Speaking during the commissioning, the Daystar Company Board Chairman Macmillan Kiiru noted that the decision to form a taskforce was largely informed by the unprecedented events that resulted with the varsity closure earlier this month/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 26- A company that sponsors Daystar University on Wednesday commissioned a three month taskforce to identify issues ailing the university as well finding solutions to the problems.
Speaking during the commissioning, the Daystar Company Board Chairman Macmillan Kiiru noted that the decision to form a taskforce was largely informed by the unprecedented events that resulted with the varsity closure earlier this month.
Kiiru further said the taskforce which will be headed by former Commission of University Education chairman Henry Thairu, would be independent and would not work towards replacing any existing administration bodies in the university.
“The strategic intervention that the company has instituted is the constitution of a commission that will help us in not only indentifying the issues in the university but also solving those issues. The taskforce will not replace the council, senate, the management or any of the stakeholders but it will rather help work around all those organs,” he said.
Kiiru also requested for support to be granted to the task force. He further lauded the steps taken by the University Council, University Senate, staff and students to resolve the problems.
Speaking to Capital FM News Daystar University student leader Alloys Otieno, welcomed the move by the company and said it was the correct step towards finding a solution to the existing problems that had persisted since November last year.
However, he said the students fraternity still felt sidelined especially after being left out in the task force constitution despite the company acknowledging that students were key players in resolving the varsity crisis.
“It is definitely a step towards the right direction but we still feel it is a public relations stance. The students leadership met with two members of the company and we were assured of students inclusion in the task force. However, during the task force commissioning the students were not included,” Otieno said.
The university was closed indefinitely on April 12 after increased unrest at the institution with the students demanding the resignation of the Vice Chancellor Timothy Wachira for mismanagement of funds and poor leadership.
The students also complained to the University Council on poor medical and catering services as well as the quality of education been offered citing lack of equipments required in their studies.
The University Acting Vice Chancellor James Kombo however said the issues were being addressed with University Council already having contractrd an audit firm to conduct an audit on the university.
Kombo said the audit results were presented March this year and added that the University Senate would use the report to find an amicable solution to the prevailing problems.
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