The Educator Magazine

The Educator Magazine 3

CONTENTS

6 25
TALKING POINT EDUCATOR NEWS
An examination of underlying casuses of student unrest
and burning in schools.

27
10 3 RD ELDORE T INTERNATIONAL
KEEP UP OR KEEP OFF CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT.

13
FINANCIAL DISTRESS IN KENYAN 31
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING EDUCATED OR JUST SCHOOLED

15 33
ROLE OF UNIVERSIT Y EDUCATION. BENEFITS OF STEM EDUCATION.

17 35
PEOPLE PLEASING ATTITUDE REGISTERED TVE T INSTITUTIONS IN
ELDORE T

20
WATCH YOUR TIME 37
TOP TEN TVE T INSTITUTIONS IN
ELDORE T
22
VALUES THAT CHARACTERIZE SUC-
CESSFUL STUDENTS. 38
WHO WE ARE
C

23
GAME CHANGER
Young people taking their knowledge beyond the
classroom
4 The Educator Magazine

Editor,
The Educator
P.O. Box 10579- 30100,
Eldoret
Email:
educator@oircjournals.org

Editor-In-Chief
Dr. Ombaba Mwengei

Editor
Cheryle Masia.

Design and Layout.

Print Duka.

Circulation Office
Oasis International
Consulting Ltd.

Watergates Plaza 1 st
The Educator is a quarterly mag- Floor.
Ronald Ngala Road,
azine which strives to provide Eldoret.
Tel: +254 786215620
all stakeholders in the education +254 700168110

sector with up to date information

on Education

S u c h i n c l ud e te chnological advancem ent s, t rends in

t h e ed uc ati o n se c tor, educat ion pol icies, best tea ching
p ra c ti ces , i n format ion on inst itutions of higher lear n-
i n g , j us t to m ent ion but a few. For w r iter gu idelines,
a d ver ti sem ents or any othe r informat io n, w r ite to :

T H E E D UC AT O R

D ear estee m e d
reader,
We a re pl eased to bring
to you o ur 3 rd i ssue of
Ke nya ’ s N um b er One
E du c a ti o n Magazine ‘The
E du c a to r M agazi ne ’. The
ma i n o b j ec ti ve of having
t h i s q uar ter l y i ss ue is
to p re ss o n to provide
o u r re ad er s wi th current
in fo rm a ti o n o n educat ion
ma t te rs .
A s i t i s , ed uc ati on is
a m on g th e m o s t impor-
t a nt f ac to r s fo r the devel-
o p m e nt of h um an civiliza-
t io n . I t p rovi des the nat ion
w i t h m an p ower which
ran g e s fro m wh i te collar
su ch as ad m i n i s trat ive
off i ci a l s an d l eg al prac t i-
t io n e rs to bl ue collar such
a s h a n d s - o n tec hnicians.
It a l so fo s ter s n at ional
u n i t y an d upl i fts public
aw a re n ess i n th at, if
p e op l e are educ ated, they
a re a b le to un derst and
t h e i r d uti es an d rights
a n d a l so wh at i s right and
w h a t i s wro n g . They are
a l so c ap abl e of unde r-
sta n d i n g o th er s around
t h e m hen ce m utual under-
sta n d i n g an d un ity are
a c h i eved an d co nsequen-
t ia l l y n ati o n al un ity is pro-
mo te d . Ed uc ati o n plays
The Educator Magazine 5
ED I TOR’S N OTE
a prime ro le in u plif t- The edu ca to r is a m a j o r
ing t he degree of awa re- m ilesto ne in o u r pro g-
ness of any so ciet y. It ress and develo pm e nt a s
makes t he peo ple co n- a co m pany a nd ju st l i ke
scious: deter r ing t hem a n ar my m a rching o n i t s
from fo llow ing a ncient sto m ach; we a re ma rc h i n g
and retro gressive t ra - day in day o u t tow a rd s t h e
dit ion. E du cated peo ple t a rget . It is sa id t ha t ‘ Yo u
can the refo re refo r m t he never get chicks by b re a k-
society and fo ster pro s- ing t he eggs; yo u h ave to
pe rit y of t he genera l let t hem ha tch’.
human species.
L a st ly, I t ake t his o p p o r-
The ed u cato r is gu ided t u nit y to a pprecia te i n a
by the prem ise of, “Of big w ay all o u r rea d e rs ,
what use is it if o ne resea rcher s, co nt r ib u to rs ,
gathe rs info r m a t io n and w r iter s, su bscr iber s a n d
does no t share it w it h a dver t iser s fo r believ i n g i n
ot he rs? ” Thu s, it st r ives u s.
to ke ep yo u abreast of
the advancem ent s in G od Bl e ss yo u
e ducatio n m a t ter s, tech-
nologies and prov ides
you with a plat fo r m to
share know ledge a nd
experie nces.
The ma gaz ine ha s
opened a w indow of
opport u nit ies to m any
e ducatio n sec to r st ake-
holders w ho wo u ld
like to get info r m a t io n
on edu cat io n, edu ca-
tion news, a nd t he best
teachin g pra c t ices av a il -
able. It also gives yo u an
opport u nit y to adver t ise
your in st it u t io n, a gency
or compa ny hence pro-
mot ing yo u r brand.
6 The Educator Magazine
Talki ng
Poi nt
C h a c h a B i c h a n g’ a
I
n the recent pa st .
The re ha s been a
ragin g deba te a bo u t t he
ongoing st u dent u nrest
and bu r ning of scho o l do r-
mitorie s. A m idst t he m ixed
reac tions and su gges-
tions by v ar io u s edu cat io n
st ake holder s, no co ncrete
and pro ac t ive m easu re
has been a dv anced by
the Minist r y of E du cat io n
(MoE ) in co nsu lt a t io n wit h
the ot her key player s fo r
the pur po se of stem m ing
the pan dem ic.
The Principa l S ecret ar y
for Basic E du cat io n, Dr.
Bellio Kipsa ng did pro po se
rece nt ly, t he ba nning
of boarding scho o ls in
favour of day scho o ls.
Operat io na liz a t io n of t his
conce pt however is a
matter of co njec t u re. Is
it all bo a rding scho o l s to
be scra pped of f o r j u s t a
cer t ain catego r y su c h a s
C o u nt y S cho o ls t hat we re
init ia lly day scho o ls? I s
t he pro po sal tena ble fo r
ex t ra co u nt y and na t i o n a l
scho o ls?
A no t her pro po sa l w h i c h
hit her to has beco m e a
po licy direc t ive is t h e
scra pping of f of m o c k
ex a m s. This po licy
however has no t bee n
qu ite ef fec t ively im p l e-
m ented a s scho o ls h ave
fo u nd indigeno u s ways of
circu mvent ing t he ex a m
issu e. No wo nder in re ce nt
t im es, fo r m fo u r st u d e nt s
in so m e scho o ls have
resisted at tem pt s to fo rce
t hem into sit t ing fo r i nte r-
na l m o ck ex am s, disg u i se d
as end-ter m o r m id- te rm

te s t s o r C. A.Ts . The ove r-
e mp has i s o n the passing
of exam s at th e expense
of l i fel o n g s ki l l s such as
e nt re p ren eur s hip, pe r-
so n al fi n an c i al manage-
m e nt , Leader ship and
i nte gr i ty ; l ead s to drilling
a n d ro te- l ear ning which
i n e ssen ce i s a bree ding
g roun d fo r examinat ion
i rre g ul ar i ti es .
T h e real i ss ues bedevil-
i n g sc h o o l s o ught to be
a d d ressed. Fo r inst ance,
a re stud ents ’ grievance s
b e i n g h an dl ed properly? Is
t h e sc h o o l ad ministration
re s p o n s i ve an d proac tive
e n o u gh to prevent such
a ri si n g v i ces? Do we have
f u n c ti o n al g ui dance ; coun-
se l i ng an d m entorship
d e p a r tm ents equipped
w i t h reso urces and qual-
i f i e d s taff ? Th ese and
m ore o th er q uest ions be g
a n swer s . O f course a step
h a s been m ade furt he r
b u t ar res ti n g , arraign-
i n g i n co ur t and sentenc-
i n g s us p ec ted of fenders
m ay n o t b e en ough. The
e nt i re ed uc ati on system
n e e ds a co m p l ete ove r-
h a u l . Adm i tted ly, the pro-
p osed n ew Co mpetency
B a sed Cur r i c ul u m that is
b e i n g pi l o ted count rywide
i s f u n dam ental. However,
t h e e nti re pro cess was
d on e i n a h ur r y and major
e d u c ati o n s take holde rs
we re n o t ful l y involve d. It
s h oul d be an o the r white
e l e ph ant.
Interest ingly, no o ne
see ms to u nder st and
the cau se of t he a la r m-
ing cases of scho o l f ires,
not eve n t he M o E u nder
whose do cket m at ter s
e ducatio n f all. The KNE C
Chairma n, Professo r
George M a go ha reiterated
for the u m pteent h t im e
that exam s wo u ld have to
be done at t he schedu led
time even if it m eant t hat
they are do ne u nder t rees.
S uch callo u sness is dis-
conce rting and insensit ive
conside r ing t he sa d rea lit y
on t he gro u nd.
A case in po int .
Rece nt ly, I wa s a ppa lled
to le arn t he bu r ning of
a dormito r y at M a do go
S e conda r y S cho o l in
Tana Ri ver. I had v isited
the mixed co u nt y scho o l
in J une and delivered a
me ntorship t alk. A week
e arlie r, fo r m fo u r st u dent s
had boyco t ted t he end-
term exam s and wr it ten a
note to t he scho o l adm in-
istration, o rder ing t hem
to close t he scho o l by
the prev io u s Thu r sday.
Conseq u ent ly, t hey were
all se nt ho m e, leav ing
be hind t he rest of t he st u-
de nt s to sit fo r t he end-
term exam .
S adly, t he to rched do r m i-
tory wa s t he sa m e o ne set
ablaz e in 2016 bu t ha d
be en rebu ilt by t he Tana
Rive r C o u nt y G over nm ent .
The Educator Magazine 7
The scho o l ha s been
po st ing po o r KC S E re s u l t s
ev idenced by t he f a c t
t ha t of t he 500 st u d e nt s ,
ba rely a ny m akes it to
t he Univer sit y. Desp i te i t s
lo ca t io n in M ado go se m i -
u r ba n center, t he st u-
dent s hail f ro m ver y p o o r
ba ckgro u nds and lac k ro l e
m o dels. M o st of t hose
who have st u died in t h e
scho o l have ended u p
dro pping o u t o r sco ri n g
po o r gra des a nd few
fo r m er st u dent s beco m e
dist ingu ished profess i o n-
als, since it s incept i o n i n
1983. This case in p o i nt
is indica t ive of t he d e e p -
sea ted pro blem in t h e
teaching and m ana g e m e nt
scho o ls in t he co u nt ry.
To address t he r u naw ay
pro blem of to rching a n d
dest r u c t io n of scho ol
pro per t y, t he fo llow i n g
co u ld be do ne to cu rb t h e
v ice.
1.St r e ng t he ni ng t h e
d e p a r t me nt s o f me n-
t or shi p, g u i d a nce an d
cou nse l i ng .
In m a ny scho o ls, t he se
depa r t m ent s are no n -
f u nc t io na l a s gu idan ce
and co u nseling ex is t s
o nly by nam e a nd w i t h
o ne de-m o t iv a ted te a c h e r
in cha rge. The tea ch i n g
wo r klo ad of t hese te a c h-
er s sho u ld be redu ce d
so as to fo cu s t heir
8 The Educator Magazine

