RIFT VALLEY TECHNICAL TRAINNING INSTITUTE

ATTACHMENT REPORT

NAME : MIRRIAM JEROTICH KIPLAGAT

ADM.NO :10933M22

DEPARTMENT : COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS COURSE : DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION

SUPERVISOR : MR NGARE

DURATION : 3 MONTHS COMMENCED : 6RD MAY 2024 COMPLETED : 6RD AUGUST 2024
ORGANIZATION: MOI UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCE

H.O.D :MR. NGARE

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report is organized in the following order.

Chapter One: Introduction

This chapter explains the purpose, scope and limitations. It also gives an introduction

to the MOI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE, including its background, mission, vision

and main business.

Chapter Two: Project Background

This chapter summarizes the background information of the MOI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH

SCIENCE as well as the student’s responsibilities.

Chapter Three: Training, Research and Implementation

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reportas well as the results

This chapter discusses the training and research done by the students,

of the implementation.

Chapter Four: The Attachment Conclusion

This chapter gives the overall conclusion of the industrial attachment and

further recommendation for improvement.

Chapter Five: References

This includes the references used by the student.

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DECLARATION

I, Mirriam kiplagat, hereby declare that this training report is my original work and has not

been submitted before for any academic award either in this or other institutions of higher

learning for academic publication or any other purpose. The references used here from other

journals or materials are indicated in the references section.

Name: Mirriam kiplagat.

Signature...........................................Date 6rd August 2024.

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AKNOWLEDGEMENT
First, I want to thank the Almighty God for bringing me this far and keeping me sound and

safe with good life during the entire field attachment period.

The development of this report took the effort, support and guidance of a number of

people whom I wish to thank.

I am grateful to my course HOD Mr Ngare for his guidance and constructive

criticisms.

I also wish to pay tribute to my attachment field supervisor, Mr. Ngare who guided me

on ways of improving my skills in the field of information communication technology.

I also thank my parents whose moral and financial support has remained unrelenting, my

brother kevin cheboswony, dear friends and IT students at MOI UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HEALTH

SCIENCE whose motivations during the field attachment kept me moving.

I cannot end this list without paying tribute to the entire RIFT VALLEY TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

Lecturers particularly those from the department of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY for their

constructive training and the knowledge they have imparted in me throughout the two years

training. May God bless you all.

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DEDICATION
I wish to dedicate this work to my parents whose moral and financial support has

remained unrelenting, and my sister Brother Kevin cheboswony.

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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this report is to provide the details of the institution of attachment, a

description of all the activities undertaken during the attachment period, the lessons learnt

and challenges faced during the same.

Katherine B (2013) Argues that, a robust media is a key pillar in any democratic nation

and the robustness can only be achieved by practicing objective journalism without fear or

favor.

The need to conglomerate the old media and modern technology has transformed the

media landscape dramatically offering a steadily swelling flow of materials through many

channels and the goal to address the increasing need to have access to an enormous and

diverse array of knowledge on televisions, magazines, internet, radio and even mobile phones

calls for creativity and the writing of ‘the day two’ story, Josephine Kinuthia – Head KNA.

This project which contributed to part of the above allowed me to acquire the vast

knowledge of objective journalism and mainly focusing on Peace journalism.

Jane and Annabel (2005) describes Peace journalism as solution oriented, giving voice

to the voiceless, humanizing the enemy and exposing lies on all sides.

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DEFINITION OF TERMS
Intro is the first paragraph of a story.

An Industrial Attachment is a structured, credit-bearing work experience in a

professional work setting during which the student applies and acquires knowledge and

skills.

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ABBREVIATIONS

1. ICT - Information, communications and technology

2. RVTTI – Rift valley technical training institute

3. IT -Information Technology

4. HOD - Head of department

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CHARTS
Table 1.1. MOI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE, school organogram.......page 7

Table 1.2. MOI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE organizational structure page 11

Table 1.3. Overall duties’ chart.....................................................................page 17

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................. i

DECLARATION.......................................................................................................................... ii

AKNOWLEDGEMENT............................................................................................................... iii

DEDICATION............................................................................................................................ iv

ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................v

DEFINITION OF TERMS............................................................................................................ vi

ABBREVIATIONS..................................................................................................................... vii

CHARTS.................................................................................................................................. viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS...............................................................................................................ix

CHAPTER ONE.......................................................................................................................... 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1

1.1 PURPOSE.............................................................................................................................. 1

1.2 SCOPE AND LIMITATION.....................................................................................................2

