The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo, gives his remarks during the KUSU Grade 5 training at Kisumu Hotel.
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology has rolled out training of staff in the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) category, in a bid to mainstream productivity and enhance its service delivery. The training, which will be implemented in phases, began with KUSU staff in Grade 5, who underwent a Workshop that ran from 7 to 8 March, 2024 at Kisumu Hotel. The two-day was graced by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo.
“The University Management is in support of these training programmes and we hope to get more resources so that we can continually capacity build our staff,” said Prof. Shibairo, adding that there is a need for continuous employee training especially in the era of technological advancement.
DVC Administration and Finance, Prof. John Kuria Thuo, during the KUSU training.
Speaking during the event, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration and Finance)-Prof. John Kuria Thuo, pointed out that the University is dedicated to mainstreaming productivity, as well as supporting staff career progression. “A lot of resources have been used to organize this highly anticipated training and we expect that you put it to good use. Let us internalize everything in this workshop, to ensure that the overall productivity of this University has improved,” stated Prof. Thuo.
“We hope that after this workshop, you will go back to MMUST enriched, ready to serve our customers. This training has been deliberate in that we have selected topics relevant to this particular group,” said the Registrar (Administration)-Dr. Eglay Tsuma, adding that the University must improve the way it handles its customers.
Registrar Administration, Dr. Eglay Tsuma, speaks at the event.
The KUSU leadership was also well represented by Mr. David Khamala (Chairman), Mr. Gregory Lidzanga (Secretary) and Mr. Cosmas Ruto (Trustee). Mr. Khamala thanked the University Management for giving KUSU members an opportunity to train, saying that this action will go a long way in changing their attitude, hence improving their productivity. “As a Union, we are grateful for this gesture from the Management, and we look forward to more of such opportunities,” he said.
The participants at the Kisumu Hotel training were trained in the following areas: ‘Stress Management and Counselling Skills’; ‘Time Management and Critical Thinking Skills’- by Prof. Kenneth Otieno, ‘Organization Culture and Behavior Change’; ‘Occupational Health and Safety’- by Prof. Robert Egessa, ‘Corruption Detection and Prevention in the Public Sector’; ‘Public Service Ethics and Integrity’ - by Dr. Evans Oruta, ‘Communication Skills and Protocol Etiquette’; ‘Public Relations and Customer Care Skills’- by Dr. Lydia Anyonje, ‘Psychological Planning for Retirement and Financial Management’- by CPA Jared Rading, ‘Labour Laws’- by Mr. Benard Ooko, ‘Staff Welfare Issues’- by Ms. Lilian Kundu, ‘Employee Productivity and Performance Management’- by Mr. Gregory Lidzanga, ‘Career Progression, Training and Placement’- by Mr. Silas Magonya and ‘Team Building Skills’- by Dr. Issa Kweyu.
KUSU officials at the Workshop.
Notably, MMUST staff in the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) group successfully underwent a similar training in 2023. Indeed, such training is evidence of the University’s commitment towards enhancing service delivery and customer satisfaction. By training its staff, MMUST is set to attain excellent customer service experience, which is crucial to boosting the image of any organization.
Photos by Shiundu Masafu
