Falling giants: School of Information Sciences

Once the School of Information Sciences is mentioned, what comes into your mind? A digital place where every piece of information is available and easily accessible? Aperfect school whose students get updated concerning everything that happens in and around, probably even before it happens? This can only be true to someone else rather than a stakeholder in the school.

On Monday 4^th August 2014, the Moi University Information Sciences Students Association (MUISSA) conducted its elections. New student leaders were elected and expected to take over the executive office immediately, especially since the previous office was disbanded due to a few reasons. Ten days have now elapsed and the school has made no communication about who was elected into which position. No paper on the notice board, no information in the school’s website; no handing over has taken place and that is the digital school.

On the same day, the school received a new dean; Prof.Justus Wamukoya. However, most students in the school are still not aware about this. It is not surprising because no communication has been made so far concerning the same. The school’s website still recognizes Prof. Japheth Otike as the dean and anyone can verify this by following this link:

The organization of the election exercise itself was characterized by lack of transparency and publicity, resulting in a very low turnout on the voting day. Esther is my classmate, a fourth year media student in the school. She received a notification encouraging her to vote as the exercise was on-going and this was her response, “Mi hata sikuwa najua (elections) ni leo & now it’s raining jameni”

On 8^th July, the association released a memo which was inviting applications for the formation of MUISSA editorial office which includes the editor-in-chief, associate editor, online editor among other members and the interviews were also scheduled for 4^th August, 2014. Eligible candidates applied and until today, 13^th, they are still patiently waiting. No interview has been conducted, no further information given and the story seems to die as the semester comes to an end.

Just like any other school in main campus, the delay in release of results transcripts has become normal. Current fourth years only have results for their first and second years of study while third year students only know about their first year results. It is more pathetic to the current second years, who do not even have an idea about how a result transcript looks like. This is unrealistic, especially considering the fact that the digital school has a very low population of 666 students at the moment.

Usually, each student in the school is entitled to two academic trips in the course of his/her studies; one in second year and the other in fourth. Charges for the same are usually incorporated in the tuition fee payment. As at now, current fourth years are in demand for their final trip, third years never had their first trip and so want it now, while second years are giving a warning not to have theirs delayed too. Now which group should be attended first before this semester ends?

The school trains students in such fields as media, library, records management and Information Technology. The combination of such undergraduates and their lecturers gives rise to information wizards who can digitally compile and disseminate information with ease, but the situation at hand is a very different one.

Arsenal downs City in Community Shield

Arsenal Football Club ended their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Premier League champions Manchester City to win the England Community Shield trophy yesterday evening.

Two first-half goals from Santiago Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey placed Arsene Wenger’s side on the lead before Olivier Giroud added the third and last goal of the match in the 61^st minute to seal an easy win for the North Londoners at Wembley Stadium, England.

The Community Shield, also called Charity Cup, aims at raising funds to be donated to children’s homes and other needy groups and individuals. It features the previous season’s Premier League and FA Cup winners and is usually played a few days before the start of the next season.

Arsenal lifted the trophy some moments before their captain, Thomas Vermaelen, completed a move to Spanish side Barcelona at an undisclosed fee believed to be around £15 million. Manchester City’s loss came as a tragedy, especially to their midfielder Samir Nasri who branded Arsenal fans’ continued criticism ‘stupid’ during a pre-match interview ahead of the clash with his former club. The 27-year old French had earlier announced his retirement from international football.

Elsewhere, Liverpool concluded their pre-season matches with a heavy 4-0 win against Germany club Borussia Dortmund, courtesy of goals from Daniel Sturridge, Lovren (debutant), Philippe Countinho and Jordan Henderson.

In the Kenya Premier League, Chemelil Sugar held Tusker FC to a barren draw to earn Gor Mahia hopeful advantage of returning to the top of the league table, with the latter still having two matches in hand. After 21 games Tusker are the current league leaders with 39 points, just one point ahead of second-placed Gor Mahia who have played 19.

Information Sciences gets new leaders

The School of Information Sciences earlier this week ushered in a new era of leadership, following the appointment of a new dean amid the election of new leaders for its students’ association.

Professor Justus Wamukoya was appointed new dean of the school after a successful oral interview by the university administration and is therefore set to oversee its operation for the next three calendar years. Other candidates who also appeared before the interviewing panel were the outgoing dean Prof. Japheth Otike who wanted to extend his reigning term, H.O.D Publishing and Media Studies Dr. Emily Kogos and H.O.D Information Technology Prof. Gichoya.

The official handing over meeting took place on Monday and was attended by the outgoing dean Prof. Otike, two former deans Prof. Daniel Rotich and Prof. Cephas Odini, lecturers and other non-teaching staff members of the school.

