Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Top Priority for Directorate

Dr Fr Gerishon K. Njuguna Ag. Director (DUWS)It has been our pleasure as a Directorate to create a conducive living environment in the University to enable  you  achieve  your  goals. In striving to fulfil our mandate of providing  quality  accommodation facilities, the Accommodation Department achieved 90.1% full capacity at 7,842 students in semester I of the 2021/2022 academic year, despite  Covid-19. This is a great milestone, especially since our services have also attracted international students from Botswana and Uganda, thanks to the TAGDev programme that facillitated the renovation of Old Hall block. The support of the University Management also contributed to the improved service delivery since our students enjoy availability of power and Wi-Fi.

We urge the parents to encourage students to embrace on-campus accommodation which allows for service provision by trained, skilled, professional staff on a 24-hour basis.

We have not been left behind in the Disability Mainstreaming Unit. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the welfare of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) remains our top priority. The Disability Mainstreaming Resource Centre was able to procure three tough rider wheel chairs. Two students were assisted to secure educational funds from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWDs) and one from Nyandarua County. Seven persons were taken to Bahati District Hospital, and four to Nakuru Provincial General Hospital  for  assessment  on  various disabilities to enable them get Identification Cards from the NCPWDs. The cards provide avenues to  access  government  services  and opportunities. The Resource Centre is taking care of three totally blind students through transcription services and transport. The Centre aslo organises for large fonts for five Low Vision students. The Resource Centre has provided crutches to twelve students and a white cane to one student. All  these  needy  cases  are booked for rooms that are user friendly and allocated assistants who help them access resources and other services that mmake their learning easier. The Resource Centre is well-equipped with compuuters installed with JAWS software and internet for research. Apart from the students, members of staff with disabilities are provided with transport services on campus.

The Catering Department opened two serving points, Smart Cafeteria in “CBD” and Canaan in Tatton. Plans are underway to expand and refurbish the eatery at Tatton so as to meet the demand for a variety of meals. Through the  support  of  the  newly  created Directorate of Income Generating Units, the Directorate has plans to have a fast-food cafeteria at the Main Gate. The Smart Cafeteria at the New Dining has become a popular outlet with a provision of kienyeji foods like ugali wimbi, mursik, goat meat, matumbo, and a variety of kienyeji vegetables. After the lifting of the nationwide curfew, normal hours of operations from 8 am up to 9 pm have resumed and will be reviewed upward as need arises.

The  Directorate,  in  collaboration with a group of computer science students, is developing a software system that will help improve the use of M-pesa  till services  sales  by  use  of POS. This will phase out the use of the old un-serviceable model of cash registers used in the PAYE.

The Directorate  has  continued  to provide various prepaid services to individual students and faith-based groups.