JKUAT main gate.Photo/NairobiWire
First year students joining Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Jkuat) have been asked to obtain Taifa laptop before the start of their academic year.
An estimated 4,994 first-years under the government sponsored programme are set to report to institution on Monday amid controversy over the laptop programme.
Each of the 4,994 students are required to obtain the Taifa device which goes at Sh41,498. The payment is done in two equal instalments of approximate Sh22,000.
An admission letter to students read: “It’s a requirement that all new students should have a laptop.”
The institution says that it’s essential for students to have the equipment for ease of study processes. However, one is not allowed to purchase a laptop from the external market.
“You will therefore need a laptop to facilitate on-line teaching and examination. The university has put in place provisions for students to acquire high end Taifa laptops at an affordable price of Sh41,498 payable in two instalments without charging interest,” the letter continues.
Worries are rife that the institution’s policy on laptops is a way of making money from students. Varsity students have in many occasions opted for cheap laptop devices in the free market.