOP) where the university is working in six counties namely; Nakuru, Kitui, Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos and Nyandarua. KYEOP seeks to build capacity for over 35,000 youth by enabling them take responsibilities for their lives, actions, and change their mindset to be ready for technical skill (vocational) training and entrepreneurship and is a collaborative project in the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs (MPYG) - Directorate of Youth Affairs (DYA) funded by the World Bank and will run from 2018-2021. To date, USIU-Africa has trained 3,561 youth across the country.
By Winnie Nyakio and Sarah Masila
The USIU-Africa Research Department recently held a colloquium that addressed the governance of the country’s public hospitals. The colloquium saw Dr. Veronicah Kaluyu present a paper titled “The Influence of Quality Improvement and Performance Evaluation Practices on Creative Governance Success in Public Healthcare Sector; A Case of Public Hospitals in Kenya”, which highlighted how Kenya’s public health sector continues to face challenges in governance and the delivery of quality services.
In her presentation, Dr. Kaluyu noted that the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic not only caught hospitals in deplorable situations, but also brought about an outcry for the improvement of certain aspects, such as malpractice and the improvement in the overall quality of services in the public health sector.
Her sentiments were echoed by Dr. Bernard Omboi, a USIU-Africa member of faculty, who quoted a recent study showed that the Kenyan healthcare system was in danger.
“This study showed that healthcare professionals are scarce in the country, which can lead to low quality treatment, especially in remote regions of the country. We are not doing well in terms of health, if we are talking of ratios such as 1 nurse to 1,000 patients,” he said.
In conclusion of the colloquium, Dr. Kaluyu noted that there was a need to increase training and deliberately create a culture among Kenyan public hospitals that would lead to the adoption of better governance at these hospitals, which would have a direct impact on their output.
From right to left: Prof. Francis Wambalaba, Professor of Economics, USIU-Africa, Mr. James Ogolla, Director, Institutional Development, USIU-Africa, Prof. Munyae Mulinge, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, USIU-Africa, Dr. Kathryn Toure, IDRC Regional Director, David T. Ruchiu, Africa Director - Farm Concern International , Dr. Leah Ndugu, ACIAR Regional Manager, Africa, Dr. Jemimah Njuki, Senior Program Officer at IDRC officially launch phase two of Cultivate Africa (CultiAF). The joint program by the International Development Research Center of Canada (IDRC) and the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) will be implemented through USIU-Africa’s GAME center. Photo: Antonio Longangi
By Taigu Muchiri
The USIU-Africa Global Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (GAME) Centre has been awarded a grant of KSH 56,886,900 by Cultivate Africa’s Future (CultiAF), a joint program of the International Development Research Center of Canada (IDRC) and the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to implement a project entitled “The Effectiveness of the Metro Agri-Food Living Lab for Gender Inclusive Youth Entrepreneurship Development in Kenya.” The project will be implemented by USIU-Africa through GAME Centre and Busara Center of Behavioral Economics.
It is estimated that 60% of the project will target women in Agribusiness. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, young women agri-business entrepreneurs are less likely to have the resources, knowledge and skills required to start a business in agriculture compared to their male counterparts and thus hinders their productivity levels on a sustainable level. The youth in Kenya face challenges in accessing financing to operationalize their business ideas and this project seeks to mitigate this by working closely with financial institutions that will avail funding for successful projects.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza lauded the project and emphasized that food security can only be achieved if we actively engage the youth in agri-business enterprises. He further encouraged institutions of higher learning to engage in partnerships that will foster action based research. “This project is as a result of the success we have achieved in the first phase and we will employ the same working relationship to ensure that we have an equally successful project and reach out to more youth and women in Kenya,” he said. In addition, he encouraged the government, private sector and development partners to invest in the youth and encourage them by providing opportunities that can lead to job creation and reduce unemployment.
The implementation of the project has a unique gender inclusion aspect that is part of ACIAR’s strategic objective. A gender expert will be attached to the participants to mainstream and effectively engage the gender aspect in all the activities of the project. Dr. Leah Ndungu, the Regional Manager at ACIAR said that the project will ensure that it leads to gender empowerment of women and young girls in agribusiness. The project will also focus on innovative solutions to improve food security in Eastern and Southern Africa.
The Metro-Agrifood Living Lab model brings together a unique set of activities and services that create the needed synergy to support not only learning, but also innovation, business development and the co-creation of new knowledge. Speaking during the launch, the Regional Director of the International Development Research Centre Dr. Kathryn Toure said that the youth participating in the program are expected to grow their sales, expand their businesses and improve their livelihoods.
The uniqueness of the Metro Agri-Food Living Lab is its integration of training, mentorship, and financing and action research to improve chances of success. The project will expose trainees to business concept evaluation and development, business planning, marketing and feasibility studies, linkages to finance and marketing channels, strategic advice and legal assistance, specialized technical assistance and development of a business plan to be presented to potential financiers. Successful applicants will be assigned business mentors.
The project will be recruiting trainees from the National and County governments’ agricultural officers and other stakeholders to identify potential agribusiness entrepreneurs that will be invited to apply for the program. Recruitment drives will be conducted in Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Kiambu, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Muranga, Malindi, Kilifi, Tana River, Mombasa, Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisumu, Busia, Nakuru, Bomet, Kericho, Baringo, Bungoma, Uasin Gishu, Pokot, and Trans-Nzoia.
It is envisaged that the project will spur youth businesses, especially in the Agricultural sector whose participants are aging, the project will further lead to job creation for the youth, hence addressing the problem of chronic unemployment that has impoverished them and is negatively impacting on the country’s social and economic welfare.
By Ernest.A.Mwanzi
Prof. Njeri Wamae assured students, faculty and staff from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences of good times ahead during her inaugural Dean’s Convocation for 2018/19 academic year, on Monday, January 28.
In her speech, she noted that in line with the University’s strategic goals of providing globally competitive and innovative academic programs, student numbers have drastically increased in the two programs offered in the School - Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Science, Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She noted that this year the school was preparing the cohort for hospital and industry as well as research attachments. Additionally, the school has already reached out to their networks to expand the choices for students’ research which includes institutions such as the Institute of Primate Research (IPR), International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). “We have identified public hospitals that will provide hospital round opportunities for our students in a public environment” Said Prof. Wamae.
In her address, Prof. Wamae revealed that the school is working on launching four new programs namely; Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor of Science in Clinical Medicine, Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
In a bid to expand and efficiently manage the University’s financial resources, the school has seen an improvement in the number publication rising from 5 the previous year to 24 in 2017/18 academic year. “We are also busy in developing impactful innovations such as improvement of water quality and environmental management through solar treatment and nanotechnology as well malaria transmission blocking,” added Prof. Wamae.
The school has also seen significant growth for both teaching and non-teaching staff with 14 full-time Faculty members who are engaged in delivery of both pre-clinical and clinical courses and 11 technologists.
Come next month the school will be launching a Pharmacy Skills Laboratory a one of its kind in both Eastern and Central Africa. Plans are at an advanced stage to acquire of a software known as ‘My dispense’ that will be used in the Pharmacy Skills Laboratory to help students understand the intricacies of dispensing medications in an interactive way.
Students should also expect a facility expansion of the Botanical Garden- for teaching advanced Pharmacy courses and research, where In the 201718 academic year, over 300 medicinal plants were planted and construction of an Animal house, for housing experimental animals. The school is committed to ensure that students get quality education with readily available top class facilities.
Moving on to the priorities for the current academic year, Prof. Wamae confirmed that the school will also be implementing the new and contextualized grading system for health and allied sciences, two STEM Programs in B Tech. Analytical Chemistry and BSc. Applied Biochemistry, initiate the Epibio online program as well as sustain progress with the development of the other programs mentioned earlier, launch a short course on Pharmacovigillence in partnership with Pharmacovigillence Competence Center, improve administration of the Pharmacy Mock Board Exams and administer them periodically and enhance research productivity by capitalizing on the expansion of our widening partnerships with the academia.
Lastly with the support of FHI 360, the school’s laboratories will be enhanced to international standards by having them ISO 17025 Certified by KENAS (Pharmaceutics Analysis) and WHO Accreditation (Medical Diagnostics).
By Ernest Mwanzi
On Tuesday, January 22, 2019 the University through the Health Centre launched a state of art ambulance, which will aid in rapid response of emergency cases within the university and its environs. This will be a big boost to the Health Center which is a Level 3 medical facility and their mission of taking care of the USIU-Africa community with a focus on providing timely diagnostic, curative and preventive medical services to both the students and staff community.
Speaking at the launch, the Principal Medical Officer Dr. Tasneem Yamani said the ambulance will help to handle all medical situations including advanced care for any cardiac issues.
The ambulance is fitted with on board oxygen supply, storage for an assortment of lifting/carrying devices, a wheeled stretcher, external cardiac defibrillator, medical suction, first aid and trauma supplies and medical communications equipment.
The Ambulance will play a vital role for the University as it aims to strengthen sense of community, inclusion, and responsibility by continuously improving the health services provided.
By Evans Ongwae
In September 2018, USIU-Africa launched an undergraduate programme on epidemiology and biostatistics, accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) in Kenya and the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) in the United States. The programme combines public health, epidemiology and biostatistics, producing a 3-in-1 ready-to-go health worker, a first in Kenya.
Naturally, the university received plenty of enquiries from interested students, but it was surprised that the course also attracted interest from unexpected quarters. Dr Eliab Some, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and the Programme Leader at USIU-Africa, says the experience was unusual, but pleasant and illuminating.
USIU-Africa developed the course to supply public health systems with a pool of qualified professionals to deal with the challenge of emerging epidemics.
As Dr Some explains, “every field of study has a contract with society to solve its problems and help people fulfill their aspirations, such as attaining the goals of Kenya Vision 2030 or Africa 2063 Agenda.”
The university had expected young people who had completed secondary school and maybe a few health experts to express interest in the course. It hadn’t anticipated the immediate wider appreciation it witnessed.
“I was surprised that some of our lecturers were saying: ‘I wish this course was there during my time as a student’. Others asked: ‘Can the university offer me this course only’?” recalls Dr Some.
More surprises were in store for the university because even some parents mulled over taking the same course they had brought their children to enrol into. Dr Some remembers one of them telling: “I think I should take this course.”
The don can now inform them that an online option for mature students is in the offing. Therefore, they should not lose hope. He adds that parents who are healthcare professionals have been urging their children to take the course, which they say is timely and relevant.
Dr Some points out that these parents understand what epidemiologists and biostatisticians bring to public health and the career opportunities available in this field.
Such has been the interest in this course that USIU-Africa boasts multi-cultural classes, with students from other African nations trooping to the university.
“We have students from South Africa, Botswana, DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), Liberia, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Sudan, and South Sudan, studying for the BSc. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics,” says Dr Some. He notes that having students from different countries enriches discussions in class.
The don, an epidemiology expert for many years, says he understands the great interest in the course. People’s interest, he observes, has been aroused in light of the recent epidemics that have ravaged different parts of the world, before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. These are all public health emergencies of international concern.
Dr Some reports that since 1982, various epidemics, confined within limited geographical expanses and controlled from spreading globally, have been witnessed. Such diseases include West Nile Viral Infection, Swine Flu, Bird Flu, Ebola and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The epidemiology experts USIU-Africa is training, the don says, will allow doctors and nurses to focus on day-to-day management of patients, as they (the epidemiologists) focus in tackling epidemics.
Dr Some says epidemiology study of diseases such as SARS and MERS, combined with vaccine development experience gained over time, enabled scientists to quickly develop promising candidate vaccines for Covid-19.
Epidemiology, he explains, involves studying what is going on, who is affected, where, and what determinants the specific population was exposed to that led to the disease.
Biostatistics trains people to collect public health data and summarize, analyse and interpret them, before offering suggestions on how the situation can managed.
Dr Some points out that, according to World Health Organization (WHO), 1,450 epidemiologists were called to fight Ebola in West Africa. This is a confirmation of how important these experts are to the war against pandemics and in promoting public health.
The USIU-Africa don congratulates research scientists who confronted SARS in 2003 and began developing candidate vaccines for coronavirus disease. When MERS, another disease caused by the family of coronaviruses broke out in 2012, they didn’t have to start vaccines from scratch. They went back to the candidate vaccines. This shortened the period required to develop a vaccine for Covid-19. Thus, the world responded faster to the pandemic.
Dr Some looks forward to seeing his students graduate and join the public, private and NGO sectors where opportunities for their cadre exist. The first cohort is expected to graduate in September 2022.
The assistant professor says the university will invite potential employers to chat with the students before they graduate.
Find out more about Online Learning at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Aga Khan University (AKU) and Kenya’s United States International University Africa (USIU-A) are set to collaborate on a range of projects that will enhance the research and training opportunities open to students and faculty from both universities.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the two universities under which AKU will provide attachment placements for USIU-A students at its teaching hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH-N), while USIU-A will provide locum places for nurses and pharmacy technicians from AKU.
Both institutions will collaborate in the conduct of research and other innovative projects, with faculty and staff being encouraged to team up on community research projects and to co-sponsor joint seminars and workshops in areas of mutual interest.
This partnerships extends from a March 2018 initiative, where AKUHN and USIU-A established a programme enabling students from USIU-A's School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to benefit from an on-site training program at AKUH-N.
The training is designed to enhance students’ theoretical knowledge and clinical skills by exposing them to rotations in critical care, paediatrics, and the general wards, followed by discussions with the assigned university faculty.
The ongoing partnership gives students exposure to the diverse roles that pharmacists play in an actual hospital setting in areas such as the establishment of protocols for the appropriate selection of drugs; dispensing of medication; call back engagement with prescribing doctors and application of global medication management standards.
Students are also made aware of benchmarks in relation to clinical skills, quality, and ethical practices. These are essential requirements for Joint Commission International accreditation. Through this experience, students become better equipped to improve and sustain the quality of pharmaceutical services they will provide in their future job postings.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Robert Armstrong, Founding Dean of AKU’s Medical College, hoped for more shared endeavours in the future between the two universities.
“In the future, we hope to collaborate in other health science education programmes and health sciences research,” said Dr Armstrong.
By Kush Rana
The USIU-Africa Pharmacy Club on Friday, March 15, organized a highly anticipated guest speaker event titled ‘How to Navigate After the B.Pharm Degree’. The event featured two distinguished alumni from USIU-Africa, Dr. Brigit Musangi Mulwa and Dr. Grace Kiarie, both of whom brought valuable insights and expertise.
Dr. Brigit, an accomplished pharmacist, health content creator, and project associate at Africa Health Business, commenced the event with an engaging presentation. Drawing from her own experiences and professional journey, Dr. Brigit shed light on the various avenues available to pharmacy graduates post-graduation. She particularly emphasized the importance of navigating the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) examinations, which serve as a crucial gateway for practicing pharmacy in Kenya. With a thorough understanding of the examination process, Dr. Brigit provided students with practical tips and strategies to excel in these examinations, stressing the significance of early preparation and utilizing available resources effectively. She also emphasized the value of continuous learning and professional networking in establishing a successful pharmaceutical career, urging students to regularly interact with professionals and take advantage of networking opportunities to widen their perspectives.
Following Dr. Brigit's insightful presentation, Dr. Grace, an accomplished pharmacist, MBA, and MPH took the stage to share her expertise on pharmacy regulations, public health initiatives, leadership roles, and ambulatory care. With her comprehensive understanding of the global pharmacy landscape, Dr. Grace provided students with a broader perspective on international pharmacy careers. Furthermore, Dr. Grace discussed the evolving role of pharmacists in public health initiatives, emphasizing their vital contribution to patient care beyond traditional pharmacy settings. Her discussion on leadership opportunities available to pharmacists and the growing importance of ambulatory care services provided students with valuable insights into diverse career paths within the pharmacy profession.
In conclusion, the event was a resounding success, thanks to the invaluable contributions of Dr. Brigit and Dr. Grace and exemplified the USIU-Africa Pharmacy Club's commitment to fostering the academic and professional growth of its members, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration needed to thrive in their future pharmacy careers. As attendees left the event, they were filled with a sense of motivation and purpose, ready to embark on their professional journeys with confidence and determination.
By Betty Mbatia, Edith Amuhaya, Bachelor of Pharmacy group one and two of CMS 3700D Fall 2023
USIU-Africa is known for giving back to the community. Through its scholar-citizen initiative, USIU-Africa has been doing community service at Friends Anduru Educational Centre from September to November. This initiative prepares our students to be all-round students and ensures they identify problems in the community and come up with ways to provide solutions to the challenges in the community and makes them to be responsible citizens in the society.
The USIU-Africa has community service and development as a major component of its mission. As partial fulfillment of this aspect, the University offers its learners the opportunity to perform community service through the course Community Service Learning (CMS3700). This course aims to offer the much-needed service to communities for the mutual benefit of all parties involved, and to encourage personal involvement, community and personal awareness and responsible leadership. Through this course, students are sensitized to various social problems affecting our society and provides opportunities for students to reflect critically on their lived experiences.
This semester, the fifth year Bachelor of Pharmacy students undertook community service at the Friends Anduru Educational Centre in Korogocho, Kasarani. Due to the intensive nature of their course, each student performed 10 hours of service at the site. During this time, they undertook activities such as cooking, playing with the children, teaching, and fetching water. As part of the course requirements, each group of students had to raise a minimum of Ksh. 100,000 to carry out a sustainable project at the site.
To raise the funds, the students employed different fundraising techniques such as henna painting, and selling handmade bookmarks and online brochures raising a total of Ksh. 238,650. Part of the funds were used to enhance the learning environment at the institution through provision of learning desks and chairs for the learners, and a storage cupboard for the teachers. This aligned to the Social Development Goal (SDG) 4 which advocates for access to quality education for all learners. To help the institution reduce the cost of preparing meals for their learners, the students installed an energy saving ‘jiko’. This part of the project aligns to SDG 12 ‘Responsible consumption and production’. Furthermore, to help the institution improve its water autonomy, the students installed a 2,500-liter water tank. This part of the project is particularly critical to the institution because it ensures access to clean water, which contributes to both SDG 3 ‘Good health and well-being’ and SDG 6 ‘Clean water and sanitation’.
Additionally, part of the funds was used to purchase utensils, including plates and mugs, for the institution. This ensured that all the students had their meals at the same time without wasting time by eating in shifts. The provision of learning desks and modern jiko also contributes to SDG 10 as it reduces disparities in access to quality education regardless the socio-economic background of the learners at the Centre. Inequality was further reduced by provision of geometric sets and clip boards for use by the grade six students while undertaking their national examinations. It is important to note that the undertaken projects also align with Kenya Vision 2030 as they strive to improve basic education infrastructure and enhance living conditions of learners.
By Lincoln Munyendo
To build up a pool of skilled pharmaceutical production technicians, the German Chamber of Commerce (AHK) jointly with the Centre of Excellence in Pharmaceutical Innovations & Analysis (CEPIA) at USIU–Africa implemented a German model dual vocational training for the pharmaceutical industry in Kenya. The 12-month training comprised of 6 modules; theory, practicals and on-job training sessions concurrently delivered at USIU-Africa and Dawa Life Sciences, Regal Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Biodeal Laboratories Ltd and Elys Chemical Industries Ltd as factory sites.
Following its successful implementation, this was the first ceremony for the pioneer cohort of this program. The occasion that was officiated by Dr. Tom Menge and Dr. Nancy Nyeru from the Ministry of Health on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary Hon. Dr. Susan Nakhumicha. In her speech read at the event, the CS applauded USIU-Africa for providing the much-needed academia-industry linkage to enhance the scale-up of research and innovations through a well-thought collaboration. She reiterated it is in collaborating with academic and research institutions like CEPIA that government agencies continuously inform and shaped policy, particularly in the implementation of Universal Health Coverage.
Mr. Christian Freidemann, Policy Officer at the Embassy of German in Kenya representing the project funding agency Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) reiterated commitment of German cooperation to support improvement of quality of medicines in the region by supporting capacity building of pharmaceutical manufacturing. He affirmed that through they would fully fund a further 1 year of the program for a second cohort of students.
Dr. Lincoln Munyendo – Director, CEPIA reported that out of the admitted 25 students, 12% dropped out of the program in the first quarter. Hence of those that attempted the final examinations, only 2 students did not attain the pass mark. Hence the implementation of the first pilot course achieved an 80% of participants complete the course with a certificate from Auslandshandelskammern (AHK).
By CTW Team
Dr. Calvin Omolo, the Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences was recently featured in an article that ran on the Standard Newspaper’s digital platform.
In the article, Dr. Omolo spoke about his journey to being a professional in the field of Pharmaceutics, noting that his initial interest was in IT.
“I had never aspired to study medicine, but when I went to set up software at a pharmacy in Tanzania, I realized I could easily understand the prescription of drugs and the proprietor suggested that I study pharmacy,” he said.
So, he applied to study medicine in a university in Tanzania and used the money he received from installing the software to pay for his first degree in Pharmacy. He went through campus courtesy of scholarships which also catered for his Masters and PhD studies.
“One of my lecturers told me he had seen great potential in me and would link me up with someone who has a laboratory, equipment and funding to work with,” he says. That was how Dr. Omolo found himself at KwaZulu-Natal University in South Africa, where he enrolled for his Masters in Pharmaceutics.
On completion of his Doctoral studies, he came back to Kenya where he is now an Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He is also the Principal Investigator at the Novel Drug Delivery Unit and co-investigator and collaborator in the Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry Research Groups at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
He is working on a research project focusing on making and programming nanomedicines targeting specific disease sites in the body as well as troubleshooting complex drug solubility-related research to improve drug bioavailability, bioactivity, biocompatibility, targeted delivery, and immunity priming and training.
Read the article in its entirety here.
By Ermias Terefe
Dr. Ermias Terefe, Chair of the Pharmacology & Pharmacognosy Department at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has published new research findings on four new anti-HIV compounds from Croton megalocarpus, a widely used medicinal plant in Kenya.
Dr. Terefe assessed the cytotoxicity and anti-HIV activity of Croton megalocarpus, Croton macrostachyus, and Croton dichogamus with the goal of finding potentially effective and safe anti-HIV compounds. His studies were carried out at the USIU-Africa Research Lab, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the Institute of Primate Research (IPR), and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Green, United Kingdom.
Dr. Terefe’s study discovered four new, previously undescribed anti-HIV compounds, including three eudesmane type diterpenoids: ermiasolide A (5β-Hydroxy-8α-methoxy eudesm-7(11)-en-12, 8-olide), ermiasolide B (5β,8α-Dihydroxy eudesm-7(11)-en-12, 8-olide), ermiasolide C (5β-Hydroxy-8H-β-eudesm-7(11)-en-12,8-olide), and one crotofolane diterpenoid: ermiasoid (1β-acetoxy-3β-chloro-5α,6α-dihydroxycrotocascarin L).