co n ce ntrati o n o n the In many scho o ls, especially

for m e r. Th ey s h ould also
be q u al i fi ed , n o t just avail-
ab l e due to o bl i gation.
Me ntor s h i p an d caree r
t a l ks sh o ul d be organiz ed
an d p l ayer s i n v a rious
f i e l d s b e i nv i ted as of ten
as p o ss i bl e. A l so, Forme r
s t u d e nts s h o ul d be invited
an d a fun c ti o n al alumni
n e t wor k s h o ul d be est ab-
l i s h e d to prov i d e t he st im-
u l a t i n g m o ral anchor.
county scho o ls, clu bs ex ist
just by n a m e. Fo r m at io n of
clubs su ch as jo u r na lism ,
drama, m u sic and su bjec t
based clu bs will help preo c-
cupy t he m inds of st u dent s
and spu r t hem to t hink cre-
atively o n how best to
make t hem su ccessf u l. C lu b
me mbers sho u ld do bench-
marking in o t her scho o ls
and professio na l set t ings.
5 . P rovi d i ng r e a sona b l e
enterta i nme nt f a c i l i t i e s.

2 . F re qu ent fiel d tours for This may inclu de allow-

a l l s t udents .
Eve r y c l ass o r form should
go o n exc ur s i o n trips at
l e a st on ce a year. This
w i l l p u r p o sel y expose st u-
de nt s to th e wo rld out side
sch oo l an d exp and the ir
foc u s . Suc h to urs should
h owever n o t b e t urne d to
m on ey m ak i n g ventures for
t h e sc h o o l adm i nist ration.
3 . H o l ding deba t e
co m p etitions .
G on e are th e d ays when
de b a ti n g co ntes ts we re
t h e n o r m rath er t han the
exce p ti o n . D ebat ing builds
t h e a r t of publ i c speak-
i n g , cr i ti c al th i n king and
i mp roves th e l ea rners’
re a d i n g an d wr i ting skills
4 Se t t ing fu nc ti on al
c l u b s a nd socie ti es.
ing stud ent s to w a tch t he
news on cer t ain days of t he
wee k an d fo o t ball m atches
ove r t he weekend, besides
watching edu cat io na l
movies. M u sic and o t her
forms of enter t a inm ent
should n o t be dism issed.
6 . Crea t i ng t i me f o r
weekly g e ne r a l a sse mb l y.
S chools sho u ld set a side
F riday evenings fo r genera l
asse mblies since; su ch a
plat form helps st u dent s to
art iculate t heir per t inent
issue s in a f ree a nd o pen
forum, d evo id of v ic t im iz a-
tion and censo r ship. This
also builds t he cu lt u re of
const ruc t ive dia lo gu e and
public p a r t icipat io n.
7 . Setti ng u p f u nc t i o na l
li brari e s.
In m o st scho o ls, t h e l i b ra r-
ies are co ngested a n d l i m i te d
in spa ce. They la ck m a g a-
z ines, newspaper s a n d i n s p i r-
ing bo o ks t hat st u d e nt s s h o u l d
be enco u raged to s p e n d t h e i r
leisu re t im e reading . St u d e nt s
a re able to lear n mo re t h a n
w hat t he cu r r icu lu m e nt a i l s
t hro u gh t hese. Fo r i n s t a n ce,
f illing cro sswo rd pu z z l e s a n d
cha llenges like S u d o k u e n a b l e s
lear ner s per fec t lan g u a g e a n d
cr it ical t hinking.
8. P r o mot i ng sp o r t s
 The Educator Magazine 9

An exami n a ti o n of th e u n d er l y i n g ca u se s of
student u n re s t an d b u r n i n g i n sch o o l s .

a c tiv it ie s . prope rty.

E mp h a si zi n g s po r ts ac tivi- The w rite r is a co n ce rn e d

t ie s a n d to ur n am ent s such as educ a tio n stake h o lde r,
i nte r- sc h o o l , i nter-class or mento r an d mo tivatio n al
i nte r- s t ream co m pe t itions is spea ker.
p a ra m ount as th ey promote
h a rm ony an d m utu al co-exis-
te n ce. Th ey al so pre occupy
t h e m i n ds of th e s tudents, not
l e av i n g th ei r m i n ds idle.

I n a n u t s h el l , we nee d a mul-
t ip ron g ed s trateg y to be able
to d e a l wi th th e hydra- heade d
m o n s te r un der l yi n g st ude nt
u n re s t an d bur n i n g of school
10 The Educator Magazine

C h e r yl e M a s i a
KE EP UP OR K E EP OF F

I ge t c h i l l s a t t h e t h o ught t h at in a few ye ar s , all t h e se advan cements

in the ed u ca tio n se c to r t h at we m ar ve l at w ill be n ot h in g s h or t of
ancie nt .

E d u c ati o n b eg an in the
mo st i n fo r m al of forms
i n Kenya. Wo m en taught
t h e i r daughter s to care for
t h e h o m e an d me n t aught
t h e i r so n s to tend to live-
stoc k, h unt an d be guard-
i a n s of th e h o me. Then in
t h e 1 9 0 0 s , fo r mal educa-
t i o n w as i ntro d uced by t he
l i ke s of Jo h an n L udwig
K ra pf wi th N airobi S chool
a n d F r i en d s Sc hool K aimosi
b e i n g am o n g the pio-
n e e r s . T h i s o pened doors
fo r many Kenyans to be
e d u cated h en ce during
t h e p re- co l o n i al e ra, most
Ke nyan s were able to
eve n fur th er th eir educa-
t i o n over seas . The first
p re s i d ent of Ke nya, the
l a te M zee Jo m o Ke nyatt a
a n d Kenya’ s fi r st At torney
Ge n eral Si r Ch arle s Njonjo
a re a m o n g th e maide n
b e n efi c i ar i es .
B y 19 6 3 , an es timated
84 0 , 00 0 Afr i c an chil-
d re n atten d ed eleme n-
t a r y sc h o o l ( Br it ish system
of cour se) . After inde pen-
d e n ce, th e co unt ry be gan
a f re e pr i m ar y e ducation
ca mpai gn an d since the n,
t h e educ ati o n system has
ex p er i en ced m assive evo-
l u t i on . Fro m :
T h e j o i nt EAC ( East Af rican
C o mm un i ty) 7 - 4-2-3
sys tem to
T h e Kenya n 7 - 4-2-3
sys tem to
The Educator Magazine
The fam o u s 8-4-4 syste m
and to
The propo se d 2-6-6-3
syste m .
All t he se cha ra c ter iz e
advancem ent yet a pply ing
the sam e pedago gy of t he
classroo m set t ing.
Today however, t he system
is chan ging. Tradit io nal
teachin g and lea r ning
me t hods are being a ban-
done d by t he day. G lo ba l
technolo gical adv a ncem ent
in t he field of edu cat io n
has allowed t he ent rance
of upda ted and im proved
approa ches to edu cat io n
such as t he presence of
online co u r ses a nd m o bile
learning. In Keny a fo r
inst ance, dist a nce lear n-
ing cha ra c ter iz es pa r t of
the sys tem s o ngo ing in o u r
inst itutio ns of higher lear n-
ing. This enables peo ple
who are no t a ble to be
physica lly present fo r lec-
tures takes co u r ses t hey
de sire. The classro o m has
be come less physical and
more vir t u a l. Im a gine t he
mama m bo ga w ho wa s no t
able to f u r t her her edu ca-
tion bu t now t hro u gh o nline
courses, she co u ld pu r-
chase a sm a r t pho ne (t hese
go for as low a s KE S 3000
nowadays) f ro m w hich she
is able to lea r n w hile st ill
helping o u r laz y selves
chop greens.
A lit t le f la shba ck. When I
11
wa s in C lass 7 a few ye a rs
ago, if I did no t have t h e
Kisw a hili M u f t i text b o o k
wit h which to do my Sw a h i l i
assignm ent ( rea d h o m e-
wo r k), I wo u ld have to e i t h e r
do it in scho o l, bo r row a
f r iend af ter scho o l o r j u s t
no t do it alto get he r. O f
co u r se t he lat ter a t t ra c te d
pu nishm ent so it w a s ra re.
Flash-fo r wa rd. To d ay t h e
kindle ver sio n of t h e s a m e
ex ist s .Parent s a re a b l e to
pu rchase sof t co py b o o ks fo r
t heir children, sav i n g t h e m
t im e a nd redu cing c h a n ce s
of tex t bo o ks being l o s t by
t he lat ter.
C u r rent ly, t here ex i s t
e-bo o ks and e- jo u rn a l s
m ea ning, all scho la rs a re
so r ted. Fro m pr im a ry sc h o o l
all t he way to t he u n i ve r-
sit y a ll have a n o pp o rt u n i t y
to e-lear n. C lo ser h o m e, t h e
gover nm ent lau nch e d t h e
lapto p pro jec t w hic h p ro-
v ided class o ne ch i l d re n
wit h t he o ppo r t u nit y to l e a rn
info r m a t io n techno l o g y s k i l l s
f ro m t heir pio neer i n g sc h o o l
days .
A t hing to no te also i s t h e
av ailabilit y of sm ar t p h o n e s .
A cco rding to a n ar t i c l e i n
The Daily Nat io n o n 7 t h
J a nu a r y 2016, Keny a n ow
ha s 37.8 m illio n a c t i ve
m o bile pho ne nu mb e rs
wit h t he registered i nte r-
net u ser s t ra iling b e h i n d
at 21.6 m illio n. Thi s j u s t
go es to show t hat we a re
in t he screen-age. W h e re
 12 The Educator Magazine

