I wish to thank you for your individual contributions to building a better and stronger university for the future generations. I recognize and appreciate those of us who work hard every day to conduct classes, research and supervision of students, prepare lecture rooms and make them ready for classes, office attendants who take care of staff welfare and everyone involved many other aspects of university life.
I wish to comment on some issues hereunder:
1. Graduation
The university has scheduled the 22nd graduation ceremony to take place from Wednesday 9th to Friday 11th December 2026. I encourage everyone involved in these arrangements to ensure that everything is in place and ready to guarantee a successful graduation. The Senate Committees should meet regularly to consider results for onward submission to Senate for final approval. All lists should be cleaned to make sure that only those who meet the required academic requirements are allowed to graduate.
Those investigations of missing marks, forged marks or any academic irregularity should be completed in time to allow preparation of a complete clean list of graduands. Once the final senate has met to consider the last reports from faculties, I shall not entertain further submissions.
By this time, all necessary procurements should be in process. In future and after careful sensitization of stakeholders, the university will consider cutting costs associated with printing booklets and other materials by using the ACMIS system and our website.
2. Examinations
The end of semester examinations will begin on 23rd November and run up to 6th December 2026. The Deans, Heads of Departments and Examination coordinators must ensure that timetables are prepared and displayed well ahead of time. I want to urge the university engineer to plan to clean the examination rooms and improve lighting and water supply during the examination time. As we go towards the final examinations, students should be given the prescribed tests by the lecturers. Quality Assurance Directorate should plan to monitor the invigilation and conduct of examinations. As I have said before, all full-time teaching staff must participate in invigilation as a way of supervising their papers. They are still in employment during examinations and are therefore expected to be delivering services.
3. Lack of supervision
I have also received complaints of lack of supervision in some Faculties and departments where some staff members have failed to take on their core responsibilities of processing of documents for graduation.
It has come to my attention that some full-time teaching staff hire other people to teach for them while they repeatedly absent themselves. These people they hire are less qualified or not qualified to teach. Surprisingly, some lecturers hire students to teach fellow students (This is absurd). This matter is under investigation and the details will come later. Those involved in this practice will be held accountable.
Some teaching staff have other jobs in other universities and organisations where they have heavy administrative responsibilities as Deans, Heads of Departments or Heads of those organisations. How can someone expect to continue earning salaries from these different organisations while not delivering to their expectations. I will discuss with the CHR whether such matters that may require disciplinary action cannot be handled expeditiously.
Management working with the University Council has put in place clear policies to guide university operations including conduct of staff as enshrined in the Human Resources Manual 2014 and amended in 2022. I urge all staff to adhere to the regulations and execute their duties as expected. The heads of the individual departments are called upon to take charge and supervise staff under them to improve performance and also offer solutions to students facing challenges. Heads who fail to report teaching staff who repeatedly absent themselves or are completely absent for a whole semester or more will be brought to book.
4. ACMIS
In 2014 and 2015, there were staff members who were collecting tuition fees from students and conniving with the Academic Registrar’s department to ensure that they progress with their studies. I suspended a number of staff who were involved in this practice. To address the above problem, we invested in development of the systems ultimately with ACMIS. This system is a miracle and it will handle all financial, academic and administrative functions of the university. We must therefore embrace the system which is now co-owned by most public institutions and has transformed operations in these institutions. We have no choice going forward but must use the system in totality to manage academics, finances and general administration. For example, we held guild elections by e-voting, we held students’ admission ceremony on line, we must graduate students off ACMIS, Clear students using ACMIS, and continue subscribing to RENU to provide sufficient bandwidth for internet and related services and to invest in infrastructure to support these services.
I urge everyone to understand and use the ACMIS system to its fullness. Some of us who are aged and fear systems must learn or else we shall be irrelevant especially if we are in leadership roles. The world is getting digital and we cannot be left behind.
We must also understand the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its daily applications in the work we do. I request the head of computer science to write some guidelines for Top Management and senate to consider.
5. End of Extended Contract for Mr. Richard Manano, Chief Human Resources
The extended contract for Mr. Richard Manano has come to an end. Join me in congratulating him for the tremendous job he did for the university during his term. He showed us the art of hard work, time keeping and accuracy in his presentations. He preferred to do things himself to ensure that he owns them and does not blame anyone hence his common terminology of hurrying slowly. He linked the university with the Ministry of Public Service where he worked before and we were able to get many issues resolved quickly because he still commands great respect from his colleagues in the Ministry. I congratulate him on a job well done. At an appropriate time, Management will organize a befitting send off as a way of appreciating his service. May God bless and reward him for his service to the university and mankind.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I congratulate those who have been promoted to higher positions. I urge you to perform your duties diligently, mentor young staff and colleagues to come up. While my vision is to transform the university into a research active institution, ineffective leadership hinders progress to this goal. I therefore urge leaders to provide clear direction, promote accountability and foster the culture of mentorship and research excellence. Students with questions related to research reports, dissertations, Research ethics matters must be appropriately attended to rather than sending them to the Vice Chancellor to address their matters. Each one of us must play their role.
My good nature, calm spirit and humility that I have demonstrated over the last 14 years should not be interpreted as weakness. Going forward, we must work together for a common goal, which is to build an institution we shall all be proud of. I give credit and thank all staff, teaching and non-teaching who do a good job every day and that has brought us to this state where the university is envied by everyone. Who does not want a peaceful and productive institution? This type of institution has been my vision and I thank all who have contributed to it.
May God bless you as we go into a very busy period leading up to graduation.