Managing a library automation project: the Moi University experience
| Date | 01 June 1999 |
| Pages | 228-234 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435129910269044 |
| Published date | 01 June 1999 |
| Author | Ezra Ondari‐Okemwa |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Managing a library
automation project:
the Moi University
experience
Ezra Ondari-Okemwa
The university
Moi University was the second state university
to be established in Kenya. Before Moi Uni-
versity was established, there was only one
other university in Kenya known today by the
name of the University of Nairobi, but which
started as the Royal Technical College, in the
1950s. There are now five state universities and
11 privately sponsored
universities in Kenya.
The idea of establishing a second state
university in Kenya started with the setting up
of a presidential working party in 1981. Colin B.
Mackay of the University of New Brunswick,
Canada headed the 17-man team. On 30 May
1984, the legislation to establish Moi Univer-
sity was enacted. This was followed by the
inauguration of the Moi University Council in
June 1984. The first group of 83 students, all
finalists at the University of Nairobi's Depart-
ment of Forestry, joined Moi University in
October 1984. The Department of Forestry at
Moi University has since expanded to become a
fully-fledged Faculty of Forestry Resources and
Wildlife Management.
The student enrolment at Moi University
now stands at 5,138 undergraduates and 456
postgraduates respectively. Academic staff
number 608, with administrative and support
staff totalling 1,335. The university has three
campuses and one university college affiliated
to it.
The university is situated in the Great Rift
Valley, about 300 kilometres north-west of
Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The main
campus of the university is situated about 35
kilometres south of Eldoret town. An agricul-
tural community surrounds the university.
This is the right setting for the university, as it is
meant to focus on problems of rural develop-
ment in its training and research programmes.
Moi University was initially intended to
supplement, but not to duplicate, the efforts of
the University of Nairobi through training and
research in vital scientific and technical fields
which the University of Nairobi did not
adequately cater for at that time. Information
science was one area that was not adequately
provided for in terms of research and training. It
was strongly recommended that the Faculty of
Information Sciences be one of the very first
faculties to be established at Moi University.
Taking into consideration the needs of Kenya
as a developing nation, Moi University has
defined its objectives as well as determining a
The author
Ezra Ondari-Okemwa is Lecturer, Faculty of Information
Sciences, Moi University, Kenya.
Keywords
Automation, Kenya, University libraries
Abstract
Examines the major problems associated with managing a
library automation project in a developing country. The
Moi University experience is representative of the type of
problems that a library project manager in a developing
country is likely to face. Poor infrastructure, a shortage of
local technical expertise, lack of information technology
and a shortage of qualified managers are some of the
managerial hurdles that they should be able to cope with.
Training local personnel and equipping the training
institutions may partly solve some of the problems.
Management and information technology skills should be
emphasised in whatever training programmes may be
initiated in a bid to overcome the shortages.
Electronic access
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The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
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228
Library Management
Volume 20 .Number 4 .1999 .pp. 228±234
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0143-5124
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