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1.3. The MOI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE .....................................................................2

1.3.1 History of MOI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE........................................................2

1.3.2. Main Functions............................................................................................................. 4

1.3.3. Mission, Vision and mandate........................................................................................5

1.3.4. Organizational structure...............................................................................................7

1.3.5. Management structure of Editorial department..........................................................9

CHAPTER TWO....................................................................................................................... 12

2.0. PROJECT BACKGROUND.................................................................................................... 12

2.1 Period of attachment......................................................................................................... 12

2.2. Objectives..........................................................................................................................12

2.3. Key responsibilities............................................................................................................13

CHAPTER THREE.....................................................................................................................16

3.0 TRAINING, RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENTATION..................................................................16

3.1. Major activities involved...................................................................................................16

3.2. Key Achievements.............................................................................................................17

3.3. Lessons learnt/skills acquired............................................................................................19

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3.4. Challenges faced............................................................................................................... 20

3.5. How I overcame the challenges........................................................................................ 21

CHAPTER FOUR...................................................................................................................... 23

4.0 ATTACHMENT CONCLUSION..............................................................................................23

4.1. Summary........................................................................................................................... 23

4.2 Reflection on personal development during the field attachment.....................................23

4.3. Conclusion.........................................................................................................................25

4.4. Recommendations............................................................................................................ 25

CHAPTER FIVE........................................................................................................................ 27

5.1. References.........................................................................................................................27

5.2 Appendix............................................................................................................................ 28

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Industrial Attachment was introduced to inspire the students with practical and technical

skills, as a partial fulfillment for the award of a Certificate, Diploma or a Degree and to

introduce the students into working life.

The training time allows the students to link the theoretical principles learnt in the

higher learning institutions and the real life professional and technical application.

It gives the students the practical skills and the work environment philosophy, to use their

skills and principles learned in class to serve the institutions and the society in general.

Due to the above reasons, RVTTI has organized 12 weeks of training in any institution of

students’ choice to give every student an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge

achieved during the course of study and to acquire new skilLs in managing relationship and

carrying out the jobs assigned.

This is the reason why I joined MOI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE to be trained in

order to get practical skills and cut a niche for myself in the IT industry.

1.1 PURPOSE
The industrial attachment program fulfils part of the requirement for the award of a Diploma

in Information Communication technology in RVTTI.

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This report therefore provides a summary of the activities and duties carried out, as

well as experience gained during my attachment period.

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1.2 SCOPE AND LIMITATION
The training is within the organization of MOI UNIVERSITYOF HEALTH COLLEGE SCIENCE and

Moi Teaching And Referral Hospital

1.3. MOI UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCE

1.3.1 HISTORY OF MOI UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCE

Moi University College of Health Sciences (Moi), located in Eldoret, Kenya, was established in

1989. Since its inception, Moi has been participating in collaborations with several overseas

universities through a caucus called ‘Friends of Moi’. Among these collaborating universities is

Linköping University (Linköping) in Sweden. The Moi-Linköping exchange has taken the form of

staff/student exchange, development of joint library facilities and curricula development. [ 1,2] The

funding for this collaboration has been primarily provided by the Swedish International Development

Agency (SIDA).

The student exchange programme is 2-fold. A group of students participate in a six-week elective

experience during which they rotate in various departments at the host university. Another group of

students is involved in a 12-week exchange programme in which they are placed in pre-selected

departments at Linköping during which period they sit in exams and earn marks which are

transferable to Moi to be included in final exams. Moi students going for exchange to Linköping have

focused on clinical and pre-clinical medical rotations, while Linköping students on exchange to Moi

have mainly focused on Community-Based Education and Service (COBES). In both scenarios, the

objective has been to offer the students an experience that is unique to the institution of exchange. [ 2]

Such experiences are important for players in the healthcare sector given that hitherto isolated

medical threats have now become worldwide concerns as the world becomes a global village

courtesy of information technology and travel advancements. [3]

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Enhancing student mobility through international exchanges is the most common approach to

globalising medical curricula. [4] By interviewing undergraduate students, Niemantsverdriet et al.[4]

were able to identify the main learning outcomes from student electives. Fabian et al. have also been

able to demonstrate the impact of an exchange programme on one's professional/medical practice.