eve r yon e’ s eyes are on the ir scree n; be it pho nes, la pto ps, t ablet s am o ng o t her d ev i ce s .
Th is h owever rai ses t he discussion on t he f u t u re of hard co py bo o ks. A s m u ch as t h o se
fro m my g en erati o n enjoy inte rac ting wit h physica l bo o k pages and no t m inding p a p e r- c u t s ,
m o s t p e o pl e are s hif t ing to e- docume nt s. PDF and M icro sof t wo rd do cu m ent s cha ra c te ri z e
the i nte ra c ti o n s among pe ople in the screen-age; whet her fo r m al o r info r m al.

N e e d l e ss to s ay i s the fac t that scholars, teacher s, pu blisher s and all in a cadem ia n e e d to

kee p u p wi th th ese changing time s. As h ighlighted in t he prev io u s issu es of t his m a g a z i n e,
P u b l i sh o r Per i s h , one has no choice but to elec t ro niz e t heir wo r k. M a ke yo u r work av a i l-
ab le b eyon d bo rders since technology is t he f u t u re.

W it h a l l th ese i n s i ght, I ge t chills at the t ho u ght t ha t in a few year s, a ll t hese adv a n ce-
m e nt s i n th e ed uc a t ion sec tor that we m a r vel at will be no t hing sho r t of a ncient . S o m o re
is ye t to co m e. Let’s se e what the future ho lds. M ea nw hile, keep u p o r keep o u t !

Financial distress in
Kenyan Institutions of Higher
Learning
F
inancial distress is
defined as the in education is meager for a country
ability of a firm to meet
its financial obligations
as and when they fall due
(Davydenko, 2005). Other
researchers view financial
distress as a condition
when the firm is faced
with negative cumulative
earnings for at least a few
consecutive years (Gil-
bert, 1990). Indeed, there
is consensus that a firm is
deemed to be in financial
distress when it is unable
to meet its financial
obligations
(Ombaba&Kosgei 2017).
Kenyan higher education
is confronted by knowl-
edge revolution. Kenya
is the least developed
Country in terms of higher
education institutions and
enrolments by
international standards.
Its higher education
system has suffered
neglect owing to scarce
resources in most of the
universities and low
priority given to it by the
governments. For in-
stance, the budgetary al-
location for research and
development for higher
The Educator Magazine 13
DR. MWENGEI OMBABA
insolvent. As per the
which needs to attain sustainable de- 2015 audits, he said the
velopment and self-sufficiency. universities could not
Kenyan universities are broke and meet financial
in a deep financial crisis that could obligations, as their
soon grind them to a halt, following current liabilities
exceeded their cur-
" N e e d l ess to say , a s lon g rent assets.The declined
a s th e s e problem s c onti nue budgetary allocation will
s ta r i n g at our i n sti tuti on s further compound the
o f h i g h e r le a rn i n g , qua li t y financial crises of the
r ema i n s substa n d a rd a n d public universities in
Ke nya n un i ve rsi ti e s have n o the country. As a result,
p l a c e a m on gst w orld - cla ss Kenyan higher education
i n s ti tuti on a l ra n k i n g" has suffered from
underfunding,
dwindling revenues. Most of the public deterioration of academic
institutions of higher learning are hardly and research
surviving and unable to meet financial infrastructure and
obligations, including submitting unsatisfactory service
statutory deductions to various conditions for staff.
agencies. They are also unable to pay These problems have not
lecturers and other university staff, only negatively affected
throwing the future of some of the the quality of higher
universities into disarray. education in the country,
The Universities are experiencing but also the overall
shortage in funding. This fact has been development the econo-
compounded by fewer number of my.
students who attain the University entry
grade C+ in the past two years, resulting Needless to say, as long
to fewer students for the module two as these problems
programmes (popularly known as continue staring at our
parallel courses) which formed the bed- institutions of higher
rock of the institutions’ revenues. learning ,quality remains
In a report to Parliament last year, Audi- substandard and Kenyan
tor General Edward Ouko declared 11 universities have no
public universities place amongst world-
 14 The Educator Magazine

class institutional ranking. Mutual exchange of students and academic staff and institutional col-
laboration on policies and curricula can assist Kenya to improve her higher education institutions
and systems.To be competitive in the international education market,
institutions must offer modern state of the art facilities and relevant educational programmes
taught by competent, motivated, highly qualified staff, utilizing innovative teaching methods that
integrate local knowledge with international. For Kenya to accelerate its development and have
the necessary manpower to make the country achieve the national Big Four goals, the state must
allocate enough resources to universities in order to undertake research activities.

DID
YOU
KNOW...
• Julius Gikonyo Kiano was the first Kenyan to gain a US doctorate
(from Stanford University).
• The first country to implement a nationwide standardized test
was ancient China. The test was known as the imperial examina-
tion, established by the Sui Dynasty in 605 AD, it was meant to
select able candidates for specific governmental positions.
• In 1963 there were only 151 secondary schools in Kenya, with a
total enrolment of 30,120 students. Today there are nearly 3,000
secondary schools with a total enrolment of 620,000 students. Of
this total, slightly over 40% are girls
• In 1974, the Journal of applied behavior analysis published a
paper titled The unsuccessful Self- Treatment of a case of Writer
Block. It contained a total of 0 words.
• Kimani Maruge was the world’s oldest person to enroll in pri-
mary school in 2004. He joined Kapkenduiywo primary school in
Eldoret at the age of 84.
• There are 48 universities in Kenya, 22 of which are public and 26
private. The University of Nairobi is the oldest public university in
Kenya while KAG East University is the oldest among the private
universities.
• The feeling that you have experienced an event before in real life
is referred to as déjà vu while the feeling that you have experi-
enced an event in a dream is referred to as déjà reve’
 The Educator Magazine 15

ROLE
OF
UNIVERSITY
EDUCATIONSource: www.oircjournals.org

By Stephen Kiprotich Rotich

T h e re i s a day by day increase in the nu m ber of yo u t h pu r su ing a seco nd degree, t h i n k i n g

t h a t w h at th ey l ack is educat ion to get a jo b. M o st of t hese yo u t h st ill po ssess a m i n d se t
of p e r m an ent an d pensionable job he nce t he Unem ploy m ent rate increa sing f ro m 1 2 . 7 %
( 20 06 ) to 4 0 % (2 011). .In a re se arch co ndu c ted in 2016, m o st yo u ng peo ple st a te d t h a t
t h e re were rare o pport unitie s in the ir a rea s of specializ at io n m a king t hem reso r t to o t h e r
a re a s fo r s ur vi v al . This begs the quest io n: a re Univer sit y pro gram s t ailo red to t h e m o d e rn
rea l i t y i n th e j o b marke t ? Do t hey allow t he lear ner s ga in co m pet it ive ca reer m ar ke t s k i l l s?

A re se arc h by U N ES CO (2005) argues that af ter f inishing fo r m a l edu ca t io n, yo u n g p e o p l e

sh o u l d b e ab l e to subsequently make su ccessf u l t ransit io n f ro m scho o l to wo r k w i t h t h e
ski l l s a n d kn owl edge they acquire d. It i s desirable of higher edu ca t io n to pro du ce g ra d u-
a te s w ho h ave ab i lit y to t hink crit ically a nd have per so nal, so cia l a nd co m m u nica t i o n s k i l l s .
Pr i ma ry educ ati o n should promote grow t h, im pa r t literacy and nu m era cy skills an d l ay a
f ir m foun dati o n for furt he r formal educa t io n, t raining a nd life-lo ng lea r ning. S econ d a ry e d u -
cat i o n on th e o th er hand should cater fo r f u r t her edu cat io n of pr im a r y scho o l leave rs .

T h e U n i ver s i ti es Ac t No. 42, 2012 cle ar ly spells o u t t he o bjec t ives of u niver sit y e d u c a-
t io n . I t provi des for developme nt and regu la t io n of Univer sit y edu cat io n a nd cent ra l i z e d
a d mi ssi on of s tud e nt s to tert iary institu t io ns. A cco rding to t his, Univer sit ies are key i n s t i-
t u t i o n s fo r so c i al change. Howeve r, Uni ver sit y edu ca t io n rarely achieves t his. Th e re g u l a-
to r, C om m i ss i o n for Universit y Education (C UE ) w a s granted t he power s of over se e i n g t h e
e st a b l i s h m ent, gove rnance, manage ment and qu alit y a ssu rance in Keny an inst it u t i o n s of
h ig h e r l ear n i n g yet similar to othe r pro jec t s, t here a lw ays ex ist s a n ant a go nism b e t we e n
w h a t o u g ht to b e and what really is. Po licies t hat lo o k really go o d o n pa per do n o t n e ce s-
sari l y t ran s fo r m to t he reality.
 16 The Educator Magazine

E du ca t i o n i s th e source of powe r which ca n be u sed to sha pe & t ransfo r m yo u t hs ’ e co-

n o m i c l i fe.

