Vice-Chancellor Prof. Stephen Kiama on Tuesday 28th September 2021 met with the Board members of the Faculty of Health Sciences to discuss the priorities, challenges, and opportunities of the Faculty in aligning with the University's core mandate of Teaching, Research, and Community Service.

The Faculty Board is an Academic Advisory Committee to the Vice-Chancellor.

The VC highlighted that he had joined the meeting as a member of the board to listen in and contribute and enrich debate as the Faculty discusses its issues.

In his opening remarks, the VC thanked the Faculty for quickly embracing the new normal that was brought about by the COVID pandemic in the year 2020. "The Faculty was quick in picking up online teaching and learning and it successfully graduated students at the end of the year in 2020", said Kiama.

RESTRUCTURING

The VC outlined to the Board his vision and priorities for the faculty top among them being the devolvement of core support functions such as finance and procurement to the Deans of Faculties. Prof. Kiama said the University's Council restructuring was meant to foster operational efficiency, institutionalize and expedite the implementation of various reforms, and introduce functional changes that shall make Faculties and Departments more effective and better able to deliver on their mandates.

CHALLENGES OF FINANCE

The VC pointed out that the Government uses its DUC model to finance students admitted into the undergraduate module one program. Of the capitation that is granted to the University of Nairobi by the Government, about 4.5 billion Kshs, 58% of the total expected capitation is met. In view of this, the University is expected to source for itself the remaining 42% for its module one programs. Furthermore, the University is also expected to fully fund its Module II Programmes, Masters and Ph.D. programs as well as pay staff salaries and meet statutory obligations.

On their part, the Faculty, led by the Dean, Prof James Machoki thanked the VC for meeting them and for highlighting the challenges facing the University.