May 9, 2017

REMARKS OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR OF THE CO-OPERATIVE UNIVERSITY OF KENYA PROF. KAMAU NGAMAU ON THE OCCASION OF THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE INDUCTION WORKSHOP OF CUK’S STUDENTS’ LEADERS AT DON BOSCO YOUTH EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, KAREN ON 22ND SEPTEMBER, 2017 AT 3.25PMLadies and GentlemenThis afternoon marks the end of your three-day training here at Don Bosco Youth Education services and it is my hope you have had a good interactive and education session. Allow me to start by thanking the organizers of this induction workshop for you as students’ leaders; the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs through The Office of The Dean of Students’ and her staff and also extend my thanks to you for being here and enduring the chilly weather over the last three days.Allow me to start by congratulating you on your election to various positions of students’ leadership in last academic year’s students’ elections. Sometimes political campaigns can be gruesome at the University but I hope you have gotten over it. The students entrusted you with the leadership perhaps because of the issues you articulated during your campaigns but most likely because of the potential they saw in your individual selves. They believed in you. You should not let them down by not believing in yourselves and delivering quality leadership.Ladies and Gentlemen,I challenge you to be critical thinkers and take your leadership style to a higher level. Approach issues with solutions and not with troubles. A University must produce leaders for a Nation who can guide the populace across the Globe. The Management of the University is convinced that by holding this workshop of students’ leaders, we are going to have a greater good for the entire students’ body.Further, I call upon you to now get to work. Work as team, move together. Talk to one another. Have round table discussions. Listen to each other. You will disagree, but do not be divided on a good course. If you do that, we are certain that petty issues of ethnicity, insecurity, probable radicalization of University students, miscommunication, and fights will be a thing of the past.I urge you, as you enjoy the privileges of being a student leader and great cultural diversities of a University life, strike a considerably healthy balance with the academic life. At CUK we need to build you as a whole person and not just one side.At the end of your tenure as a leader, you need to sit back and look at what you did, listen to criticism and perhaps once another opportunity arises in future you do better. If you fail this test, that will be a tragedy of enormous scopes.Ladies and Gentlemen,I will remind you the story of the United States Navy Admiral William M. H., the commander of the forces that organized a raid to kill Osama Bin Laden; While addressing Graduates at the University of Texas, he once said, “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day; it will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another. And by the end of the day that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.”Young Men and Women,You are not leaders to be irresponsible citizens and students. You are to show the way. I am certain you are aware of a number of university policies. It is your duty and moral obligation to come to us as we do to you once you realize things are moving in a manner not prescribed. We have an open door policy and students, you are our priority; call on us anytime.Lastly, I trust you remain good ambassadors of The Co-operative University of Kenya as before and fly high our flag as an internationally reputed University. We trust that our research and teaching as a University build you to come out of the University as the others have, as an intellectual per excellence.I wish you a fruitful stay at the University and success in your academia,Ladies and gentlemen, with these few remarks, I now wish to declare this induction workshop officially closed. GOD BLESS YOU.

REMARKS OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR OF THE CO-OPERATIVE UNIVERSITY OF KENYA PROF. KAMAU NGAMAU ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF THE CUK’S CULTURAL DAY ON 16TH JUNE, 2017 AT CUK, 9.00AM Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic affairs, Prof. Emily Akuno Deputy vice Chancellor, Finance, Planning and Administration, Prof. Esther Magiri Deputy Vice Chancellor CDR&I, Prof. Isaac NyamongoOur guest speaker from the National Cohesion and Integration CommissionMembers of the University Management Board,Members of staffStudents’ leadersStudentsDancers from the Bomas of KenyaLadies and gentlemen, Today we gather here to celebrate an important aspect of our lives we live every day. I am certain this will be an exciting day for all of us. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me before we divulge into the agenda of the day, to congratulate our Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs Prof. Emily Achieng Akuno on her election as the World President of International Music Council some few days ago in Pafos, Cypress. Emily is a Professor of Music, a great asset to this University and I believe that her expertise in music should be able to place CUK strategically in the Global map. As you are all aware, this is the first cultural day we are celebrating as The Co-operative University of Kenya after award of Charter last year. We will make greater efforts to make this a one week-event as time goes by because we may not achieve all we need to in a day. I know the planers of the event have made significant efforts to make this day a success. Ladies and Gentlemen,This year’s theme of our cultural day is ‘Promoting Peace, National Unity and Cohesion through our Cultural Diversity’. The theme is well chosen to rhyme with the activities lined up for the day. It has come at a time when we are gearing towards general elections on 8th, August, 2017. We are all called upon to shun ethnicity and be one Kenya, one people.Ladies and Gentlemen,Whereas culture is the dress of life and the beauty of our identity as human beings, it is one of the most misunderstood and misused concepts of humanity especially here I Africa; for instance in Kenya, we are over 45 million people. It would be such a boring country if we all spoke the same languages, ate the same food, wore the same or similar clothes, and had the same heritages among others. Then what would we learn from each other. None of us is born with culture; instead we are born in a cultural world. This we use to tell our story. We are a beautiful nation with the Ohangla of the Nyanza, the Chakacha of the Coastal Kenya, the Kamba dances in the lower Eastern parts of Kenya, the Mwomboko dance of Central Kenya, and the Isukuti dance in Western Kenya etcetera; This is truly a magical Kenya. Aspects of our culture including our foods, our languages, music, our natural heritages, historical facts and stories, our day-today economic activities define who we are. Ladies and gentlemen, these facets of our culture both tangible and intangible are the cornerstone of our nation building; we use them to reconstruct and soothe the soul of our Nation. Culture can also be used to deconstruct a nation and societies. No community’s culture is superior to the other. When our forefathers initiated our practices, they had ideas and reasons why. I wish to encourage all of us to use the lessons of our culture to live in harmony with one another. Ladies and gentlemen,As I conclude, let’s go back to the basic of our culture. All of our cultures are strong in morality, strong behaviors, strong friendships and strong family values. I have not seen a culture that entertains moral decadence, drug and substance abuse among others. Ladies and gentlemen, with those few remarks, I declare this cultural day officially open. God Bless you all.