[5] When students from developed countries go for electives in the developing world, they are able to

better understand the differences in the healthcare system, and this can enhance their global outlook

to health [6] and in the end, their future career choices. [5,7]

Past work has extensively covered the aspects of student exchange and inter-university

collaboration. Weel et al. described exchange programs among medical students in Europe. [8]

Vora et al. established a student-initiated and student-facilitated elective programme that provides a

course for students intending to pursue international electives and further assigns the students to

supervisors and set objectives. [6]

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However, literature on this topic with regard to Moi has been from the administration (provider) perspective.

To date, students have only contributed through recommendations in the reports they write after their

participation in the exchange programmes [unpublished data]. It is important, therefore, to get the students'

(consumer) perspective on such collaboration and include these perspectives in future planning,

acknowledging the strength that comes with active student involvement [6] in the organisation of such

programmes.

To this end, the present study is a student's analysis of the Moi-Linköping exchange. It is not

intended to analyse the outcomes or learning methods of the exchange programme; this has been

done by other researchers. [4,5] Overall, the main objective of this study is to analyse the organisation

of the Moi-Linköping exchange programme and describe the strengths and advantages this

programme brings to students involved in this educational offering.

1.3.2. Main Functions

Like any other classical information agency, The Moi University College of Health Sciences

prides itself of living to its dreams which include;

i. To inform

The agency has continuously updated its adverse and function through their website page,

informative communications among others by the use of the different state broadcast media

and the internet.

ii. To educate
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Through its several products, the house has educative programmes aimed at enlightening

the institution for instance online classes

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iii. To agenda set

The , like any other Moi University College of Health Sciences r information agency

has continuously set agenda for the nation. For instance To excel internationally

in education of health professionals, health services and research. To contribute to

knowledge, provide service and produce health professionals with practical and

intellectual skills able to provide quality health service, create, preserve and disseminate

knowledge. .

All these are achieved through reporting, publishing and broadcasting relevant and timely

content through the group’s talented and professional staff across all the multimedia

platforms.

. Vision, Mission and Objectives

VISION

To excel internationally in education of health professionals, health services and

research.

MISSION

To contribute to knowledge.
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To provide service . report

To produce health professionals with practical and intellectual skills able to

provide quality health service, create, preserve and disseminate knowledge.

OBJECTIVES

To practice professionalism and team work

To promote innovative health professional education

To practice and promote integrity in health research and care provision

To embrace openness, broad based consultation and consensus building in

decision making.

To excel internationally in education of health professionals, health services and research.

To contribute to knowledge, provide service and produce health professionals with practical and

intellectual skills able to provide quality health service, create, preserve and disseminate knowledge.
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1.3.3. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE OF ICT DEPARTMENT

Table 1.1

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Moi university school of health science as the following departments;

 Information Technology

 Publishing, Journalism and Communication Studies

 Library,Records Management and Information Studies

 Moi University Press

Information Technology

We offer programmes tailored towards providing IT students with relevant knowledge and practical skills

that enables them to take appropriate professional and leadership positions in Information and

Communication Technology upon their graduation. Our curricula are regularly reviewed to meet the emerging

technological trends and demands from the research and industry. We regularly review our curricula to cater

for emerging technological trends. The department endeavors to generate the necessary IT manpower for

both local and global markets.

PUBLISHING, JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES

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The Department of Publishing, Journalism and Communication Studies has report

designed programmes that

provide students with knowledge and skills for communication-related careers. Students also leave with skills

well-suited for graduate school or other careers where communication is critical. Our programmes prepare

students for careers in journalism, broadcasting, advertising, diplomacy, arbitration, advocacy and

international communication. Students pursue courses in writing and reporting, editing and media analysis so

they can create media, interpret media messages and understand the ways in which media affect

individuals and societies.

Library,Records Management and Information Studies

The Department of Library, Records Management & Information Studies was established at the beginning

of 2005/2006 academic year in accordance with the restructuring of academic programmes as recommended

in the Moi University strategic plan 2004/2005 – 2013/2014.

The former departments of Library and Information Studies established in 1989 and Archives and Records

Management established in 1991 merged to form the new department of Library, Records Management &

Information Studies. It is one of the three departments that constitute the School of Information Sciences.

The other two departments are Publishing and Media Studies, and Information Technology.

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Moi University Press

Like the other nodes in the network, Moi University Press is charged with serving the public good by

generating and disseminating knowledge. To this end, the Press contributes to the variety and diversity of

cultural expression and of global mergers and consolidation in the media industry. Therefore, promotes the

mission and vision of Moi University through acquisition, publication and distribution/dissemination of

research results from the schools and faculties to both the academics and the general public. The University

Press acquires, develops, designs, produces, markets and sells books, journals, and serials both within and

without Moi University.

