Meru County Rising Stakeholders Conference

KCA Vice Chancellor Prof.Noah.O. Midimba  addressed a two days  Meru County Rising Stakeholders Conference on Nurturing Entrepreneurship,Creativity and Innovation held at the Kenya Methodist University main campus.

Prof. Midamba was invited on Meru stakeholders forum to meet ,map out and prioritize the development agenda for the Meru county government by the county governor Peter Munya and  senator Kiraitu Murungi.

 Midamba  congratulated  the county  for coming up with such a development plan  stating that Meru county had started a process that will help the transform the country forever adding that if all counties had  followed on their footstep , Kenya would be a force to reckon with globally.

Prof. Midamba addressing  Meru Conference.

He emphasized on the importance of prioritizing the people when making  development plans. ‘The guiding principle to public service  transformation and reforms should  be guided  by simple phrases,people first.Transformation of  the public  service must be rightly judged  by practical differences people see in their everyday lives.What South Africans call’ Ba-tho Pole’, said  Prof. Midamba.

Professor whose focus was on innovation discussed  innovation in public sector in six distinct aspects- new or improved services, process innovation, administrative  innovation, radical change of rationality, conceptual innovation and system innovation.

According to Pathenon  Education  Center 2012 study,the wealth of a country  is strongly  correlated  to the education  of its populace. Meru county has a population of 1.4 people out of which 71.4% are able to read and write,  84%  between the ages of 15-18 attend school and 3%  of the people have secondary education. The sum effect of this is that Meru county has one of the highest  literacy level in the country which according to the professor is recommendable.

Midamba further urged the people of Meru to revamp or overhaul their education system in order to  respond to the needs of the people.’ You need to celebrate the achievements young people who can succesfully  create next generation of  M-Pesa . Education outcomes must be judged on the skill as opposed to the exam results’, obseved professor.

He pointed out that to remain competative in the global market, the national and county governments must be determined by the criteria of satisfying the needs of the people,efficient utilization of resources and above all adding value to kenyans.

Other speakers  during the conference included cabinet secretary for education, Prof. Jacob Kaimenyi, Vision 2O3O Delivery  Secretariate Director  General Mugo Kibati Equity Bank CEO James Mwangi, South Africa Based Citibank Africa Head of Corporation Finance Martin Mugambi, Stanbic Investment Services Regional Director, James Muratha and HELB CEO Charles Ringera among others.The conference was sponsored by Barclays bank.

RESEARCH IMPROVES INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS, PROF.BOGAKA

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igher learning Institutions in Kenya have not achieved much in doing research to improve their quality and effectiveness. The effectiveness of any university is judged by the quality of graduates it produces who should not only be professionals in their areas of study but also critical, creative and innovative thinkers who can offer challenge to transform the society. This is according to Prof. Joshua Bagaka of Cleveland State University USA while delivering a public lecture to KCA University staff and student on ‘The Role of Research in Promoting Institutional Quality and Effectiveness .He argued that Kenyan varsities are not highly rated in research output due to their current poor teaching status.

Bagaka pointed out rapid expansion of universities with expansion of teaching staff and internal and external brain drain of academia to occupations such as politics and mass exodus to other countries but within academia as great contributor to this dilemma Kenyan higher institutions of learning find themselves in. As a result, a large number of programs are being delivered by non-regular faculty or without a terminal degree in the field.

 ‘There is shuttle teaching in our universities .Time spent traveling between institution and number of course does not allow for reflective teaching and mentorship. Some deliberate efforts will need to be made to protect the quality of teaching in our universities’ said Prof. Bagaka. He is of the view that because content and relevance of knowledge are constantly changing, effective research is necessary as it help to update knowledge. 

KCA UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES INAUGURAL FOUNDERS' DAY

    KCA UNIVERSITY INAUGURAL FOUNDERS' DAY                CELEBRATION

KCA University Chancellor Prof. Aurther Eshiwani left and former VC. Prof.Daniel Oruoch awarding long serving SDVC  centre Prof. Rosemary Maina during celebration.

KCA University celebrated its Inaugural Founders’ Day to commemorate its past present and promising future at a dinner gala on Friday, 2nd August 2013 at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi. The celebration brought together the university core founder CPA Joe Muchekehu who was the chief guest,the university chancellor Prof. Auther Eshiwani, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Noah O. Midamba and former vice chancellor,Prof. Daniel Oruoch who was also first KCA university vice chancellor.

Representing other core founders were BOT chair CPA Ameer kassim-Lakha, Dr. Martin Oduor Otieno, CPA John Wanjala-the first African  principal KCA mong other distinguished corporate personalities and invited guests.

As part of the celebration KCA University launched an endowment fund to support scholarship of the students which realized over Kshs 4 million. Currently, the university has a student financial aid program funded from internal resources which are not adequate as it can only admit 120 entrants per year despite hundreds of deserving applicants received. The program has since benefited over 1,000 underprivileged but ambitious students since its inception. Through the program,the university,has witnessed tremendous positive transformation in the lives of the beneficiaries’ which has been extended to their families and societies from which they hail. The reason for setting up the endowment fund is to make this financial aid initiative bigger and more sustainable.

 KCA University’s history dates back to July 1989 when the institution was set up by ICPAK as Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA). Today, KCA is a Chartered University . Going forward, Founders Day will be an annual event in the university’s calendar when it will celebrate its birth, rich past and promising future: the past as we honor the bold leaders who dared to dream of KCA University, and the future as we learn from the most outstanding founders, staff, students and alumni whose contributions portend great things for the future vis-a vis building a sense  heritage , traditions and long-lasting relationship as KCA University fraternity.

The ceremony  also saw recognition of individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the university. At KCA University, we believe that the best contribution we can make to national development is through education.the university invites all well wishers to come on board and make the endowment fund a success.