K254 Nairobi News: KUCCPS Visit to Taita Taveta University (TTU) Voi Campus

KUCCPS CEO, Dr.Agnes Mercy Wahome, and TTU-VC Prof.Fred.Simiyu Barasa

On Tuesday,28th March 2023, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) Management led by the CEO Dr. Agnes Mercy Wahome visited Taita Taveta University in the company of Dr. John Oluoch, Director Placement Coordination and Career Development and Mr. Paul Juma, Communications Manager.

The team in the company of Vice Chancellor-Prof.Fred Simiyu Barasa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor ARO-Prof Christine Onyango, The Registrar ARO-Dr Meshack Pongah Mwandoe, and various Deans of Schools (SBESS - Dr. Namusonge Eric, SME - Dr. Benard Alunda) and Chairmen of departments (Informatics & Computing – Ms. Grace Mwaura, Education - Dr.David Chikati, EESS-Dr.Mwakio Mwagandi,BMS-Dr.Patrick Kimaku, SAEES-Dr. James Gichuru, MSPS - Dr.Samuel Mutua, and Members of Staff (Finance, procurement...) accompanied KUCCPS on the tour.

KUCCPs visited the ongoing Administration Block which on completion will house administration Offices, Conference & Seminar Halls, Helipad, and a hotel. The VC told KUCCPS that the project could have been completed long ago had it not been for the government's phased disbursement which is inadequate.

Dr. Agnes Wahome,KUCCPS CEO
"I must say Taita Taveta University has more than enough to offer, from the tour I have undertaken today,courtesy of the management,kazi mzuri"

Other facilities visited were:

1. The Mining Complex, herein TTU-Centre for Mining, Environmental Engineering and Resource Management (CEMEREM).

Was launched by former President H.E Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta on 11th March 2017.Phase-1 of the project which cost ksh.1 Million was completed in 2020 and is now used as lecture classrooms. The mining complex will also house 16 laboratories among them being Innovation Labs (Nanotechnology), Thermodynamic Lab, Survey Labs, Computer Labs, Soil and Rock lab (which will have various mineral analysis technologies including the vast Gemstones in Taita Taveta County).


Prof.Fred Simiyu Barasa, The Vice-Chancellor, *"Businesses have flourished, housing projects(rentals) have been developed courtesy of the establishment of Taita Taveta University at its present day"*

2. The Engineering Workshop

1. The Workshop houses the Foundry Workshop, Fitting Workshop, Car service center, and Universal Milling Machine.

During the workshop visit, a model mine demonstrating how open pits and shafts should be dug procedural to reduce accidents hence safety was explained.

Prof. Christine Onyango,DVC-ARO,
"There is a lot of wealth in Mining, but if professionalism is not undertaken, then safety is strictly null. A case study in Kenya is that artisanal miners don't perform the technical part of mining, that's why their industry is prone to accidents."

3. The Geotechnical Laboratory

The lab houses both Soil and Rock mechanics laboratories with soil and rock samples including gemstones and quartz and a faceting machine for gemstone value addition that is used for real-time demonstration.


Dr. Joseph Muchiri Ph.D., Chair of Department, MMPE "Since gemstone is a rare stone, that's why we teach other aspects of the mining industry especially Soil mechanics, Rock mechanics, Mine statistics, Mining Ventilation, and Mining design to equip our students with various skills to apply out there in their real fields." Under the Mining and Mineral Processing Course, Mining deals with the extraction of minerals whilst, processing simply deals with the conversion of the raw materials(Rough minerals)into finished goods, which is a combination of value Addition.

Mr. Nahashon Adero, Survey and Informatics Lecturer at MMPE
Demonstrating the surveying part of Mining using Disposition &
location electronic devices for Angular measurements

4. The Geo-Informatics Science Lab

Dr.Makokha, Open A.I lecturer,
"Our lab was earlier used by postgraduates, but now undergraduates as well have access to it. This sorted the incapability issue of underprivileged students and as well access to high-speed computers which we have in this lab."

Students at GIS Lab

5. The Nano technology-Innovation lab

Moses Karanja, MMPE Student Karanja Demonstrating
his Conveyor Belt Control System Invention

Two (2) Bsc Mining and Mineral Processing Engineering students, namely, Moses Karanja and Paul Njinu demonstrated their inventions from scratch.

The said Smart Conveyor Belt Control System Invention

Moses Karanja demonstrated the Smart Conveyor belt Control system hooked to the Connected Factories that is efficient enough to monitor real-time operations in the mine; it can be operated remotely hence promoting safety and theft reduction e.g in the cement industry or quarries.

Paul Njinu, MMPE Student Showcasing the
award-winning Ottoman stool

Paul Njinu on his part demonstrated an Ottoman stool made from plastics and hence environmental waste management vs sustainability.

The project won $1000 last year under Bic Innovation Submissions under Encatus TTU-Club under the patronage of Mr.Nahashon Adero.

6. The University's state-of-the-art Pavillion

The facility carries a football pitch, Rugby pitch, Swimming Pool, handball, and netball pitch.

7. The Library

Taita Taveta University students busy in the Library

The VC told the visitors and a section of students at the library that the library was constructed in 2014 by mining Students during their internal attachment hence the mark "MMPE 2014"

Finally, the team had an in-depth discussion with the senate in the boardroom about matters pertaining to the university's excellence and Improvements.

Members of the University Council and Senate

Parting shot by the Vice Chancellor.

As the name suggests on matters Home of Ideas, "I am proud to say that Kenya Space Agency selected Taita Taveta University as a leader in Operational SpaceWeather Data, and as such, several GIS and Engineering students were selected to work on the same project for the Agency.
Taita Taveta University produced a smart lecturer, Dr. Ochieng to teach Artificial Intelligence at Cambridge University under "Deep Mind Lecturers".Others are alumni who have become business leaders and lecturers as well, not forgetting the one and only lecturer from the Department of MSPS, Dr. Mutua Samuel who invented a new formula for calculating the Area of a Triangular Shape hence dubbed "Mutua's Formula" which solved various challenges in land surveying techniques.
Dr. Oscar Ngesa and Mr. Nashon Adero outshined Oxford University in the 2023 World Cup predicting.
Water will be fully connected to our 4 Million Capacity Water Tank by end of this year (2023).
Our next projects are a modern Library, Security Contol Gate systems, and many more."

TTU Best performing Alumni currently working as
lecturers at TTU,from top left, Msc.Eng.Emmanuel, Msc.Madam Grace Mwaura,
MSC.Eng.Khadija and Dr.Mutua respectively.

Editors Key Point Analysis:

Taita Taveta university has more than enough to offer, it's high time that students and interested scholars take advantage of its vast on-demand courses offered at the university.
Studying at the University exposes you to opportunities and much of it all, the Tsavo East and West National Park is serene and is home to the Big Five (Red Elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, & leopard, not forgetting the SGR view...monkeys as well in the University's Compound.