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects the body’s defense mechanisms and leads to a number of opportunistic infections which later cause fatality as a result of an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). More than half a million individuals have lost their life in 2020 due to this disease.
Antiretroviral drugs have played a great role in improving the quality of life of HIV infected individuals. The side effects of these drugs coupled with resistance of the virus to the various regimens, necessitates the search for potentially new and effective antiretroviral medication.
These newly-discovered compounds displayed the highest anti-HIV activity by inhibiting viral replication with an inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of less than 0.04 µg/mL. Further in vitro assays and computational in-silico studies confirmed that the bioactive compounds work by inhibiting HIV-1 protease enzyme activity. The results of this study will serve as a solid starting point for the development of more potent, safe, and effective HIV medications.
Dr. Terefe's research outputs have been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of natural products, American chemical society; Molecules, MDPI Basel Switzerland; BMC complementary and alternative therapy, Springer Nature; and Journal of natural products research, Tyler and Francis, and can be read on the links shared below:
For more resources on faculty research and publications, please click here.
By Dr. Naumih Noah
Two members of faculty from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences together with their collaborators have received grants from the National Research Fund (NRF) to advance their research.
Dr. Edith Amuhaya, Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry together with her research team, which includes researchers from the University of Nairobi and Institute of Primate Research have been awarded a KES 15.6 million research grant. Their research is on “Computer Guided Development of Antifungal Agents for Candidiasis”. This work seeks to use computer modelling to identify 2-amino-4-chlorophenol derivatives which have potential application in candidiasis therapy. In addition to their identification and selection, these promising candidates will be synthesized and in vitro and in vivo studies carried out. It is anticipated that a locally developed antifungal will not only be less costly, but will contribute in the delivery of affordable healthcare.
Dr. Naumih Noah, Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry in collaboration with researchers from Multimedia University, Technical University of Mombasa, Maseno University and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) have been awarded KES 19.9 million to research on “Antibiotics in Food and Environment: Occurrence, Role in Formation and Transfer of Resistant Genes and their Removal from Wastewater using Green Adsorbents from Locally Available Materials”. Their work seeks to develop green nanomaterials from watermelon for removal of antibiotics from wastewater. The ultimate goal would be to sensitize stakeholders on health effects on misuse of antibiotics in farming and in human medicine.
These two grants will enhance the research agenda of the School as well as that of the University. Both projects will also be crucial in the School’s capacity building efforts, as they will involve graduate students in the three year studies.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board (KMPDB) on Wednesday, March 22 made an inspection and ratification of compliance visit to the recently unveiled Human Anatomy lab in the Science Center.
Led by Professor of Surgery and Chairman of both KMPDB and the Kenya National Examinations Council Prof. George Magoha, the inspection team was impressed by the quality of the facility, and the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ preparedness to offer a world-class Bachelor of Pharmacy degree program.
On hand to receive the team was Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono, the Acting Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Dr. Apollo Maima and other School and university officials. Prof. Magoha was accompanied by Dr. Daniel Yumbya (KMPDB Chief Executive Officer).
The new lab will begin to offer Bachelor of Pharmacy students the opportunity to study such biological systems as the muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine systems, once the university receives an expected Letter of Authority this Friday, March 3.
By CTW Team
Prof. Shital Mahindra Maru is the new Dean of School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHS). She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of pharmaceutics research development using innovative technologies for drug delivery.
Her plan for the SPHS is to give students a more experiential training and introduce more programs for pharmacy, biochemistry, epidemiology and biostatistics including B.Sc. Nursing. Additionally, she says her school plans to introduce medicine, dentistry and other health related courses.
“USIU- Africa has great systems, faculty members and state of the art infrastructure that support students and faculty in terms of research and development.”
Prof. Maru has over 20 years experiences in academic teaching, coaching and mentoring, curriculum development and research in Higher Education Institutes (HEI). Her work includes pediatric formulation and cosmetic formulations development using Quality by Design (QbD) and Process Analytical Technology (PAT) concepts, developing Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance (QA) systems and Pharmaceutical Quality Management Systems (QMS), Pharmaceutical Risk management systems, WHO cGMP and GxP (GLP/GDP, GSP, ICH guidelines and regulation, implementing of ISO 9001, ISO 17025 in pharmaceutical manufacturing unit, pharmaceutical regulatory affairs among others.
She is a consultant with the Pharmacy and Poison’s Board of Kenya as a technical advisor in the expert committee for Pharmacy Education and professional registration. She holds a PhD in Pharmaceutics under the Commonwealth Commission Scholarship at Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation (IPI) now Centre for Pharmaceutical Engineering at The University of Bradford, UK and University of Nairobi, a mPharm in Pharmaceutics from Rajiv Gandhi University, India, MBA from University of Liverpool, UK and a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Karnataka University, India.
Before joining USIU-Africa, she was the acting Dean, School of Pharmacy and Chairperson of the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Nairobi.
By Gaius Munene
Mt. Longonot, located in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, is an imposing stratovolcano that stands at an elevation of 2,776 meters above sea level. It is an iconic landmark and a popular hiking destination for outdoor enthusiasts. On March 4, 2023 the USIU-Africa Pharmacy Club embarked on a mission to conquer Mt Longonot, led by the club's patron; Dr Ermias Terefe and the club chair, Gaius Munene.
The trek up Mt. Longonot was a challenging but rewarding experience. We went through a diverse range of terrains, from lush forests to rocky slopes and volcanic ash fields. As we began the ascent, we quickly realized that this was not a journey to undertake alone. We encouraged each other, shared water and snacks, and took breaks together to catch our breath and admire the stunning views. The group dynamic was especially important when we navigated the more challenging sections of the trail, such as the steep inclines and rocky slopes. The club members bonded over the shared experience, and we found ourselves laughing and sharing stories as we made our way up the mountain. We supported each other, pushing each other to keep going and not give up.
When we finally reached the crater rim, we were greeted with a breathtaking view that was best enjoyed with a group of friends. We soaked in the stunning beauty of the crater and the surrounding landscape.
Hiking the mountain was a bonding experience that brought the club members closer together and gave us a newfound appreciation for nature. It was a chance to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and connect with each other and the world.
Last week, the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya in partnership with KUKHA launched the first edition of the 1st Annual Kenya Healthcare Innovation Challenge Awards at USIU-Africa, which shall accelerate the implementation of healthcare innovations in Kenya towards the attainment of Universal Health Care (UHC).
In attendance were Hon. Rigathi Gachagua, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, Amb. Simon Nabukwesi- Principal Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. Nancy Njeru, Directorate Health Products and Technologies, Ministry of Health, and Hon. Muthomi Njuki, Governor, Tharaka Nithi County.
In his comments, the Deputy President noted that research and innovation in Healthcare were paramount to improving healthcare in our society, noting: “This Innovation Awards a critical step towards pragmatic approaches to finding solutions to the healthcare systems in Kenya.”
He further praised the University, noting that its facilities were orderly and conducive to studies, promising to come and take a more comprehensive tour of the campus.
By John Sande
On Tuesday, December 6, the Centre for Excellence in Pharmaceutical Innovations and Analysis (CEPIA), housed at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences hosted a meeting for Bureau for Alternative Medicine Practice and Products (BAMEPP). The meeting sensitized stakeholders of the CEPIA's Bureau for Alternative Medicine Practice and Products (BAMEPP), and discussions on the future of quality Alternative Medicine Practice and Products (AMEPPs). Photo: Spencer Muthusi.
Prof. Njeri Wamae during the award of the Clara Southmayd Ludlow Medal by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH). She recently received commendation from the World Health Organization for her work with its Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases.
By Brenda Odhiambo
Prof. Njeri Wamae, the former Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Science has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for her work in its Global Working Group on Monitoring and Evaluation of Preventative Chemotherapy, appointed by the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Neglected Tropical Diseases.
In her recognition of Prof. Wamae, the Director of the Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, Dr. Mwelecele Malecela noted that Prof. Wamae’s contribution had been instrumental in the ten years that the Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group had been in place.
“Prof. Wamae’s assistance in the working group and the expertise that she brought to her role has been greatly appreciated. We are indebted to her for her spirit of cooperation and the knowledge that the WHO can call upon her advice and experience at any time. We are also grateful to USIU-Africa for granting Prof. Wamae the opportunity to share with us her time and extensive knowledge, “she said.
The recognition is one of the many that Prof. Wamae has racked up in her career. Last year, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTM) awarded her the Clara Southmayd Ludlow Medal, awarded to honorees in recognition of their inspirational and pioneering spirit, whose work represents success despite obstacles and advances the field of tropical medicine.
Over the course of her career, Prof. Wamae has become an eminent researcher, administrator and teacher, publishing over sixty peer-reviewed journal essays, supervising numerous postgraduate students as well as examining theses/dissertations and supervising graduate students at local and international universities.
The team from SPHS during the inauguration of their new Dean, Prof. Ndemo, who replaces Prof. Njeri Wamae.
By Dr. Ermias Terefe
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and Student affairs, Prof. Ruthie Rono, formally inaugurated the new Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Science, Prof. Ndemo, in a ceremony that was held at the Science Centre. In addition to formally introducing Prof. Ndemo, the DVC-ASA also announced the creation of new departments within the school, as well as the new chairs of departments namely: Dr. Betty Mbatia- Chair, department of Pre-Clinical studies, Dr. Ermias Terefe- Chair, department of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy, Dr. Calvin Omolo- Chair, department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy practice.
Speaking during the ceremony, the outgoing Dean, Prof. Njeri Wamae thanked the staff at SPHS for their hard work, a sentiment echoed by the former Chair of Department, Dr. Munyendo, who applauded the members of SPHS and encouraged the new chairs to work in hard for the success of the school.
On his end, Prof Ndemo highlighted that he has a vision to start Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D) program in USIU-Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy degree from Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, UK, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and a Post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Pharmacokinetics from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, USA. He has held a number of academic positions including Associate Professor at University of Nairobi, Creighton University and Hampton University in the United States of America. He is a recipient of a number awards including, Fulbright Fellowship, British Technical Aids Award, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists(ASHP) research award, 2015
Academic Excellence Faculty Award and 2013 Internal Preceptor Award of Hampton University School of Pharmacy. Additionally, he has held administrative positions including Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya and currently serves as Chairman of Training and Assessment Technical Committee, Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenya.
The SPHS family wishes the new Dean all the best.
By Dr. Ermias Terefe
On Wednesday, May 6, the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHS) carried out an orientation for the incoming cohort of students who would begin their studies in the Summer Semester. A total of 30 Bachelor of Pharmacy and 6 Epidemiology and Biostatistics students attended the session, which was carried out via Zoom.
During the session, Prof. Francis Ndemo (Dean, SPHS), took students through an overview of the profession, as well as highlighting the different professional paths that students could take after the completion of their studies.
Similarly, Chairs of departments briefed students on the kind of courses managed and offered by the respective departments, the level of commitment expected from students, the resources available in the different laboratories and the contact details of faculty and staff in their department.
Speaking during the session, Prof. Ndemo urged the students to use their time in school to make a difference in the world, especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are currently going through a difficult time globally, which has highlighted the need for highly trained health personnel. I urge you to ensure that you spend your time here to ensure that you are at the frontlines of the significant developments happening in the health sector,” he said.
The orientation, which was carried out over a period of two weeks for both Graduate and Undergraduate students, marks the first time that the University has carried out this exercise online.
By Naumih Noah
Naumih Noah, an Associate Professor of Analytical/Bioanalytical Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has been elected as an Executive Board Member and Director of the Commonwealth Chemistry.
The Commonwealth Chemistry is a federation of Commonwealth Chemical Sciences Societies whose mission is to champion equal opportunity for all, drive innovation and promote excellence in the chemical sciences for the benefit of the Commonwealth nations and their people (https://commonwealthchemistry.org/about-us/).
Professor Noah will be among twelve (12) executive board members from different countries who were announced during the Annual General Meeting of the Commonwealth Chemistry which was held virtually on May 19, 2022. She will be representing Kenya through the Kenya Chemical Society (KCS) where she serves as the Organizing Secretary for the Nairobi Chapter.
Her vision for the Commonwealth Chemistry is that it will create excellent opportunities for partnerships and collaborations in science research supporting the Sustainable Development Goals as well as supporting equality and diversity in the chemical sciences across the Commonwealth countries which will go a long way in supporting USIU-Africa’s research strategic goals.
By Naumih Noah
Naumih Noah, an Associate Professor of Analytical/Bioanalytical Chemistry in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences represented USIU-Africa and the Kenya Chemical Society at the 2nd Commonwealth Chemistry Congress that was held between May 22-25, 2023 at the University of West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad, and Tobago as one of the Executive Board Members of the Commonwealth Chemistry.
The Congress brought together more than one hundred (100) young and emerging Scientists from 33 countries as well as many discussion leaders, speakers, and Chemistry Society Presidents/Chairs. Discussions featured looked at the Chemistry, Commonwealth, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specific topics covered Quality and Effective Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) and Climate Action (SDG 13) among others.
The keynote speakers emphasized to Commonwealth Chemistry member countries to be proactive in ensuring that chemistry is made sustainable for the future in all aspects.
By Diana Bironga
Last Friday, the Oathing Ceremony for the Bachelor of Pharmacy class of 2022 was held to formalize their completion of the program, making them full-fledged Pharmacists.
In attendance were representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, and officials from the United States Pharmacopoeia. Also in attendance were Prof. Freida Brown, the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margee Ensign, the Vice Chancellor, and Prof. Munyae Mulinge, the Deputy Vice Chancellor-Academic and Student Affairs. Dr. Rogers Atebe, the Chair of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board also graced the ceremony and administered the Oath.
Prof Mulinge congratulated the graduates, asking them the respect the oath they took, and urged them to go out and practice their profession ethically, sentiments that were echoed by Prof. Brown, who asked the students to make USIU-Africa proud.
Before the graduating class took the oath, Dr. Rogers Atebe reminded them of the nobility of the pharmacy profession and a short history of the oath. After they took the oath, he encouraged them to always act in the best interest of the patients.
The valedictorian, Dr. Kerai Dhruti, shared a recollection of the journey by the graduating class. She recounted the struggles they went through with their studies and advised them to continue with the phoenix-like attitude in their future endeavors.
By Shreena Patel and Heeral Vaghela
Every year on June 14, Blood Donor Day is observed worldwide to raise awareness for the need for blood donations for medical purposes. To mark the day, a blood donation camp was organized and held by the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (SPHS) in collaboration with the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services (KNBTS) on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 in USIU-Africa. The event attracted a total of 110 donors who collectively gave 104 units of blood that were deposited in the national blood bank.
Blood transfusion is crucial for health care systems, blood donations are vital for saving patients experiencing acute critical illness or chronic diseases such as severe blood disorders, oncologic conditions, and serious hemorrhagic complications after surgery, delivery, or major accidents. According to KNBTS, Kenya’s annual demand of blood stands at 500,000 units against the average 175,000 units being collected. These figures indicate a deficit of 325,000 units.
Misconceptions about blood donations, perceived harms and risks, and lack of motivation among potential donors have hampered the blood donation drives and this has led to blood scarcity being frequently encountered in health-care settings. However, if public awareness is done properly and eligible populations do donate frequently, the deficit and shortages experienced in the country can be avoided and the KNBTS will have a surplus.
Within a few hours of a donation, the human body can regenerate blood. Doctors advise blood donations every 3 months because they assist our bodies to get rid of waste blood and create new blood that keeps one healthier. It also lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes, reduces the risk of cancer, burns calories and aids in free blood analysis.
The team’s experience during the whole journey of the initiative was quite enlightening. The success of the event has encouraged them to carry out more awareness projects in the future.
By Brenda Odhiambo
On Thursday, December 9, the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences hosted an open day for Year 11 and 12 students from Woodcreek School. The visit was planned by the School as part of its plans to reach out and build relationships with high schools to create a pipeline for students interested in pursuing programs at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
The students were eager to acquire information on transitioning into university, including programs offered at USIU-Africa, admissions criteria, student diversity, career options and prospects, scholarships, internships, among many others.
In his opening remarks, the Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Dr. Francis Ndemo welcomed the students to the school, urging them to take the opportunity to learn as much as they could about campus life.
“I would like to thank each of you for being here today. It is not very often that students get the chance to get detailed career knowledge prior to choosing their future careers, and therefore, I would like to urge each and every one of you to take this opportunity to learn as much as you can about your intended careers, which will help you make an informed decision about your future,” he said.
“We are the most international and national university you will encounter in East Africa, comprising over 60 countries represented, and accommodating young people from across all the 47 counties in the country. The opportunity to encounter and the experience you receive from these interactions is one that you will treasure for the rest of your life,” he added.
On their end, the Woodcreek School team, led by Mr. Saphan Anode, a Chemistry and Biology teacher at the School thanked the University for the opportunity to have the students engage further with the School.
“We were drawn to USIU-Africa due to the international nature of the education offered here. Our visit was also prompted by a need to engage the University to give one of our students, who is interested in Pharmacy, a chance to access the state-of-the-art facilities at the laboratory,” he noted.
The Admissions Department walked the students through the history of the University, as well as through the admissions requirements for various programs at the University.
The students were also taken around the School's laboratories, where they had an opportunity to get a feel of the facilities offered by the University.
By Diana Meso and Lincoln Munyendo
On Thursday, February 13, the School of Pharmacy and Health Science (SPHS) received an assortment of laboratory equipment awarded to them in 2018 by the Seeding Labs, a US-based nonprofit working to help scientists make discoveries that improve life and the planet.
The award was after two members of faculty from SPHS: Dr. Lincoln Munyendo (Chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry) and Dr. Apollo Maima (Assistant Professor of Pharmacy) won a grant for university capital improvement through the Seeding Labs’ 2018 Instrumental Access Program where USIU-Africa was among 16 awardees around the world who qualified for the grant.
The equipment provides a foundation for other critical resources that allow scientists to generate new knowledge, leverage sustainable funding, and better prepare university students for the scientific workforce and innovation economy.
Some of the equipment received include a CombiFlash Rf-200 Automated Flash Chromatography System, AKTA PURIFIER 10 Protein purification system, ACQUITY UPLC System, Frac-920 Fraction Collector, ELECTROLAB/GLOBAL PHARMA Tap Density Tester, USP 1 and II among others.
By CTW Team
The School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, represented by its Dean, Prof. Francis Ndemo took part in the 2nd African Health ExCon, which was held in Egypt from June 6-9. The theme of the Conference was Placing Africa as a continental hub for health innovation and trade.
Prof. Ndemo took part in the AHB Series at the event, where he spoke on the session on Increasing Investments for Responsive Health Systems in Africa on June 8, 2023. In his address, he noted that investment in health systems was important because it increased the capacity for the health sector to implement more life saving measures, in addition to providing people with equitable access to healthcare.
The event was organized by the Egyptian Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) and the Arab Hospitals Federation, with the participation of healthcare stakeholders from government institutions and major international companies interested in investing in the health sector in Africa. The event brought together more than 1200 speakers from 90 countries, who took part in more than 316 sessions and 36 workshops held as part of the conference’s activities.
By Edith Amuhaya and Calvin Omolo
The School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will host a half-day virtual workshop to highlight approaches taken by different researchers, in developing drugs and delivery systems in combating microbial infections. The workshop is scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 31, 2022.
Two of the presenters, Dr. Calvin Omolo, Chair of the Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice Department at the School of Pharmacy and Dr. Edith Amuhaya, Assistant Professor, Organic Chemistry, will showcase their findings in research funded by the USIU-Africa’s internal grant.
Dr. Omolo’s research title is ‘Development of Novel Stimuli Responsive Drug Delivery Systems for Targeted Delivery of Antibiotics’. In his study he designed and prepared peptides, gels and nanoparticles for use as delivery agents for enhanced healing of infected wounds as well as in treatment of resistant bacterial infections. Dr. Amuhaya’s research title is ‘Development of Photoactive Materials for Water Decontamination’. In her study, she designed and prepared molecules capable treating resistant bacteria that are found in water. Both Dr. Omolo and Dr. Amuhaya’s research focus on combating resistant microbes due to the recent increase in ‘superbug’ infections globally.
Besides the research outputs realized, the two projects have seen training of both undergraduate and graduate students in various lab based skills. The work has also produced one peer-reviewed article titled, ‘Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy: Advancements in Porphyrin-Based Photosensitizer Development’ (2021).
The workshop will also feature two other researchers, Dr. Clare Muhanji and Dr. Lucy Kiruri, from the Technical University of Kenya and Kenyatta University, respectively. The two researchers will highlight approaches they used to develop new drug templates for anti-retroviral and coronavirus diseases.
The workshop is expected to attract the general public with an interest in development of antimicrobials, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers in related fields.
By Ashwani Hirani, Ashil Lakhani and Arnold Birasa
On Thursday, September 29, the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences celebrated World Pharmacists Day, which is celebrated worldwide. To mark this day, a blood donation camp was organized and was held by students from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in collaboration with Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services (KNBTS).
Blood transfusion is crucial for health care systems, blood donations are vital for saving patients experiencing an acute critical illness or chronic diseases such as severe blood disorders, oncologic conditions, and serious hemorrhagic complications after surgery, delivery, or major accidents. The blood donation drive attracted a total of 92 blood donors and a total collection of 92 pints of blood. According to KNBTS every 10 minutes, about 7 Kenyans need blood.
The event was also graced 3 alumni volunteers who graduated recently, Dr. Tanzeel Sheikh and Dr. Dhruti Kerai, and Dhruv Patel. It was a successful event, as was active participation from all our donors, indicating the activities of the School to educate the blood and USIU-Africa community on blood donation are bearing fruit.
By Brian Maoni
The Electoral College at the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences hosted the IPSF Information Session, held last Friday was a resounding success, attracting pharmacy students from various academic years. The session featured distinguished speakers who shared invaluable insights into the pharmaceutical field and international opportunities. Here's an overview of the event:
The event kicked off with a warm welcome and introduction by the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Electoral College, setting the stage for an engaging and informative evening. The speakers took turns addressing the eager audience, sharing their personal journeys and the benefits of participating in IPSF activities.
Michele Mayuba Rachel, as the Incoming IPSF AFRO Chairperson, emphasized the significance of IPSF's mission in promoting the role of pharmacy students on the global stage. She discussed the opportunities that IPSF offers, including international conferences, educational programs, and networking events. Her motivational words inspired the students to consider active involvement in IPSF.
