Enhancing UNSA Student Ledership

The University through the Office of the Dean of Students organised an end-term retreat for the outgoing University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA) Council and Congress, which has been in office since March 28, 2024. The End-Term Retreat was held on February 12-15, 2024 at the Mombasa Beach Hotel.

The Workshop was officially opened by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Margaret Hutchinson. In her speech, the Vice Chancellor re-iterated that “The student leadership of 2024/2025 will be remembered in Kenya’s history as the generation that shaped the political landscape through the Gen Z revolution. This movement was defined by peaceful protests from June to September 2024, demanding accountability from the government”.

In his speech, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs indicated that the purpose of the workshop was to evaluate your achievements, discuss the challenges the UNSA leadership faced, and gather recommendations for enhancing student leadership and services. The retreat was also an opportunity for reflection and to engage with the new Vice Chancellor and to foster a spirit of collaboration between students, management, and faculty.

The DVC further added that “as we reflect on your achievements, I want to remind you that leadership comes with responsibilities. You are students first, and your adherence to the University’s rules and regulations, as outlined in the Students Code of Conduct, is paramount. The UNSA Constitution also serves as a guiding document for your roles as student leaders. I urge you to keep these documents close as you navigate your leadership journey”.

The Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Brian Ouma in his speech highlighted a critical and alarming concern, which is the alarming rise in drug and substance abuse among the student population. “This crisis threatens not only individual lives but the future of our entire generation. We cannot stand idly by while this happens. Together with student leaders, we will implement comprehensive measures to combat this issue. Tomorrow, we will dedicate a session to discuss strategies and solutions, and I urge each of you to participate actively.”

The outgoing UNSA President, Rocha Madzao made a presentation on the UNSA 2023/2024 Achievements, Challenges and Recommendations which were presented to the management present for further consideration.

The Dean of Students, Mr. Johnson Kinyua thanked the UNSA leaders for a smooth leadership for the year 2024/2025 and appreciated the leadership roles showcased in advocating for students’ rights as well as for the community service activities both within the University and outside.

This annual end-term retreat is dedicated to UNSA Council and Congress members to appreciate their leadership role and highlight achievements for the year with challenges faced and recommendations to management for resolving the challenges. This is in an effort to enhance the UNSA Council and Congress leadership role.

We wish our outgoing UNSA leaders the very best as they exit from leadership and more fruitful leadership roles in the future.