UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI REMARKS BY THE CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL, UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI, DR. IDLE FARAH, DURING THE SENSITIZATION OF THE COUNCIL, UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT BOARD, AND SENATE ON PUBLIC SERVICE INTEGRITY AS PART OF THE RAPID RESULTS INITIATIVE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONSTITUTION 2010, AT CENTRAL CATERING UNIT, ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2013 AT 9.00 A.M.
2 Chairman of CIC, Mr. Charles Nyachae Chairman, EACC, Mr. Mumo Matemu Vice-Chancellor, Prof, George Magoha Members of the University Council University Management Board University Senate Distinguished guests Ladies and Gentlemen
3 I am very pleased to welcome all of you today, to this important forum which is a part of the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) on the Implementation of the Constitution and the sensitization of staff on public service integrity at the University. I am also happy to welcome our distinguished guests who are playing a key role as resource persons at this forum. Ladies and gentlemen, when the University of Nairobi launched the Rapid Results Initiative on the role of the University of Nairobi in the implementation of Constitution 2010, it was lauded in many circles, as the first public agency to activate this role. The Council continues to
4 support the program as it enters the second phase, indeed, Council is committed to ensuring that the sensitization on the role of the University in the implementation of the Constitution is successfully concluded, and has provided the necessary resources required for sensitization of the University community. Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to acknowledge the importance of this sensitization process, you all no doubt are aware that the new structured Council is itself a creation of the Constitution and therefore is a beneficiary of implementation stemming from the Universities Act of 2012 and the Charter of the University is a creation of the Constitution and
5 therefore the legal basis of the University of Nairobi is a creation of the Constitution. We therefore cannot run away from the Constitution because we are the embodiment of the Constitution. Ladies and gentlemen, as we partner with the CIC and the EACC in this Rapid Results initiative, we would like to take a clear leadership role in spearheading and embracing public sector reforms. This forum today, therefore will entrench a spirit at the corporate level, appropriating a place for the management because of the emphasis on: leadership and integrity in public service;
6 constitution and nation building; issues in diversity; and devolution and public finance. The University is light years ahead, in terms of constitutionalism and here I would like to acknowledge the role that has been played by individual scholars, from this University, who were involved not only in the making of the constitution, and in the constitution process over the last thirty years but also in interrogating the constitutions. I will not mention them by name but we acknowledge their leadership modeling and the visibility that they have given to their alma mater.
7 I therefore would like to challenge the top management not only to circulate the copies of the constitution in more multimedia formats so that they can be widely disseminated to the Wanjiku s, and to also disseminate other outcomes of the process. Top management must play a more critical role in the affairs of the University and the country at large and I do believe that if management can oversee the documentation of the role of the University in the implementation of the Constitution, and other publications, then there would have been a way forward in articulating the scholarly excellence of the University of Nairobi.
8 Ladies and gentlemen, I want to challenge us to target other areas where we are performing weakly. We have other reforms that we require within the University that could benefit from a rapid results approach, which is a results based process within a very short time. I want to suggest that we can get quick wins from streamlining procurement; and matters affecting the conduct of students can be resolved using the same approach. Ladies and gentlemen, this sensitization forum today, is part of activities that have been carried out in the colleges and central administration units; this forum today is targeting the top organs
9 of the University: the Council, the University Management Board, and Senate. I thank the EACC for collaborating with us over the last 10 years in training integrity champions. We believe that if the training could extend to more people then we could mainstream the crusade against corruption e and inculcate the values of integrity in the wider university community. Ladies and gentlemen, this sensitization programme is expected to not only empower top management in executing reform in the University, but also I am informed that it has been entrenched in the performance contract of each unit. Ultimately, we look forward to the end of the 100
10 days, during which we hope to observe an enlightened management, embracing and owning the constitution and entrenching integrity in the discharge of service to the public. With those few remarks, it is my pleasure to welcome the Chairman of the Alumni Association, Dr. Betty Gikonyo to give her remarks. Thank you