It s h ou l d th en fo c us on producing st ude nt s w ho are rea dy to f ill av ailable jo bs in a co m-

p e t i t i ve eco n o my but the e le phant in t he ro o m is whet her t he present edu cat io n sys te m i s
“to o e l abo rate” o r “too loose ”. Qualit y assu ra nce has beco m e a m a in wo r r y fo r u n i ve rs i t y
e d u ca t i o n due to the leade rship gap t ha t ex ist s in m o st u niver sit ies.

Th e re i s l i ttl e use of technology, innovat io n, a dvo cacy and ent repreneu r ia l philo so p hy t h a t
can t ra n s fo r m educat ion to entre preneu r ship skills. The po o r st a te of lec t u rer s’ re m u n e r-
a t ion h as al so c ause d the be st of the b rains to go searching fo r bet ter ter m s abro a d o r
w h e reve r th ey feel the grass is gree ne r while t ho se t hat rem a in per fo r m par t -t ime d u t i e s i n
o t h e r i n s ti tuti o n s . This has re sulted in teaching st af f devo t ing lit t le at tent io n to re se a rc h ,
imp rovem ent of te aching standards and m ento r ship of st u dent s. The rapid ex pans i o n of
u n i ve rs i ti es i n Kenya is also a f ac tor as it has led to over st retched ser v ices. Ro te l e a rn i n g
h a s b e co m e n o r m al too as lec turers dic t ate t heir no tes to over ly crowded classes .

Pa ss i ve appro ac h es to teaching have litt le v alu e to yo u t h em power m ent . These a p p ro a c h e s

a llow st udents s ti ll pass the exams and ho ld cer t if ica tes t hat lack co r respo nding s k i l l s
req u i re d fo r th e j ob marke t . Education has been redu ced to ro te lea r ning, m echa n i c a l
t rai n i n g , i n do c tr i n ation and brainwashing yet it sho u ld im pa r t know ledge t hat is c a p a b l e
of a ch i evi n g a vo l untary and committed respo nse f ro m t he lear ner while a lso lead i n g to a
q u a l i t y of un d er s ta nding t hat give s rise to new m ent a l per spec t ives in t he lea r ne r, u s i n g
me t h o d s th at en courage t he exe rcise of ju dgm ent a nd a pplicat io n of cr it ical f acu l t i e s of
t h e l e a rn er.

T h e p u rp o se of th e unive rsity is teachin g
u n i ve rs i ti es o ug ht to se rve as engines of
ish me nt . I n th e words of J ulius Nye re re,
i n c l a ss rooms a l on e, but learn i n g from
fa il u r e s”.
u niver sal know ledge hence new genera t i o n of
bo t h co m m u nit y develo pm ent a nd so cia l re p l e n-
“ E d u c a t i on i s not j u st some t hi ng t ha t h a p p e n s
ot he r s a nd f r om exp e r i e nce o f p a st s u cce ss o r

THE PEOPLE
PLEASING
ATTITUDE
By D u k e A n a si
Imagine for a moment if the Wright brothers took
seriously the comments, laughter and jibes aimed
their way when they attempted to fly for the first
time, there is a possibility we would not have had air
transport as we know it today.
The Educator Magazine 17
H av ing rea d so m ew h e re
t ha t a peo ple plea s-
ing at t it u de w a s t h e
nu m ber o ne reaso n fo r
f ailu re especially a m o n g
ent repreneu r s a nd b u s i-
ness peo ple, I go t ra t h e r
pu z z led and t his m a d e
m e t a ke a keen inte re s t
in t his su bjec t . Af te r a l l
wa sn’t it pro per to w a nt
to plea se peo ple an d b e
liked in o rder to live i n
ha r m o ny w it h o t her s?
M ay be so, bu t when t h i s
beco m es a n o bsess i o n a n d
gu ides yo u r ever y a c t i o n ,
it lea ds to dysf u nc t i o n a n d
m alf u nc t io n.
Researcher s did a s t u d y to
ident if y why peo ple g e n e r-
ally so u ght approv a l f ro m
o t her s a nd co nclu d e d t h a t
f ro m childho o d o nw a rd s
we so u ght a pprov a l f i rs t l y
f ro m pa rent s to get l ove
and fo o d, f ro m teac h-
er s in scho o l a nd co l l e g e
to a t t a in go o d gra d e s a n d
 18 The Educator Magazine
p a ss exam s an d then from
sib l i n g s , s po uses , e mploy-
e r s , c h i l dren , fr i ends,
n e i g h b o r s , c l erg y, politi-
cia n s e tc to l ead a pe ace-
f u l , com fo r tabl e l ife. So
t h i s h a bi t takes root in our
min d s an d h ear ts and it
b e com es es p ec i al ly chal-
le n g i n g to n o t b e overly
co n ce r n ed wi th what ot he r
p e o p l e t h i n k an d say about
yo u .
Doe s t hi s r i n g a bell in
yo u t h a t anyti m e you have
d e c i d e d to do so me t hing,
t h ou g hts l i ke th ese come
into yo u r m i n d, “ What
w il l o t h er s s ay? W hat will
o t h e r s t h i n k? Wh a t will
o t h e r s do? How will othe rs
rea c t ? How do I l ook in t he
eye s of o th er s? W ill people
like me o r rej ec t me? W ill
p e o p l e laugh o r ta lk behind
my b a ck ? Wi l l p eople be
je a l o u s? Wi l l p eo ple try and
h a r m m e? How wi ll I f ace
p e o p l e if I fai l ?
T h e se are ser i o us ly def lat-
in g a n d paral yzi n g t houghts
a n d a refl ec ti o n that you
a re ca u ght up i n a de bilitat-
in g we b of b ei n g a vic tim
of ot h e r p eo pl e’ s opinion.
At t h i s po i nt i t s h ould dawn
u p on you th at yo u have
a p e o p l e p l eas i n g at t i-
t u d e t h at i s al ways see king
a p p rov al fro m o th ers. W he n
yo u a re co n s tantl y see king
a p p rov al fro m o th ers it
b e com es i m perati ve t hat
p e o p l e say yo u are good
a n d t h a t wh atever you are
d oi n g i s th e r i g ht thing to
do.
Now I do no t know w het her
this is reso na t ing w it h yo u
but it ce r t ainly did wit h m e
and that is why I decided to
write t his ar t icle w hen I rea l-
iz ed t hat yea r s of my life ha d
be en use d seeking a pprov al
from ot her s and it beca m e
clear to m e how t his ha d
impac ted adver sely in v a r io u s
facets of my life. L o o king
forward h owever it is im po r-
tant to re aliz e t hat to be
succe ssf u l in any t hing, yo u
first have to be co u ra geo u s
e nough to fo llow yo u r own
heart and no t be t ied dow n
by ot he r peo ple’s o pinio n.
How many st u dent s have
e nde d up per fo r m ing dis-
mally simply becau se of t heir
nee d to f it in wit h o t her s a nd
portray a “do n’t ca re” a t t i-
tude tow ards t heir st u dies?
How many ent repreneu r s a nd
busine ss peo ple have no t f u l-
fille d the ir po tent ial du e to
the nega t iv it y f illed t ho u ght s
discussed ear lier render ing
the m impo tent and devo id of
init iative?
Well, a cha nge in a t t i-
tude is now called fo r, a
paradigm shif t of so r t s.
Howeve r, realiz e t hat su ch
a dee ply em bedded ha bit
in t he psyche a s it were
will not c hange over night .
That shou ld no t sto p yo u
from taking sm all incre-
me nt al steps towa rds do ing
that which yo u r hea r t
fee ls is r ight regardless
of what ot her peo ple m ay
say or think. Im a gine fo r a
m o m ent if t he Wr ig ht b ro t h -
er s to o k ser io u sly th e co m-
m ent s, la u ghter a nd j i b e s
a im ed t heir way wh e n t h ey
a t tem pted to f ly for t h e f i rs t
t im e, t here is a po ss i b i l i t y we
wo u ld no t have ha d a i r t ra n s-
po r t a s we know it to d ay. H ow
a bo u t if E diso n af te r h i s f i rs t
severa l a t tem pt s at i nve nt-
ing t he light bu lb h a d e n co u r-
a ged t ho u ght s of how o t h e rs
perceived his f ailu re t h u s
f a r ? We pro bably wo u l d n o t
have ha d t he co nve n i e n ce of
light bu lbs. These p e o p l e t h e
Wr ight bro t her s, E d i so n a n d
nu m ero u s o t her s w h o f i n a l l y
su cceeded a nd co nt i n u e to
su cceed to day did so a n d
co nt inu e to do so b e c a u se of
t heir deter m inat io n , co u ra g e
a nd co nv ic t io n. It is t h e n u p
to yo u t his day to e m a n c i-
pate yo u r self f ro m t h e m e nt a l
slaver y of a “peo ple p l e a s i n g
a t t it u de”.
The fo llow ing f a ble i l l u s-
t ra t io n speaks vo lu m e s a n d
clea r ly su m s u p t he f u t i l i t y of
co nst ant ly seeking a p p rov a l
f ro m o t her s and t r y i n g to
plea se ever yo ne. H owever
m u ch yo u t r y it is ju s t n o t
po ssible to plea se eve ry-
o ne, so sto p wa st in g yo u r
ef fo r t s co nst a nt ly t ry i n g to
seek approv a l f ro m o t h e rs
a nd instead fo llow yo u r h e a rt ,
st a nd f ir m u po n yo u r co nv i c-
t io n. I fo r o ne am s i n ce re l y,
decreeing, af f ir m in g fo r a
cha nge in a t t it u de to p re ss o n
t he u pwa rd way, new h e i g ht s
gain ever yday desp i te t h e
o pinio n of naysayers , so h e l p
m e G o d!
 The Educator Magazine 19