Moreen Ndanu Muteti, the Student Exchange Officer of KEPhSA, shared her experiences and the transformative impact of participating in student exchange programs facilitated by IPSF. She highlighted the cultural exposure, academic enrichment, and personal growth that students can gain through such exchanges.
Emish Ondieki, the IPSF Contact Person, provided practical information about IPSF's activities within the school and how students can get involved. His presentation covered upcoming events, membership benefits, and the process of joining IPSF committees.
The Q&A session that followed allowed students to seek clarification and delve deeper into the opportunities presented by IPSF. The enthusiasm in the room was palpable as students eagerly inquired about application procedures, deadlines, and the selection criteria for various IPSF subcommittees.
The session was not only informative but also served as a platform for networking and fostering connections among pharmacy students. It encouraged them to take proactive steps towards enriching their academic and professional journeys through IPSF.
By Shyat Lemoshira
The USIU-Africa Alumni reunion Nairobi chapter took place on Friday, March 22 at the Swiss Lenana Mount Hotel. The theme of the awaited event was ‘Reconnect, Rebuild and Evolve’ which with the goal of reconnecting alumni among themselves, helping them in rebuilding their relationships, and evolving their conservations into new horizons of engagement. The event was also supported by Tsavo Delight, Wavu Travel & Tours, Mosfin Capital Insurance Agency, RentScore Africa and Jubilee Insurance. In addition, Jubilee Insurance, Mosfin Capital Insurance Agency and Metropolitan Hospital collaborated to offer free wellness checks during the event.
The Master of Ceremonies (MC), Nyawira Maina, Regional Corporate Manger at Little-Africa coordinated the program of the day while the Vice Chair of the USIU-Africa Alumni Committee, Emmanuel M’Mwirichia delivered the welcoming remarks. This was followed by presentations by Mosfin Capital Services and Tsavo Delight on AlumniCare and F.I.R.E (Financial Independence Retire Early) benefits respectively. Prof. Peter Kiriri, Professor of Marketing at USIU-Africa, expounded on the USIU-Africa Center for Executive Education (CEE) which aims to provide an immersive and multidisciplinary learning experience to improve research that link academia and industry. Mr. Kris Senanu, Chair of the USIU-Africa University Council, delivered his address and had fond memories of his time as a student and acknowledged the university's strong links with alumni.
Nyawira Maina engaged the audience with engaging and entertaining icebreakers such as Year of the Coin, Cups, and a Beat the Buzzer Quiz using AhaSlides. Maureen Kagambi, Communications Team Lead at Spearhead Consulting, made a presentation on the newly launched Pharmacy Alumni Network (PAN) which is composed of alumni who were former members of the USIU-Africa Pharmacy Club and members of the USIU-Africa Alumni Academic Affairs Committee. PAN aims to promote corporate social responsibility among members and stakeholders in the health industry. Gaius Munene (Class of 2023), a Pharmacist, emphasized that PAN also intends to interconnect alumni, brands and students through networking sessions, mentorship sessions, Senior Experience (SENEX) classes and accredited events in the fields of pharmacy, medical and health sciences.
The MC then led the guests through the awards session. Abigail Arunga (Class of 2011), Freelance Writer & Quizmaster was then declared winner of the AhaSlides Buzzer Quiz and was awarded a hamper from Jubilee Insurance. On the dress-code of the night (Evening Sparkle), Hannah Githuki (Class of 2012), Certified Personal Branding Coach and Expert & Grace Mwota (Class of 2021), Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and Jeremiah Asunda (Class of 2017), Marketing Consultant at Mojo Consultancy were awarded as the most sparkling ladies and gent respectively.
Charles Mwakio (Class of 2012), Director of Africa Brand Development, expressed gratitude to everyone who planned and attended the reunion. He also stated that the next USIU-Africa alumni reunion (Mombasa chapter) will be held on May 31, at Hotel English Point Marina & Spa in Mombasa.
In conclusion, the reunion set the stage for even more incredible gatherings to reconnect with the alma mater, evolve and ignite relationships; a night that rekindled the spirit of USIU-Africa and reminded everyone why our community is special.
By Samuel Inshutiyimana
On Saturday, September 23, 2023, students from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences attended the World Pharmacy Day 2023 celebration event organized by the Pharmacy Students’ Association of Kenya (KEPhSA) in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK). This year’s World Pharmacy Day theme was ‘’Pharmacy Strengthening Health Systems’’. Convening at Kabarak University, the event attracted pharmacy students, from all nine schools of pharmacy in Kenya, and several industry experts in the field of pharmacy namely; Dr. Eva Amwayi (Regulatory Pharmacist), Dr. Ermias Terefe (Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at USIU-Africa), Dr. Victor Achoka (Community Pharmacist), Dr. Lydia Momanyi (Clinical Pharmacist), Dr. Hesbon Njau (Clinical Pharmacist), and Dr. Stephen Kigera (Pharmacist at Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies-MEDS).
With the theme, the industry experts elaborated on their perspectives on the current status of health systems and the role of pharmacists in improving health systems. Dr. Lydia pointed out some of the factors including leadership that hinder the efficient and effective healthcare system if not well conducted and proposed the need to diagnose the current health system, starting from how decisions are made. Moreover, Dr. Lydia talked about Universal Health Coverage and shed light on opportunities it provides to pharmacists such as data analytics, procurement, supply chain management, training, and mentorship. This also served as an encouragement for students to explore more on these areas. Dr. Ermias shared his insights and experiences on strengthening health systems where he emphasized the need to ensure the availability of enough pharmacists and the integration of pharmaceutical servicers with health facilities. He also encouraged students to be advocates of the same by leveraging their social platforms.
Thereafter, students from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences got an opportunity to meet and chat with pharmacy students from other universities. Accompanied by their approachable and inspiring professor Dr. Yasodha K. Janapati, our students participated eagerly in different quizzes and games. The day ended with the panelists and PSK members awarding the event winners and our students emerged victoriously with four trophies, rendering them the 2nd Best overall winners, next to Kenya Methodist University pharmacy students.
By Jemima Oloo
Last Friday, the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in conjunction with the Pharmacy Club hosted the inaugural White Coat Ceremony for first year Pharmacy students. A white coat ceremony is a celebration for medicine students or students in health related fields, which symbolizes their entrance into the medical profession with the distinguishing attributes of professionalism, responsibility and patient care.
The ceremony was graced by representatives from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the Kenya Medical Association, the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya and the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, Prof. Munyae Mulinge, who urged the students to work towards being utmost professionals in their field of study.
According to the Club Patron of the Pharmacy Club, Dr. Ermias Terefe, the white coats received by the students represented their commitment to the pharmacy profession and adherence to ethical and moral standards. The event also served as a reminder to students of their responsibilities as healthcare professionals and to instill in them the values of compassion, empathy and respect for patients.
The coating ceremony was officiated by the Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Prof. Francis Ndemo, Club Patron Dr. Ermias Terefe, CEO, Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, Dr. Lucas Nyabero, and faculty members Dr. Amsalu Defergsha and Prof. Larry Kimani. After the coating, they took a Professional Pledge administered by Dr. Lucas Nyabero.
Director Pharmacy Practice, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Dr. Wilfred Ochieng urged the future pharmacists to catch up with future trends in the pharmaceutical world. He emphasized that learning is continuous and the need for one to be up to date regardless of their area of expertise, especially because pharmacy is the commitment to lifelong learning.
He addressed the myth on pharmacists being viewed as shopkeepers by reiterating that the students needed to see themselves as being more than that by constantly choosing to walk through the narrow path and going against the grain.
In his remarks, Dr. Lucas Nyabero emphasized to the students that pharmacists were charged with the provision of effective, efficient, safe, quality and affordable pharmaceutical care. He reminded the young students as he emphasized the power pharmacists have in dispensing drugs and the nobility of the profession that embodies the virtues of respect, responsibility and honesty.
Finally, he urged the young pharmacists to go out in pursuit of knowledge to enable them to standout not just as pharmacists who would graduate and get employed but as entrepreneurs who will create jobs for many and thus distinguishing them as problem solvers.
Congratulations to our first year Pharmacists.
Dr. Dawit Woldu, Assistant Professor of Medical Anthropology and Public Health, in the college of Human Sciences and Humanities at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), Houston Texas.Photo Courtesy
By SPHS
USIU-Africa is privileged to host Dr. Dawit Woldu as a visiting professor of Public Health in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Dr. Woldu is Assistant Professor of Medical Anthropology and Public Health, in the college of Human Sciences and Humanities at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), Houston Texas and is also professor of Cross-cultural and Global Studies at the same University.
He will be attached to the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for the summer of 2019 and will work with faculty in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to initiate new research projects and help mentor health sciences students. Dr. Woldu will teach Research Methods and Biostatics with Professor Ermias Mergia Terefe to fourth year Pharmacy major students. He will also collaborate with faculty at the school to develop and revise existing courses and programs during his stay.
Dr. Woldu holds a Ph.D in Medical Anthropology and Graduate certificate in Public Health from the University of Florida, in Gainesville. His dissertation field work focused on the social and ecological determinants of malaria in Mwea Division in Central Kenya. Dr. Woldu conducted postdoctoral work at Ohio University on Substance abuse and HIV/AIDS risk in Korogocho, Nairobi. He is the lead faculty for the USIU-Africa-UHCL collaborative initiative which led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two universities that will focus on faculty exchange, establishment of joint institutes focusing on professional development in Africa, and student exchange programs. His areas of research are social and behavioral determinants of infectious diseases in East Africa, particularly Kenya. He is passionate about conducting research on infectious diseases and finding ways to mitigate this health problem both at the scientific and policy levels. Dr. Woldu has published a book and several peer reviewed journal articles on infectious diseases, human rights and health, and substance abuse on Africa and African diaspora.
By Gaius Munene
The Hospital Pharmacists Association of Kenya (HOPAK) recently hosted an ophthalmology workshop at the Lions SightFirst Eye Hospital in Loresho on June 30, 2023. The workshop aimed to bridge academia and professional practice, providing both students and professionals with practical insights into ophthalmology.
The ophthalmology workshop organized by HOPAK created a unique platform for USIU-Africa Pharmacy students to enhance their clinical practice and broaden their knowledge. Led by experienced ophthalmologists and hospital pharmacists, the workshop covered various aspects of ophthalmology, including eye disorders, ocular medications, and therapeutic interventions. Through interactive sessions and presentations, the students gained valuable knowledge and practical skills crucial to their future careers.
The workshop fostered a dynamic learning environment, allowing for meaningful discussions and exchange of ideas. Participants had the opportunity to engage with professionals in the field, providing insights into the challenges and strategies in ophthalmology practice. Moreover, networking opportunities arose, enabling students to establish connections with experienced pharmacists, pharmacy students from other universities and ophthalmologists, which could potentially lead to mentorship and collaboration in the future.
The workshop served as a source of inspiration for the students, fueling their passion for ophthalmology and expanding their career aspirations. Witnessing the impact of pharmacists in ophthalmology practice motivated them to make meaningful contributions to patient care. In conclusion, the workshop proved to be a highly enriching experience. It exemplified the importance of continuous learning, professional development, and interdisciplinary collaboration within the healthcare sector. Such initiatives play a vital role in preparing future pharmacists to address challenges and seize opportunities in their professional journeys.
By Dr. Betty Mbatia, Dr. Naumih Noah and Dr. Jonathan Mwangi
Two new academic programs in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry (B. Tech Analytical Chemistry) and Bachelor of Science in Applied Biochemistry (B.sc Applied Biochemistry) have recently been reviewed by subject experts and CUE quality assurance officers to ensure USIU-Africa has minimum capacity to offer such programs.
The two programs are anchored in the belief that graduates who are well equipped with appropriate knowledge, skills and values deliver excellent professional services and are line with the University’s strategic objective of increasing the number of innovative programs in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and to grow a diverse student population over the next five years. The programs will offer a comprehensive and rigorous curriculum which will not only contribute significantly to the academic strength of the university, but also serve the entire East African region and the world at large.
The Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry was developed in response to a needs assessment and market survey analyses which revealed a growing need of technology experts that are able to design, plan, and execute practical investigations to develop our pharmaceutical, industrial and agricultural sectors. In addition, it was noted that fresh graduates in the workforce lack the ability to use complex equipment and chemicals safely and accurately.
The Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry will therefore strive to supply the industry with graduates that have these competences in order to fulfill the identified skills gaps. This will be done by providing a hands-on practical experience by applying classroom knowledge and theory in real-life situations in the laboratory which will enable the graduates to master the technical ability to work with equipment and chemicals in the laboratory and the graduates will have a wide range of career options; which include working in Universities, Government, pharmaceutical and environmental companies and research institutes.
The Bachelor of Science in Applied Biochemistry focuses on the belief that a student equipped with knowledge and techniques in biological chemistry can apply these to solve challenges relating to improving health and nutrition, forensics, increasing agricultural and manufacturing productivity and sustaining the environment. The program’s curriculum is a result of painstaking work that has taken at least three years involving experts drawn from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, stakeholders and potential employers from various academic, industry and research institutions.
The Bachelor of Science in Applied Biochemistry like the Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry, are currently not offered by any other local university and are radically different from any related programs in the local market, as they offer hands-on laboratory experience.
By Aisha Ahmed and Rutendo Nissi
On the afternoon of February 8, a group of Pharmacy students affiliated with the Pharma Incubation Hub, a fellowship program dedicated to equipping aspiring pharmacists with essential skills, hosted the memorable and dynamic talk and panel discussion titled ‘Mind Matters: Breaking the Silence on Mental Health.’ This social impact initiative was birthed by the strong will of the organizing team to contribute to the realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Distinguished guest speakers graced the occasion, each bringing invaluable expertise to the theme. Among them was Lydia Winda, USIU-Africa’s senior counselor and a seasoned psychologist boasting 14 years of experience in sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and life skills. Lydia's dedication has been evident through her tireless support for numerous students on campus, earning her recognition as a trusted counselor and advocate. During her session, Lydia adeptly addressed the prevalent issue of pharmacy students being overburdened with academic demands, often at the expense of their well-being, resulting in adverse health effects. Her insightful advice emphasized the importance of self-awareness, urging students to prioritize their mental and physical health. By encouraging students to recognize signs of stress and seek assistance when needed, Lydia provided invaluable guidance for fostering a healthy balance amidst demanding academic schedules. The session proved to be enlightening and resonated deeply with attendees, leaving a lasting impact on our collective understanding of self-care and well-being.
Shukriya Mahat, a wholistic practitioner trained in functional medicine and the co-founder of the Coalition for Action for Preventative Mental Health Kenya (CAMPHK), an organization accelerating mental health ecosystems with over 120 community-based Organizations (CBOs) and non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), aimed at implementing local interventions by drawing on indigenous resources to address mental health challenges in Kenya, delivered a highly impactful and captivating talk. Drawing on her seven years of experience in community work, promoting a preventative outlook on mental health. Taking a psychosomatic, biology-based approach, Shukriya elucidated the various dimensions of stress, its multifaceted expressions by the body and how one can take a self-regulating approach to maintaining awareness of their well-being to achieve sustainable mental health. As the majority of the attendees were students from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, the scientific facts presented throughout the talk greatly enriched the discussion.
As the curtains fell on the Mind Matters event, the interactive question and answer session illuminated the pivotal importance of destigmatizing mental health challenges. In a profound moment, Shukriya emphasized, "People who can cry are the bravest," encapsulating the essence of embracing the vulnerability and courage inherent in acknowledging and expressing one's emotions.
The Mind Matters initiative stands as a testament to the power of collective issue and the urgency for unwavering commitment to destigmatizing mental health challenges and fostering a preventative perspective on mental health optimization. May it serve as a reminder to empower ourselves by prioritizing our mental health and pave the way for a future where holistic well-being is wholeheartedly embraced.
By Millicent Mwololo
Kenya is among nations in East Africa that have embarked on an industrialisation journey. In recent times, innovation in medical manufacturing has emerged as an area of big interest, hastened by urgent demands for responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is against this backdrop that the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) has mounted a new course: Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry.
A first one in the region, the Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry at USIU-Africa is programmed to equip students with knowledge, expertise, and hands-on skills that will benefit the region’s manufacturing industries.
In the health sector, the graduates will be in a position to use nanotechnology to develop sensitive, selective and rapid devices for the diagnosis of diseases.
They will also obtain skills for drug discovery, and the requisite technological knowhow for quality assurance of manufactured drugs. This will ensure that locally-manufactured products meet international quality standards.
Notably, the use of green chemistry in the re-engineering of industrial processes will drive efficiencies by reducing both the time and energy spent in manufacturing, while appropriately managing wastes to promote environmental sustainability.
Again, the use of nanotechnology will be essential in the development of nanofilters for water filtration, which will ensure safe and clean water for all.
In agriculture, the graduates will have the knowledge to help in pest and weed control, as well as soil management. In personal care, the graduates will have been trained to ensure that the ingredients used in cosmetics are safe and are of good quality.
Generally, the Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry aims at providing students with in-depth understanding of analytical chemistry.
The design of the programme was informed by the results of a needs assessment and market survey, which had pointed to a shortage of people with good knowledge to handle complex equipment and chemicals safely and accurately. It had also emerged that Kenya had neglected the academic discipline of analytical chemistry, which is an essential field in all industries and is important for environmental protection.
“The increasing cost of raw materials has led to an increased need for recycling, which calls for analytical chemists to ensure that the quality of recycled materials are suitable for reprocessing. Besides, there is a need to develop innovative analytical approaches in response to emerging food safety issues,” states Prof Naumih Noah, Associate Professor of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry at USIU-Africa.
Also, there is a growing need to establish and identify materials as well as quantify composition of purity. In agriculture, for instance, studying the suitability of soil for specific crops will go a long way in helping to improve agricultural production. “In addition, quality control is very critical in every pharmaceutical field…. There is a need for a high level of professional and scientific integrity in the industry,” adds Prof Noah.
The goal of the Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry is to provide students with hands-on practical experiences in the laboratory in the core areas of analytical chemistry such as instrumentation, quality control and quality assurance of practices.
The programme execution at USIU-Africa is quite innovative. “With the state of the art laboratories, the students will be able translate and apply what they have learned in class into real life problems. This will enable them to demonstrate the ability to conceptualise, identify and collect relevant chemical data and present findings in scientific contexts,” says Prof Noah.
The course targets anyone who is fascinated by analysis and has a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KSCE), International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGSE), or General Certificate of Education (GCE). Also, holders of Higher Diploma and Diploma in a relevant field can apply.
KCSE graduates must have attained a minimum aggregate of C+ and at least a C+ in Chemistry, C+ in Physics or Biology or Biological Science, C+ in Mathematics, and C+ in English. Other requirements include five upper level passes in IGCSE/IB, five credits in any five subjects at 'O’ Level, and/or 'A’ Level, passes of Cat GCE. For those with Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE), the admission requirements include two principal passes in Chemistry and Mathematics, and a subsidiary.
Graduates of the programme will venture into careers in research institutions, food and beverages industries, water quality industries, mining industries, quality assurance industries, academia, pharmaceutical companies, and forensic laboratories.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm around this course, being the first Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry in Kenya, and given that it will offer hands-on skills. With the exposure to the state-of-the-art laboratories, and internships, our graduates will have an upper hand in employment,” Prof Noah says.
By the end of the training, graduates will possess knowledge of analytical techniques and the ability to conduct objective assessments concerning the use of chemical substances and laboratory procedures. They will have also acquired the technical ability to use complex equipment safely and accurately, and the capacity to plan a problem from the recognition stage through to evaluation and appraisal of results and findings.
Other advanced skills include expert analysis and reporting of scientific results, analytical techniques and instrumentation, such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS), spectroscopy (infrared and ultraviolet), electrochemistry and thermogravimetric analyser (TGA), amongst others.
USIU-Africa has heavily invested in human resources and infrastructure to pilot this new programme. The university has received funding from the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship to work with Prof Emilly Obuya from Russell Sage College in Troy New York, who helped develop the programme.
The course has received accreditation by the Commission for University Education (CUE) in Kenya and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in the United States of America.
Besides, USIU-Africa has strengthened the programme through collaborations with research institutions and pharmaceutical companies, as well as academic institutions via Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), so that students can do proper research and internships to expose themselves to the industry.
Presently, the collaborating institutions include Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Universal Limited, DAWA Limited, COSMOS Limited, Pona Herbs and Labs Limited, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi, Multimedia University of Kenya, and University of Malawi.
By also training students in the basics of entrepreneurship, the university has integrated innovation into this programme to prepare graduates for self-employment and job creation.
“The programme offers a one semester on practicum where the students will interact with all the instrumentation we have in our state-of-the-art laboratories. From this experience, they can come up with innovative projects which they will be doing in their Third Year of study,” Prof Noah explains.
To find out more about the programme, click here.
* Originally published in the Daily Nation.
By Lincoln Munyendo
May 22- 27, 2023 marked a week-long extensive knowledge sharing amongst the members of the Pharmacy Professionals Society during the 43rd Annual Scientific Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya Conference. The theme of the conference was ‘Positioning Pharmacists in a Dynamic Healthcare Environment’.
The conference was attended by various stakeholders across the pharmaceutical profession, ranging from hospitals to industry players and the regulator, the Pharmacy & Poisons Board.
Representatives from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, made up of faculty, students and alumni presented several groundbreaking papers, including:
The keynote address at the conference was delivered by Dr. Anastasia Nyalita (CEC Health, Nairobi County) and Dr. Sultan Matendechero (Deputy Director General at Ministry of Health, Kenya) who emphasized to the Pharmacists to be proactive and position themselves as key in the improvements in the healthcare system in Kenya.
By Diana Meso
On Thursday, January 31, USIU-Africa and Capital Group Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding to assist people with their mental well-being through the Bonga Initiative (a platform created by Capital Group Ltd). The event held at the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom was attended by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza, DVC Academic and Student Affairs Amb. Prof. Ruthie Rono, Capital Group Ltd Managing Director Omoina Kimojino, members of faculty from the Department of Psychology and other members from Capital Group.
Bonga is an initiative to encourage people to open up and be more honest about their mental well-being. It is a safe space where people can share their feelings anonymously without fear of judgement, and empathize with others going through stress and mental conditions like depression, anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder. Through this partnership, USIU-Africa students, faculty and established alumni will be able to offer expert counsel to Bonga platform users while Capital Group Ltd. will offer brand awareness and association especially to the Psychology Department, extend branding on the web platform Bonga for USIU-Africa counselors as certified professionals affiliated with USIU-Africa and access to various cases, highlighting new areas for research and data collection on mental illness in Kenya.