The Co-operative University of Kenya has launched its 5 –year Strategic Plan with a strong focus to growing its academic and infrastructure in the next five years. Speaking at the launch of the ambitious blue print on 2nd December, 2017 during the University’s Graduation Ceremony at the Main Campus in Karen, CUE Chairman Prof. Nyagoiti Chacha noted that growth of the University needed a clear focus on the caliber of its graduates. He added that CUK’s strategic plan would give the university council and management a strategic direction to steer the university during the 5-year period. He further congratulated CUK on its ISO 9001: 2015 QMS certification. CUK becomes the 2nd university in Kenya to get this coveted ISO certification.This certification is a result of the CUK’s establishment, implementation and maintenance of effective documentation and high levels of quality management. The University now proudly joins the elite Group of Global Institutions that embrace best practices for business efficiency and customer satisfaction through the provision of quality service.This accomplishment will not only increase CUK’s competitiveness and visibility in the market but also establish a criteria to be used consistently in all areas of its operations. The Co-operative University of Kenya remains committed to continually improve service delivery, as this is one of the key pillars contained in the ISO 9001:2015 International Standards.CUK’s Strategic Plan has been revised to serve the period 2017-2022 from the previous 2015-2020. This strategic plan will develop a Globally Competitive University Excellent in Education, Training, Research and Outreach.At the heart of this Strategic Plan, is an ambitious project of a state of the art Learning Resource Centre which will cost us Kshs. 2.7 Billion. In its entirety, to implement this Strategic Plan, the University will require a total of 7.4 Billion Shillings in the next five years. We believe this dream will come to fruition.To realize the objectives of the strategic plan, CUK has articulated the shared Vision, Mission, Strategic objectives, leadership and governance, implementation, monitoring and evaluation strategies and resource requirements for the period July 2017 – June 2022. In developing the Strategic Plan, the university recognized its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. To actualize the strategies and activities outlined in the Strategic Plan, the University will continue to engage key stakeholders and the operational processes will be reviewed continuously to provide any necessary strategic adjustments.

An In-depth Interview With Mohamed M Maie, President And CEO Of Malaq Maye Cooperative Institute(MMCI)

Rachel Kerubo, a student at The co-operative University of Kenya taking a  bachelor’s degree in cooperative business fourth year majoring in Finance, is a hockey maestro who has beaten the odds to be on top of the game in Kenya having been selected to the national team. from humble beginnings as a junior hockey player at Kisumu Girls’ High school in form 1 third term, she ended up as the team’s captain while in form 2 being the youngest to lead the team to the nationals.  While playing as a defender. All the four years in high school, hockey was her game. Joining CUK in the year 2014, this gave her exposure to join Amira Sailors which is sponsored by chase Bank. In early 2016 she was spotted by the national hockey team and called up to join the under 21 team taking up as the goalkeeper.  The U21 failed to go for the tournament they were to go. Determined, she was called join to the ladies national team and kept on with vigorous training as a goalkeeper. She managed to make for the final cut of the 18 players for the national team. We went for the round 1 hockey qualifiers in Accra, Ghana. Kerubo is set to play for Kenya national team again in Ismailia, Egypt for the African cup of Nations which will also act as a world cup qualifier which is to take place in 2018. The African cup of Nation will take place from 22nd to 29th October 2017.