While commercial publishers focus on making money by publishing for popular audiences, the Moi

University Press’ mission is to publish work of scholarly, intellectual, or creative merit, whether for a large or

small audience of specialists.

It balances commercial and scholarly aims, and strives to offer readers excellent, innovative publishing;

and give authors the support of a stable long-term relationship.

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table 1.2

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MSCHS National organizational s report

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tructure

ABSTRACT

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There are several factors which

contribute to the need for a
fieldwork component in partial
fulfilment of Diploma in
Information Technology. Most
students get into the universities
with no
previous work experience and
therefore fieldwork is necessary
to ensure that these students
transform into i

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CHAPTER TWO report

2.0. PROJECT BACKGROUND

2.1 Period of attachment

The field attachment which lasted for a period of twelve weeks started on 6TH May and

ended on 6TH August of the year 2024. The period was characterized by executing duties both

in the field for example attending press conferences and office functions.

2.2. Objectives
 Technical Competence: To develop proficiency in various technical skills such as programming

languages, database management, networking, cybersecurity, web development, and software

engineering.

 Problem-Solving Abilities: To cultivate the ability to analyze complex problems and develop

effective technological solutions using critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.

 Understanding ICT Infrastructure: To comprehend the design, implementation, and management

of ICT infrastructure including hardware, software, and network systems.

 Application Development: To learn the principles and practices of software development and

gain hands-on experience in building applications for diverse platforms and purposes.

 Data Management and Analytics: To understand the importance of data in decision-making

processes and to acquire skills in data collection, storage, processing, analysis, and visualization.

 ICT Governance and Management: To grasp the principles of ICT governance, risk management,

and compliance, as well as project management methodologies relevant to ICT projects.

 Ethical and Legal Considerations: To be aware of the ethical, legal, and societal implications of

ICT, including issues related to privacy, security, intellectual property, and digital rights.

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 Communication and Collaboration: To develop effective communication

necessary for working in multidisciplinary teams and interacting with stakeholders from diverse

backgrounds.

 Continuous Learning and Adaptability: To cultivate a mindset of lifelong learning and adaptability

to keep pace with rapid technological advancements and evolving industry trends.

 Entrepreneurship and Innovation: To foster an entrepreneurial mindset and encourage

innovation in leveraging technology to create value for businesses, organizations, and society.

These objectives aim to equip ICT students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to thrive in

a dynamic and technology-driven world, whether they pursue careers in industry, academia, government, or

entrepreneurship

2.3. Key responsibilities

1. Infrastructure Networking: Designing, implementing, and maintaining the network infrastructure

within the College of Health Sciences. This includes setting up wired and wireless networks,

configuring routers, switches, and other networking devices, and ensuring reliable connectivity

across various departments and facilities.

2. Healthcare System Support: I Providing technical support and maintenance for ICT

infrastructure and systems used within the College of Health Sciences, including electronic

health record (EHR) systems, medical imaging systems, and telemedicine platforms.

3. Data Management and Security: Ensuring the secure storage, transmission, and

management of healthcare data in compliance with relevant regulations and standards,

such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and GDPR (General

Data Protection Regulation).

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4. ICT Training and Education: I Conducting training sessionsreport

and workshops to educate

faculty, staff, and students on the effective use of ICT tools and technologies in healthcare

delivery, research, and education.

5. Technology Integration: I Collaborating with healthcare professionals and educators to

integrate ICT tools and technologies into curriculum delivery, clinical practice, and

research activities to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and patient care outcomes.

6. Innovation and Research Support: Assisting researchers and clinicians in leveraging

ICT solutions for healthcare innovation and research projects, including data analysis,

visualization, and interpretation.

7. Telemedicine and Remote Healthcare: Supporting the implementation and operation of

telemedicine programs and remote healthcare services to improve access to healthcare

services, particularly in underserved or rural areas.

8. Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Collaborating with healthcare professionals,

researchers, educators, and IT specialists from diverse backgrounds to address complex

healthcare challenges and implement interdisciplinary ICT solutions.

9. Professional Development: Engaging in continuous learning and professional

development activities to stay abreast of emerging ICT trends, best practices, and

regulations relevant to the healthcare industry.

10. Ethical Considerations: Upholding ethical principles and values in all ICT activities

within the healthcare context, including respect for patient privacy, confidentiality, and

informed consent.