This partnership was spearheaded by Dr. Josephine Arasa (Associate Professor of Psychology & Ag. Chair, Psychology Department) and Ms. Ivy Mangeli (a psychology Alumni and Bonga/Capital group staff). This comes months after USIU-Africa in partnership with Blaze and DW communications held discussions on Mental illness at the auditorium. The university continues to put in place measures to ensure that mental health is observed and treated with importance.
Award-winning fournalist and Africa Uncensored CEO Mr. John-Allan Namu (Journalism, 2006) speaks to the students attending the first alumni mentorship forum. PHOTO: DAN MUCHAI
By Susan Muriuki
The Department of Journalism and Corporate Communication hosted several alumni as part of a interactive mentorship forum on February 28 at the auditorium.
The event, which attracted over 60 undergraduate journalism majors provided an opportunity for students to interact with such household alumni as Africa Uncensored CEO Mr. John-Allan Namu (Journalism, 2006), Open Capital Advisors Group Communications Manager Ms. Corazon Wandimi (Journalism, 2009), freelance videographer Austin Otieno (Journalism, 2017) and Nation Media Group Reporter Brian Wasuna (Journalism, 2012).
Others present were adjunct faculty and alumni Mr. Daniel Omondi and Mr. Fred Waga.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza who was the chief guest, emphasized the need to expand cinematics, film, and creative arts sectors which are critical areas in the creative economy, given that it accounts for 5.32% of Kenya’s GDP. He also reiterated the University’s commitment to supporting the growth of the new School of Communication, Cinematics and Creative Arts, whose launch will take place in the summer semester.
Notable among remarks by alumni was the importance of bridging theory and practice where students upon graduation are able to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained in classroom.
They also emphasized the centrality of mentorship programs in nurturing and inspiring the current students as they prepare to join the competitive job market.
Faculty members led by the Department’s Chair Dr. Kioko Ireri (Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication) underscored the importance of collaboration among the alumni, faculty, staff and students, to achieve a common agenda of providing mentorship and academic enrichment to learners. Further, they encouraged students to take advantage of the mentorship programs in order to shape their career paths.
The event was organized by the Students Advising and Mentorship Committee chaired by Dr. Joseph Nyanoti, and whose membership includes Ms. Robi Koki (Lecturer, Journalism), Mr. Silvester Mutua (Lecturer, Journalism), Dr. Geoffrey Serede (Assistant Professor of Journalism), Dr. Lucy Gichaga (Assistant Professor of Journalism), Mr. Isaiah Cherutich (Lecturer, Journalism & Public Relations) and finally Chair of the Department of Cinematics Arts and Assistant Professor of Film & Animation Dr. Rachael Diang’a.
Dr. Stephen Kimotho (Assistant Professor of Journalism), Dr. Gichaga, Mr. Mutua, and Dr. Serede also attended the event, which the department hopes will henceforth be held every semester.
By Dinah Mwangi
Last Friday, the USIU-Africa Radio Club held a meet and greet event that united both Radio Club members and radio enthusiasts in USIU-Africa. The event, which was hosted in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences building, kicked off at 2pm. The meet and greet was a celebration of the Radio Club's achievements, a glimpse into the promising future under the stewardship of the incoming management, and to crown it all, an insightful panel session with radio industry veterans in top media stations in the country, who were all former Radio Club members.
The event commenced with a heartfelt introduction of the outgoing management, who stepped aside to hand over the reins to the new management. John Kennedy, the new head of USIU-Africa Radio, and the Vice Chair, Catherine Jama, gave a welcome speech that focused on the new management's commitment to taking USIU-Africa Radio to new heights, and inspiring creativity among its members.
During their presentation, John Kennedy and Catherine Jama unveiled USIU-Africa Radio’s exciting plans for the next semester. These include a Tiny Desk Concert, featuring talented local artists, promised to captivate audiences with soulful performances. There will also be a podcast training aimed to empower Radio Club members with the art of audio storytelling, which will enable them to reach wider audiences beyond the traditional radio format. This innovation will modify radio shows to be available as both on-air broadcasts and engaging podcasts, expanding USIU-Africa Radio’s reach to a global audience.
The highlight of the upcoming year would be the bi-annual audition for new radio hosts and members, starting in spring 2024. These sought-after auditions have a history of discovering exceptional talents and nurturing them into captivating radio personalities.
Following the presentation, the main panel session commenced, featuring two prominent figures in the radio industry. Sandra Marondo, formerly head of USIU-Africa Radio and now a producer of two shows on Capital FM, including "The Hype," shared her journey from being a host on the hotspot show on USIU-Africa Radio to her current role in mainstream media. Sandra emphasized the importance of building skills, ranging from video editing to audio editing, to thrive in the dynamic world of radio.
Teddy Otieno, a seasoned radio presenter at Hot96, also a former Radio Club member and host of "Morning Madness" on USIU-Africa Radio, took the audience on a captivating journey of his career. He emphasized the significance of building an on-air personality and crafting compelling content strategies to engage and retain listeners.
Club Patron, Dr. Caroline Kiarie reiterated her unwavering support for Radio club, its grand plans for the future, and also offering encouragement to the club members to be active and participate in the opportunities available at USIU-Africa Radio.
The event had achieved its purpose - celebrating the past, embracing new opportunities, and fostering a sense of unity among radio enthusiasts. With the new management at the helm and the guidance of industry experts who are former USIU-Africa Radio members, USIU-Africa Radio is destined to continue its legacy of captivating listeners and making a significant impact in the world of radio.
By Patience Kipkemoi
Today marks World Radio Day and the theme for 2023 is Radio and Peace. UNESCO has highlighted how radio stations can shape narratives that can influence domestic and international situations and decision-making processes. On this World Radio Day, we choose to look back and appreciate the impact the USIU-Africa radio community has been able to make on the USIU-Africa community from the inside out.
Dinah Mwangi, a co-host of The Connect shared one of her most memorable experiences at USIU-Africa Radio being when she went for her auditions. She shares how the warmth and patience of the radio management was enough to calm her anxiety at the time and get her through the audition.
“Once I joined the USIU-Africa Radio community, working on The Connect with my fellow co-hosts Saleef and Peace was confidence boosting and allowed me to explore my voice as a presenter,” she says.
“I also credit my growth as a news writer and a news presenter to Nick from the news team who offered me guidance and constructive feedback. The USIU-Africa Radio community has been a safe space to see just how much I can challenge herself in order to grow,” she adds.
For some, their love for USIU-Africa Radio community started even before they joined USIU-Africa. Saleef, one of the show hosts on The Connect shares meeting amazing creatives from USIU-Africa Radio and having amazing conversations on and off air. These experiences inspired him to join the USIU-Africa Radio community where he has been able to meet with some of the biggest personalities in the Kenyan music, film and business industry and host them for interviews. Saleef also fondly recalls the USIU-Africa Radio events from the past year as a highlight of his school year.
Just like Saleef, Lisa, one of the hosts on The Unspoken, also recalls one of her most memorable experience at USIU-Africa Radio being The Joyride Podcast campus workshop, where she was able to interact with different people within the podcasting community.
Aside from that, Lisa has been able to form lifelong friendships with intentional friends as a result of the USIU-Africa Radio community. One of Lisa’s favorite moments while at the USIU-Africa radio last year was when her co-hosts Maureen and Flod did a radio special on their show celebrating her birthday that morning and later in the afternoon celebrating her birthday with a cake baked by her friend and co-host Flod with all the other USIU-Africa radio members during the weekly radio meeting.
For our Head of Radio, Kate, radio is very special because it is all about the power of a voice and the impact a message can have. It creates opportunities for different people to communicate meaningful message and share a sense of community with your listener. Her love for radio is mainly due to the way the USIU-Africa radio team is always ready to make things happen. She also adores the sense of community shared within the club. Whether it is through fellow members coming together to create magic or the light banter that seems to follow every radio meeting. That sense of togetherness is something very special that Kate confesses is often very hard to come by.
The USIU-Africa Radio community has been able to build itself back through the COVID-19 pandemic and contribute to the larger USIU-Africa community as a result of hard working and passionate team members who value each other and all want the same thing; a community that supports their passion for radio and media. And isn’t community all we really need at the end of the day?
By Rehema Okeno
As the early morning sun cast its golden rays across the numerous trees at the parking lot of the university, there was a general feeling of anticipation in the air. For weeks, we, a group of eager animation students, had eagerly awaited this moment: the day when Professor Sheila Mulinya, who has been teaching us the Cinema and Television equipment workshop course would lead us on a journey beyond the confines of our usual classrooms and animation labs and into the heart of the broadcasting world. The much-awaited day, February 16, had finally arrived. I stood pensively among my classmates outside the university’s transport office, our excitement palpable as we waited to embark on a field trip unlike any other. Promptly at 9:30 a.m., our adventure began as we boarded the van, our hearts racing with the promise of newfound knowledge and unforgettable experiences that were awaiting us at the Switch Media studios. I did not know exactly what to expect, but I was open to learn as much as I could on this trip.
As the university van navigated through the busy Thika Road traffic, each minute seemed to stretch into eternity, and our anticipation was mounting with every passing moment. With a collective sigh of relief, we finally merged onto the Nairobi expressway, our journey smoothing out as we neared our destination. Arriving at the Kenya Red Cross premises in South C with just minutes to spare before our scheduled visit, a sense of exhilaration washed over us.
As we stepped out of the van, we were greeted by Mr. Wellington Nyangweso, whose warm smile and welcoming demeanor instantly put us at ease. He shared some pleasantries with Prof. Mulinya and without wasting any moment, he led us briskly through the premises and into the heart of the studio. As we entered the studio, we were instructed to leave our bags and water bottles at the entrance, a small sacrifice in exchange for the privilege of stepping into this hallowed space. With bated breath, we followed Mr. Nyangweso, into the studio, where we were met with a breathtaking sight: a symphony of lights, cameras and microphones meticulously arranged in a dazzling display of technological prowess. It was a moment of pure awe as we stood face to face with the very tools of trade that bring our favorite television shows and films to life in the professional world.
Under the expert guidance of Mr. Nyangweso, who we were amazed by his rare grasp of all the functionalities of the studio, our journey into the world of broadcasting took on a new depth and clarity. “I am not a teacher, so my lesson today will be guided fully by your questions,’’ he quipped.
With a passion for his craft evident in every word he spoke, he led us through an intensive session, separating the mysteries behind each piece of equipment with an enthusiasm that was both infectious and affable. With patience and kindness, he fielded each question that arose from our curious minds, taking the time to ensure that none of our queries went unanswered.
His dedication to our learning was palpable as he meticulously attended to each one of us, encouraging interaction and fostering an environment where knowledge flourished with ease. Despite the technical complexity of the subject matter, Mr. Nyangweso’s explanations were clear and concise. He made even the most daunting concepts accessible to our eager minds. As we absorbed his teachings with rapt attention, it became evident that this was more than just a tour of a professional broadcast studio, it was an invaluable opportunity to learn from a master of the craft.
We soon learned that the studio, is no longer in active broadcast as it was undergoing a transformation of its own. Mr. Nyangweso revealed that it would soon re-open its doors as a media school, poised to nurture the next generation of storytellers and technicians. With plans to launch in early March 2024, the studio was on the brink of a new chapter. We felt privileged to have been granted a glimpse into its illustrious past and the promising future that its prospects hold.
Our journey of discovery continued as Mr. Nyangweso delved into the intricacies of the studio’s setup. With a sweep of his hand, he gestured towards the array of studio lights, each meticulously positioned to capture every shade of the action unfolding before them. Moving on, he guided us through the forest of multi-cameras including robotic ones, each one a sentinel poised to capture a different angle of the story being told. As we traversed the various studio sets, from the newsrooms, the green-screen, all the way to talk show stages, we marveled at the attention to detail that brought each scene to life. But it was when we stood before the myriad microphones, each waiting to amplify the voices of those who would stand before them, that the true scope of the studio’s capabilities began to dawn on us.
The studio gallery was part of the many highlights of the day. Even with it not running live, we felt the busy and enriching atmosphere as we were guided through how the schedule in a 24-hr studio runs. We were giddy as we were shown how the gallery runs the broadcasting schedule with it being the heart of the studio. With deft hands, Mr. Nyangweso led us through the labyrinth of major connections that linked each piece of equipment, a complex web of wires and cables that formed the backbone of the studio’s infrastructure. And as we ventured into the gallery, a hallowed space where the magic of live broadcasting truly came to life, we were granted a glimpse into the director’s domain. Here, amidst a sea of monitors and control panels, we witnessed firsthand the orchestration of a live broadcast, where the director’s commands reverberate through the room, guiding each member of the technical team in perfect synchrony.
In that moment, we were awestruck by the sheer magnitude of just what it took to not only install such a studio but to also operationalize it. Behind the glitz and glamour of the broadcast world lies a meticulous choreography of technical expertise and artistic vision, a delicate dance that requires skill, dedication and an unwavering commitment to excellence. As we stood on the threshold of this brave new world, we knew that our journey was far from over. But armed with the knowledge and insight gleaned from our time in the studio, we were more determined than ever to embark on the path that lay ahead, ready to make our mark on the world of broadcast media.
As our unforgettable journey drew to a close, gratitude filled our hearts like a warm embrace. Mr. Nyangweso extended an invitation that filled us with pride and excitement: that our role as future film and animation practitioners holds a significant place in the world of live studio broadcasts. He even welcomed us to not only visit again but also participate in the workshops that they occasionally offer at the studios.
Commending us for our high level of discipline and curiosity to learn, this day was a validation of our passion and a recognition of the valuable contributions we could make to this dynamic industry. With heartfelt appreciation, one of us (Perry Oduor) stepped forward to offer a heartfelt vote of thanks, expressing our gratitude to Mr. Kibisu the head of Switch Media Studios, Mr. Wellington Nyangweso, Dr. Serede, the Dean, School of Communication, Cinematics and Creative Arts, Dr. Mutua, the Department Chair, Prof. Mulinya, and the entire USIU-Africa management for coordinating this unforgettable experience for us. With our hearts full and our minds buzzing with newfound inspiration, we bid farewell to the Switch Media studios and boarded the van back to campus. As we journeyed homeward, the memories of this extraordinary day danced in our minds, each moment forever etched into our memories. It was a day that will linger in our hearts for years to come, a demonstration of the power of curiosity, collaboration and the boundless possibilities that await us in the days to come as we continue with our pursuit for success as Film Production and Directing and Animation students.
By Dr. Daniel Onyango Omondi
On Tuesday 7 November, 2023, Caroline Mutoko, a prominent media personality was invited to our campus as a guest speaker.
Her invitation was to the Media Management class at Room SS 19 in the new School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her two-hour presentation touched on issues ranging from the business models of the media, the impact of the increasing complexity and competition in the media today, marketing and advertising in the media, challenges media managers/media houses face today and how media managers/media houses are coping with technological advancement and competition today.
In her talk, Caroline reiterated that the rise of independent content creators is becoming a big challenge to the media industry today.
“Today, unlike before, marketing in the media is very tactical because the attention span of the audience we deal with has reduced drastically,” said Caroline who specializes in media marketing, having become the first female Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in the media sector.
She reminded the audience that an average person is exposed to approximately 1500 adverts per day, and because of this, there is a cut-throat competition by advertisers to grab the attention of their audiences.
The speaker also cited the aspect of oversaturation that keeps media managers awake.
“Today, there are so many platforms that if media managers don’t work around the clock to be innovative, they will very easily close down,” said the Caroline who is recognized as a leading thought leader in the digital media space, bringing innovative thinking to businesses and brands.
According to statistics from the Communication Authority of Kenya, there are 14 television stations and over 300 radio stations.
“Today, the news circle is faster,” she said naming some major news agencies that today closing because the news circle doesn’t favor them.
As far as marketing in the media is concerned, the speaker advised that the shift to digital marketing is the way to go.
During the question and answer session, the students interacted with the guest speaker asking questions ranging from the issue of privacy in the media, the future of the media/media houses and journalistic practice, her career as a journalist, to how she deals with fame.
“If you come to fame without knowing who you are, this will define you and can even destroy you,” she advised.
In attendance were 45 students, Dr. Daniel Omondi, Lecturer, Public Relations, Dr. Geoffrey Serede, the Acting Dean School of Communication Cinematic and Creative Arts and Dr. Caroline Kiarie, Assistant Professor, Journalism in the Department of Media and Communication.
By Rachael Diang’a
Between November 21 – 25, 2022, USIU-Africa in collaboration with the French Embassy in Kenya and Hiventy Africa hosted a 360° Masterclass for the creative industry players specializing in sound production and design for film. The highly impactful five-day workshop brought together twenty-five participants drawn from the Kenyan film and animation industry as well as USIU-A students and faculty. The three partners saw the need to narrow the uncomfortable gap between film training and practice and designed a workshop curriculum that would contribute to bridging the gap.
Part of the training was conducted on campus at the Cinematic Arts Department and the main auditorium while the last day of training took place at the Decimal Studios, which is a company specializing in Film sound. one of USIU-Africa’s sound lecturers Keziah Githinji says, “it was very informative and fun experience”. Silas Otieno, a BA Film Production and Directing Junior, who participated in the masterclass feels that the workshop prepared him for the rigorous film industry: “I enjoyed the entire session, and it was indeed educative with the authentic skills and knowledge we are expected of in the industry”. The five participants from USIU-Africa are now expected to share the skills and knowledge learnt with their peers through production projects.
This is the last of a series of workshops/masterclasses that the department of Cinematic arts have organized in the Fall semester, a traditionally very packed quarter in Kenya’s film industry. Others were Great Lakes Creative Film Producers’ Lab, Sembene Across Africa Screening, International Animation Day Celebrations. These events were organized to augment the teaching and learning and build strong bridges into the industry for career placement, internships and further collaborations with the school.
By Emily Nyabere
Last week, the Cinematic Arts Department hosted a webinar celebrating World Animation Day. Those in attendance were, Animation artists, industry stakeholders, representatives from other institutions, USIU –Africa students and faculty among others. The virtual event was host to people from different industry sectors, different parts of the country and even different parts of the world, with key guests joining the forum to address the audience from Miami, USA as well as Montreal, Canada.
The event was graced by the Associate DVC – Academic Affairs, Prof. Munyae Mulinge who noted that the B.A Animation program at USIU – Africa was born out of the institution’s demand-driven, talent growing expansion agenda. In his remarks he reminded the institution as well as other educators and supporters of the animation industry of the immense collective responsibility that they had in ensuring that the talent that the youth are imbued with is properly harnessed. He also encouraged mentorship and growth of the young people through marking and celebrating important occasions such as the World Animation Day, which is one of the mainstays in USIU-Africa’s events calendar.
Also present at the webinar were Immaculate Juma – an advocate of the high court and founder of Art Law Kenya, Harto Muhato – Chair of the Association of Animation Artistes Kenya (A3K), Kwame Nyong’o of Apes in Space Animation as well as an adjunct Prof at the Cinematic Arts Department, Shadrack Munene – Head of Animation at ADMI (Africa Digital Media Institute) and Daniel Santos, Toon Boom Sales Director in EMEA & APAC regions. The panelists spoke on a number of issues pertinent to the field, including how to bridge the gap between academia and industry, industry representation by associations, the business of Animation as well as legalities surrounding creative’s work. One of the University’s partners, AdaLabs Africa, was at hand to shed more light on their current partnership with the Cinematic Arts Department, who they have partnered with to establish an ongoing animation boot camp.
Miami-based Dean Lyon, famously known as director of VFX for the “Lord of the Rings trilogy” crowned the evening as a special treat for the animators. With a wealth of over 30 years’ experience in the animation and film industry, he had a lot to show and tell. His works and words awed and inspired the audience.
He concluded his session with a screening of an ad that he did for Ford that echoes his sentiment of a good story will always sell. Speaking at the close of the session, Edward Mulandi, a participant noted that animation was how he experienced the world around him.
“Animation has always been a part of my pop cultural diet. It has opened me up to new cultures to me especially through Japan's Studio Ghibli animation films and now the exciting series and shows that Netflix acquire and produces. I am excited that African animators who are claiming this medium for themselves. Seeing the Faiba ads from Fatboy Animation to @nashohmy's work getting recognition on Twitter has been wonderful to watch. I love animation, and my life would be poorer without it!” he said.
By Emily Nyabere
Every third week of the semester, the Department of Cinematic Arts holds a screening for Film and Animation projects completed by students in the previous semester, under the Bachelor of Arts in Film Production & Directing, and Bachelor of Arts in Animation programs. This semester, the Cinematic Arts Department held a screening of the Summer 2022 semester projects on Thursday, September 22, where members of the USIU–Africa community were invited to attend.
A preview of the films and other cinematic work was also displayed on the TV screens around campus on the same day. This exhibition of works done by students serves as a platform for film analysis and critique sessions aimed at constructive learning and also in continuing classroom conversations with other Film and Animation students, as well as motivating them. The Cinematic Arts Department calls upon students of all programs and all members of the USIU–Africa community to join in and participate in future screenings.
USIU-Africa’s Film faculty and student participated at the 2019 edition of the annual European Film Festival (EFF) in Nairobi. EFF is in its 28th edition taking place in various major cities in Kenya. The festival showcases European and Kenyan films, workshops, technical masterclasses, community screenings in the various festival venues. This year, EAFF partnered with Twaweza Communications through Wabunifu Forum to organize a dialogue forum on Art as Social Commentary on May 15, 2019 at the Goethe Institt, Nairobi. The dialogue was focused around Film and Gender Relations. Dr. Rachael Diang’a was among the top film professionals’ panelists who led the discussions; others being a renowned Filmmaker and USIU-Africa alumnus, Martin Munyua (Dreamcatcher Productions) and award-winning film director, Sippy Chadha whose most recent film, Subira (2018) won the top award at Kalasha Film Awards, 2018.
Important issues discussed on this dialogue revolved around the need to be intentional in addressing gender issues through film; the place of proper film training in challenging misleading gender stereotypes and the power of personal stories and experiences in addressing gender challenges in society. This event was also attended by USIU-Africa freshman Film Production major, Purity Makandi where she was part of the conversations.
By Joyce Wanjiku
At the beginning of every semester, the Department of Cinematic Arts hold a film screening of the previous semester’s student projects that range from films to animations.
Among the screened films were award winning films and animations such as, Favourite Song, To the Edge, and Kaa Chonjo. Some of the other films included: Hex Appeal, Stories of a Multiverse, and Playing the Field among others. It was very impressive to see how different groups creatively tackled different themes in the various genres they chose for their projects. It goes without saying that USIU-Africa is committed to excellence and this was proven by the senior student’s projects that were showcased on that day.
