MKU CONTINUES TO WRITE HISTORY AS IT MARKS THE 21ST GRADUATION

Mount Kenya University (MKU) celebrated its 21^st graduation ceremony on Friday at the Mwai Kibaki Convention Centre, Thika Campus. The colourful occasion was presided over by the Chancellor of MKU Prof. John J. Struthers among other key stakeholders. Its theme was: ‘The role of universities in peace building for socio-economic development.’

This year’s event saw 6,507 graduates conferred with PHDs, master’s and bachelor’s degrees as well as diplomas and certificates in various fields of specialization. Compared to the 2021   ceremony that was held in December and the graduands were   6,239, this was an increase of 4%. Out of the total graduands, 3517 (which is 54%) were male, while 2990 (which is 46%) were female.

Mr. John Muthuri Kathure the alumni representative congratulated the graduands while paying attention to the achievements of the university since its inception.  “Create your own niche; there are many journalists, many lawyers, and many accountants out there, it is your niche that will draw you from the rest. I know you are brilliant but don’t forget to be kind. I hope you will make sacrifices with your degrees and diplomas and offer pro bono services to inmates, volunteer as teachers in Wajir, cover human interest stories in Lamu, or conserve our forests,” he said.

Holistic

In order to develop holistic persons, MKU focuses on both academic matters and students’ co-curricular activities in equal measure. In this regard, the students participate in their elections in a system that is all-inclusive, credible and transparent. The elected student leaders are given training and are incorporated into the university management system as stakeholders. Additionally, they spearhead co-curricular activities like sports and   clubs among others.

To ensure that MKU remains competitive in the labour market and compliant with the curricula reforms that are currently taking place at the basic education level, the institution has actively embraced the process of transitioning to the competence based curriculum (CBC) requirements. All these efforts are intended to ensure that its graduates are armed with the 21st century skills.

Professor David K. Serem who is the Chairman of the University Council talked about the approved policies and the guidelines that the council has been able to develop and implement this   year. The joint efforts of the university fraternity have led to continued growth despite the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the onset of the disruptive   pandemic, online programmes have been pivotal in ensuring the continuity of the learning programmes.

Visibility

The university has registered consistent    growth and visibility through partnerships at all levels of government (national and county) as well as at the continental level and internationally.  Some of these partnerships include: the United Nations Academic (UNAI) SDG 10 hub on reduced inequalities, which the university has been championing for the last one year, collaborative research and consultancy in medical sciences with the Nyeri County Government and Marsabit botanical garden.