T h e w r i t e r i s th e R e g i str a r , E l g on View C ollege, M B A h old er and Ph D candidate

 20 The Educator Magazine
D o you h ave a h ard
tim e f i t t i n g ever y-
thin g i nto yo ur d ay? Is
it tou g h to p l an ah ead
whe n yo u ’ re al read y
st u d yi n g al l h o ur s? Do
yo u w i sh yo u co ul d
pre p a re mo re th o r-
o u g h l y fo r b usy an d
st ress f u l per i o d s , s uch
as ex a m s an d co ur se-
wo r k d e adl i n es an d
also f i n d m o re ti m e for
so c i a l i z i ng ? N o n ee d
to wo rr y, yo u’ re n o t
alo n e : mo s t U n i ver sity
st u d e nt s feel th ey
do n ’ t h ave en o ug h
tim e to do ever y-
thin g t h at’ s d em an de d
of t h e m an d s tr ug-
gle to m an age th ei r
tim e ef fec ti vel y. But
deve l op i n g th ese s kills
is im p o rt ant – g o o d
tim e m a n ag em ent i s
linked to l ower l evels
of acade mic st ress and in so m e
cases eve n bet ter grades.
W ith t his in m ind, here is w hat
one Counsel o r in t he St u dent
Counseling Cent re in o ne of t he
Unive rsitie s says abo u t it ;
M ake your t i me co u nt .
“If you think of t he ho u r s yo u
spend e ach day ea t ing, sleeping,
showe ring, seeing f r iends, co m-
mut ing, chatt ing and m o re, yo u
don’t ac tually have m u ch t im e lef t
to study. S o yo u need to m a ke
those st udy ho u r s rea lly co u nt ,
ot he rwise co m e ex a m t im e yo u ’ll
be wishing yo u had st u died t hat
litt le bit sma r ter.”
P r i or i t i ze you r r o le s
a nd g oa l s.
No bo dy ’s ‘ju s t ’ a
st u dent : we a l l h ave
m a ny dif ferent ro l e s .
Yo u m ay be wo rk i n g p a rt
t im e, helping to l o o k
a f ter yo u r f ami l y, p l ay i n g
spo r t s o r enga g e d i n
o t her ex t ra cu rri c u-
la r ac t iv it ies. F o r e a c h
ro le yo u need to h ave
sho r t , m ediu m a n d l o n g -
ter m go a ls a n d yo u n e e d
to wo r k o u t w h i c h ro l e s
m ight clash t h e n m a ke
a decisio n o n w h a t ’ s
im po r t a nt . It ’s n eve r to o
la te to reco nfi g u re yo u r
pr io r it ies. It ’s b e t te r
to be rea list ic t h a n to
sprea d yo u r se l f to o
t hin.”
De f e r r i ng d o e s n ’ t so lve
a ny t hi ng .
 The Educator Magazine 21

Ce r t a i n l y, yo u are going to rea lly interested in t he su bjec t . It ’ll

s p eHnudi de sommientitilmhaci e chat cas tcoingn i-on b e a dem o t iv a t ing ex per ience. S o
t h ehipl h i coan-e,e t?h an Ege g irng
vir out
ter idiowith w hy do n’t yo u split t hat chapter into
f r i esnt re
d sceosrs at, watc c uhmi ng et isT re,
V, but
que for five pa r t s, and spread it over a few
how comanyns i gi neh odiur s? Cont
e nar ist p errolling
feco the d ays? Tha t w ay yo u get to st u dy a
t imnte e yo l icutata
s p enm P. d Son er nsuch
it iamac cotivi-
n- n u m ber of su bjec t s o n a ny given
t iess uca ltor n bih el fipr ma yo, ucat reumse rve
te more d ay, so yo u wo n’t get bo red a nd
t imtea bfo errum p r ipubli
o r i ty athings.
n o s h aeIff ue some- e ach su bjec t will be granted equ al
t h i nno g rae i s ci m
i epni o rutant
s, motoday et i intethe n it’s i m po r t a nce. Yo u ’ll reach t he end of
no tno g s,
oi n s ugs to e t bq ecome
ua s t raesunimport-
in se the week hav ing achieved a ll yo u r
antoove b u t rpe n i re
ght m -pror you i pcan’t leave it
o s at ant- g o als, and yo u wo n’t have been
fo revee r i s r.i u Somei fa ci t’ s import ant , get
tum. tem pted to pro cra st inate. M issio n
o n i t ! So m eti m es we delay impor- a cco m plished!
t a nt Ant at ro s kspor atuth m ei dexpense
co h ae clar ofiatasks
t h aLt. aUre ci prurg i t ent, but could
ve r raedo, o mante be Wa ke u p ear lier. Waking u p ear lier
less i m p o r tant.
d i enatus coe ntemo Ste phe rum n Covey’s
es h elps yo u to m ana ge yo u r t a sks
exce e tl lvi entvasbo tr ae o k,s s u
First
l icamThings
o ra vitF irst, well. Rem em ber ‘t he ear ly bird
desc norti ibes n d i ai a fram
m nost eworkiusquo forn opri-
s- c atches t he wo r m t he a dage’ go es.
o r i ttoi zri tni g
aewo facr to k th at willoprevent
consult rudem W hen yo u wa ke u p ear ly, yo u w ill be
im pqourt am ant tas ks cfrom
popubli ae co nbecomingdum a ble to co ncent ra te m o re beca u se
im peol urtmant an d tre
d i pore urgent tasks, which
pub licae, the m ind is st ill devo id of dist u r-
arepaotr bi ri sckavocof re b eisngtio caerushe ere,d and b ance and dist ra c t io n. Yo u will a lso
t h esrefoe, que re forn o tteyo re mur co best
n equamwork.” h ave m o re t im e to plan yo u r t a sks
i n te cons i mo v ist ar t ia? No s, so t hat by t he end of t he day yo u
Al waysne fachave tus locc a huidere
p lan . n em, w ill have a chieved all yo u r go a ls
Pat i fe s m ove s tudes po r s av ing yo u t im e t hat co u ld have
“ B efore
ha b us th reemweek s e nt. Si starts,
cul h ositc - down b een spent o n t he sa m e t ask t he
an dt apr ilbe ans yo hore ur daysman un ahe
umad. h o s-S pend fo llowing day.
a gsoo u pdpl.2 0S ati o ros, 3 0C minutes
. Grat ui t am- allocat-
in gpve erer y m,s nim hi al ,l san
tusd co speencific
at re, t asks . ..............................................
fo r nu ever m cond y d ay. amdi Browse
t vis vere through
Do t he
re so u rces yo u are st udying from – Th e Au th o r is a n ICT exp ert fro m
wh e t h e r th ey are books or online RV T TI
– to f a m i l i ar i ze yourself with
t h e m. T h i s wi l l g i ve you a good
ide a of wh at i s achievable, so you
c a n se t dai l y go als t hat are wit hin
re a ch . Yo u’ l l al so have t he sat is-
f a c t i on of ti c k i n g of f a long list
of a c h i evem ents . More planning
m e a n s l ess anxi ety.”

Bre ak i t d own.

“ B re a k eac h tas k into small,

di g e st i bl e c h un ks. Nobody want s
to s i t an d read a 40-page chapter
al l i n on e g o, eve n if they’re
22 The Educator Magazine

Tak e t h e in it iat i ve to fi nd the i ns tr ucto r and

tea chin g a s s is ta nt a nd eng a g e i n m e aninful
c o nve r s at i o n ou ts i d e of c l a s s . T hey are a ctiv e
p ar t i c ip a nt s in the l ea rni ng proc ess.

Ta k e t h e in it iati ve to fi nd the i ns tr ucto r and te a ch ing assistant and e ngage i n

m ea n in g fu l c onv ers ati on ou ts i d e of class. Th ey are a ctiv e par ticipants in t h e
le ar n i ng p r oc e s s .

Ar e att e nt iv e in c l a s s . T hey don’t talk, play with th e ir ph o ne s, liste n to the i r I - p od

or s t ar e o u t w indow s . T hey a s k qu esti o ns and par ticipate in class discuss i ons.

Ta k e a d v a nt a g e of ex tra c redi t op po r tunitie s. Th ey o fte n do th e o pti o nal (a nd

oft en m o r e c h a l l eng i ng ) a s s i g nments th at oth e r stud e nts may av o id.

S t ud y b ey on d cl a s s hou rs to l ea rn and re info rc e mate rial c ov e re d in le ct u r e s a nd

re ci t ati o n s .

At t end c la s s e s reg u l a rl y a nd a re punctual. If th ey miss a class, th ey fe e l ob l i gate d

to l et t h e p r of e s s or know before th e next class. Th ey th e n get all o f th e m i sse d
not es a n d a s s ig nments from other stud e nts o r fro m th e pro fe sso r

If t hey m is s a c la s s , they feel obl i gate d to let th e pro fe sso r know be fo re th e next
c l a s s . T h ey t h e n g et a l l of the mi s s ed note s and assignme nts fro m oth e r st u d e nt s
or fr o m t h e p r ofes s or.

Tur n in a s s ig n ments ; c ompl ete a nd o n time . Th ey take th e time to pro duc e a fi na l

pr o duc t t h at looks g ood a nd refl ec ts care and prid e in th e ir wo rk
 The Educator Magazine 23

I n thi s i ss u e , we int ro du ce t h e
new se c t io n , G A M E C H AN GER ! ! ,
w h i c h will fo c u s o n yo u ng people
w h o are t a k in g t h e ir k n ow ledge
b eyon d t h e c la ss ro o m a n d apply-
i n g i t to br in g g re a t imp ac t to t h e
cou ntr y a n d to t h e wo r ld at large.