The quality of the films screened this semester showed a great deal of improvement compared to films from previous semesters which were also very good. This is only but a start as we are expecting bigger and better projects this semester. That said, you cannot afford to miss out on next semester’s screening of Summer semester student’s projects.
In attendance were close to two hundred and fifty students and faculty members. Among the faculty members who attended the screening included; Dr. Rachael Diang’a who is the Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts, Emily Nyabere, Keziah Githinji, Albert Josiah, and Brenda Juma. Students present represented different programs. Also represented were members of various clubs such as the Film Club whose chair, Siham Mahat, was in attendance.
The screening opened with a welcome note from Dr. Diang’a. During her speech, she congratulated all the students who had given their time and dedication in the making of all the films. She also made mention of works that are currently in production such as Jabari, a rugby-based student film that will be coming to your screens soon, and whose trailer is already out.
We encourage members of the USIU-Africa community to purpose to attend future departmental screenings as it is a chance for all to see what the Cinematic Arts students have been cooking all through the semester. It is also an opportunity for people to offer feedback that could be considered and thus used in the making of future projects better. And as for people interested in acting or roles that might make them part of a film’s production, it is an opportunity to meet with the makers of such films and thus is a good place for networking.
By Brenda Odhiambo
The Department of Cinematic Arts will be hosting the fourth edition of Sembene Across Africa, one of the flagship activities of the Sembene Project. The event, held for one weekend annually, brings African cinema to communities throughout Africa and the Diaspora, free of charge.
The first three editions included more than 350 public screenings of Ousmane Sembene’s films across 41 African countries, in addition to the content being streamed and broadcast throughout the continent. This year’s event will feature two of Sembene’ s films and a documentary about him. Participants are requested to watch the films, and then participate in any number of events that will be taking place in their locations. This year’s selection includes:
The event will feature a post-film panel discussion, which will feature Cosmas Bii from Moi University’s Department of Literature, Theatre and Film Studies, Vigilance Odoyo and Keziah Githinji.
Speaking to CTW, Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts, Dr. Rachel Diang’a noted that the festival was important as it chronicled the life and work of Ousmane Sembene, who is widely considered as the ‘father of African cinema’, and his vision of telling African stories.
“Through his work, Sembene wanted to ensure that African stories were told, and more importantly, told by Africans, to counter the influx of foreign-made films, and ensure that Africa continues to have a voice. We hope that this discussion on his work proves inspirational to aspiring filmmakers, who can find new ways, including using the various digital opportunities present today to consistently tell African stories that will define African culture in the years to come, “she says.
You can watch the trailers for Mandabi, Xala, and Sembene here, here, and here. The films are available to stream here.
By Jemima Oloo
On Tuesday, May 24, the Department of Media and Communications hosted the Sounds of Freedom Exhibition, a creation of Mutana Wanjira, an alumnus of the B.A Journalism program (Class of 2015).
The exhibition was a unique audio film series that hoped to bring Kenyans closer to their history by welcoming them to an immersive experience that allows them to come face to face with the realities of what it took to liberate Kenya from British imperialism.
The event consisted of an insightful panel discussion with the Exhibition’s Founder and Creative Producer, Mutana and Prof. Sylvester Mutua. The discussion touched on several issues, among them the gap between the young generation of creatives and the older generation especially in management. The panel also discussed the lack of access, policy and partnerships for creatives and the need to decolonize the current perspectives that people have of creatives.
Prof. Sylvester Mutua encouraged artists to be passionate and to be persistent in order to achieve success similar to other USIU-Africa alumni, John Allan Namu and Asha Mwilu, who have won numerous accolades in their field, reiterating the importance of students making the most of their stay at USIU-Africa to create and innovate.
Mutana noted that creatives also needed to find a sense of financial freedom and leadership in order to avoid relying solely on grants but on their audience or other sustainable methods. "Be able to stand on your own feet then reach out to networks," he noted. This was a sentiment shared by Dr. Mathieu Guerin, who encouraged young creatives to reach out for opportunities that the Embassy provides in partnership with Alliance Française.
Carving out a niche was discussed as being key for artists and creatives to stand out, the quality of individual stories and the ability to learn and recreate through the acquisition of technical skills that would enable them to craft their own stories.
The exhibition that was done in partnership with Campus France, the Association of France alumni in Kenya, The Embassy of France and USIU-Africa. It was attended by the Attaché for Science and Higher Education, Deputy Head of Cooperation and Cultural Affairs Department, Dr. Mathieu Guerin and the DVC Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Munyae Mulinge.
Mutana holds an MSc in Management and Entrepreneurship in the creative economy from Audencia Business School in France. He is the founder of the African Fiction Academy and has used the Academy to give back through innovation within the cultural and creative ecosystem which led to the birth of the Sounds of Freedom project.
By Wangui Githinji
On Wednesday, November 8, animation students of Law & Ethics in the Animation Business class visited the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) offices situated in Upperhill for an education tour. The ten students, comprising mostly third and fourth year students, displayed a keen interest in delving deeper into copyright issues and understanding how it could directly benefit them as animators. Their enthusiasm was not just for the sake of the class; it was a realization of the broader implications for their careers. After all, ignorance is never an excuse.
Ms. Sharon Chahale Wata, the Assistant Executive Director-Legal & Technical Affairs at KECOBO, received the students and took them through a brief introduction of the organization followed by a training session on copyright issues in the country. Ms. Sharon, cognizant of the diverse nationalities represented among the students, provided examples tailored to their respective countries, including Uganda, Pakistan, and Nigeria.
The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) operates as a State Corporation within the purview of the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice. Its establishment is rooted in Section 3 of the Copyright Act of 2001.
Tasked with the administration and enforcement of copyright and related rights, KECOBO holds the responsibility of organizing legislation pertaining to copyright and related rights. Additionally, the Board conducts training programs focused on enhancing understanding in these areas.
KECOBO's mandate involves administering and enforcing copyright issues in Kenya, and overseeing the implementation of relevant laws, international treaties, and conventions.
Originally planned for an hour, the visit evolved into an extensive educational tour. After the training session, the students were taken on a tour of different departments, offering insights into the inner workings of the organization. The students posed relevant questions, receiving content curated specifically for their field. KECOBO extended its offer of free legal advice, emphasizing that students could seek guidance on work contracts.
Upon concluding the educational tour, students expressed gratitude to Ms. Sharon for her time, recognizing the value of their newfound knowledge for both their academic and professional journeys. The doors of KECOBO were declared open for future visits, marking the culmination of a well-appreciated and enlightening training session.
Kevin Osoo (Film, Major) ask a question during the Master Class training by Reuben Odanga at the Kenya Film School on Saturday June 15.PHOTO: Courtesy
By Dr. Rachael Diang’a
On Saturday June 15, five Film Production and Directing students, together with their faculty Dr. Rachael Diang’a participated in a one-day film directing masterclass with a renowned Kenyan Film Director, Reuben Odanga, who has directed several TV dramas including Selina. The training was organized by the Kenya Film School (KFS) and supported by Film Lecturers and Trainers Association, Kenya (FLeTA-K) where Dr. Diang’a is the Vice Chairperson. The training was an opportunity to link academia and industry and at the same time providing students with hands-on experience.
The Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab is structured as a week-long hands-on project accelerator. The Lab aims at broadening the professional networks and producing expertise of participants through a series of hands-on workshops and one-on-one sessions with local and international industry mentors.
All are invited to join us.
When: Week long [Monday, October 24 - Friday, October 28, 2022]
Time: Daily from 9.00am to 6.00pm (East African Time)
Venue: USIU-Africa, Auditorium
Let’s keep the conversation going on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
More details on the Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab can be found here.
By Candy Margaret Vizengwa
On Monday, March 11, the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts hosted Mr. David Kimondo, Head of Communications at the East African Breweries Limited. The journalism students undertaking Public Relations and Organizational Communication course with Dr. Daniel Omondi had an interactive session with the guest speaker. Mr. Kimondo shared his remarkable journey from being an economics major at the University of Nairobi to a seasoned Public Relations practitioner.
He recounted his bold move to approach a newsroom during his student days, showcasing the impact of fearlessness in shaping a career. In the words of Mr. Kimondo, “I asked one of my friends who was working for the People Daily, a local newspaper whether I could go in and do something. He was gracious enough to organize a session with the managing editor.” That’s how he confidently pursued business writing at the local newspaper with a promise that he would offer a fresh perspective as someone who has studied economics and is passionate about writing. Having this experience with a media house forged a clear path into the world of Communications and Public Relations.
He soon joined Gina Din, a Public Relations firm for two years where he handled the Kenya Airways crisis in 2007; a plane crash in Douala, Cameroon. He has also worked with SCAN Group, Hill & Knowlton strategies, Redhouse Group and currently at the East African Breweries PLC and managed several brands including Coca-Cola, P&G, Airtel Africa, Microsoft Mobile Devices (formerly Nokia), Twitter, Barclays, Safaricom, KCB, among others.
With an insightful exploration of the Public Relations world, the students were reminded that Public Relations entails crisis management, but doesn’t necessarily mean ‘sanitizing evil deeds.’ During an interactive question and answer session, social responsibility and sustainability efforts undertaken by EABL were put to light. This includes commitment to gender equality, environmental conservation efforts through re-cycling of alcohol bottles, creation of job opportunities through sorghum farms, among others. According to Mr. Kimondo, handling both internal and external communications is core in Public Relations. It is one of those roles that makes the profession important but still not understood by those not familiar with the field.
In his journey from a University of Nairobi economics student to the Head of Communications at a major company, Mr. Kimondo stressed the importance of confidence in pursuing one's passion.
The session was a testament to the idea that confidence and a clear sense of purpose can lead to unexpected and fulfilling career paths. As journalism students aspire to navigate the dynamic world of Public Relations and Communications, David Kimondo's story serves as an inspiring reminder to be bold, always be ready to listen and have a different perspective.
By Jemima Oloo
USIU-Africa’s School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts unveiled their labor of love, a well-crafted and executed film titled Jabari, last weekend at Diamond Plaza II, Anga IMAX Cinema.
The premier was graced by the Interim Vice Chancellor, Omolola Omole-Odubekun who could not hide her joy and excitement over the wonderful work put in to produce the film. Also, in attendance was the DVC, Academics-Transformation, Teaching, Learning & Research Prof. Amos Njuguna and Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Martin Njoroge.
The film produced by Rachel Diang’a, a film scholar and Professor at the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts and Directed by Nas Sheikh, a USIU-Africa student, is a tale about Jabari, a young man with a dream (dreams za kutoka kwa Block)- Swahili translated to dreams of making it out of the hood, as he aspires to beat all odds hurled at him.
The film scripted by Celine Mutuku walks us through a pursuit of passion, Jabari a young man from a humble home with nothing but sheer determination to continue what was started by his late father, to be nothing but an exemplary rugby player.
A powerful cinematic experience captures raw emotions of a mother determined not to lose a son to the same fate that killed her husband and a son who set his whole life in honoring a memory of fallen hero – his father.
Edwin Rabango acting as Jabari does a good job embodying resilience and is the hallmark of no matter what it takes, it must be done. The cast consisting of Prof. Valerie Adema (Jabari’s mother), John Sande (Coach), Moureen Kahiti (Jabari’s love interest) and the other actors play a remarkable role supporting Jabari achieve his dream.
The premier had an overwhelming support from students, faculty, and staff who had lined up for their tickets even before the screening was set to start. The crew consists of Director Nas Sheikh, 1st Assistant Director, Benjamin Owuor, 2nd Assistant Director, Eric Cantona, Scriptwriter, Celine Mutuku, Editors Michelle Muthigani and Ted Mureithi, Graphics Designer, Wakeel Kilonzi and many others.
For those who missed the premier, good news, you can now watch it from 13-19, October at Anga IMAX Cinema, Diamond Plaza 2 at only 500 KSH. For any queries contact +254 721 114 515.
By Rachael Diang’a
The student-led production of the film, Jabari, marks a very exciting moment in the history of cinematic and creative arts in the university. USIU-Africa students have produced over fifty films that have been received well in the film industry in the last five years. However, Jabari is the first commercial film, meant to not only give students an experience with professional filmmaking for business, but also meant to give them an experience on a big film set outside the course.
Some of the key crew members in the 2023 graduating class include: Director - Nas Sheikh (Film Production and Directing, Senior), Director of Photography - award-winning Collins Akunga (Film Production and Directing, Senior), Scriptwriter – Celine Mutuku (Film Production and Directing), 1st Assistant Director – Eric Cantona (Film Production and Directing, Senior), Music producer, composer and DIT – Pete Njagi (Film Production and Directing, Senior), Production manager – Michelle Muthigani (Film Production and Directing, Junior), Editors (Eric Cantona, Ted Mureithi and Michelle Muthigani (Film Production and Directing, Seniors), Graphics – Wakeel Kilonzi (BA Animation) and 1st Assistant Camera – Richie Didier (BA Journalism, Sophomore).
The Film stars Edwin Rabango, an Applied Computer Technology Senior, supported by Maureen Kahindi, a BA Psychology Freshman as well as Valery Adema, a full professor in the School of Science and Technology. The film brings together the entire USIU-Africa community including faculty, staff and students, creating a communal space for interaction, mentorship and collegiality. Indeed, #WeAreOne.
This amazing film will premiere in a red-carpet event on October 7, 2023 at Anga Diamond Cinema from 6pm. Purchase your ticket early through Paybill number: 516900; Account number: JAB-Your Name.
By Kioko Ireri
Journalism adjunct faculty Daniel Mule has published a research paper on Kenya television stations switch off during the “swearing-in” of Raila Odinga on January 30th, 2018. The paper is titled The Alternative Platform: Kenya’s Television Stations Navigation During the Switch Off of Raila Odinga’s “Swearing-In”.
Using the government ban of selected television stations in Kenya during and after the symbolic “swearing-in” of opposition presidential candidate in the 2017 general election, the study investigates the influence of communication technologies by the affected TV channels to circumvent government crackdown.
The findings of the study revealed that throughout the switch off period the newsrooms remained operational but forced to develop alternative strategies fundamentally buoyed by new media technologies to disseminate contents.
Though the strategies produced unintended and unexpected effects as the findings indicated. The main challenge with technology, was news verification, since the stations were using guerrilla tactics to source news which was not easily forthcoming. In addition, there was economic implication, some advertisers demanded for a refund and potential advertisers refused to patronize the stations which according to one of the editors was hinged on fear of being targeted by government.
Mule has co-authored the paper with John-Bell Okeyo, Ruth Aoko Owino and Laura Anyasi all from Daystar University where he is a doctoral student. He joined the Department of Journalism and Corporate Communication as an adjunct faculty in Fall 2018. He is a news anchor and reporter for NTV.
By Daisy Atino
The Department of Media and Communications together with the Journalism Club and USIU-Africa Radio organized the inaugural media day event where different media personalities, media brands and organizations were invited on campus to interact and engage with students and faculty.
The theme of the event was ‘Journalism in the digital age’ and the main purpose of the event was to create a forum where the Communication students could meet, explore, learn from and engage with established media personalities and media houses. The day was also a platform for the School of Communication and Creative Arts to create links with the media industry, so that the students’ academic experience can be improved through out of class media experiences that boost their understanding and appreciation of the industry.
During the event, the students in attendance had a chance to engage with their peers from various universities, including Africa Nazarene University, Daystar University, St Paul’s University, KCA University, Riara University, Mahanaim College, Ruaraka High School and Davasha Media Academy. Some of the media houses present for the event were Media brands in attendance included; Mediamax Digital and K24plus, Capital FM, Media Council, Afripods, Baraza Media Lab, GBS TV, and the Standard Media Group.
The event was divided into two sections, a panel session that happened in the morning at the auditorium, where the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ensign gave the keynote address, followed by a screening of two student-produced films. Media personalities in attendance included: Rachel Ombaka, Martin Munene, Daniel Mule, Willis Raburu, Nimrat Kaur, Neville Musya, Esther Masaa, Eugene Mbugua, Corazon Sefu, Julie Waiganjo, Maureen Okore and Patricia Ndede.
The second part of the event was an outdoor exhibition in collaboration with Wave360 Africa, which featured performances from the Music Club and the current Mr. and Miss USIU-Africa.
Dr. Dorothy Njoroge,Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Dr. Kioko Ireri
A faculty member and graduate student in the Department of Journalism & Corporate Communication have presented their research work at the International Communication Association (ICA) conference held in Washington DC.
Graduate student (MA Communication Studies) Jimmy Ochieng’ presented a research paper in the political communication division titled “Newspaper Visibility in Non-Election Period: Predictors of Kenyan Women Politicians in News”. He authored the paper with Dr. Kioko Ireri (Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication) and is also the Chair of the Journalism department.
Funded through the 2015-2016 internal research grants, the research explored a four-year visibility (April 9, 2013 to April 9, 2017) of 68 female Kenyan MPs in four English national newspapers - Daily Nation, The Standard, People Daily and The Star. To be specific, the study examined three aspects associated with the four newspaper coverage of women politicians in Kenya. First, the study examined the major characteristics associated with the most covered female politicians. Second, it investigated variables that predicted their visibility in the press. Third, the research examined whether senior female MPs and those holding leadership positions receive significantly more coverage than their other counterparts.
Findings indicate that a typical Kenyan woman politician in newspaper news is affiliated with a major party (88.2%), junior in seniority (76.5%), belongs to a big tribe (58.8%), and holds no parliamentary committee leadership (58.5%). Seniority, commenting on corruption, criticizing government, and commenting on devolution (a news system of governance) predicted their coverage in newspaper news. At the same time, senior MPs and those holding positions of leadership received significantly higher coverage than their other female counterparts.
Quantitative content analysis was employed to collect data from 2,794 news stories, which were selected using six constructed weeks sampling technique.
On the other hand, Dr. Dorothy Njoroge (Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication) presented a paper titled “Exploring Narratives about Female Politicians in Kenya”. The study examined how Kenyan women politicians make sense of messages they receive about their political careers.
Based on in-depth interviews with 14 female politicians, four major themes emerged. The first is “silence is golden” – meaning that women leaders aren’t expected to air opinions but should be silent followers of male counterparts. Second is “female body isn’t suitable for leadership” – where female politicians are mocked by electorate and male colleagues for biological roles such as pregnancy which is translated as “incapacity to lead”. The other theme is “inhospitable political environment” where women politicians experience physical or verbal attacks by male colleagues especially about their morality. Lastly is the “mere decorative role” where women politicians are trivialized as pretty decorations for parliament and flirtatious behaviour from male colleagues.
By Lynn Mwangi
The journalism students had an enriching experience during their visit to BBC Africa on November 8. The students were drawn from media and communication and it was an opportunity to witness the inner workings of a major broadcasting station and interact with professionals in the field.
The exposure to different teams, including the radio and TV production teams, graphic design and digital media team, and the Focus on Africa team, provided a comprehensive understanding of various aspects of media production. The students interacted with esteemed presenters like Roncliffe Odit and Waihiga Mwaura, and received advice on developing human interest stories, refining presentation skills, and sharing articles with media houses left a lasting impact on the students and will undoubtedly be beneficial to their future careers.
The hands-on experience with the technical aspects of broadcasting, insights into the planning of radio and TV stories, and a behind-the-scenes look at the studios contribute significantly to the students' comprehension of the media industry.
Such opportunities play a crucial role in shaping the future of media and communication students, and it's evident that this visit has left a positive impact on their understanding and aspirations within the field.
The journalism students were accompanied by their Journalism lecturers Ms. Keziah Githinji, Mr. Bernard Otieno and Broadcast Technologist, Zerubabbel Odera.
By Candy Margaret Vizengwa
On March 8, Journalism students from New Media Production and Broadcast screenwriting International classes embarked on an insightful media tour at the Standard Group, coinciding with International Women’s Day. Led by Miss Keziah Githinji, the tour provided a unique opportunity for students to delve into the dynamic world of media production.
The warm reception from Rose Kariuki, Head of Customer Service, and Eugine Onyango, our tour guide, set the tone for an enriching experience. Radio Maisha became our initial stop, unraveling the intricacies of radio production. Ignatius Openje, the Social Media manager and Producer at Spice FM, shared valuable insights into the strategic foresight of Spice FM and Vybez Radio. What became clear during this immersive experience was the strategic foresight embodied by Spice FM. The station's deliberate and substantial investment in the audio-visual facet of radio broadcasting undoubtedly positions it as the vanguard of the radio industry's future.
Transitioning into TV production with sports journalist Hassan Juma, the students explored the profound impact of USIU-Africa on his journalistic journey. They were taken through how it goes down with sports editing and TV production.
The tour extended to the print team, led by Andy Kagwa, the operations editor at the Standard Group, shedding light on the convergence of print and digital newsrooms for timely content generation. The convergence, highlighted by Mr. Kagwa, was implemented by Standard Group's CEO Orlando Lyomu in November 2021, marking a significant stride into the digital age. The tour concluded with a glimpse into the print production room, revealing the craftsmanship behind ink meeting paper.
The experience underlines the power of shared knowledge and emphasizes the need for aspiring media professionals to engage in similar immersive opportunities, as they navigate the ever-evolving landscape of media.
By Lauryn Gitau
As the sun begins its ascent over the sprawling USIU-Africa campus, my heart races with excitement, my anticipation bubbles like a simmering cauldron. I clutch tightly to my notebook as I board the university bus, our gateway to the pulsating heart of the Kenyan film industry. Today marks yet another special journey, not just of physical distance, but of aspirations and dreams converging. Bound for the set of the renowned “Pink Ladies” show on Startimes, under the guidance of Prof. Sheila Mulinya onto the mentorship of esteemed local Film and TV Director and Producer Reuben Odanga. My senses tingle with the promise of creativity and opportunity. The bus glides past the university gate traversing us to the cinematic odyssey, a chapter awaits to be written in the annals of our burgeoning film careers.
Maneuvering through the early Nairobi traffic, we arrive on the filming set and are welcomed by Reuben’s infectious laughter and penchant for adventure, he’s the kind of Director who’s just as likely to crack a joke as he is to yell “action!” From his humble beginnings in the bustling streets of Nairobi to his rise to fame on the international stage, Reuben Odanga's journey is as colorful and captivating as the films and TV series that he creates.
Starting the day on the set of Pink Ladies, a production shot by Reuben’s Multan Production in Karen, Nairobi, we are immediately thrown into our element. A chance of a lifetime to learn the techniques that the talented crew use to create some of the biggest shows in Kenya. Immediately Wanjera, the Assistant Director, yells ‘silence on set’, the chattering dies down and everyone is focused on their roles. She commands the set with vigor and they repeat the scenes until she is satisfied. The only time we get a chance to speak with her is during the short breaks as the lighting and cinematography crew set up for the upcoming scenes. I steal some seconds in between these breaks to engage Wanjera in an attempt to quell my curiosity to unpack the man and the craft and he effortlessly responds to my questions.