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 TRAINING, RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENTATION

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3.1. Major activities involved report

Being an student whose main agenda is to disseminate information, I was mainly engaged

in networking, creating of website , holding zoom meeting. Some of the activities I was

involved in include;

1. Crimping of Ethernet cables

I lerned how to;

 Prepare the Cable: Begin by stripping off the outer jacket of the Ethernet cable to expose the

inner twisted pairs of wires. Carefully untwist and arrange the wires according to the desired wiring

scheme, typically T568A or T568B.

 Trim the Wires: Use a cable cutter or stripper to trim the excess length of the wires, ensuring they
are all of uniform length and properly aligned.

 Insert Wires into RJ45 Connector: Insert the trimmed wires into the RJ45 connector, making
sure each wire corresponds to the correct pin configuration according to the chosen wiring scheme.

 Crimp the Connector: Once the wires are securely inserted into the connector, use a crimping
tool to crimp the connector onto the wires. Apply firm pressure to ensure a proper connection between
the wires and the pins within the connector.

 Test the Cable: After crimping, it's essential to test the cable using a cable tester to verify that all
connections are secure and that there are no wiring faults or connectivity issues.

2 Creating a Website:
learning to create a website using XAMPP, HTML, PHP, and SQL

3 Holding Zoom Meetings:

I Familiarize myself with the features and settings of Zoom by exploring the platform's documentation and

tutorials.

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I learned how to send out invitations Links to participants with the meetingreport
details and any relevant

materials for staff.

During the meeting, I learned how to use Zoom's features such as screen sharing, breakout rooms, and

chat to facilitate interaction and collaboration among participants.

4 Installation of windows

Table 1.3.

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DAYS KEY

Days when I did both INSTALATION

of windows ,crimping of eternet

cables

Days when I did holding

zoom meeting and crimping

Ethernet cables mobilization

Days when I did crimping of

Ethernet cables

4.1. Key Achievements

ICT industry being a competitive field it takes dedication and hard work for one,

especially those undertaking their field attachment, to make their bylines active.

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During the field attachment i managed to make my byline active through

Ethernet cables that I crimped with the help of my fellow attachee.

The profession also requires personal drive when performing duties under less supervision

and assistance.

Some of the achievements I pride myself of include;

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 Doing a headline story

As an intern I managed to write a story which The Eye Magazine carried as its main story

for the July publication. Headline stories are carefully chosen by the papers’ managing editor in

consultation with other senior editors and are always of the public interest.

 Created a niche in sports writing

Through consistent submission of sport stories to The Eye magazine and the agency’s

editorial

desk, I won the editor’s confidence and have since become a regular contributor.

The stories whose main objective is to inform the public on what is trending in the

world of sports has earned me recognition and the editor always contact to find out what

stories I am working on for submission.

The passion for sports writing has also seen me secure an opportunity to do national

sports stories for the Kenyan weekly newspaper and at times the People Daily

newspaper.

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 Learnt the In-house style of the agency. report

Mastery of the in-house style of a media house makes ones stories be accepted for

publishing by the house. I pride myself of quick mastery of The KNA house style, an

achievement that enabled most of my stories get published with little or no editing.

 Earning my internal supervisor’s confidence to assign me major news

stories.

After staying with the agency for a couple of weeks, the County Information Officer

and his KBC counterpart could assign me major tasks due to the quality stories I did.

The hard-work and knowledge of what I was expected to do earned me the rare

opportunities of even accompanying the officers to most of the functions they attended.

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The supervisor could also at times instruct me to assist my colleague attachés in finding

the best angle to develop a news/feature story after collecting facts. This to me was a

motivation and it came as a reward for my continued consultation to sharpen my story writing

prowess.

4.2. Lessons learnt/skills acquired

During the three month period I managed to acquire several skills which are pertinent to a

ICT survival in the competitive media industry.

For one to be able to execute some of the assignment perfectly they must be able to

learn some of these skills.

Skills learnt include;

 Interviewing skills

This is a major source of news soliciting and is very important in developing a story. During

my stay at KNA I could be assigned duties which involved conducting either one-on-one

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interviews or phone interviews and for one to be successful in conducting

learn the interviewing skills.

 Nose for news

Being a journalist entails developing skills to identify and follow news and feature stories

for the media house. The three-month attachment acquainted me with the skills thereby

making me fit well and remain relevant in the newsroom.

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 Writing skills Through continuous writing

I learnt several skills in journalistic writings. For instance, court beats have unique

terminologies involved i.e. Mitigation. The field attachment also enabled me sharpen my skills

in intro writing which is very important as it makes readers develop interest in the piece of

writing.

