By Amoto Ndiewo
A section of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) students have elicited mixed reactions over the institution’s backpedalling on how to hold its 18th graduation ceremony.
They want the institution to revert to an in-person graduation ceremony to allow them to celebrate their academic achievement with friends and families.
Earlier on, the university administration issued a statement announcing a physical graduation ceremony but later invited a select group of students to attend the ceremony while the rest were to attend virtually. This went on to cause confusion amongst the student body preparing for their biggest academic day so far.
MMUST acting Academic Registrar, Thomas Sakwa released an internal memo on November 17, 2022 that read in part , “This is to formally invite all the 2022 grandaunts to the 18th graduation which will take place on Friday, December 9 2022 at MMUST Graduation Square –Kakamega. Consequently each graduand will be issued a maximum of two invitation cards since the graduation will be in-person.”
Later, the university issued an announcement indicating that only Postgraduate, Masters and First class honours students will be attending the ceremony physically while the rest would be done virtually.
A Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication student, Mansur Musa said his family was through with preparations to attend the event because the university had earlier indicated a physical ceremony.
“I came one month earlier from my home in Tana River County to clear with the institution, I was looking forward to a physical graduation,” he said.
Musa added that he paid Ksh 6,500 as graduation fees and had already spent a lot of money while boking vehicles to ship family members to and from his paternal home.
“It will be hard to convince my parents that they are not required to witness my graduation yet I have been away for four good years studying, paying full school fees and sat for exams besides paying rent,” he lamented.
He concluded by saying that online virtual graduations were brought about only to comply with the Covid-19 protocol and guidelines by the Ministry of Health.