Student: What do you do when you can’t come to an agreement with an actor?
Wanjera: Do you want to be happy or right? You have to be the bigger person. Sometimes acting like you agree with them goes a long way, as long as you get the outcome you desire.
Lauryn: What are you looking forward to today?
You can see the relief on her face, when she replies, “finishing the scenes”, almost like she was fantasizing about it. They have been working late hours with the shoot from the previous day almost going until 11 pm. The pressure is on considering they are three scenes behind and there isn’t much time to dilly dally.
Before we can bombard her with all our questions, she has to go back on set. She commands the room effortlessly. Having understood everything, the Director needs from scene, she takes over, she yells “action” and soon enough the room immediately falls silent. The living room of the set has a pastel green and nude color palette. From the curtains to the ornaments and décor, everything matches this to perfection. We all watch in awe as the undoubtedly famous actors ranging from Azziad Nasenya and Shix Kapienga deliver their lines.
This particular episode of Pink Ladies is directed by Davis Nato, a household name in the Kenyan film industry. He graciously speaks to us sharing his techniques, some of which he happily shares that he borrowed from our lecturer, Prof. Sheila Mulinya, years back when he was an actor in Mtaani, a show that she directed for a local broadcaster.
Lauryn: How long does blocking typically take?
Davis: Typically, I’ll have a sit down with the cast while the crew sets up. I’ll let them know what I expect from a scene and we’ll have discussion on it. Sometimes I’ll have a vision but I can’t execute it. Because the actors have connected with their character’s personality, their feedback can trigger new ideas that ultimately make the show better.
Student: What drew you to this project?
Davis: I wanted something different. Salem is a drama, thriller, telenovela. This one is a dramedy and its light. It’s actually my first dramedy and because it airs five times a week, there’s a lot of pressure but I’m having a lot of fun with it.
Soon enough we get a chance to speak with John Wambua, the Director of Photography for Pink Ladies. His passion for film stems from childhood. He shares with us his journey into the industry and mentions that it all began with his first camera, a digital 8, and considering we are Gen Zs, most of us couldn’t fathom how long ago this was.
Lauryn: What’s been your best experience in this industry?
Wambua: The feeling you get when someone enjoys the picture of a project you’ve done is unexplainable. I’ve sat with friends, relaxing and watching TV when they mentioned how great the content looks and they don’t know that I did it.
Lauryn: How do you avoid burn out?
Wambua: Rejuvenating myself is key. During breaks on set, I walk around enjoying the scenery. Lucky for me, this location has a lot of trees and being close to them refreshes me.
To end our lovely day on a high note, we finally had a sit-down session with the legendary Director/ Producer Reuben Odanga. We sit in a circle under a canopy the trees in a beautiful garden in the compound. He declines his Director’s chair that has been set aside for him, opting to sit on the same chairs as us. Immediately he starts speaking, we feel more comfortable and freer to connect with him. He encourages us to have an open mind throughout the discussion and pushes even more for us to do our own research and learn as much as possible.
Lauryn: What makes you different from other Directors?
Odanga: As a collaborator and a leader, I’m able to create spaces for people to shine. “I’m Mourinho,” he chuckles. “I don’t necessarily know how to play but I can make that player score the best.” It’s all about knowing how to make your cast, crew and anyone in your space feel comfortable.
Like clockwork, I remember the warm reception that we were graced with when arrived at Multan Productions. We indeed are at home. I conclude that this is the reason that the cast and crew on his sets are able to thrive in his productions because of this space and feeling he creates for all his projects.
Student: Is Directing something that can be taught or does it need to be an innate skill?
Odanga: It can be taught, it really adds a lot and those are some of the things that we missed. We never had forums like this. At that time, there was only Bob Nyanja, and as much as we all looked up to him, there was a desperate need for more.
Having that different eye, which is more so a skill rather than something that can be taught, will set you apart. However, this is something you can develop along the way. Knowing and understanding the craft, is very important. School elevates the craft from mere talent to a professional level.
Student: You create a home for your actors and inevitably, you get close, how do you handle loss and grief?
Odanga: During and after a show, our relationships keep going on. Working with actors requires a lot of empathy and understanding especially in this part of the world because we are all facing the same financial issues. What that means is that it takes a lot for an actor to be vulnerable in a certain space, which is necessary for them to effectively play a role. More often than not, often for method actors, most of them can’t come out of that space immediately. Because it is a very sensitive thing. I try to create an environment where my actors can trust me and be vulnerable. I am a huge crusader of actors’ welfare so I try to use and create ways that make them feel more comfortable, for example having medical insurance for all of them.
Having a one-on-one with them allows me to know more about their personal life, without being intrusive of course. Showing care goes a long way and as their Director, I will be able to easily notice when something is off at an early stage.
In Selina, after the untimely death of Kone, we took a few days off. One morning, we had a session where we all sat and talked about life, we talked about Kone, what he meant to us and how his demise impacted us. As much as we were a group, we all had our own special connection with him, just a family.
Odanga goes on to reiterate that at Multan he occasionally brings in professionals to talk and educate everyone on various aspects of life, be it financial, spiritual or general welfare. I am learning that having more professionals coming in to cater to the team’s needs is necessary. Currently, the company is paying for an actor’s therapy which of course is coming out of our own pockets. There is no rule book on how to deal with such situations but creating time, showing empathy and sensitivity is essential.
Student: How do you handle difficult actors?
Odanga: We came up with a formula. Our contracts are well detailed and very clear, we have a code of ethics and a job description which is something that traditionally has only been done in corporate settings. These three clearly stipulate what I expect from them, even to the nitty gritty details and their deliverables. We hired a HR person to create all of this. In their job description, it is clearly outlined that they should always have their lines. It is not my responsibility to teach you your lines. You must read the script ahead of time and come prepared. From the code of ethics, they know, cussing is not allowed on my set. My argument for that is simple, if you can’t speak it in your mother tongue, then it’s a foreign thing and there’s no reason to be saying it. All my actors receive this contract before anything begins. When they sign the contract, we go through it together, and the following day they will receive an email detailing the minutes of the meeting. Therefore, if I have an altercation with them, I have a point of reference. A breach of contract will lead to a discussion which will be documented, just like the typical corporate way.
Student: With method acting, is it common practice to involve a psychologist to help in de-rolling? Should this be pushed in the industry?
Odanga: It is not but it is definitely something that should be encouraged. Directing is something that must be sensitive. Our last shoot will be tomorrow and next week we will be meeting all the girls just to de-roll. While acting, they can end up digging into past experiences to bring their character to life. Actors’ welfare is complex but I think it’s purely driven by empathy. You have to care for your actors’ lives beyond the pay check.
Student: You have directed some of the biggest shows in Kenya, when doubt creeps in, how do you deal with it?
Odanga: I am a collaborator. I bounce what I had in mind with the people around me and this usually brings in new ideas. The feedback can unlock your block or trigger a new idea. It happens, and it can also happen during editing, but the best way to handle it or at least reduce it, is during pre-production. Being very meticulous in pre-production such that when you’re at production stage or post-production stage, you’re not second guessing anything. It is very clear why and how the necessary steps need to occur.
Soon June, the other Director of the TV show joins us. Reuben in his gentlemanly gesture rises from his seat and offers her a place to sit as he waits for his seat to be replaced.
Prof. Sheila: Is it true that there is no small person on the set?
June: Absolutely, film is a collaborative process. The role of a set runner is just as important as the producer’s. We are Africans and religion is also deeply instilled within us. We will always share and respect each other.
Odanga: For a film, you need an army to execute, and the most important people in your army are the foot soldiers. I need my coffee, black, two sugars, Americano single, from Java. When you evaluate, you realize that if the set runner wasn’t there to play this role, I wouldn’t have my coffee and I would be struggling which would affect the shoot for the day. The boom operator needs to hold up the mic for hours, for the sound to be clear and good. Even the set cleaner, when the actors arrive they’ll find a clean space, when they go for lunch, they’ll clean up again. They’ll make sure there’s water in the dispenser, there’s coffee ready. Each role is important and is detrimental to a successful job.
The hours roll by faster than we expected and soon the bus is back to pick us. Spending the day with industry professionals and especially the whole team at Multan Productions was an enlightening experience. Their words of encouragement impacted us and we all felt empowered by the end of the day. ‘Shoot, be fearless, make mistakes, hold your work close to your heart.’
By Bernard O. Owuor
The Cinematic Department is thrilled to announce that Ms. Michelle Muthigani, a Senior majoring in Film Production & Directing, and the talented editor behind 'JABARI’, has been honored with a nomination for 'Best Film Editor' in the film category at the prestigious 2024 Women in Film Awards (WIFA). While Michelle shared editing duties with Ted Mureithi, also a Senior in Film Production & Directing, this year's nomination shines a spotlight on her exceptional contributions, in line with WIFA's mission to celebrate the achievements of women in the industry.
The Women in Film Awards, now in its fifth year, is dedicated to acknowledging the significant impacts women have made in the Kenyan film sector. As we celebrate this recognition, we invite the JABARI community and the entire USIU-Africa family to support Michelle in securing this accolade. Your votes are crucial in recognizing her remarkable talent and dedication. Voting is open from February 1-14, 2024. Let's rally together to make this award a reality for Michelle and our university.
By Diana Meso
Over 16 short films were screened during the End of Summer Semester Film and Animation Screening event organized by the Department of Cinematic Arts chaired by Dr. Rachael Diang’a (Assistant Professor of Film) at the auditorium on Thursday, August 1.
The event, held at the end of every semester is aimed at showcasing various films produced by students to other students, faculty, staff and renowned professionals in the industry for criticism and support.
The short films included Oceania Boulevard, Punch, Love Is, Sound Design Video 3, Major Tom, Fisherman’s Tale, All Monkeys, Beautiful, Bendile and Akuchi, Cats and Vultures, Content, Cycles, Ratatouille, Vuvi, Birds, The Seedling and Kobole.
This initiative is among the many platforms including the African Film Night which is held every month where students showcase their creativity and present their works of arts.
By Dorothy Njoroge
Journalism students in the JRN 1100 class, taught by Keziah Githinji, visited the Royal Media Services Studio. They were hosted by Journalism alumnus, Teddy Otieno and had an opportunity to meet other journalists. Photo: Courtesy.
By Dorothy Njoroge | Photo: PRSK Mentoring
Ms. Sylvia Mwichuli, Public Relations Society of Kenya CEO, making her presentation at the recently-held PRSK mentoring event on campus. Other speakers at the event included Wavi Mungala, Head of Corporate Communications HELB and Alex Owiti, founder, Alexander PR and Communication Network. Media and Communication students from MKU and USIU-Africa were in attendance. Photo: Courtesy.
From left to right: Bruce Girard (CEO), Gerard Goggin (Secretary General), Elske van de Fliert (Treasurer), Janet Wasko (President), Kioko Ireri (Chair, Department of Journalism) and Dr. Joseph Nyanoti (Journalism Faculty) pose for a photo session after a 2-hour meeting at Universidad Complutense Madrid in Madrid, Spain. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Kioko Ireri
The School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts (SCCCA) is hopeful of hosting the 2021 edition of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).
This is after Dr. Kioko Ireri, Chair Department of Journalism and Corporate Communication held successful talks with the IAMCR Executive Board members during this year’s conference held in Madrid, Spain, from 7-11 July. He was accompanied by Dr. Joseph Nyanoti, a faculty member in the department.
They held a two-hour talk with Janet Wasko (President and from School of Journalism University of Oregon), Bruce Girard (CEO), Gerald Goggin (Secretary General), and Elske van de Fliert (treasurer). Earlier, the Executive Board had unanimously accepted a concept paper to host the conference submitted in January 2019 by the department.
After the Madrid talks, the Journalism Department will submit a full proposal by end of October. The Executive Board is expected to do a site visit in April 2020, ahead of the conference. IAMCR held its first conference in 1957 in Paris, France. Nairobi will be the second African city to host the conference after Durban, who hosted it in 2012. The conference attracts an average of 1,500 participants.
The Short Film Mad Love producers Achleus Barrys, Collins Akunga, Rachael Muthoni and Andrew Ogonji
By Dr. Rachael Diang’a, Taigu Muchiri and Racheal Muthoni
USIU-Africa’s students participated in the 60th edition of the annual Kenya National Schools and Colleges Drama and Film Festival at Kibabii University on 3-13 April, 2019. The festival registered participation from all categories of learners such as: pre-primary, primary and secondary schools, special needs education and post-secondary institutions including universities. USIU-Africa’s participation was limited to the University category.
With five entries in five categories, USIU-Africa students’ films won 34 awards in all the five categories, namely: Short Film (Universities), Short Documentary (Universities), Cultural Screen Dance (Universities), Screen Solo verse (Universities) and Advertisement (Universities). The short film Mad Love, which won two awards in Eldoret Film Festival (Best Cinematography) and 72 Hour International Film Competition in 2018 continued its winning streak and was crowned the overall winning short film for universities. It also won in Best Actress in a leading role, Best cinematography, Best costume design, Best set design, Best visual effects, Best Editor, Best short film, Best producer. The film was 1st runners up in Best sound effects and Best director categories respectively. This is a love story produced by Achleus Barrys, Collins Akunga, Rachael Muthoni and Andrew Ogonji who are all BA Film Production Majors.
In the Cultural Screen dance category, Bijen Gudhka (Sophomore, IBA Major) impressed the judges with her Kuchipudi Dance getting awards for the most original music track and she was named the best female screen dancer. Furthermore, the dance emerged as 1st runners up in best dance choreography, most communicative screen dance, best cinematography, best editor, best screen dance, best screen dance producer and best screen dance director categories.
In the Solo Verse category, the Collins Akunga-directed poem, Anxious, written and performed by Victor Muriithi (Freshman, Animation Major) won awards in the following categories: overall winning screen verse, Best choice of poem, Best presentation, Best cinematography, Best presenter, Best film composition, Best director and Best producer categories.
In the documentary category, Women of Steel, directed by Nashon Owano (Senior, Journalism Major) emerged top in the Best director category. It was 1st runners up for Best cinematography, 2nd runners up for Best producer, Best documentary, Best presentation (of which USIU-Africa is a defending champion) and Best production design categories. Women of Steel exposes the hardships women go through in the slums to put food on the table for their families.
Andrew Ogonji’s (Freshman, Film Production) Phonie, garnered two awards as 2nd runners up for Best film composition and 2nd runners up for Best presentation categories in the advertisement category, Phonie advertises a futuristic phone App that enables the user to perform magic, literally.
By Daisy Atino
Last Tuesday, Abel Mutua was invited to speak to Journalism students by Professor Keziah Githinji in her New Media Production class. He spoke about his journey in the industry, opened up about how and where he started from. He also answered questions concerning the film industry and gave tips on the importance of copyrighting one’s work and not despising humble beginnings.
Abel Mutua is a Kenyan actor, screenwriter, content creator, comedian, storyteller and co-owner of The Phil-it Productions Ltd. He is commonly known by his stage name ‘Freddie’, which he acquired while acting in the Tahidi High TV Show on Citizen TV. Nowadays he has a new sensational name of Mkurugenzi, which he uses to introduce himself in his YouTube Channel shows of Celebrity First Encounters, Stories of My Life, Young and Stupid and Headline Hitters.
On Wednesday, November 16, Conrad Gray, (popularly known as G-Money) and Calvin Wanguku spoke to the JRN 3016 Class at the SHSS LT 7 on their experience on Podcasting. The guests were invited by Professor Robi Koki Ochieng. They shared their experience as podcasters and the journey of how they began as podcasters to where they are today. They also interacted with the students by answering questions on podcasting and giving tips on the tricks of the trade. The key takeaways from their visit were that Journalism students need to learn to be patient with their careers, that they should work to train their voices and fine tune aspects of voice like tone and variation and most of all aim to stand out among the rest.
On Monday, November 21, media personality and radio presenter at KISS 100, Ms. Kamene Goro was invited to speak in the Public Communications class taught by Prof. Robi Koki Ochieng.
The radio presenter shared her experience in the industry and gave insights into what goes on into planning and airing a radio program. She also interacted with the students by answering questions and engaged the students further through mini exercises like delivering a 3-minute radio link. By the end of her talk, the students were better informed on the correct structure for a radio show and do‘s and don’ts of being a radio presenter.
Dr. Dorothy Njoroge addresses the audience during this year’s African Women in Media (AWiM) conference held at the University of Nairobi. The Conference bought together various stakeholders from the Kenyan media scene. PHOTO: Courtesy
Dr. Dorothy Njoroge from the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts was the keynote speaker at this year's African Women in Media (AWiM) conference and festival held at the University of Nairobi from July 25 to July 27, 2019.
In her keynote speech delivered on July 26, Dr. Njoroge discussed her research titled Exploring News Coverage of Domestic Violence in Kenya's Print Media in which she highlighted the tendency of the news media to cover domestic violence as a private issue rather than a social problem. Her research also made note of how the media humanized the perpetrators while dehumanizing the victims as some of the problematic elements of news coverage in Kenya. The over-reliance of police and relatives as news sources defined domestic violence in limited ways as voices of human rights activists and health professionals remained muted thus depicting this vice as sporadic issue rather than a pervasive social problem needing a broad-based approach to stem its tide.
Ms. Robi Koki Ochieng, also from the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts, presented a paper entitled The Screen-fit Phenomena: An Interrogation of Unspoken Rules that Guide the Career of Women Anchors in the Kenyan Media. Her paper explored challenges faced by female anchors due to demands placed on them to look and behave in certain ways rather than focusing on their professionalism as journalists.
Dr. Rachel Diang'a, the Chair, Department of Cinematic Arts, moderated a panel on women in East Africa film. Mr. David Biwott, a Masters of Communication student, and Ms. Karoline Kanyeria a graduate of the Masters in Communication program worked as interns documenting some of the sessions during the conference.
Click here to view the poster.
By Daisy Atino
The public relations writing class taught by Dr. Caroline Kiarie invited Strategic communications specialist Hazel King'ori on Thursday, November 23 to speak to the students on PR writing. Hazel is an established PR professional with proven experience in running impactful multi-media campaigns with national reach.
Hazel's talk focused on the 5 W’s and H – Who, What, Where, When, Why and How as the fundamental framework for effective communication. These elements, she argued, form the backbone of any successful public relations strategy.
The main takeaways were that the ‘Who’ is important because it defines your target audience. Whether it's consumers, stakeholders, or the general public, knowing your audience is the first step towards crafting messages that resonate.
The ‘What’ which is the specific message you want to communicate is critical and being able to create a clear and compelling message is just as important. As for the ‘Where’ and ‘When’, context and timing is key. This means selecting the right platform your target audience is on and choosing the right moment to deliver your message to them.
The ‘Why’ which speaks to the need for a purpose-driven narrative. Whether it's to inform, persuade, or inspire action, a clear sense of purpose adds depth and authenticity to PR writing.
And lastly, the ‘How’ which is about the different ways one can communicate. Whether it’s through traditional means or digitally, the point is to select the right channel that will deliver the message to the intended audience and in some cases produce real time feedback.
The talk was very informative and provided students with the opportunity to connect real-life scenarios to their classroom knowledge through engaging question and answer sessions and insightful feedback.
Third year journalism student Leslie Kashando said: “The lecture was really amazing. I liked how we got to have a perspective of how public relation writing is used in the field. She talked about writing for your public, "you write for your public not for you". And I really liked that part.”
“The public are the receiver of the information and it's important to make sure that the message speaks to them, a message that they can understand. I feel like it's something that we forget a lot,” she added.
By Bernard Owuor
Last week, the Department of Cinematic Arts hosted a seminar celebrating the World Animation Day themed “Business, Law and Ethics in Animation”. The International Animation Day is celebrated globally and annually on the October 28 in honor and recognition of the art of animation and animation artists.
This day was first celebrated in Kenya in 2019 with USIU-Africa carrying the mantle and hosting the event in tandem with the introduction of the Bachelor of Arts in Animation program, and has since become part of the Cinematic Arts Department culture. The celebration has also helped expose the program and institution both locally and globally as well as exposing our students to the global industry.
The event brought together Animation artists, industry stake holders, students and faculty among others. This year’s edition included screenings of animation shorts by both our students and industry, short lectures from key guest speakers and topics included internships and job opportunities in animation, monetization of content, content protection and screenings of animation films and reels by local artists in addition to speaking on issues touching on the industry.
Among the panelists was Mr. Wambaa Muiru, The CEO and Founder of Diriba Animation Studio and producer of Kiki and Ella, an award winning animated film during the 2020 Kalasha International Film & TV Awards & Market festival. He discussed tips on how to successfully pitch to potential investors and emphasized on the importance of creating proof of concept as well as establishing YouTube channel for the purpose of showcasing skills and talent.
Also present was Immaculate Juma – an advocate of the high court and founder of Art Law Kenya, who made a presentation on legal and ethical issues affecting animation artistes. She also talked about the importance of developing awareness in areas of copyright, ownership, trademarks and other regulatory issues affecting the industry.
Mr. Dennis Mbuthia, a digital media consultant who also sits on the OSCAR Selection Committee Kenya representing the Kenyan animation industry shared his experience in the animation industry. He made a presentation on how to develop technical skills and networking something that he argued can lead to opportunities.
Speaking at the close of the session, Jotham Micah, the Co-Founder of Movie Jabber and the Marketing Manager East Africa at Century Pictures Ltd made an impressive presentation on commercialization and the industry data and experience in the Eastern Africa region. His insight on how to determine viability of a film through market research was compelling. The presentation included a statistical guide that showed ticket sales data and its significance to domestic productions.
By Bernard Owuor and Rose Kamande
The Department of Cinematic Arts in the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts hosted the International Animation Day celebration on 28 October with the theme “Global Business Opportunities for Animators in Africa”. The day featured sessions to help aspiring animators and enthusiasts gain insights into the animation industry. Topics ranged from business to marketing and the history of animation. The event featured a diverse range of animation experts and leaders who shared their insights, experiences, and visions for the future of animation.
Dr. Geoffrey Serede, the Interim Dean of the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts delivered a heart-warming and inspiring opening address. He emphasized the pivotal role animation plays in our lives, not only as a form of entertainment but as a powerful tool for communication, education, and storytelling. He cited examples of animated films and series that had touched hearts, conveyed important messages, and left a lasting impact on society.
