REMARKS OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR, THE CO-OPERATIVE UNIVERSITY OF KENYA PROF. KAMAU NGAMAU ON THE OCCASION OF THE ORIENTATION OF FRESH STUDENTS ON 20TH JUNE, 2018, MAIN CAMPUS- KAREN AT 11.00AM

Deputy Vice Chancellors Registrars

Deans and Directors Professors

Members of staff present, Fresh students,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, I am delighted to join my colleagues in welcoming a new cohort of students joining The Co- operative University of Kenya for academic pursuit. Allow me to commend you for the choice you made to be here. You chose this University perhaps before you knew what a University is and what we, as CUK offer apart from the academic programmes. We assure you that the energy you have, the faith and hope you have in us to building your future careers will be realized.

The Co-operative University of Kenya is one of the newest Public Universities in Kenya but one of the oldest institutions of learning across the region dating 1952. We are also a small University in terms of numbers but we are a nuclear-power-house, training for the vast Co-operative sector in Kenya which commands over 45% of the Nation’s GDP.

Fresh Men and Women,

Allow me to congratulate you for your good academic performance that enabled you to be chosen to join CUK. The about 2,000 of you, who have come here to pursue Diploma Programmes were selected carefully through KUCCPS, out of the many who wanted to be where you are today. This University had the highest applicants for your cohort in the Nation. Your performance made you

outshine the others; we remain hopeful that the energy and the vigor you have, the dreams you have, will come to a fruition. We have a team of dedicated and qualified members of staff at The Co-operative University of Kenya who will guide you during your stay here.

I wish to assure you that our operations as a University are student-centered; no efforts are spared to enable a student achieve their dreams, exploit their full potential in classwork, co-curricular activities and understand what a University entails.

Form the onset allow me to inform that a University is like a melting pot; you are here from different academic backgrounds, villages, counties, schools, religions, ages, thoughts, tribes, ideological backgrounds among others; You have come here with one aim, one goal; academic pursuit. That notwithstanding, CUK, as a university has no first class or second class students. You are all equal and you will be treated equally. At the same time, we encourage you to learn best practices, cultures, establish friendships and bonds that you will cherish for a lifetime.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The World we live has ideas which are both positive and negative; rational human beings embrace ideas of truth, excellence, change, morality and conviction. These among other noble ideas are the determinants upon which a University is founded. As motifs in a University, we are all bound to be the conveyor belts of these ides to the society we live in.

Dear Students, 

The Co-operative University of Kenya is a reputable brand across Kenya and the region. You will find academic life here demanding; our training and efforts to produce competent graduates remain our key priority agenda. Your success here is over 50% dependent on your personal efforts; you will therefore not afford lazing around. You will be expected to take your assignments, classwork and examinations seriously and in good time; academic indiscipline is severely punished and merit awarded with the same measure. This is our reputation, this is our brand, and it is our image; we guard it jealously.

At the same time, The Co-operative University of Kenya supports co-curricular activities and students’ ventures; we have had success stories in sports including one of our students participate in sporting activities around the world including Alvin Wanzila swiftness in Taipei, China for FISU

games flying the CUK flag, and Miss Rachel Kerubo’s Hockey maestro traveling virtually across Africa with her hockey stick making CUK proud. You can also make your story from here and dot the world map with CUK crayon.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

For the period you will be here at the University, we encourage you to acquaint yourselves with the University’s Mission, Vision and Core Values. We are anchored on an Objective of developing a Globally Competitive Co-operative University that is excellent in Education, Training, Research, Innovation and Outreach. Here at CUK, we generate and disseminate knowledge. We encourage innovations and inventions from our students. We have a Division in charge of Co-operative Development, Research and Innovations. Here, we incubate ideas from you as students to their maturity. I highly encourage you to take your time and make use of this division headed by Prof. Isaac Nyamongo; Make this division your close associate.

Dear Students,

No academic institution World over can function on merit without a library; CUK, in this realization has made library central in academic excellence. Our library, as you have been told earlier on, is endowed with thousands of books, journals, other academic papers both online and offline. We spend colossal sums of money each year to purchase books for you. Make the choice to use them for your benefit.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In our efforts to produce an all-round human person during your stay at CUK and after, we as CUK, take care of your welfare. The link between yourselves and us is the office of the Dean of students. This office houses the students’ leaders’ office, the Sports Docket, Chaplaincy, Guidance & Counseling and the HIV/AIDS Control Unit. I would be specific to the Guidance & Counselling and the HIV/AIDS control unit.

Young men and women, be informed and guided accordingly that HIV/AIDS is real, causing lots of pain to the Nation and families both financially and socially. As you join this University as your academic frontier, do not be excited about sexual relationships irresponsibly. I cannot guarantee

you that you will not fall into and out of relationships; in fact some may be disastrous and others fruitful. The choice is yours. We would like to graduate you all the way you reported.

In the same breath, allow me to underscore the fact that technology is growing tremendously doesn’t translate into positive living and happy lives for all. Technology in itself is a neutral accident. With it as come the social media revolution. I urge you dear students to use your social networking sites responsibly.

Many leaders across the world have talked about drugs and substance abuse among the populace. I don’t want to repeat what they have said. Many people have lost lives, careers, jobs lost, families hurt among others. Young men and women, we love you, you have a bright future ahead of you. This nation counts on you, your family counts on you. You have an opportunity to make a promise with the future. Promise to be a moral person.

As I conclude,

I urge you all to strike a healthy balance between your academics and yourself. Grow well, think afresh about yourself, and learn all you can, make friends, build your life path, write your own story, think about your future and become great. Educate your mind and your heart, embrace this special time of your life; you may never be a first year student in a University again.

With those few remarks, I wish you all a fruitful stay at The Co-operative University of Kenya. I wish you well and may God Bless you.

Thank you