UoN Press Launches Prof. Francis Gichaga’s Autobiography

Abstract

The UoN Press launched Prof. Francis John Gichaga’s autobiography on Monday 21 November, 2011 in a colourful occassion formalized by the Minister for Roads, Mr. Franklin Bett ,at the Vice Chancellor’s Parlor ,University of Nairobi. The book titled “ Surviving the Academic Arena: My Complex Journey to the Top” is about the life and times of the author during his life and most critically while at the helm of leadership at the University of Nairobi at the time when the country was transitioning into a multiparty democracy. The book describes in detail the student and staff protests that the author had to endure while introducing module II programmes and discusses some of the intrigues he went through as he steered the University, at a very delicate time on the country’s political front. During the Launch Prof. Gichaga said that he wrote the book to give his life history and more so to show how he climbed the academic ladder and the very trying experiences he went through. While officially launching the book, Hon. Bett congratulated Prof. Gichaga for putting his experiences as a Vice-chancellor in writing saying that this would serve as a useful reference for universities. On his part, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George Magoha, praised his predecessor, for creating module II programmes at UoN ,which have become the most reliable revenue stream for the University ,as government capitation dwindles , while at the same time extending higher education to more Kenyans.