SPEECH OF THE DEPUTY VICE CHANCELLOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS, CUK OF THE CO-OPERATIVE UNIVERSITY OF KENYA PROF. EMILY AKUNO ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF CULTURAL WEEK ON 12TH MARCH, 2018 AT 2.00PM
The Ag. Vice Chancellor of the CUK, Prof Kamau Ngamau
Ag. Deputy vice chancellor Finance, Planning and Administration Prof. Esther Magiri
Members of the University Management Board,
Members of staff
Students’ leaders
Students
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me start by thanking the planners of this event for the great start that they have given us; this is the first time for the University to have an elaborate cultural week celebrations. I trust the one week we have invested in this week goes into fruitful use. My office is taking this event seriously as part of the academic calendar every year. This is because we do not come to university to read books only. I wish to thank the University Management Board through the office of the Vice Chancellor for allowing the event and providing financial support.
Our Vice Chancellor,
I am delighted by the efforts that the planning committee have put in to make this event a success. The chairperson Monica Nderitu and your team, we say thank you. I am delighted to join you as we celebrate our cultural day as the CUK family.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We started small as a University College by having these celebrations taking one day. Today, we have moved to one week. My office will closely work with the University’s Management Board for continuous improvement in future. I encourage the organizers of this event to make much a bigger strides next time and ensure we are bolder, bigger and better. Feel free to always knock on our doors for more ideas and do not fear to dream big for the betterment of this university. The management will not spare any effort in pushing the agenda of a cultural week in future to earmark and celebrate our heritage as a University.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to also in a special way to thank the sponsors of this event; we are grateful to Kenya Film Classification Board, K-Unity Sacco, Smart Applications, Sian Roses, The Students’ Governing Council, The Karen Ward MCA Hon. David Mberia and the University Management Board for sparing your resources to support this event. We will knock on your doors in future for more support in such ventures.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am hopeful that this cultural event educates each one of us to love and appreciate our diverse culture. Let cultures make us stronger; as the theme suggests, ‘Our Diversity, Our Unity’. I call upon you all as students to accommodate each other’s cultural diversity and in it we get positive energy for our unity and oneness.
Our Vice Chancellor,
As I conclude, let me once again call upon each one of us to go back to the basics of our culture. All our cultures are strong in morality, ethics, 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, allow me to welcome our Vice Chancellor Prof. Kamau Ngamau to officially make his remarks and open our cultural week celebrations.
God Bless you all.
