Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology has been selected among the ten (10) Universities in Kenya earmarked for the Constitution and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO) ‘Vijana Tuchanuke’- Youth Let’s Wise Up project. On Tuesday, 23rd July, 2024, a team from CRECO, led by the Executive Director-Mr. Joshua Changwony, visited the University to discuss the activities under this project, which include empowering the youth to navigate the digital landscape effectively, particularly in identifying and countering misinformation and fake news. The guests were received by the Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing (DCCM), Dr. Lydia Anyonje, who was flanked by the Director of International Relations and Academic Linkages (DIAL), Dr. Umulkher Ali and the Dean-School of Computing and Informatics (SCI), Dr. Daniel Otanga.
“We appreciate your initiative to clean up digital spaces and as a University mandated to teach, conduct research and carry out community outreach, we welcome this move. In line with our strategic plan, we can explore ways of sharing resources and expertise with CRECO in order to accomplish this initiative,” said Dr. Anyonje, adding that she was happy MMUST was selected for this exciting project.
Executive Director at CRECO, Mr. Joshua Changwony, gives his remarks during the event at MMUST.
According to Mr. Changwony, CRECO is implementing the ‘Vijana Tuchanuke’ project in partnership with the Embassy of Finland in Nairobi via its Fund for Local Cooperation (FLC). He added that the project seeks to advocate for empowerment of the youth, through partnerships with the civil society, media, government, Universities and Colleges, by developing their digital media literacy skills. “We live in a world where everyone is a victim of misinformation, disinformation and fake news, which is why our focus is on digital democracy, digital security, fact-checking and debunking fake news,” stated Mr. Changwony.
In her remarks, the Director-DIAL, Dr. Umulkher Ali, said that she looked forward to collaborating with CRECO, especially in developing joint grant proposals. She added, “at MMUST, we are keen on strategic partnerships, as well as the involvement of international students on such initiatives.” It is worth noting that Dr. Ali was also standing in for the Director of Career Services, Prof. Robert Egesa.
A section of the audience during the MMUST-CRECO meeting.
“We are collaborating with institutions of higher learning and seeking networks with other organizations to mentor young people while educating them on how to better interact with online information,” reiterated CRECO’s Mr. Duncan Maigua. Mr. Maigua further revealed that CRECO has initiated a digital democracy fellowship, where selected students will undergo a 6-month training in an effort to transform them into digital ambassadors who will later educate others. “We have also issued a Call to University and College students to participate in an essay competition, which focuses on the future of digital democracy, technological solutions to fake messaging, as well as regulations and policy,” he stated. Mr. Maigua’s colleague, Ms. Mercy Wangui, shared the same sentiment and added that, “we are here to not only inform you about what we do at CRECO, but to also involve you in our activities.”
MMUST and CRECO teams at DIAL office.
The Dean-SCI, Dr. Daniel Otanga, talked about the use of digital forensics to combat misinformation and fake news, saying that MMUST offers a number of programmes that prepare students to deal with the negative effects of digital technology. On his part, the Chairperson-Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Mr. Wafula Nyongesa, stated that he was eager to be part of this initiative. “We are currently offering a course on digital journalism in our Department and the students will greatly benefit from this project,” said Mr. Nyongesa.
Other members of MMUST present during the meeting were; the Marketing Officer-Mr. James Muriithi, Ms. Dorine Ambetsa, Mr. Allan Smith and Ms. Linet Owuor. The decision by CRECO to incorporate Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, and other institutions of higher learning in this significant project is indeed a great move. Misinformation and fake news negatively impacts businesses, individuals as well as organizations, and higher education institutions are certainly the best places to hold conversations on how to tackle this problem.
Photos by Shiundu Masafu