Our f ir st g am e chang e r i s Mar v i n

Gakuny i w ho j us t fi nal i ze d h i s u n d e r-
g rad uate s tud i e s at M o i U n i ve r s i t y
yet h as b e e n o n the fo ref ront of
en su r in g that we te l l the Af r i c a n
stor y from the Afr i can vi ew. A s h e
says, ‘O ur Sto r i e s are b e s t tol d by
us.’
 24 The Educator Magazine

TH IS IS A SN E A K PIC K I NTO THI S GAME C HANGER.

D e scri b e yo u r se l f i n a se nte nce

I a m m oti vated by passion and driven by resu lt s.

Wha t co u r se d i d you take i n the university an d why?

I to ok a d o ub l e m a jor journalism and ma ss co m m u nicat io n since I u nder sto o d f rom a yo u n g

a g e t h a t th e o n l y w ay to be at the heart of t he ear t h is to be a jo u r nalist .

D o you co n s i d e r your se l f a game c h a n ger?

In a w ay I d o co n sider myse lf as one. Af ter t he t ra ining I received a t # To pSto r y S n 2 i n

w h i c h I em erg ed as the be st st ude nt jo u r na list , I tea m ed u p w it h a f r iend E m m a n u e l Ye g o n
to b u i l d th e s i te www.mobilejournalism.co.ke . This site is a im ed a t cha nging how n a rra-
t ive s a re to l d bec ause for the longest tim e t he sto r y abo u t Keny a a nd Af r ica has b e e n to l d
w it h a n ag en d a. We now believe it ’s time to cha nge t ha t nar ra t ive a s well a s t he b e l i ef
t h a t “Wh at Bl eeds L eads.”

Tel l us m o re a b o ut M obi l e Jour nal i sm (MOJ O)

We a re a team geare d towards revolut io niz ing how sto r ies are to ld in Keny a u sing m o b i l e
d ev i ce s th at we c hoose to call pocke t s t u dio s. Ou r a im is to give t ra ined jo u r na li s t s a n d
a c ti ve so c i al m ed i a use rs a platform to tell t heir sto r ies in a way t ha t is bo t h profe ss i o n a l
a n d s i mp l e.

Wha t d o yo u t h i n k of e ducati on i n Kenya a n d its fu tu re?

I h ave t wo th o ught s on this;

1.T h e cur r i c ul um nee ds to be
cha n g e d to prep are us for the
f u t u re no t th e pas t . The teach- Rem ar ks…
in g m od e to o s h o u ld not be the
b a n k i n g appro ac h like it has M y m a nt ra ha s a lw ays been, “ Pa ss i o n
b e e n b ut an acco mmodat ive one Dic t ates Pu r su it .” In t ha t spir i t , i f o n e
t h a t g i ves ro o m for cre at ivity and f inds so m et hing t h ey c a n
st u d e nt teac h er i nte rac tion like it do even fo r f ree ; m o n ey
h a p p e n s i n i nter n a t ional schools. will co m e as a co i n c i d e n ce.
S elf f u lf illm ent a n d p u rp o se
2. H i g h er l ear n i n g should change will have been me t .
t h e mo del of s k i l l s induced in
yo u n g p eo pl e. A n att itude to be
jo b cre ato r s rath er than see ke rs
sho u l d star t bei n g cult ivated.
T h i s w i l l address the incre asing
rate of un em p l oyme nt .
 The Educator Magazine 25

The Chinese government has Guidance, Scholarship Opportunities

ensured that its long term partner- and many more. The Expo, themed Kesses MP Dr
ship with the Kenyan Government Accessing Knowledge for Real Swarup Mishra
is widened. It has sponsored 69 stu- Transformation ,was held at Kapsabet rolls out a
dents to study in China for their Boys High School grounds with Youth Training
Bachelor, Master’s and Doctorate Programme worth
degrees for the academic year 2018- 65 million shillings
2019; through the scholarship pro-
gramme that began in 1982.

To date, over 1,000 Kenyan stu-

M ember of Parliament for
Kesses Constituency
Dr. Swarup Mishra, launched a
dents have obtained the Chinese training and empowerment pro-
government Scholarship and More gramme targeting 700 youth
than 2,400 Kenyan students are from Kesses constituency. The
now studying in China, as noted programme launched at an event
by Chinese Ambassador to Kenya held at Eldoret Sports Club on
; Sun Baohong. He also stated that 10th August this year, will see
the scholarships are given through more youths in villages spon-
the Ministry of Education. sored to pursue technical courses.
Under the programme, benefi-
Nandi County ciaries will undergo training for
Holds the First different technical courses at the
International Eldoret National Polytechnic for
Education Expo one Year.

andi County held the first

ever Nandi County International
Educational Expo on 27 and 28th
July 2018. The expo gave oppor-
tunities for form four students and
high school leavers to meet rep- Oasis International Consulting, a leading
resentatives from leading insti- Consulting firm in Career guidance and
tutions in USA, UK, Turkey, Mentorship and in Education participated Mishra outlined that the empow-
Australia, Malaysia, Cyprus, China, in this noble event; showcasing its prod- erment also included 200 youths
Russia and Local Universities ucts and services while also providing in his constituency being spon-
and Colleges. Among the issues mentorship. sored for driving course and 20
handled were Career guidance, others being supplied with shoe
University Admissions, Visa
 26 The Educator Magazine
shining equipment. He also noted that
100 women from humble backgrounds
would be given a cow each with
which they could sustain themselves.
Member of Parliament for Kesses
Constituency Dr. Swarup Mishra,
launched a training and empowerment
programme targeting 700 youth from
Kesses constituency. The programme
launched at an event held at Eldoret
Sports Club on 10th August this year,
will see more youths in villages spon-
sored to pursue technical courses.
Under the programme, beneficiaries
will undergo training for different tech-
nical courses at the Eldoret National
Polytechnic for one Year.
Deputy president William Ruto who
graced the event, stated that Mishra’s
initiative would go a long way in
helping the government meet its
objective of equipping the youth
with skills that prepare them for job
opportunities.
Universities told not
to teach certificate
and Diploma courses
Students pursuing diploma and certifi-
cate courses in universities will not be
allowed to transfer credits if they wish
to further their studies. Education reg-
ulator Kenya National Qualifications
Authority (KNQA) which regu-
lates, coordinates and harmonizes the
various levels of education, said it
will not recognize their qualifications
since it claims that the diplomas and
certificates being offered by universi-
ties can neither be registered nor rec-
ognized under the Kenya National
Qualifications Framework (KNQF).
Dr Juma Mukhwana, the director
general of the authority stated that
for an institution to be registered in the
KNQF, it must be accredited by a recog-
nized quality assurance body. The rule is
that diplomas and certificates are accred-
ited by the Technical and Vocational
Training Authority (TVET), while bach-
elor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees,
are accredited by the Commission for
University Education (CUE).
This is aimed at addressing the menace
of universities admitting students from
other institutions without the requisite
qualifications
Fellowships for women
in STEM
The Schlumberger Foundation is invit-
ing applications from women from
developing and emerging economies to
pursue PhD or post- doctorate studies in
Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) disciplines for
its 2019 – 2020 Faculty of the Future
Fellowships. The fellowships are worth
a maximum of USD 50,000 per year for
a PhD and a maximum of USD 40,000
per year for a post- doctorate and may
be renewed through to completion of
studies; subject to performance, self-
evaluation, recommendation from super-
visors and strong evidence of re-integra-
tion plans in the home country.
Eligibility. The Candidate:
Should have applied to, have been
admitted to or be currently enrolled in a
university abroad when submitting their
grant application.
Must hold an excellent academic
record and illustrate their commitment
to teaching and research or to using their
scientific knowledge in public policy
advocacy.
Should demonstrate leadership skills,
community outreach interest and have
a track record in encouraging young
women into the STEM fields.
Should also prove their commitment
to returning to their home countries to
contribute to the social, economic and
technological advancement of their
regions, pursuing careers in the teach-
ing and research faculties of their home
institutions and also taking positions in
the public sector.
............................................................
For more information, check out www.
dvcrpeuonbi.ac.ke or contact;
David Otwoma PhD
Chief analyst,
National commission for Science,
Technology and Innovation,
Ministry of Education Science and
Technology
Nairobi Kenya.
Tel : +254 722 141771,
Email : dotwooma@gmail.com /
otwoma@uonbi.ac.ke
AND
Chairman,
East Africa Association for Radiation
Protection
www.eaarp.org