Ms. Mony Moringa who is the Project manager at Samna Digital Media and also a USIU-Africa alumnus shared her career experience. Her journey was a testament to the power of hard work and determination, networking and mentorship in achieving career success. Her story left a lasting impact on those in attendance, motivating them to strive for excellence in their career paths.
Mr. Desmond Bosire, a dedicated entrepreneur and an animation business expert provided valuable insights into the business of animation. He talked about collaborations, fundraising and diversification of content that can provide opportunities within the ever evolving and dynamic world of animated entertainment. He emphasized that the animation industry is very competitive and success takes time and requires a strong understanding of the target audience for an animation business investment.
Mr. Jonathan Michael, the Marketing Manager, East Africa Century Pictures Ltd. finally shared his experience and marketing knowledge. He dived into the difference between the mainstream and independent films while highlighting the “the consumer” as the main factor. That a profound understanding of the market is essential for developing effective sales strategies. Studios that invest in market research and data-driven decision-making processes are better equipped to succeed in acquisition of a consumer base and is the key to achieving long-term growth and profitability.
The session concluded with a call to action for all attendees to use International Animation Day as an opportunity to appreciate and celebrate the art form. The presentations ignited inspiration and encouraged all to continue pushing the boundaries of animation. The day served as a reminder of the impact animation has had on our lives by bringing joy, inspiration, and a touch of magic to our world.
By Walter Ngano
Media and Communication students, faculty, and alumni from USIU-Africa came together to hold the second Joe Kadhi commemoration event at the SHSS rooftop on November 30. The annual event was organized by students of the JRN3911 Principles of Public Relations class lectured by Prof Robi Koki Ochieng. Present were veteran Kenyan journalists who worked and interacted with the late Joe Kadhi as well as members of Joe Kadhi’s family.
Attendees had the chance to reminisce about their experiences with the media great and impart the lessons they learned from him onto the students who are the next generation of journalists in Kenya. Joe Kadhi, a veteran journalist whose career spanned over 60 years was known for his hard-hitting stance on journalism whose foundation was built on sound ethics and principles. His famous quote, “publish and be damned” echoed around the room as every speaker reiterated this as the map that guided them in their journey in the world of journalism.
The event began with opening remarks by the Acting Dean in the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts (SCCCA) Professor Serede who welcomed everyone present. This was swiftly followed by remarks by Professor Kihara who represented the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Lola Odubekun. He marveled at the work being done by the Media and Communications Department in organizing such an event and encouraged students and faculty to keep up the good work. A brief period of entertainment soon followed with Spontaneous the Poet showcasing her strong oratory skills to the audience.
Sylvia Pereruan, the MC for the day guided attendees to the next session which was tributes to the late Joe Kadhi. Professor Isaiah Cherutich, a faculty member in the Department read out a speech that detailed the life and times of Joe Kadhi; from his upbringing in Majengo, his work in the media industry that saw him work for various publications such as Sauti ya Mwafrika, Sauti ya Kanu, Mfanya Kazi and The East African that culminated in him working for Nation Media Group until his retirement in the early 1990s, and his work in media training and mentorship that led to him being a journalism lecturer in USIU-Africa. He highlighted Joe Kadhi’s role in the development of the journalism program in the university that has birthed prominent journalists such as John-Allan Namu, Asha Mwilu and Abdi Latif Dahir who have all made their mark in the profession.
A panel discussion that comprised of veteran journalists such as Patrick Ngugi, Paul Kilemba, Owino Opondo, administrative leaders in journalism such as William Oloo-Janak who is the chairman of the Kenya Correspondents Association and Professor Daniel Omondi who is a faculty member in the Media and Communications Department and an alumnus soon followed. Panelists described their experiences and memories of the late Joe Kadhi and held a discussion about the state of journalism today and what can be done to improve it. The panelists emphasized the monstrous impact that the godfather of print media had on journalism. Joe Kadhi was hailed as a pioneer in the advocacy for press freedom and was seen as the blue print for professionalism and upholding of ethical standards in media. His famous column in the Nation, ‘Joe asks why?’ a commentary on socio-economic and political issues was mentioned severally as what drew the panelists to journalism. To the journalism students present, the panelists stressed upon the need to adopt a reading culture and have a thirst for information that would enable them to have a grasp on global affairs and build their knowledge hub. They maintained that the dynamic nature of profession is something that the aspiring journalists would need to embrace and adapt to.
Members of Joe Kadhi’s family - his daughter Maria and two grandsons, Joe and Frank lauded the event and described it as a very proud moment for their family. Joe read out a speech by Mohammed Kadhi, the son of Joe Kadhi which was an encouragement and call to action to the journalism students to ensure that they remain steadfast in their work in the industry and maintain the necessary ethics and principles his late dad strived so hard to build.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony where the most outstanding male and female students were recognized. These two students were nominated by their fellow students in a poll. Walter Ngano, a journalism student heading into his senior year walked away with the Male Journalist of the year award while Donna Morara, a senior student was awarded the Female Journalist of the year.
By Jade-Candice Wambui
There is a lot that can be said about life two years after the COVID-19 pandemic. A lifetime’s worth of stories, books, movies, and more will be written and created to chronicle one of the wildest, life-altering moments in global human history. One thing that the pandemic individually and collectively resulted in for many of us is the opportunity for pause, questioning, reflection, and the chance to “begin again” amid this worldwide limbo. Holding these two contradicting realities simultaneously can be difficult, but they are truths many are navigating. I would like to think that at this point, USIU Radio is an entity that also has the unique opportunity to be re-imagined and re-invented to meet its listeners where they are. So, what exactly could this look like?
Potential Future #1: The Commercialization of USIU Radio
Commercialization has been a hot topic and route taken by many university campus radio stations in recent years. Commercialization in this case entails turning USIU Radio into a profit-making entity to make the radio station financially independent and self-sustaining. This is where the work of the USIU Radio Taskforce steps in, along with student input, to deliberate and decide on the best way forward.
Another goal with the station’s commercialization would be to bring it to par with technological advancements currently shaping the global media landscape. On this, Wilfred Kidula commented, “In terms of radio, currently the trend is converged media. So, it is not just audio. We’re currently transmitting analog, so we’re thinking of [having] a digital studio that is commercial and is converged, meaning you don’t have to get a transistor radio (the ones we have for FM stations). You can still listen to us via online radio, you can still have us on Facebook and Twitter. With the model we have in mind, we’re thinking about what Vybez FM and NRG are doing. We are thinking along those lines.”
On the one hand, USIU Radio’s commercialization can be argued to have certain benefits. In time, it will enable USIU Radio to generate revenue that can be used in financially sustaining and growing the radio station. Another major gain would be, as a commercially licensed station, it will be able to reach a much larger nationwide and even international audience. On the other hand, it does carry its fair share of certain drawbacks; one of the most significant being the impact and influence of commercial and investor interests. This will likely result in significant hindrances in students’ abilities to express themselves, especially if their perspectives go against these larger interests. Advertisements will probably need to take precedence over radio conversations and music to generate more revenue. Plus, the radio station’s management structure will likely look very different. On this, Professor Cherutich said, “It would mean removing it a little bit from the student management [system] because it means we’ll have to hire a full-time manager and possibly a few staff members who would professionally run the station.” Could this spell the end of USIU Radio, the community radio station, as we know it?
Not likely. With going commercial, the goal would be to have USIU Radio ‘the national radio station’ while still holding on to the community station. Mr. Kidula highlighted that the university would apply for a national radio license while still keeping its current community radio license, “Initially we were thinking we just move to this other one, but we felt like we would disadvantage some of the students. Because some students just want to explore and see what will happen. Now if someone is just interested in seeing what will happen, we won’t take them to the commercial one because there will of course be costs involved. We’d rather maintain the community station for all the ‘newbies,’ so to speak. Once you’ve found yourself, then we can take you to the commercial one,” he notes.
Moreover, USIU Radio is first and foremost a training facility for students, therefore, it would only make sense to keep the community radio station for training purposes rather than throwing students into the deep end of professional radio where mistakes made could have some serious financial consequences. All students deserve the opportunity to learn in an environment where the risk of failure does not come with a literal high price. Additionally, community radio is a powerful and supportive platform for independent artists and students for self-expression and collaboration, without the interference of financial and advertiser interests and obligations.
Potential Future #2: Remote Recording and Broadcasting
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many radio stations such as WLOY of Loyola University Maryland went the remote recording route. This enabled their presenters to either pre-record their shows with equipment such as microphones provided by the station or to do their entire shows remotely. For them and other campus radio stations, this is something that might become a mainstay of their broadcasting practice. It is also something that seems to be in the USIU Radio pipeline.
As a result of the pandemic, broadcast decentralization is something that has somewhat become the norm in many media spaces, such as remote broadcasts and interviews being done in people’s homes. It has become a reality in various commercial radio stations and could be it as well with USIU Radio in the future. Mr. Kidula aptly described it as the decentralization of USIU Radio’s broadcasting. “Do the students have to come to this specific studio? Can they try something from wherever they are, or can we make some ‘satellite places’? Because there is this set-up; a mobile kit for podcasts. We [now] have podcast kits. You don’t have to be physically in the studio because you can decide to be somewhere else. This pandemic pushed the technology aspect so much, and we’re exploring ways of leveraging the technology benefit of radio, “he said. Necessity in this case seems to have become the mother of decentralization.
Ultimately, the future will likely look like a combination of the two. It will take multiple minds, experiences, perspectives, and tries to come up with the formula that works best for USIU Radio. There is also no denying that it will take time. Probably lots of it. One thing is for certain though: USIU Radio will probably never look the same again, and if done right, that will not be a bad thing at all. As long as it is true to students, listeners, and its capacity for greatness. If there is anything that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it is to prepare for the unexpected. This process and USIU Radio’s future are no exception to the rule.
By Emily Jepkemoi
The Dean, Dr. Geoffrey Sikolia, School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts (SCCCA) held an open discussion with students from the BA. Journalism program in the Media and Communication Department on Thursday, February 1. The meeting convened by the by the Chair of the Department Ms. Robi Koki Ochieng and Silvester Mutua, Chair, Department of Cinematic and Creative Arts.
The meeting brought together faculty, staff and students in the department to interact, raise concerns and share ideas on how to improve the program and the School. The students in attendance were Journalism students who are pursuing print media, broadcast media, public relations, and advertising.
The Dean encouraged the students to focus on their studies without limitations and gave example of many prominent and successful Kenyans who have been through the same program. The academic advisors of SCCCA listened to the issues from the students and promised to solve them amicably. The students were especially happy with the MAC PC’s that were newly acquired for the editing suites and the MA. Communication studies lab.
Issues discussed in the forum included modalities on how to be guided on the proper procedures used to select courses in the correct sequence, matters related to factors that led to poor academic standing, low enrolment and completion rate of the students in the program. The Dean and the Chair promised to have a new course scheduling structure. The Principal Academic Advisor, Mr. Isaac Chuma and the Academic Advisor, Emily Jepkemoi, were at hand to give clear direction on what is required of them when it comes to course registration, grading and academic matters. Special emphasis was given on the need to have a course advising form, processes and policies, actions and consequences of not adhering to the said requirements.
The School leadership is also keen on improving the content of the program to meet industry needs with the rollout of the recently reviewed Journalism curriculum that emphasizes on intensive writing skills, digital and social media skills and competencies .The Chair informed the students on the available career paths available in the industry and promised the students that she will link them with industry professionals for mentorship as they continue with their studies and after they graduate.
Prof. Patrick James Ebewo gives his remarks during the first satellite film festival at the USIU-Africa Auditorium.PHOTO: John Kelly Otaba
By Taigu Muchiri and Dr. Rachael Diang’a
Imagine Science Films (ISF) in partnership with the School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts held the first satellite festival in Africa at USIU-Africa on February 6. Under the theme ‘Science and Film in A Metropolitan Africa’, the festival explored the existence of science as part and parcel of the African narrative, the role of artists in a changing Africa, discourses on film research in the region and above all, it will showcased and celebrated African Science Films as a strongly emerging genre.
The objective of Imagine Science Nairobi Satellite Festival is to promote science, culture and the arts, raising awareness works at the intersection of film and science in Africa while tying the event to a broader international effort in science communication.
The event was an opportunity to showcase some of the best films across the world. Guests had the opportunity to see the short film, Trauma produced by USIU-Africa students majoring in Film Production and Directing. Other films that were featured included Pumzi (Kenya), directed by the award winning director Wanuri Kahiu, Seeds (Kenya) produced by Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann, Drexciya (Burkina Faso / Germany) produced by Simon Rittmeier, Homecoming (Kenya) produced by Jim Chuchu, Monsoons Over The Moon (Kenya) produced by Dan Muchina, Naked Reality (Cameroon) produced by Jean-Pierre Bokolo, The Golden Chain (USA) produced by Ezra Clayton Daniels and Adebukola Bodunrin, The Water Will Carry Us (USA) produced by Gabrielle Tesfaye and To Catch A Dream (Kenya) produced by Jim Chuchu.
Imagine Science Festival is a non-profit organization in existence since 2008 that promotes a high-level dialogue between scientists, artists and filmmakers. Over more than a decade, through our annual science film festivals in New York, Paris and Abu Dhabi. It has grown into a major venue for the release of new and experimental works bridging the worlds of science and film. ISF hosts film programs around the world and partners with other festivals, science & arts initiatives, research institutes, universities and museums. The organization has a twelve-year history meeting science and filmmaking communities around the world.
Ms. Nancy Snider.PHOTO: Courtesy
By SCCCA
USIU-Africa is privileged to host Ms. Nancy Snider as a visiting lecturer of Creative Arts. Ms. Snider is the Director of Music in the Department of Performing Arts at the American University. She is also the Director, AU Chamber Players (chamber music ensembles) and Hurst Senior Professional Lecturer at the same university. She has degrees in BM - Cello Performance (cum laude), L’Ecole Superior from the Catholic University of America, and Conservatoire Europeen de Musique de Paris (student of Mark Drobinsky). Her areas of interest are music, cello, and education. She is a passionate advocate for new music.
She will be attached to the School of Communication, Cinematic, and Creative Arts for the Summer and Fall 2019 semesters. Ms. Snider will work with faculty in Cinematic Arts department to conceptualize and develop a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Arts program structure and revise the existing concept, develop the music element of the BA Creative Arts curriculum, and work on a musical production with USIU-Africa students which will culminate into a performance/concert at the end of the period of engagement.
As a Cellist, Ms. Snider is a member of the Opera Lafayette Orchestra and performs regularly in a variety of chamber and period instrument ensembles. In addition to her recording/performance projects with Opera Lafayette, performance highlights have included collaborations with Trisha Yearwood, Mienka echová (Spitfire Company, Czech Republic), Modern Musick, Shakespeare Theatre, Folger Consort, Washington Early Music Festival, Washington Ballet, Washington Bach Consort and VERGE. She co-founded the new music collective INTERFERENCE with Steve Antosca and William Brent in 2015. Ms. Snider performed in South Africa with the Spitfire Company at the 2013 National Arts Festival where the production was awarded “Best Overseas Production.” In addition, she also received an ‘Outstanding Teacher of the Year’ award at American University.
By Jemima Oloo
The School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts in partnership with Tuko Kenya held an educative and insightful Masterclass on ‘Media Digital Disruption’. Tuko Kenya prides itself as the number one digital platform in Kenya. The Masterclass was a platform for journalism students to focus on digital disruption, the need to bridge the skills gap in the field of communication and the changes in the digital arena of communication.
In attendance were Dean, School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts, Dr. Geoffrey Sikolia, Head of Department, Media and Communications, Ms. Robi Koki, Managing Editor at Tuko, Jacob Otieno, Editor in Chief, Viral Tea Kenya, Marvin Chege, Social Media manager at Tuko Chris Oyier and Public Relations Manager, Ruby Orimba
In his presentation, the Managing Editor, Chris Oyier said that journalists need to adapt to the rapidly changing technologies and digital storytelling formats. “Digital disruption is the evolution of the media industry driven by the advancements in digital technology. These disruptions are changing the traditional ways in which news and information is produced, disseminated and consumed,” he emphasized.
The drivers to this disruption include an array of factors such as increased internet access, citizen journalism, the rising social media explosion and the new business models available. This necessitates key stakeholders in the field to work and match the evolving trends. In addition, Chris mentioned that all the stakeholders have a part to play and urged journalists to adapt to the rapidly changing technologies and digital storytelling formats.
Media educators should ensure that the curriculum is in tandem with the current industry trends with emphasis on practical skills. Journalism Schools should work with media houses or media entities for internships or volunteer opportunities to quickly bridge the gap between theory and practice and finally media consumers. The future is digital; hence journalist and communication practitioners should make use of all available digital tools to create and disseminate news.
The session ended with an encouragement to the young journalists to acquire skills in multimedia and content creation, data analysis, social media management, knowledge in Google and Facebook polices as well as knowledge in search engine optimization and algorithms.
By Kioko Ireri
Two faculty members in the Department of Journalism and Corporate Communication have presented research papers at the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).
Dr. Joseph Nyanoti presented a paper titled “Patriarchal Ideology in Kenya’s Editorial Cartoons: A Cultural Studies Approach”. The research investigated how Daily Nation editorial cartoonists represented the male and female genders in their comic graphics.
Findings indicate that the examined publication’s cartoons were laden with patriarchal ideologies. This supports the work of cultural studies scholars who believe that all media texts carry ideological nuances of the dominant group in society (they support status quo).
As such, men were given positive representation compared with women. Relatedly, women were not only underrepresented but they were also represented negatively in stereotypical roles as mothers, nurturers and appendages to men. The women were also represented as too weak to take up men’s roles like leadership in national offices.
The research data was collected using a combination of content analysis and semiotic analysis. The former generated data on the representation of men and women, while the latter revealed the hidden meaning (ideologies) in the portrayal of both genders.
Nyanoti’s colleague, Robi Koki examined the nature, types and trends of online violence that professional journalist women in Kenya face in digital media spaces. Her paper was titled “An Exploration of Gender-based Violence Perpetuated in Online Print Stories against Prominent and Professional Women in Kenya”.
The explanatory study extrapolated findings of the “Media Monitoring of Online Violence of Women Journalists in Kenya” commissioned by the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK), ARTICLE 19 and Deutsche Welle Akademie. The study gathered attitudes, behaviors, opinions or perceptions that culminated into acts of online violence meted out on top of women journalists and media personalities.
Findings indicate that the journalists faced online violence because the public has a sense of entitlement based on their expectations of the professional and public appearance of the women in media. More so, women in media are expected to modify their appearance for sex appeal than they are for journalistic work.
The research employed qualitative content analysis to assess extractions of various online print stories of 40 prominent and professional women in Kenya. The IAMCR conference was held from 7-11 July at Universidad Complutense Madrid in Madrid, Spain. The conference’s theme was “Communication, Technology and Human Dignity: Disputed Rights, Contested Truths”.
Dr. Rachael Diang'a (Chair, Department of Cinematics, Assistant Professor, Film and Animation , School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts) speaks during the African Film Night:PHOTO: Diana Meso
By Diana Meso
Produced by the pioneer class of the B. A Film Production and Directing program, the movie “Unbalanced” was premiered on Tuesday, June 18 at the auditorium during the African Film Night- an initiative by the Department of Cinematic Arts (USIU-Africa) to showcase various films produced across Africa every month.
The movie which was written and directed by Kevin Osoo (Film Production & Directing) depicts how the millennials struggle to maintain a balance between their studies, relationship and work all at once. It also draws attention to the typical life of a university student.
The movie production was supported by Dr. Rachael Diang’a (Chair, Department of Cinematics, Assistant Professor, Film and Animation , School of Communication, Cinematic and Creative Arts), Danielle Mbago, Gituro Mwangi, Mustafa Surrow, Salim Wandate, Margaret Njeri, Mageto Ndege, Daniel Skilton, Stephen Mwangi, Alan Munyao, Cedric Kircheiner, Brandon Wema, Daniel Kigaa, Christian Khaemba, Michael Ki’ngoria, Fulgence Ndilo (Finance Department) and Yusuf Saleh (HR Department) who was also part of the cast. The actors include Tsepiso Kanhema, Joy Mmare, Men Madaline, Candice Njoroge, Tony Bach, Wesley Casmir, Moureen Kariuki, Alfred Chidiebere and Michael Kingori’a.
Present at the event, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza congratulated the producer and the cast of the movie, pointing out that this was just the beginning of greater movies to be produced in USIU-Africa. He went on to say that the movie is a clear indication that the university is indeed the leading Film School in the region.
On the other hand, Dr. Racheal Diang’a urged participants to take advantage of opportunities to act in such films, saying that everyone in the university has the potential to be featured in any film.
Additionally, other short movies from various parts of the continent were also screened during the event; they include: Animation projects and Mad Love produced by USIU-Africa students, KIU, Seed, Clench and Solo produced in Kenya. The Bad Mexican produced in Uganda, Got Flowers Today produced in Nigeria and Forget Me Not produced in South Africa were also screened, courtesy of Docubox.
The screening was held as part of a film curation grant that Dr. Diang’a won late last year. The grant which was funded by Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) through University of Glasgow (UK), Africa in Motion Film Festival (UK) and Docubox (Kenya) provided a platform for Dr. Diang’a to be trained on film curation, together with other film professionals in Kigali, Rwanda and organize a film curation event.
The event was also graced by Timothy Owase, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Film Commission, Victoria Goro, Kenya Film School, Wambui Gathee from Docubox and students from several Film Schools in Nairobi.
Prof. Howard French (centre) delivers his public lecture on Africa in the 21st Century: Reflections on Emerging Challenges in Media and Foreign Policy Reporting in Africa and China. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Joanne Alividza and Philip Mwembi
USIU-Africa and Columbia Global Centers held a Public Lecture on ‘Africa in the 21st Century: Reflections on Emerging Challenges in Media and Foreign Policy Reporting in Africa and China’ on May 28, 2019. The lecture was a joint collaboration between the School of Communication Cinematic and Creative Arts (SCCCA) and School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) was delivered by Prof. Howard French of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and brought together over 400 participants from 11 institutions in higher education, technology sector and media fraternity.
In his address, Prof. French explored the Africa-China relations stating a key interest of China’s presence in Africa being economic gain owing to the rapid increase in Africa’s population therefore, an increase in the Sino-Africa trade. He shared China’s growth trajectory since independence stating that Africa needs exemplary and selfless leadership to realize economic growth of its citizens. “African leaders need to set a paradigm shift to harness the continent’s possibilities to drive growth of the continent”, he said.
