Kenya Methodist University (KeMU) today hosted a highly impactful forum, bringing together neighbors and student landlords to celebrate good neighborliness and explore ways to further enhance their collaboration. The forum, a significant initiative aimed at fostering a safe, supportive, and conducive environment for KeMU students residing off-campus, was marked by insightful discussions and a collective commitment to student welfare.
The forum commenced with an opening devotion led by Chaplain Rev. Dr. Justus Karani, who reiterated KeMU’s commitment as a Christian institution to transforming students holistically, both academically and spiritually.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor, Rev. Prof. John Kobia Ataya welcomed the neighbors and landlords as essential partners in the university’s mission. He invited them to forge close working relationships with KeMU as friends of the university, emphasizing the importance of students’ discipline and good behavior in the community. He encouraged landlords to ensure they provide accommodation that meet acceptable living standards to students by ensuring routine maintenance of the houses, creating a conducive living environment for students. The Vice Chancellor also urged neighbors and landlords to collaborate with security stakeholders to address any security threats within the neighborhoods surrounding the university. He thanked everyone for their continued support to the university and called for continued collaboration.
Key Topics of Discussion
The engagement revolved around several critical areas, all geared towards improving the quality of life for students in the surrounding communities:
1. Safety and Health
Ensuring the safety and well-being of students was a central theme. The need for landlords and neighbors to provide secure living conditions and maintain the health standards required for off-campus student residences.
In his presentation, the DVC, APF, Dr. Eliab Some, further emphasized the need for landlords to prioritize health and safety in their properties, ensuring the living conditions promote both the well-being and occupational safety of students.
2. Student Mentorship
Landlords were encouraged to take on a more involved role as mentors to students, acting as parental figures to the students living in their properties.
Rev. Dr. Mary Kinoti, DVC ASA, echoed these sentiments, thanking landlords for creating homes away from home for the students. She encouraged them to mentor the students as they would their own children, fostering personal growth and responsibility.
3. Promoting the Nyumba Kumi Initiative
Through collaboration, landlords and neighbors are encouraged to join forces in fighting insecurity, drug-peddling issues, and other vices, ensuring a peaceful and supportive environment for students.
The Registrar, Administration, Planning, and Development (APD), Dr. Stephen Mutunga urged landlords and neighbors to leverage the Nyumba Kumi initiative for improved security. He emphasized collaboration in sharing information to address issues like insecurity and other concerns affecting the safety of students.
4. Providing a conducive academic home environment
Ensuring that off-campus residences meet acceptable standards was another key discussion point. Landlords were urged to celebrate their role as part of the larger KeMU community by providing well-maintained, comfortable, and safe homes that meet the needs of students.
Furthering the discussions, the Registrar, Academic and Student Affairs (AA), Dr. Lucy Ikiara shared feedback from parents, emphasizing the need for landlords to meet the diverse housing needs of students, including fully furnished apartments. She highlighted the importance of creating a welcoming environment that satisfies both students and their families.
5. Good Parenting (Student Behavior and Mental Health)
I’m the spirit of good neighborliness, the forum called for closer cooperation between landlords and the students welfare department. Emphasizing the need to monitor students mental health issues, Rev. Dr. Ken Gitiye, the university Counselor, added the importance of working closely with the university’s Student Welfare Department to ensure students’ mental health is monitored. He urged landlords to alert the university if any students show signs of distress or behavior outside the norm.
6. Creating Student Job Opportunities
The discussions also touched on creating job opportunities for students during their free time to help keep them engaged and productive. This initiative was seen as a way of celebrating the community’s commitment to student growth and well-being, offering practical solutions to prevent idleness.
During the interactive question-and-answer session, students, landlords, and neighbors engaged in productive conversations about how to create more opportunities for students while promoting a harmonious neighborhood for all.
The student leaders urged the neighbors to regard them as their own children. This open dialogue underscored the shared commitment to student success and community well-being.
As Mr. Terah Mugambi, Chairman of the Landlords Forum, noted, the collective effort to maintain a strong partnership between the university, students, landlords, and neighbors is vital to ensuring a safe and supportive environment. He called on everyone to uphold the university’s values and continue being good ambassadors of KeMU to the wider community.
The forum concluded with a vote of thanks and closing remarks from the Director of Corporate Communication, Marketing and Alumni Coordination, Dr. Rosemary Kirambia, who expressed gratitude to all participants for their time, patience, and dedication to student welfare. She encouraged everyone to become ambassadors for the university, spreading positive messages about KeMU within the broader community.