It was a day filled with pomp, splendor and colour at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology on Tuesday June 12^th, 2018, when the institution received musical instruments from the US-Based Global Youth Groove (GYG), an International Organization that promotes music talent and facilities around the world.

Organized under the Directorate of International Relations and Academic Linkages (DIAL), the collaboration will see MMUST tap music talents from Western Kenya communities, a region best known internationally as ‘Home of Isukuti’.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Fredrick Otieno applauded the collaboration, projecting that the institution will have more opportunities to tap talents from the community into the University. He further noted that the collaboration would see some of MMUST students visit Boston USA for music exchange program.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Planning, Research and Innovation, Prof. William Shivoga applauded GYG for the donation, and observed that the good gesture will accord MMUST an opportunity to train ‘fully baked’ graduands with both theoretical and practical skills in music.   

“Already, a set of music equipment has been delivered to MMUST and more are expected to arrive before October 2018,” said the GYG President, Mr. Sammy Lutomia. He further explained that GYG is a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform the lives of underprivileged children and youth in Kenya, by giving them the opportunity to learn and develop their musical abilities.

Mr. Lutomia further said he was grateful to MMUST Management for the unwavering support towards this initiative. He said the initiative would enable him achieve his lifelong dream of impacting on the lives of young talented musicians in the region. “As an organization, we achieve our goals by gathering state of art music instruments and donating them to our centres and other institutions that advance music education around the world. With a comprehensive curriculum that emphasizes private and group lessons, music theory and essentials skills in music technology, GYG plans to make high-quality music education accessible to underprivileged children and youth in Kenya,” he said. He pledged to continue working with the University to help raise more talented Musicians in the region.

MMUST Music programmes are housed in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, chaired by Dr. Peres Wenje, within the School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS) headed by the Dean, Dr. Bob Mbori.

MMUST has positioned itself as a key player in sustainable agriculture and environmental protection. This is through the collaborative research project, “Scaling up Sustainable Land Management and Agro-Biodiversity Conservation to Reduce Environmental Degradation in Small Scale Agriculture in Western Kenya”. The five-year project, funded by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) to a tune of USD 3.5 million, is spearheaded by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO); with other partners being Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), County Governments of Kakamega, Vihiga and Nandi; Nature Kenya, Community Forest Associations (CFAs) among others. In a strategic workshop at KARLO-Alupe in Busia County held on 30th-31st May 2018, MMUST was represented by the researchers Dr. Francis Muyekho, a leading Agronomist, and Mr. Humphrey Agevi, an Environmentalist. In the project, MMUST will play a key role of teaching and supervision of postgraduate students, who will work on different research topics.

MMUST hosted the Nation Media Group (NMG) team headed by the new CEO Mr. Stephen Gitagama, during a courtesy call by the University Vice Chancellor Prof. Fred Otieno at the main campus, on 5th June 2018. The meeting was aimed at establishing a formidable working relationship between the two institutions to mutually work together and enable academics from MMUST publish their articles not only on the NMG’s national newspaper-The Daily Nation, but also on its various social media platforms, to increase the University’s publicity. Speaking during the meeting, Mr. Gitagama applauded the MMUST team articulating that NMG staffs from MMUST were doing an excellent job thanks to the best training they acquired from the University. He also urged MMUST team to be sharing their articles in real-time for them to get published, as they are shifting from feeding their audience with daily hard news, to providing educational and life changing publications and therefore need for MMUST researchers to bring on board their articles for publication.

While receiving the visitors, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Otieno commended the move to work with NMG saying close relationship with the Nation team will eradicate misunderstanding as he invited them on board to share their experiences with MMUST’s Journalism and Mass Communication students. He requested that the NMG journalists be sent to the University frequently to update students with the current job market expectations, for them to be better placed after completion of their four year course. Prof. Otieno said that the institutions soon be signing a MoU that will see everything brought in fruition.

MMUST has continued proliferating its international networks outside the continent.  June 4^th2018, Scholars from Ball State University (BSU) landed in MMUST for a partnership to champion for Early Childhood Education. Among the scholars were Prof. Winnie Mucherah, Deborah Lanier and Melinda Messineo, an associate Vice President for Diversity at BSU. 