USIU-Africa Chancellor Dr. Manu Chandaria who attended the event challenged African countries to take advantage of their relationship with China to advance their development agenda instead of whining that China was introducing neo-colonialism tendencies in the continent. Dr. Chandaria acknowledged that indeed China, the world’s most populous country had come a long way to become a global economic powerhouse through transformative leadership over the years.
“I would want to see African leaders talking positive lessons from China and move the continent to great strides as Africa has a lot of yet to be exploited potential. The world is advancing very fast and only innovative leadership with contemporary ideas should take charge of Africa”, he challenged. The engagement session of the Lecture brought forth a suggestion for the participants to pick lessons from China’s Africa strategy as a whole rather than concentrate on her interests in the continent from a negative perspective.
USIU-Africa continues to pursue and actualize university wide partnerships with institutions across board (from those of higher learning to government, industry and community based organizations) locally, regionally and globally. This collaboration works to further the USIU-Africa and Columbia University partnership given that CGC, which is part of Columbia University’s global network of centers, aims to create opportunities in research, scholarship and teaching around the world; and to expand Columbia's mission as a global University. The hosting of the Public Lecture also brings to the fore the long term existing relationship between USIU-Africa and Columbia University in that the latter forms part of targeted institutions for USIU-Africa’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Global Tour Course. It also highlights different partnership talks with other sections of the University and hence calls for a formalized partnership.
By Kioko Ireri
USIU-Africa Chancellor Dr. Manu Chandaria has congratulated graduate student Jimmy Ochieng on being an author in a book chapter published in The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Politics.
In his congratulatory letter delivered through Professor Ruthie Rono (Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic & Student Affairs), Dr. Chandaria writes: “This is a great achievement both for you and for USIU-Africa”. Jimmy is pursuing MA in Communication Studies in the Department of Journalism & Corporate Communication. He is expecting to graduate in September.
Published early last month, Jimmy’s chapter is titled “East Africa: Regional Politics and Dynamics”. It is co-authored with Walter O. Oyugi, a retired Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at University of Nairobi. Focusing on Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the authors point out that the three countries inherited similar political systems and all governance institutions at the sub-territorial level operated in line with centrally determined guidelines.
The encyclopedia is a collection of best scholars working on Africa on a variety of issues within the rubric of politics in the continent. It provides a comprehensive examination of the key issues and debates within the study of African politics.
In January this year, Jimmy jointly with Dr. Kioko Ireri (Chair Department of Journalism & Corporate Communication) and fellow student Alex Roberts published a research paper titled “An Exploratory Study on Knowledge Gap in Public Affairs among Kenyans in African Journalism Studies. He is also a co-author with Dr. Ireri (his thesis supervisor) of a forthcoming research paper titled “Politicians in Newspaper News: Who Attracts Coverage in Kenyan Politics” to be published International Journal of Press/Politics published by Sage and previously owned by Harvard University.
By Dr. Rachael Diang'a and Taigu Muchiri
USIU-Africa was one of the big winners of the night at the eleventh edition of the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, winning three awards out of the eight nominations that it had. The event, held on Saturday, December 11, saw House of Secrets, one of USIU-Africa’s student produced movies walk away with wins in the categories of Best Sound Designer (Kelvin Osoo) (Industry Category), Best Director (Michelle Donde and Steph Sevani) (Industry Category), and Best Feature by a Student (Film School Category).
The University submitted four films out of the five that were produced by fifteen students in August in the final year project course, PRD4010 – Producing from Greenlight to Completion. Out of the four film submissions, two films, Knock – directed by Kelvin Osoo and House of Secrets - directed by Michelle Donde and Steph Sevani made it to the top five in six categories. The students worked in teams to produce industry-standard films, which were partly assessed internally and partly assessed by industry filmmakers who came on campus at the end of August 2021 to watch and give constructive feedback to the students’ work.
Speaking during the presentation of the trophies, the Vice Chancellor Professor Freida Brown expressed her pride and lauded the achievements of each student.
“This win would not have been possible without your time, effort and talent and on behalf of the entire university community, we are proud of this accolade. You are a resource to the university by showcasing some of the talents present at the University,” she said.
Dr. Rachel Diang’a, Chair of the Department of Cinematic and Creative Arts, noted that the wins at the Kalasha Awards portended a strong comeback for the Film Production and Directing students, who had not produced major films last year as a result of the pandemic.
“The nominations for this year’s Awards represented a great improvement on the part of our students, from 6 nominations in 2019 to 8 nominations this year. We are excited to note that the three awards won now bring the number of awards won by our students since 2018 to 50. We hope to field even more contenders for next year’s awards,” she said. This win represents a big milestone for us in the Department and more so for the Bachelor of Film Production and Directing program.
“Since its inception in 2018, the program has grown immensely and this can be seen through the various awards that we have won over the years and this will strengthen the program further,” she added.
Michelle Donde, the director of the award-winning film, House of Secrets, noted that while she produced the film as a school project, she had never expected that it would go on to win a Kalasha Award.
“It has been an extraordinary experience to win these awards, and it is an encouraging sign that the tides are turning in terms of representation in films. I am excited to be an award-winning female director, and I look forward to a time when more and more female directors will share with us their stories through film,” she said.
The Kalasha Film and TV awards were established in 2009 to award excellence in television and film in Kenya and is organized by the Kenya Film Commission.
By Rachael Diang’a
Collins Akunga, a Bachelor of Arts in Film Major (senior) has been announced the prize winner of the most coveted grant at the just concluded 2nd edition of the Great Lakes Creative Producers Film Lab (GLCPFL) that was held at USIU-Africa from October 24-28, 2022.
Collins’ film project entitled “Pwagu” was selected by Federation Studios, a multinational film firm with headquarters in Paris, France and heavy presence in USA, UK, Spain, Italy, Israel among others. For this year’s edition of GLCPFL, Federation Studios was a sponsoring partner. The pack comes with a €2,000 cash and production mentorship at the studios.
Two USIU-Africa students took part in the workshop; Collins Akunga and Sofia Namuye (also a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing Senior) made it to the list this year. Sofia’s project received a special mention by the mentors/ judges during the closing ceremony at USIU-Africa last week. Collins’ win doesn’t come as a surprise as he has shown his prowess as a film director and director of photography (DoP) from the time he was a freshman, when he directed Mad Love (2018), the first award winning film from the USIU-Africa’s film program.
Pwagu is about a young lady who poses as a call girl to rob her clients but one day gets an agoraphobic client who takes her hostage. Sofia’s project at the workshop began as an animated tale about the legendary Lwanda Magere but later turned into a live action drama.
The annual five-day workshop brings together film producers and directors from the Great Lakes region for a hands-on mentorship and training workshop on creative producing. Creative producers are scarce and far between, and the gap between the creative team and the production departments can be uncomfortable, even counterproductive for a film project. This annual workshop was initiated to fill this gap.
This year’s workshop brought together 10 participants from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and USIU-Africa, usually represented by two film students. Other than Collins and Sofia, a large number of cinematic arts students and faculty attended and participated in the plenary sessions. Several faculty members allowed their students to partially or fully hold their lessons from the workshop as long as the sessions were relevant. A good example is the PRD 3005 class led by Melissa Kandondo, which engaged with the mentors during sessions on “Mapping Film in Africa” and “Pitching”.
“Thank you for the opportunity to attend the lab. I feel that I’m now a better filmmaker. I learnt so much,” says Akunga, regarding the workshop. About winning the award, he says: “I am really excited for what the future holds due to this award.” The other participant, Sofia, on her part says: “attending this workshop has left me a totally different person and put me in another level in my film career.”
In its second year in the country, the lab remains an event to look forward to and this collaboration provides a unique identity to our film training at USIU-Africa.
Nimah Kassim at a past event. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Nashon Owano
Final year Public Relations and Marketing major Nimah N’zani Kassim is the youngest participant from Kenya out of 40 who were selected to represent Kenya in the United States at the Mandela Washington Fellowship 2019, sponsored by IREX, YALI NETWORK and the US State Government. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is an initiative that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training and networking.
Each year, 700 outstanding leaders are selected after a series of very competitive applications and interviews held in the US embassies in their respective countries. Fellows selected for this program should have established a record of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive impact in their organizations, communities and countries. They represent a diverse group of leaders from 48 countries across sub-Saharan Africa.
Nima was selected due to her mentorship program called The Hijabi mentorship program– an initiative aimed at creating a transformative social change through the use of Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the UN, mainly focusing on SDG1 (no poverty) SDG3 (good health and wellbeing), SDG4 (quality education) SDG5 (gender equality), SGD8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
Her platform is focused on sex education, gender-based violence, violent extremism and economic empowerment. The Hijabi mentorship program focuses on women, youth and teens, with its activities including mentorship sessions, trainings, workshops, advocacy campaigns and charity events.
Early this year she was one of the youngest contestants who participated in the Ms President Show 2019 on KTN, a reality show aimed at highlighting on female leadership in the country, where she had an opportunity to represent Kwale County. After the reality show, she was selected as one of the 20 young change makers to participate in the 2019 Change Summit on Gender Justice in Ethiopia.
N’zani is currently receiving training at Indiana University (Purdue and Bloomington).
By Joyce Wanjiku and Dr. Rachael Diang’a
USIU-Africa Film and Animation students participated and emerged top at the recently concluded Kenya National Drama and Film festival which took place in Mombasa County, Shimo La Tewa and Shanzu Teachers Technical Training College from 20-30, April 2023. Out of the seven submissions by USIU-Africa, the university scooped four awards- three for Animation and one for film.
In the Animation category, Favourite Song by Laura Mukaya won the Best Animation while To the Edge animation work by a group of senior students (Daniel Kihumba, John Mark, Lorna Wanjiku, Martine Nikita, Maryam Lethome, Mutuma Kaunda and Nwachkwu Precious) from the final year project class took the first runners up position.
Five years since the start of the film production and directing program, our students continue to bring home awards from festivals and contests. In this festival, USIU-Africa’s film, ESC (read Escape), emerged top in the short feature film category. This is a film by our recent graduates in the Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing (class of 2022) Margaret Ngigi and Allan Munyao. It delineates how a family navigates through challenges in the face of COVID-19-induced lockdown. Kaa Chonjo is an animated advert on the dangers of conmen, directed by two Bachelor of Arts in Animation seniors: Kyra Mutungi and Fidele Kapungula, won the Best Advert at the festivals.
USIU-Africa’s Film Club has proven its ability to create quality films too. They submitted Mr. and Miss. USIU-Africa documentary, an indication of the Club’s dedication and commitment to excellence. Members of the club gave so much of their time and effort to ensure that every moment of the Mr. and Ms. USIU-Africa 2022 contest was captured and gave even more time to edit the same into a documentary film.
The other submitted films were Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing final year projects: Hex Appeal, a short film directed by Collins Akunga and Super Cognition – a short film directed by Alex Wambugu, both Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing Seniors. Hex Appeal warns the youth on the dangers of blindly traversing the social media world while Stories from the Multiverse highlights the dangers of drug use and dependence among the youth.
Kenya Film Commission CEO, Timothy Owase and USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza during the signing of the MoU. The MoU initiates a strategic partnership with the institution on promotion of excellence in training in film production and animation.
By Philip Mwembi
USIU-Africa and the Kenya Film Commission (KFC) have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at making Kenya a first-class provider of screen entertainment for local, regional and international markets stemming from quality and relevant training offered by the university.
The MoU will see both institutions jointly work together to build capacity through organizing film classes, workshops, seminars, film boot camps, short courses, projects, and programs. The two institutions will also market the Kalasha International Film and TV Festivals to increase market penetration and visibility for Kenyan content at international film markets.
While signing the MoU, USIU-Africa Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza said the partnership will position both institutions as resource centers for local broadcasters, media, film and communication researchers and scholars as USIU-Africa will be able to offer mentorship programs for students interested in film production and directing.
“We will conduct film industry research and collect data which will enable us to develop short courses tailor-made for industry practitioners for certification”, Prof. Zeleza explained.
Kenya Film Commission Chief Executive Officer Timothy Owase said the Commission will continue to source and negotiate for tax relief incentives on film and animation equipment to boost the industry growth.
“We will offer guidance on standards of excellence and advocate for the use of best practice in film production while working closely with relevant government agencies to create robust and streamlined mid-level film education that will lead to more exportation of locally-made films”, he added.
By Rachael Diang’a
USIU-Africa’s film students have garnered eight nominations at the prestigious Kalasha Film and TV Awards’ 2021 edition. The University submitted four films out of the five that were produced in Summer in the final year project course, PRD4010 – Producing from Greenlight to Completion. Out of the four film submissions, two films, Knock – Directed by Kelvin Osoo and House of Secrets - Directed by Michelle Donde and Steph Sevani made it to the top five in six categories. The students worked in teams to produce industry-standard films, which were partly assessed internally and partly assessed by industry filmmakers who came on campus at the end of Summer 2021 to watch and give constructive feedback to the students’ work.
What’s more exciting is that the students’ films competed favourably with the film industry productions and seven out of the eight nominations are in industry category. For students’ category, USIU-Africa’s two films made it to the top five, making USIU-Africa a top film school in the country.
Kalasha is an annual international film and TV Awards ceremony, dubbed the Kenyan Oscars and showcases and awards crème de la crème of film and TV talents in Kenya and beyond.
Other than the student films, one of the students in that class, Danny Skilton, got a nomination for Best Director of Photography for the film he worked on alongside professional filmmakers in the industry.
These nominations portend a strong come-back for our film and Animation students who due to Covid-19 pandemic were not able to produce major films in 2020. We look forward to turning these nominations into film awards during the Kalasha Awards Night later in the year. To achieve this, we need your support; we implore you to vote for our students’ films once the voting link is provided by the Kenya Film Commission, who are the hosts of this event.
In the film industry the world over, nominations and awards are very important as they enrich a filmmaker’s industry experience and portfolio, placing them a cut above the rest and open doors for greater opportunities.
This year’s nominations standing at eight with seven coming from students’ films is a mark of great improvement from our 2019 Kalasha nominations, which then stood at 6. We also hope to bring home more awards than the one award our students brought home in 2019. This will increase the number of the awards our students have received since 2018 from the current 47.
Please vote here in support of the nominees: https://bit.ly/3nUHqdO
Rachel Muthoni and Dr. Rachel Diang’a take a photo during the 7 day film festival. PHOTO: Courtesy
By Brenda Odhiambo and Dr. Rachael Diang’a
Two productions by USIU-Africa’s Cinematic Arts’ Department have won the top prizes during this year’s edition of the 7 Day Film Festival. Trauma, written and directed by Kevin Osoo won the Best Inspiring Short Film, Best Cinematography and Best Student Short Film, while Warped by Michelle Donde won the Judges’ Award. The win by Trauma made it the second time that USIU-Africa had won an award at the festival.
Both films tackled mental health awareness, with the theme derived from a surprise phrase that was shared with this year’s entrants. This year’s phrase was ‘it gets better with time’.
“The entire reason we made these films was to pass across the message of mental health and its impact to as many people as possible, and winning four awards from our 6 nominations means that we were able to achieve our objective,“ said Kevin and Michelle.
Trauma was the most nominated film at the festival, with nominations across 6 categories and wins in 3, which also made it the best performing film at the event.
The 7 Day Film Festival is a timed film competition which gives Kenyan filmmakers a platform to unlock their potential by pushing their limits to create a story within 7 days. Filmmakers are given a surprise brief and waived filming locations in Nakuru County.
The festival aims to develop the production of creative quality Kenyan local content in short films, music videos and documentaries.
By Claudia Mugaki
USIU-Africa’s film fraternity participated in the 12th Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, held at the Safari Park Hotel on Saturday, December 3, 2022. USIU-Africa students and faculty from Cinematic Arts Department, the Film club as well as other programs participated in the star-studded event that takes place annually, bringing together who-is-who in the Kenyan, regional and diaspora film and television industries.
Fondly referred to as the ‘Kenyan Oscars’, the event awards top content creators and veterans in the cinematic industry. USIU-Africa’s official submission to Kalasha, Esc. (read Escape) directed by Margaret Njeri and Ian Munyao (BA Film Production and Directing alumni, class of 2022) explores the tech-world to tell an intriguing story of struggle for Marvin and his mother as they grapple with his dad’s terminal illness in the face of joblessness during the COVID-19-initiated lockdown.
The Film Club was represented by the Inter-clubs’ coordinator, Claudia Mugaki (BA International Relations Senior), who has made a mark in through her Arts Management role in the film and animation industry; Ted Mitchell Apondi, a Film enthusiast and also a BA International Relations Senior and the Film Club Patron and Chair of Cinematic Arts, Dr. Rachael Diang’a, who also presented an award at the event on behalf of USIU-Africa.
USIU-Africa and Kenya Film Commission, the organizers of the Kalasha Awards enjoy an MoU that has borne fruits for both organizations in the past. The film club leadership had the pleasure to witness and see a niche that students in the club can tap into and take their creative mind into practice, come the next semester.
From left: Mr. Gerald Owino (Kenya Film Commission Board Member), Ms. Swabra Soud (Partnerships and External Linkages Officer), Prof. Paul Zeleza (Vice Chancellor), Mr. Timothy Owase (CEO, Kenya Film Commission) and Dr. Racheal Diang’a (Chair, Department of Cinematic Arts) pose for a photo on Wednesday, March 20. PHOTO: DIANA MESO
By Diana Meso
On Wednesday, March 20, Kenya Film Commission (KFC) Chief Executive Officer Mr. Timothy Owase paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Comission and USIU-Africa signed three years ago.
The Kenya Film Commission is a State Corporation under the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts, charged with the development, marketing and promotion of the film industry in Kenya.
It is mandated to engage in the promotion and development of the film industry in Kenya which covers capacity building through workshops, trainings and conferences, talent sourcing and promotion of local content in the film industry.
Since signing the MoU, USIU-Africa students and faculty have been able to actively take part in the Kalasha International TV and Film Market - the largest annual film market in East Africa that showcases Kenya as a major regional hub for film and TV production.
This renewal of terms between the two organizations will see USIU-Africa and the Commission work together to penetrate international film markets, create a Cinematic Archival and Research Center at USIU-Africa, organize inter-university film festivals/competitions at USIU-Africa and work to explore the space of film in the big four agenda in Kenya.
The agreement also eases the process of obtaining internships for USIU-Africa students.
Also present at the meeting was Mr. Gerald Owino (KFC Board Member), Dr. Racheal Diang’a (Chair, Department of Cinematic Arts) and Ms. Swabra Soud (Partnerships and External Linkages Officer).
USIU-Radio history
USIU Radio was started in the Spring semester of 2010, after being granted the broadcasting license by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), in 2009. It falls under the Journalism and Corporate Communication department, providing an opportunity for students to hone their skills in radio broadcasting and training on media techniques and technologies.
USIU Radio airs on the frequency 99.9 FM, which is typically allocated to community radio stations. The station transmits over a radius of 5 kilometers from the USIU-Africa campus.
All day-to-day functions in USIU Radio are student-run and led by a Student team called Radio Management. The Broadcast Technologist oversights operation, while the Patron (Journalism Faculty) is a mentor who champions our cause in higher places.
The university’s campus is home to two studios, the recording studio and the on-air studio, which serve USIU Radio both passively and actively. The recording studio, located in the Cinematics Centre, opened its doors in the year 2007 and is used exclusively by the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism students to develop their skills. The recording studio is also used for the training of incoming presenters in addition to the production of station ID’s, programs, promos, drops and jingles, and drops.
The on-air studio, located on the first floor of Lillian K. Beam currently houses the USIU Radio station. Shows are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with 24 hours a day coverage.
Since its establishment in 2010, USIU Radio has had a number of radio presenters joining mainstream media, including Andy Young (Homeboyz Radio), Rae Kiragu (Homeboyz Radio) and Darya Kish (NRG Radio). As the station continues with efforts to renew and adapt, USIU Radio carries on nurturing and growing talent not only in the radio presenters, but the talent of the in-house producers and deejays.
CURRENT SHOWS
USIU Radio boasts of a diverse range of shows which play a vast spectrum of music and tackle a wide variety of topics geared towards the USIU Africa community and its environs. Presently 8 shows are running. These include:
1. The Afterskool Show
Afterskool is your go-to show for the most interesting conversations on the hottest topics of the day mixed with the hottest selection of music to keep the good vibes flowing.
2. The Brief Show
This is the brief show the most controversial, brief, and funny show, with a boatload of banter, real talk, and jokes while you have lunch.
3. The Hotspot Show
This is where we bring you the hottest trends in pop culture, current affairs, matters arising in our communities as well as conversations with guests from different career paths. We play music from all genres inspired by different events like black history month focused on bringing awareness to the black artists out there.
4. The Connect
Is a one-stop-shop for all rock, indie, EDM, alternative, and punk music lovers. We talk about rock culture, anime, tv shows, movies and do some pretty interesting interviews with people in the community.
5. The Unspoken Show
We open Pandora’s box to society’s issues. We discuss the ins and outs of the hidden conversations in our society.
6. The Rebels Show
Founded on Unpopular opinions about topics that millennials would normally discuss behind closed doors. Backed up by Urban good music, the Rebels flavor will keep you Laughing Learning, and Reflecting.
7. The Mid-Morning Show
Your no. 1 source of great music & conversation. We bring you fresh music, interesting news stories, and cool interviews on a variety of topics.
8. Ungo
This is your Saturday evening cup of tea driving you home with the hottest Bongo Flava tunes letting you relive the oldies, vibe with the new generation, and join the banter as you navigate the weekend.
Remember to tune in to USIU-Radio 99.9FM for the best music, information, entertainment and news around campus.
Christine Mungai from Braza Media Lab, interview's the Film Director for Unbalanced, Mr Kelvin Osoo a second year student at USIU-Africa. PHOTO: Baraza Media Lab
By Bernard Owuor
Award winning film Unbalanced added another feather in its cap by being the inaugural film to be screened at the Baraza Media Lab, located along Riverside Drive, Nairobi.
The film, which won the Kalasha award for Best Student Short film last year, depicts the struggles of a typical university student’s life and the impact on their mental health.
In his introductory remarks before the screening, the Dean of the School of Communication, Cinematics and Creative Arts Prof. Patrick Ebewo thanked the proprietors of the Baraza Media lab for providing space for the screening of the film. He also encouraged upcoming film makers to showcase their films in spaces like Baraza Media Lab and to accept criticism from like-minded creatives.
On his part, Mr Kelvin Osoo, the director of Unbalanced shared with the audience his motivation, experience and future works during the interactive question and answer session.
Baraza media lab is an initiative that provides space for creative artists to network, collaborate and share experiences.