Prof. Wamukoya took over the post on the day Moi University Information Sciences Students Association (MUISSA) held its elections for a new executive committee. This came just a few days after he was appointed as the Information Sciences coordinator of Moi University Nairobi Campus, a position he later declined.

MUISSA Elections

The school’s association conducted its elections on Monday in a bid to acquire a committee that will occupy the executive office for the current 2014/2015 academic year that will probably end in February next year. All the elective positions were open for contesting to all groups currently in session, regardless of one’s year of study.

Students voting in the School of Information Sciences

However, the exercise suffered a low turnout, with only 399 students showing up to cast their votes out of a possible 666, the worst being fourth years. The election itself was less competitive, with four positions lacking ballot boxes due to the presence of a single aspirant in each and therefore automatic wins. All the remaining posts attracted only two candidates each. The top-most seat – Chairperson – had three aspirants until one of them stepped down late. William Decker gave up the race at the last minute but still appeared in the ballot papers, reaping a total of 24 votes

The new executive committee (from the ballot)

1.      Chairperson – Robert Ghai

2.      Secretary General – Kennedy Makokha

3.      Treasurer – Philipine Cheptanui

4.      Projects Coordinator – Karl Kipruto

5.      Resource Centre Manager – Christine Murithi

6.      Public Relations Officer – Anastacia Leting

My worst interview

A few days ago, I and 149 other students from different faculties were short listed for interviews following successful applications. Earlier, the office of the dean of students had released a memo, inviting fourth year students to apply for positions in the Student Electoral Commission (SEC) to oversee the on-coming August 22nd campus elections. More than 200 candidates applied, including me and when the short-list appeared, I was number six.

However, it was still too early to celebrate because another criterion was going to be used to further reduce the number to at least 50. A two-day oral interview exercise therefore followed.

Being almost at the top of the list, I faced the huge panel in the morning of the first day, Thursday 31st July. For about five minutes or less, I successfully answered a few 'silly' questions and left. Then later, it was time for the deciders to tell the university who passed and who failed.

On my way back to the hostels after evening lectures the following Monday, I saw a great commotion around the notice board that claimed my attention. I quickly joined them and saw another list that had all original 150 names plus three. It was the score sheet for the interviewees, with the percentage points against each name.

56 out of 100; that is what they wrote against my name! Please be careful, I did not say 86, I said 56. The highest got 97 and they were three. Sounds like a joke? Cool. To me, it does not sound. It is.

Chemistry was a tough subject in high school and indeed I used to get 56 but only when it was out of 70. The problem is not the fact that I got such a low mark, but how I got it. In fact the biggest question whose answer I can only guess right is how others scored their marks. Another list was later pinned, that had only the successful candidates. They were 54 in total and the last one had 90%.

Negative ethnicity; Favor for politicians and activists; Suppression of the media and the unknowns. Someone once told me that nowadays, getting a job is more of one's connection than qualification. Now I have no reason to disagree because I clearly saw it.

The whole exercise was conducted just to comply with the constitution's requirements but points were earned in a totally different approach. They wasted my time and and those of others

Harambee Stars yapata kocha mpya

Shirikisho la kandanda nchini Kenya FKF limeteua wanachama wapya wa kamati ya kiufundi ya timu ya taifa Harambee Stars.

Akihutubia wanahabari hapo jana katika hoteli moja jijini Nairobi, mwenyekiti wa FKF Bw. Sam Nyamweya alimtaja (aliyekuwa) kocha wa klabu ya Gor Mahia Bobby Williamson kama mkufunzi mpya wa Harambee Stars. Nahodha wa zamani wa timu hiyo Musa Otieno ndiye kocha msaidizi huku Simon Muluma akikabidhiwa wadhifa wa meneja mkurugenzi.

Hatua hii imeafikiwa siku mbili tu baada ya raia wa Ubelgiji Adel Amrouche kutimuliwa kama kocha wa Harambee Stars kufuatia matokeo duni ya timu hiyo. Amrouche pamoja na wanakamati wote wa kiufundi waliachishwa kazi siku ya Jumapili, muda mchache tu baada ya timu hiyo ya taifa kupoteza nafasi ya kufuzu kwa michuano ya taifa bingwa barani Afrika. Timu hiyo ilitoka sare tasa na timu ya taifa ya Lesotho katika mechi ya marudio baada ya kupoteza 1-0 hapo awali kwenye mechi ya kwanza.

Bobby Williamson alikuwa mkufunzi wa timu ya taifa ya Uganda, Uganda Cranes, kwa muda wa miaka mitano kabla ya kuteuliwa kusimamia Gor Mahia mnamo Julai mwaka jana. Katika msimu wake wa kwanza, Williamson aliiwezesha timu hiyo kutwaa ubingwa wa ligi kuu nchini Kenya.