Senior staff at St Paul’s University have praised outgoing vice-chancellor Prof Joseph Galgalo for exemplary work in growing the institution’s teaching, research and infrastructure.
Led by the university council chair Jackson Ole Sapit, they said Galgalo also oversaw growth in academic programmes, expansion in infrastructure and campuses and financial stability.
Sapit said Galgalo was approachable, consulted widely and listened to other views before taking action on an issue.
Speaking on Friday at the institution’s 29the graduation ceremony, Sapit described Galgalo as a great leader who had impacted the university with strong foundations which they hope to keep.
“These are not mean achievements and we are grateful to Prof Galgalo for his great leadership. We hope to continue building on strong foundations he has ably established,” Sapit said.
Sapit who is also the ACK archbishop congratulated the incoming VC Prof James Kombo. He will become the third VC in the institution. The first vice-chancellor was Dr Timothy Wachira.
Kombo who has been a Daystar University don will take over at a date to be communicated later, Sapit said.
Sapit was accompanied by university chancellor Margret Kobia who is also the Public Service CS and Joe Mucheru who is the ICT Cabinet sectary. Mucheru was the chief guest.
The graduation was attended by 100 participants while graduands followed virtually via their student’s portal, social media and live television coverage.
Mucheru said that the coronavirus pandemic did not affect the university’s teaching so much, since it had embraced online learning.
“I have seen this university grow, since I come from around, to what it is today and with state of the art facilities of online learning and teaching,” he said.
“I note that this happened long before the global pandemic interrupted businesses. I congratulate you for achieving this transition from interpersonal learning to virtual learning.”
The CS called upon all graduands to embrace online activities and businesses since the globe was almost transforming to technology.
He said that the government was in the process of setting up platforms where youth can easily access the information they want.
Mucheru said the platforms that will help youth secure training and jobs include Ajira Digital and Huduma Whitebox.
James Kamau, a student, asked the government to allow virtual graduations even after the Covid-19 pandemic since it was time-saving.
“We have only spent two hours and everything was done. If it was other times, we would have spent hours; others would have spent the night here so that they participate, plus so much traffic jam,” he said.
Galgalo who is 54, joined St Paul’s University in 2002 and made history by becoming the youngest person from Northern Kenya to become a VC when he took office in 2011 at the age of 45.
The former Marsabit Boys alumnus started as a teacher after completing his studies at Machakos Teachers Training College and proceeded to Cambridge University in the UK for his PhD.