Speaking during the meeting, Prof. Mucherah and Prof. Benbern commended the hospitality and innovativeness of MMUST, expressing their interest to work with the university. They also noted that collaboration between MMUST and BSU has come a long way, not only in academics, but also in improving Early Childhood Education, Diversity and Research. Prof. Mucherah urged the university to embrace Early Childhood expert training, noting that this is the area that has been neglected for so long in the Kenyan Education system. She emphasized the need to value and embrace diversity and inclusivity irrespective of race, gender or religion.

Prof.  Messineo, embraced the idea of diversity in Africa and more specifically Kenya. She said that it is very sweet to have a diverse society in which we learn from different people with whom we mingle every day.  She noted that if everyone was similar, there would be no distinction. Areas of diversity that she pointed out included race, religion, color sex, pregnancy status, thinking style, culture and ethnicity among many others.

While receiving the visitors, MMUST Vice Chancellor, Prof. Fred Otieno resonated with the need to focus on Early Childhood training, saying that ignoring it inhibits innovation and diversity in Kenya. He pressed on the need to embrace diversity, committing that the University will set up a Diversity Office. “This office will greatly embed ideals of diversity to everyone in the University, we shall also invite experts to sensitize the entire MMUST fraternity on importance of diversity” said Prof. Otieno. MMUST staff in attendance included the Chairperson Department of Educational Psychology, Dr. Kennedy Bota, Director International and Academic Linkages, Dr. Catherine Aurah, Dean School of Education, Dr. Judah Ndiku, and Coordinator ECD Programmes Dr. Rose Opiyo.

MMUSO Electoral Commission held a sensitization meeting on 11th June 2018, ahead of the much anticipated 2nd MMUSO Parliamentary and Students Executive Council elections scheduled for 15th and 18th June 2018. The meeting comprised of all the candidates together with their agents.

While addressing the meeting, MEC Chairman Dr. Judah Ndiku pressed that the commission is non-partisan and ready to run the elections as per the rules set by MMUSO Constitution (2017), Rules and Regulations Governing Students Behavior at the University (2008) and the Kenyan Constitution (2010). He further applauded all students for having embraced the changes occasioned by the Universities Act (2012).

Speaking at the same event, MEC Deputy Chairperson and Dean of Students Dr. Bernadette Abwao, urged candidates to take control of their supporters, and avoid use of intoxicants as a way of luring supporters during this campaign period. She also reminded them that the elections schedule will be followed to the letter. Present at the meeting were the Peace Ambassadors Kenya (PAK) and Peace Unit Program (PUP) whose representatives, Mr. M’mbetsa Ngome, urged comrades to maintain peace during this electioneering period, inviting them to the ongoing peace walk at the University ground.

MMUST has been on the forefront in embracing student leaders elections based on amended Universities Act (2016), making it a destination for benchmarking by other universities in Kenya. Thanks to the University Management under the leadership of the able Vice Chancellor Prof. Fred Otieno for creating a peaceful democratic environment.

MMUST and the University of Venda (UNIVEN), South Africa, have been enjoying good working relationship for the past 4 years. This has been enhanced through a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding, which has given opportunity to the MMUST Scholars, Dr. Eunice Kanaga Najoli, Dr. Lucy Mandillah and Dr. James Bill Ouda to be part of the UNIVEN Post Doctoral Research Fellowships (PDRFs) program.

Speaking of the Post Doc opportunity, Dr. Ouda said “this PDRF is a learning curve and an opportunity for candidates to cross-pollinate ideas and experiences between MMUST and UNIVEN”. He said that the program has enhanced his growth as a scholar by allowing him and his colleagues to conduct research and submit quality manuscripts in high impact journals. Hopefully, at the end of the PDRF program, they will leave UNIVEN as more refined and experienced scholars and share the same with colleagues at MMUST and beyond, said Dr. Ouda.
UNIVEN Director of Research and Innovation, Prof. Georges-Ivo Ekosse, noted that the postdoctoral training under the observation of an experienced supervisor expands research skills, develops independence and shapes career trajectories. The training program also balances research, teaching, professional development and post graduate student supervision. He also noted that the fellowship is potentially available for a period of three years with prospects of further funding.