T he 3 R D E L D OR E T I N TE R N A TIO NAL CO NFER ENCE O N S U S T AINABLE
“GE ND E R E QU A L I TY F OR S US T AINAB LE D EV ELO PM ENT IN AFRIC A”.
O
asis international Con-
sulting in association
with OIRC Journals and
the Catholic University
of East Africa; held the 3rd Eldo-
ret International Conference
on Sustainable Development
whose theme was ‘Gender Equal-
ity for Sustainable Development in
Africa’. The conference was held
on 13-14 of September 2018 at
Gaba Campus Eldoret.
Rationale of the Conference
A recent report on gender gap
worldwide in 2016 indicted that
more than a decade of data has
revealed that there is still too slow
progress for realizing the gender
equality – That is one-half of
humanity within our lifetimes is still
not considered. Therefore, this con-
ference is both timely and imper-
ative as utilizing the full potential
of all humanity by giving all equal
opportunity as this will be key to
fast-tracking sustainable develop-
ment in Africa and Globally..
Prior research as supported by
theory and empirical evidence indi-
cates that the lack of progress on
gender equality may be at the heart
of the failure to advance on sustain-
ability. Other studies have also con-
firmed that should women be in
The Educator Magazine
D EV ELO PM ENT .
“ A G e n de r Eq ual Af r i ca”
more productive and decision-making
roles, the world would move faster
and more assuredly towards sustain-
ability in the economic, social and
environmental spheres. Owing to this
hard truth, this conference provides
an opportunity for scholars, research-
ers, educationists, women leaders,
Managers, Industrialists, NGOs
and policy makers to converge and
present both empirical and theoretical
papers, case studies and share expe-
riences that will enhance a gender
equal Africa.
CONFERENCE SUB THEMES
This 2018 International Conference
brought together representatives
from a wide range of higher research
centers and educational institutions
as well as related organizations from
around the globe in a dynamic and
interactive platform as given below.
27
EICGSDA SUB THEME ONE:
Gender Equality for Sustainable
Development (GESD)
EICGSDA SUB THEME TWO: Gender
Diversity in Corporate Governance
for Sustainable Development
(GDCGSD)
EICGSDA SUB THEME THREE:
Gender & Innovation for Sustainable
Development (GISD)
EICGSDA SUB THEME FOUR:
Gender and Entrepreneurship for
Sustainable Development (GESD)
EICGSDA SUB THEME FIVE:
Environmental Sustainability
through Gender Equality (ESGE)
EICGSDA SUB THEME SIX:
Gender equality and Sustainable
Journalism (GESJ)
 28 The Educator Magazine
EICGSDA SUB THEME SEVEN:
T he
Gender 3 R D and
Equality E L Sustainable
D O R E T I N TE R N A TI O NAL CO NFER ENCE O N S U S T AINABLE
Business environment (GESBE)
EICGSDA SUB THEME EIGHT:
“GE
Gender ND Ein
Equality R political
E QU A L I TY FUniversity
OR S U ST AINAB LE D EV ELO PM ENT IN AFRIC A”.
for Sustainable Development
(GEPSD)
EICGSDA SUB THEME NINE:
Gender and Education for
Sustainable Development (GESD)
EICGSDA SUB THEME TEN:
Cross Cutting Themes on
Sustainable Development
EICGSDA 2018 is a leading inter-
disciplinary medium for social sci-
entists, life scientists, engineers,
students, educationists, academ-
ics, managers, researchers and
practitioners to present their latest
research results, ideas, and devel-
opments in the TWO Full Days
of Technical Sessions, Poster
Sessions and Workshops. It also
provided an avenue for networking
and intellectual discourse among
conference participants to promote
discussions and share knowl-
edge, experiences and expertise
on developments in learning and
teaching as well as best practices
in higher education.
APPRECIATION
We would like to thank all 2018
Eldoret International Conference
on Sustainable Development
(EICSD) attendees for making it
to the 3rdEldoret International
Conference. We hope to attain
greater scales in the 4thEldo-
ret International Conference on
Sustainable Development.
EICSD 2018 KEY NOTE SPEAKERS
1.Prof.Nyamache Tom- Turkana University College
D E V ELO PM ENT .
2.M/s Grace Nabunnya- Minister Ethics and Intergrity,Kyambogo
“ A G e ndN.
3.Mr.Nafatl e rObwoni-
Eq ualCEO
AfMzawadi
r i ca” Holdings Ltd.
4.Dr. Stella Rono- Maasai Mara University
All submitted conference papers
will be blind peer reviewed by three
competent reviewers. The peer-
reviewed papers are indexed in
the International Science Index
(ISI), Google Scholar, Semantic
Scholar, OpenAIRE, world web index
Advanced Science Index, NewJour,
Open J-Gate, Index Copernicus
International, , ISI, GOOGLE scholar,
Academic Resource Index, Info Base
Index and I2OR and other index
databases with higher Impact Factor
Indicators. The papers will be down
loaded at www.oircjournals.org.
2018 EICSD ORGANIZING
COMMITTEE
1.Dr. Evans Bichang’a- Chair Person
2.Dr. Mwengei Ombaba- Convener
3.Dr. Lydia Muriuki- Member
4.Mr. Innocent Masase
5.Mr. Christopher Bonuke
6.M/s Mary Nyangenya
7.M/s Cheryle Masia
8.M/s Purity Jepchumba
NEXT YEAR’S CONFERENCE
The next year Eldoret International
Conference on Sustainable
Development (EICSD) will be themed
‘Modern Education for Sustainable
Futures’.
The Venue and Dates will be commu-
nicated on a later date.
BENEFITS OF ATTENDING
ELDORET INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (EICSD- 2019)
Delegate Satisfaction
The Eldoret International Conference
on Sustainable Development (4th
EICSD 2019) offers a chance for pro-
fessors, doctors, practitioners, teach-
ers, researchers, administrators and
scholars to exchange the latest ideas
and approaches in the field of edu-
cation and interact with well reputed
delegates in the field of education.
In 2018, the conference attracted del-
egates from more than 5 countries
and collaborated with leading uni-
versities and well reputed journals.
These partnerships directly help us
to build an excellent conference and
ensure that the conference offers an
exceptional platform to disseminate
 The Educator Magazine 29

research.

Networking Opportunities

The Eldoret International Conference on Sustainable Development (EICSD 2018) aims at providing opportunities
for networking and construction of academic and research partnerships between institutions and individuals for the
improvement of the sector. The major objective of the EICSD 2018 is to create human interaction being that our
academic connections provide us with a community of knowledge. Eldoret International Conference on Sustainable
Development 2019 will provide an excellent opportunity for academic delegates to expand their personal and pro-
fessional network. To create an effective interaction, EICSD 2018 is built with; forum discussion, session discus-
sions, workshop and cultural networking dinner.

Conference Venue

Kenya is known as Home of Champions owing to the prowess of her athletes displayed in international competi-
tions. It is therefore also an ideal place to attend the conference since the conference delegates are able to expe-
rience breathtaking view of the modern and historical environment in Kenya. EICSD participants can explore the
beauty of Kenya throughout the Conference. Post conference tour committee gives the opportunity to participants
to reach Hill country “Candy” as well.
30 The Educator Magazine
 The Educator Magazine 31

“ T hey a r e d e ni e d a c ha n ce t o b e

E very year, thousands upon thousands of students gradu-

ate from tertiary institutions with hopeful hearts and ambi-
tious young minds and sometimes too much utopian ideolo-
hu ma n g i ve n t ha t hu ma n b e i n g s
a r e i nhe r e nt l y c r i t i c a l t h i n k-
e r s a nd have a n i nna t e p owe r t o
gies but well, let’s give it to them. They’ve worked for it so it a na l y ze, eva l u a t e, r e so lve a n d
is their right to merry over their achievement. The thought that i nnova t e new t e c hni q u e s a n d
however lingers in my head is the fact that unfortunately, half st r a t e g i e s . ”
of that population were probably just schooled but not edu-
cated. You’d call them half – baked but I say some didn’t even
make it through the mixing section. As much as there are tech-
nological advancements and more are making their way to
these institutions, there is a constant antagony between the
educated and the schooled.

However you choose to describe education, the basic,

unchanging concept of it is that it involves impartation of
knowledge that improves one’s intellectual capacity and
ability. Schooling on the other hand, according to this context,
becomes basically about going through set systems either due
to obligation or tradition, without paying much attention to
what the action is all about. Consider the following scenarios;

Students who leave school with A- grades but perform terribly

at the workplace

People who go through the system yet are still unable to read
out and articulately write

‘Learned’ people who still litter off their car windows

‘Learned’ people who still don’t clean up after themselves

when they utilize lavatories,

‘Learned’ citizens whose voting decisions are still informed by

nothing other than their ethnic affiliations.
32 The Educator Magazine
This then begs the discus-
sion; are we educated or just
schooled. Paulo Freire in his book
‘Pedagogy of The Oppressed’
highlights the Banking model
of education. In this model, the
teacher deposits information into
the students who in this case, are
merely containers for storage.
The information is only retrieved
during tests so in a nutshell; it is
a copy-paste cycle. The problem
with this is that learners are not
spurred up to creativity and criti-
cal thinking; rather they become
passive human beings whose
involvement with whatever infor-
mation they receive is almost nil.
They are denied a chance to be
human given that human beings
are inherently critical thinkers and
have an innate power to analyze,
evaluate, resolve and innovate
new techniques and strategies.
They become robots that only
move at the ‘master’s’ command.
I’m sure you’re familiar with this
statement ‘speak only when
spoken to’
As disheartening as it may
sound, the banking model is
what goes on in our schools;
both basic and tertiary institu-
tions. The student is taught that
1+1 = 2 and that’s final because
the teacher knows everything
and the student knows nothing
so the latter is at the mercy of
the former. . For instance, on the
side of the planet where I went
to school, it was an abomina-
tion to tell the teacher that they
had pronounced a word wrong.
The punishment it attracted
almost matched up to penalties revolutionizing education. Let
for treason. Why so? The teacher the students be made to under-
was always right, even when they stand why they even go to
were wrong. school. (I know already some
of you are listing reasons why
We’ve turned a blind eye to the they went to school such as
fact that students are knowl- the common ‘ndio nipate job,
edge mines since; each person ninunue gari na nijenge nyumba
has unique experiences and capa- kubwa ‘) Let’s all be reminded
bilities which are relevant to the that no human being is a
learning environment. This has monopoly of knowledge. None
shifted the focus on the perti- is singularly a well of ideas and
nent issues at the core of educa- experiences. Both the students
tion and that is why you find that and the teachers should learn
a German class has become about from each other.
passing the German test rather
than learning to speak German. With this in mind, we as a
nation will be able to rise from
Well, you may argue that with the the curse of retrogressive edu-
technological advancements in cational practices and rise to
the education sector, things will become innovators and conse-
probably change. Yes and No. Yes quently, world changers.
because students are exposed to
more than classroom information
and No because consequently,
the vice will just be digitized. I
mean, if a teacher just teaches
that 1+ 1 = 2, what makes you
think that with e- learning, they’ll
not just direct the students to
specific sites on the World Wide
Web and ask them to recite what
they learnt during the next class?
What will hinder them from teach-
ing narratively rather than practi-
cally? So yes, the coursework and
teaching tools might change but
the pedagogy remains the same.
Complains aside. I feel it is time
teachers adopted the prac-
tice of student involvement. Let
them make the students under-
stand that they play a big role in

STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics) edu-
cation is the learning of Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics basics. Carson Ryan,
CEO of TreeHill, (a tech skills edu-
cation platform) argues that “By
creating a fun, hands-on, educa-
tional technology experience at an
early age, it’s easier to spur curiosity
among young minds.
S
STEM is widely popular in the United
States but not in Africa. However,
in the last few years Kenya has
embraced STEM albeit at a slow
T
base. We need to realize that Asian
Tigers with which Kenya and other
African countries stood on the same
industrial pedestal footing 50 years
E
ago had 70 per cent of their uni-
versity students on STEM related
courses. This means that in order
to move closer to them, we must
M
double or triple our efforts.
Benefits of STEM
Fosters Innovation
Every parent takes pride in a gifted
child whether it is in the arts such as
music, painting and martial arts or
in science. STEM education offers a
platform for transformation of a new
idea into an invention that might end
up being a ground breaking inno-
vation in the world of science. Your
child’s knack for knocking metal
The Educator Magazine 33
into shape and using old batteries to
create a potato charger if encouraged
and with the right education could in
future, be one of the leading discover-
ies in the world.
Fosters Creativity
STEM just like it is a science, is also an
art. Architecture and engineering are
sciences but designing buildings and
bridges is an art. This can be realized
through a child’s playtime with LEGO
brick games when they build different
structures. They can slowly develop
an interest in designing buildings, air-
crafts and roads.
Helps you to make a difference in the
society
Scientific innovations are all contribu-
tions towards creating a better society.
Everyone likes to be remembered for
something, especially things that make
a positive impact on the human race.
For example, Alexander Fleming’s dis-
covery of penicillin as an antibiotic has
helped to cure many diseases.
Helps to prepare kids for high school
and college
In Kenyan high schools, students
must do at least one science related
subject that is also included in the
national examination. Enrolling kids
for STEM education at a young age
helps them discover which subjects
they are already good at and helps
them choose their courses correctly in
future.
 34 The Educator Magazine

Prepares your child for the future

Our children’s future will be built

on their capacity for innovation,
invention and creative problem-
solving. Technology is continuously
expanding in leaps and bounds.
Apple has already launched their
iPhone X series with air pods. In
their generation, desktops will be
considered a thing of the past.
Taking STEM lessons today helps
them build their tomorrow.

Makes them more knowledgeable

Science is everywhere; technol-

ogy takes up almost every aspect
of our lives. Paying school fees
via mobile transaction is technol-
ogy; a toy car that needs batter-
ies to work is science. Even flying
a kite is science! Our children’s
understanding of how science and
technology works in their lives at
a young age makes them smarter
and increases their science literacy
and critical-thinking skills.

By Young Engineers.
 The Educator Magazine 35

REG IST E R E D T V E T IN ST IT U T IO N S IN E L DO R ET

NAME OF INSTITUTION ADDRESS T YPE

1 Aberdeen College of Accountancy P.O. B ox 5535- 30100 Eldoret Private

Email: info@aca.ac.ke
2 African Institute of Research and P.O. B ox 3790 – 30100 Eldoret Private
Development Studies
3 Alphax College P.O B ox 6516-30100 ELDORE T Private
info@alphax.ac.ke
0723-118940
4 Apex Institute of Management Studies P.O. B ox 9959 -30100 Eldoret Private
R ehema Complex, R onald Ngala Street
5 Arise and Shine Vocational Training P. O. B ox 7219 – 30100, Eldoret Private
Centre
6 Cambridge Universal College P. O. B ox 337 – 30100 Eldoret Private
cambr idgeuc@yahoo.com
7 Chepkorio Vocational Training Centre 30100 Eldoret Public
Tel: 0721274408
chepkor ioyouthpolytechnic@gmail.com
8 Data to Information College P. O. B ox 3109-30100 Eldoret Private
D2i@d2ikenya.com
D2iregs2@yahoo.com
9 Eas t Africa Vision Institute P.O. B ox: 6662 - 30100 Private
Eldoret Sk ymatt, M ar ket Street
10 Elgon View College P.O. B ox 2340-30100 Eldoret Private

11 Eldoret Vocational Training Centre P.O. B ox 8634- 30100 Eldoret Public

12 Eldoret Aviation Training Institute P.O. BOX 9606-30100 Eldoret Private

13 Eldoret College of Professional Studie s P.O. B ox 2636-30100 Eldoret Private

14 Eldoret Institute of Business Studies P.O.B ox 9854-30100 Eldoret Private

15 Eldoret Tourism and professional P.O. B ox 2219-30100 Eldoret Private
College
16 Elite Institute of Information and P.O B ox 10485 – 30100 Eldoret Private
Communication Technology
17 Eldo Star College P.O. B ox 3073– 30100 Eldoret Private

18 Eldoret Technical Training Institute P. O. B ox 770 - 30100 Eldoret Private

19 Excel Management Institute P.O. B ox 7714 Eldoret Private

20 Hi- Tech International College P.O. B ox 4653 -30100 Eldoret Private

36 The Educator Magazine

NAME OF INSTITUTION ADDRESS T YPE

21 Kaiboi Technical Training Institute P.O B ox 937-30100 Eldoret Public

22 Kenya Associates of Professional P.O. B ox 6955-00100, Eldoret Priv ate
Counsellors
23 Kenya institute of applied sciences P.O. B ox 6421-30100 Priv ate

24 Kenya Institute of Management Eldoret Priv ate

25 Kenya Institute of Professional Studies P.O B ox 4823 – 30100 Eldoret Priv ate

26 Kings College Of Accountancy P.O. B ox: 3609 - 30100 Eldoret Priv ate
K ingscollegeltd2012@gmail.com
27 Nairobi Aviation College-Eldoret B ox: 9335 Code: 30100 Town: Eldoret Priv ate
Campus
28 North Rift Institute of Management P. O. B ox 753 – 30100, Eldoret. Priv ate
Studies
29 Rift Valley College of Management & P.O. B ox 362-30100 ELDORE T M etro Priv ate
Technology Towers O ginga O dinga Street Eldoret |
0725657909 | r vcmt15@gmail.com
30 Mary Immaculate Institute P.O. B ox 335-30100 Priv ate
Eldoret
mar yimmaculateld@gmail.com

31 Rift Valley Technical Training Institute P.O. BOX 244-30100 ELDORE T Public

32 The Eldoret National Polytechnic P.O B ox 4461-30100, Eldoret Public

 The Educator Magazine 37

TOP 10 T V E T C OL L E G ES I N EL D OR ET TOWN

Eldoret town is home to 25 TVET Colleges as per a survey conducted by Oasis International Consulting
Ltd, in May 2018. The Survey was conducted among the current students, and the staff of institutions and
alumni. Among the key indicators were Accreditation, staff qualification, internet visibility, Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR), Library capacity, physical facilities, among others. The total number of respondents
was 536 and data was collected via face to face interaction, computer-aided interviews and semi- struc-
tured questionnaires on a Linkert scale of 1-5. The survey period was three weeks and the respondents
were selected randomly.

The following were the results. (Positions 1-10)

1. The Eldoret National Polytechnic Public Institution

2. Rift Valley Technical Training Institute Public Institution

3. Elgon View College Private

4. Africa institute of Research and Development Private

5. Alphax College Private

6. Kenya Institute of Management. Private

7. Eldoret Technical Training Institute Private

8. Nehema Institute of Science and Technology Private

9. Cambridge Universal College Private

10. Kings College of Accountancy and Business Private

 38 The Educator Magazine

WHO WE ARE
•SEMINARS WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS

Oasis International offers trainings, workshops and sem-

O asis International Consulting is a unique firm

that specializes in education consultancy.
The company has experienced trainers and staff
with over 10 years of experience in Research. We
are dedicated to providing high quality solutions,
training and research and not the typical consult-
ing firm that offers the same set of proven tech-
niques and methodologies.
OUR PRODUCTS
•ACADEMIC JOURNALS (OIRC JOURNALS)
These are internationally refereed and double
reviewed journals. Oirc journals are sharp multi-
disciplinary research platforms providing acade-
micians, scholars and researchers with an ideal
and elaborate opportunity to accomplish their
desires; who long for a refined betterment in their
respective arenas. OIRC JOURNALS offers a plat-
form for research which advances our under-
standing of research. We publish articles that deal
with the theory and practice, more so those which
contribute to the development of ideas that can
influence the real-time scenario.
www.oircjournals.org
inars, aiming to enhance productivity and improve per-
formance to companies and other groups. We provide
practical sessions to suit our clients’ requirements
in the context of this dynamic environment and their
environments.
Seminars, Workshops and Trainings include:
Data analysis and modeling
Journal Publishing | Career Guidance
Financial modelling and Forecasting
Accounting and Financial Skills for Managers
Effective Communication and Presentation Skills
HRM Practices
Entrepreneurship | Team Building
•THE EDUCATOR MAGAZINE.
The Educator is a quarterly magazine that strives to
provide all stakeholders in the education sector with up
to date information on Education. Such include techno-
logical advancements, trends in the education sector,
education policies, best teaching practices, information
on institutions of higher learning, just to mention but a
few

•ACADEMIC CONFERENCES (ELDORET

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT)

OASIS international collaborates with institu-

tions of higher learning and other stakehold-
ers in to organize annual international educa-
tion conferences, since 2016, in Eldoret and
all over the country. The major purpose of this
Multidisciplinary conference is to provide a plat-
form to academicians, scholars, students,
researchers and policy makers to share their aca-
demic works, new concepts, discoveries and
ideas for sustainable development. All presented
works are published for worldwide sharing.
The Educator Magazine 39
40 The Educator Magazine