On 4th June 2024, TUM celebrated a milestone with the handover ceremony of the newly renovated Academic Registrar’s building. This building houses the Registrar of Academic Affairs, his Deputy's offices, a Student registry, an examination office, an Alumni office, storage for academic documents, graduation gowns, and an archive.
The renovation work was carried out by Mr Yakub Abdillah of Birostar Limited. Notably, the site manager for the project, Ms Ann Karingi, is an alumnus of TUM, having graduated in 2022 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Additionally, the contract implementation team consisted entirely of TUM employees, including Eng. Kagoiya in charge of electricals, Mr. Maher the TUM Estate Manager, Mr. Salim Bakari Chairman of TUM Disability Mainstreaming, Mr. Mwaringa, the Procurement Officer and secretary of the committee, QS Erastus Katani, and the team leader Arch. Mwatu.
On this occasion, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Laila Abubakar, expressed her appreciation for the staff and especially the DVC - AFP, Prof. Rasowo, for working tirelessly with the committee and the contractor to achieve the vision of giving TUM a complete makeover.
Prof. Laila emphasized that all renovation projects are internally funded and not sponsored by the government through development funds. She also highlighted the significance of the project being supervised by a TUM alumnus, reflecting the institution's high graduate industry absorption rate. She further encouraged the Academic Engineering fraternity to take advantage of such projects to broaden their portfolio for certification by the board.
In his speech, Prof. Rasowo, the DVC - Administration, Finance & Planning, praised the transformational efforts of the Vice Chancellor, expressing hope for the accomplishment of her vision. He addressed the challenges faced during the project implementation, such as discrepancies in costs and unfulfilled variations. Prof. Gichangi, the DVC - ARE, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the positive impact of the institution's transformation on its image and environment.
The university has been renovating its historic buildings due to the effects of humidity and salt, which make it more expensive to repair buildings in the coastal region compared to other areas in Kenya. Despite the high maintenance costs and the challenges encountered during the project implementation, the project was completed within the stipulated time frame (from 28th August 2023 to 4th June 2024). Additionally, the university has been working towards finding long-lasting solutions, such as durable paints that can withstand harsh coastal weather conditions.
The event concluded with the cutting and sharing of cake, as well as the planting of trees by TUM's top managers, symbolizing the university's growth.
