Pomp and colour characterized the 10th graduation Ceremony of Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) on Thursday July 20, 2023, as 3,500 students graduated with various Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor, Masters and Ph.D. degrees.
The graduates included two Ph.Ds, 22 Masters Degrees, 1364 Bachelor Degrees, 1977 Diplomas, 2 higher Diplomas and 133 Craft Certificates.
Guest Speaker Prof. Ludeki Chweya advised the graduands to be focused and disciplined in order to excel in life.
Prof. Chweya, who is the Director General Kenya School of Government, said Kenya largely depends on the young generation to realize its industrialization dream and to achieve vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
Therefore, he encouraged the graduands to be more creative in order to create self-employment rather than depending on white colour jobs.
Another key speaker was Ms Ann Kaiga, a TUM Council member who represented the Principal Secretary State Department for Higher Education and Research Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala.
The PS said the Government has implemented a new funding model that provides students with grants and loans based on their financial needs in order to ensure equitable access to higher education.
She explained that the model categorizes students into four clusters-vulnerable, extremely needy, needy, and less needy.
This arrangement, the PS said, aims to assist low-income students by covering up to 80% of tuition costs through scholarships and loans.
The PS said the main purpose of the new funding model was to ensure no student fails to pursue higher education due to poverty. The funding therefore meant education access to be more inclusive.
Prof Kibera
On his part, TUM Council Chairman Prof. Francis Kibera said the cohort of 3500 graduands in various disciplines comprise a significant pool of skills and expertise that Kenya needs for its Vision 2030, the Medium- Term Plan IV, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Prof. Kibera challenged the young graduands to consider furthering their education in order to prosper in life.
He quoted Henry Ford, an American Industrialist, who said “anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”
Prof. Laila
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Laila Abubakar commended TUM students for excelling in both academics and co-curricular activities.
She revealed that in March 2023 TUM students emerged position 1,2 and 3 in the Solo and Choral verses category while the Choral music emerged position 4 nationally during the Kenya Universities Music festivals.That exemplary performance resulted in TUM being nominated to host the next music festival in March 2024.
Co-curricular fetes
TUM students also participated in the Kenya Universities Sports Federation (KUSF) tournaments where Softball ladies' team got position one, she said, while the men’s team emerged as second runners-up.
As for Taekwondo. TUM ladies scooped three bronze medals, Prof. Laila noted.
The theme for this year’s graduation ceremony was Harnessing Technology and Education for Climate Resilient Development.
TUM main campus was a beehive of activities, as thousands of guardians, friends and well-wishers of the graduands graced the ceremony.
