Earlier this week, the TUM Human Resource Office organized a three-day sensitization training on 'Public Complaints Handling' facilitated by the Commission of Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman). The first day was dedicated to training the TUM Management team and the Public Complaints Committee (PCC). The second day was exclusive for the PCC, while the third and final session was for all the TUM staff. The goal of the training was to guide the TUM fraternity on the procedure for presenting and handling public complaints.
Mrs Esha Mohammed, the Advocate Coordinator, and Keth Changalwa, the facilitator from the Office of the Ombudsman, shared with the TUM staff the Mandate of their office which is to rebuild confidence in the people it serves. The main objective of conducting such an event at the Technical University of Mombasa is to create awareness among the staff on their rights as well as accountabilities within the institution. Cases such as abuse of power, inefficiency, incompetency, harassment and unfair treatment, both within the university perimeters and public offices, could be reported to the Ombudsman. However, Mrs Esha advised members to exhaust the internal avenues first including the PCC before matters are forwarded to them.
Prof. Laila Abubakar (VC) also added that the staff have the right to access information and to know the right channels and procedures to present their complaints. Dr Suleiman Mzee, the Chairman of the Public Complaints Committee at TUM explained the role of the Office of the Ombudsman which is to protect the interest of the people who are treated unfairly in public institutions. Additionally, the chair echoed Mrs Esha's statement on following the protocol once a complaint is aired within the institution. Dr Suleiman assured the staff that the PCC office is ready to join hands with other sectors within the organization to create a good structure of how to handle public complaints in TUM.
Mr Kassim, one of the PCC members and chairman of KUSU, emphasized the importance of conducting thorough investigations and ensuring fairness when dealing with complaints.
Lastly, Mrs Esha Mohammed concluded that their office holds all communications with those seeking assistance in strict confidence and does not disclose confidential information.
The Technical University of Mombasa always strives to improve relationships among stakeholders and provide proper avenues for receiving and handling feedback and complaints. The training by the Commission of Administrative Justice was a successful guide for all the staff on how to take action whenever an issue arises in their respective departments and offices.
