The New Year kicked off on a high note with commencement of second semester for the 2022/2023 academic year on 4th January, 2023. Students and staff streamed into their respective campuses early morning full of enthusiasm , ready to make the most out of each opportunity in the course of the new year. From the look of things, the New Year has certainly brought better tidings for the SPU community.

Kenya Education Network (KENET) in partnership with Microsoft Corporation and Intel is pleased to announce the KENET Student Laptop Purchase Program (SLPP). The program has been created to provide Kenyan Universities’ students, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to purchase business class laptop computers from multiple vendors at significantly discounted prices. KENET has leveraged its high-volume purchasing power on institutional computers as well as a long-standing relationship with the education community to accord beneficiaries this priviledge.

KENET has signed Framework agreements with selected OEM laptop vendors for the timely supply of laptops and associated support in order to establish a sustainable, cost-effective Student Laptop Purchase Program (SLPP). It is envisaged that SLPP shall help students of member educational institutions to purchase genuine brand-new devices to support learning activities in their respective institutions.

Benefits of the Students Laptop Purchase Program are:

1. Savings of more than 25% or more off retail costs.
2. A brand-new business-class machine that ensures quality and durability.
3. Flexible and student friendly payment terms (Pay a 15% deposit and settle the balance over 24 months on the model of your choice.
4. Extended manufacturer’s warranty, including accidental damage coverage, for all laptop purchases.
5. Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, with end-point security and Office 365 productivity applications.
6. Support services for in and out of warranty hardware related repairs as covered by the manufacturer’s base and extended limited warranty

Below are the steps for purchasing the laptops

1. Create an account at https://slpp.kenet.or.ke/. Please note, the account can only be created using institutional email address. Click on "Login" and click on "create new account"
2. View the selected categories of laptops and their specifications available. You can visit "LAPTOP SPECIFICATIONS" menu and select specific category to view their prices. (https://slpp.kenet.or.ke/node/7)
3. Click on "book a laptop" to begin the laptop booking process. This is a step by step process and will guide you till the end
4. After booking. The lists of all devices booked will be processed by KENET and shared with the vendors after 14 days and the vendors will communicate on the payment process and collection

Laptop booking process

1. Register on the SLPP Portal here https://slpp.kenet.or.ke/user/login
2. Login using username and password you supplied during registration
3. Select "Book a Laptop" from the main menu to initiate the laptop booking process
4. Select a laptop of your choice, vendor, collection point, purchasing plan and submit to complete the laptop booking process.
5. Received bookings will be consolidated on a weekly basis and sent to the university for validation. (Confirmation that you are a bonafide student/staff/faculty of the university)
6. Validated bookings will be forwarded to the respective vendors for processing.
7. Vendor shall write to the individual purchasers and share payment details.
8. Purchaser makes payment (full amount for outright purchase).
9. Vendor shall write to the purchaser acknowledging receipt of payment of payment
10. Vendor shall dispatch the laptop to the purchaser (at the selected collection point during booking).
11. Purchaser acknowledges receipt of the laptop and inspects the unit to confirm that it has been delivered without any defects or physical damage

In the wake of implementation of Millennium Development Goals, Hultz Prize has taken the lead in solving the world’s most pressing issues by challenging young people to create solutions to those problems through Social entrepreneurship. Young innovative minds attached to the Hultz Prize Club at St. Paul’s University (SPU) took up the challenge boldly and came up with biodegradable sanitary towels through a project dubbed “Eco-Bana”. The group has been feted on several occasions for the brilliant innovation and earned opportunities to participate in various international events with the On Campus Awards hosted at Strathmore University being the most recent.

The On Campus Awards accorded the team an opportunity to network with participants from across the globe, learn and unwind thanks to the five-star hospitality befitting the champions! The three-day event was a beehive of activities including competitions among participants, showcasing of diverse heritages, a nature drive at the Nairobi National Park, picnics, team buildings, interviews and after party sessions. On the first day, participants were grouped into five families, through which they would compete among themselves. The families included: Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo and Leopard. Each of the St. Paul’s participants was placed in one of the families. The St. Paulians once again did us proud by taking up leadership roles in the respective families that resulted in seamless collaboration among members and realization of set milestones. The Buffalo and Lion families led by Vincent Wabwire and Lennox Omondi respectively, both of SPU carried the day on the first day; with Rhino emerging the best.

Events for the second day culminated in an evening Global Village session, where SPU’s “Eco-Bana” team presented their project to the audience. The team made yet another thrilling performance on the third day during the awards ceremony; this earned them a chance to feature on the Innovators Show hosted on KTN in a week’s time.

The team is grateful to their patron Mr. Michael Mungai, SPU’s Deputy Corporate Affairs Manager for his great leadership and the entire university management for the unwavering support throughout execution of the project. They are expected to leave for Boston in three weeks’ time to attend the Global Hultz Prize Acceleration, a culmination of the Hultz Prize activities. We wish them all the best in their endeavours.

The Covid-19 pandemic occasioned unprecedented change in all spheres of life. This resulted in individuals and institutions finding themselves in unfamiliar waters. It is against this back drop that St. Paul’s University Machakos Campus invites interested parties to their 2nd Annual International Conference to deliberate on ways to navigate these unchartered waters based on the following themes:

1. Innovation and Digital Technologies. Response to Covid-19 Pandemic
2. Substantial Development and Holistic Transformation
3. Communication and Crisis Management
4. Mental Health, Addiction, Exercise and Wellness
5. Church, Covid-19 and Social Economic Empowerment
6. Any other related topic is welcome

Important dates

Abstract Submission – 30^th March, 2022

Notification of Acceptance – 6^th April, 2022

Conference Registration – 22^nd April, 2022

Final Full Paper – 2^nd May, 2022

Conference Date – 30^th June, 2022

Click here to see poster for more details: Poster for the 2^nd St. Paul’s University Machakos Campus International Conference

For inquiries free to call +254 705141002; +254795542682; +254722273052
or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.