 In-house style

Every media house has its own writing style known as In-house style. The period offered

me the opportunity to learn The KNA writing style. I also learnt the kind of stories given

priority by the agency.

 Story development

Good stories should have roots for growth. It’s upon the journalist to give a story ability to

grow by developing it through follow up with an aim of providing solutions or provoking

authorities concerned to act in remedy of the issue/problem, the story should not have

unprofessional mutilation of the official principle of accuracy and fairness (Prof. Joe Kadhi in

the Media observer).

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In the story development, I also pride myself for practicing objective journalism without any

fear or favor which should be the key mandate for professional journalists - Stuart (2004)

4.3. Challenges faced

As a young aspiring journalist, full of energy and the urge to adventure, my stay at the KNA

did not go short of challenges and as Pst. Tom Muombo states, troubles never come singly.

One challenge may have yielded another challenge.

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 Inadequate computers

KNA being a government News agency witnesses a huge absorption of interns and this

was not different from my attachment station. Despite the large number of interns, the

facilities are few and the few are dilapidated.

In my station, there were only two functional desktop computers that all the interns

(Seven) used for typing and editing purposes.

 Inadequate cameras and voice recorders

Cameras and recorders just like pen and paper are essential tools for broadcast

journalism unfortunately, KNA (Homa Bay) is facing an ingrained challenge of lack of

these essential journalistic tools with only one voice recorder and a single Point and

shoot camera.

 Meeting deadlines

With two computers, one recorder and camera, meeting deadlines was very hectic and one

had to persevere for the future to be bright.

4.4. How I overcame the challenges

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Challenges just like any other day are things to be overcome. Having in mind that I have to

cut a niche for myself in the journalism profession, I knew what I wanted and I had to go for it.

I had to fight tooth and nail to ensure that my professionalism is not compromised by doing

the following;

 Purchasing a laptop.

In relation to the dilapidated facilities, the talk of the day would always be survival of the

fittest, and to survive more than the fittest in this case, I had to sacrifice luxury and purchase a

laptop

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which helped me a lot in meeting deadlines and at times going an extra mile to even do

stories for the local dailies during my leisure times and after closure of business.

 Borrowing a camera and recorder from other correspondents

whenever need be

Being that most of the correspondents for the various media houses are stationed within

the agency, after recurrent interaction and creating contact with them, they could at times

borrow me their recorders, DSLR cameras and even the HDV cameras. Most of them proved

friendly that I can’t wait to join them in the field of journalism.

I could however at times use my mobile phone to record the audios before transferring

them to the laptop for editing.

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CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 ATTACHMENT CONCLUSION
4.1. Summary
KNA being the oldest news agency in the country and in the East Africa has continued

to be relevant to its diverse mass audience through its relevant and timely content.

This has seen the group record tremendous growth in the industry both in terms of

infrastructure and development of new platforms like The Twitter account among other

channels to reach its ever growing audience.

The agency has also continued to nurture talents in both broadcast and print media I

being a beneficiary during the three-month industrial attachment period.

During the period, I gathered numerous skills necessary for any journalist who wants to

be successful in the industry. For instance, interviewing skills which is crucial in news

sourcing, writing skills which is necessary for any journalist be it print or broadcast among

other skills.

The agency has a well-structured management headed by The Cabinet Secretary who has

seen the coordination of the multimedia agency run smoothly.

The agency has also lived to its dream of informing, educating, and entertaining among

other roles of any established media house.

4.2 Reflection on personal development during the field attachment.

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I set up goals during my attachment, to develop and improve areas that I find

needed to be improved.

The working areas I developed and improved in during my 12 weeks attachment period

are the following:

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 Work effectively

My main focus was how to work effectively. I have achieved this during my attachment

period by working and using a to-do list and a diary. The to-do-list existed of work that needed

to be done first and had more priority than other daily tasks while the diary consisted of the

tasks done and those pending to be done in future.

 Work precisely

To be a complete and focused IT, I thought of the need to work precisely. At the beginning

of my internship, I noticed that my work had lots of mistakes both in spelling and grammar in

addition to delivering incomplete work. By the conclusion of my attachment, I have improved

in these areas by doing practical, listening and focusing better on my work.

 Improve my communication skills

Communication, not Just communication but effective communication should be part and

parcel of effective journalism. During the kickoff of my industrial attachment I had a task to

improve my communication skills. At the commencement of the attachment, I realized that I

didn’t communicate often. This is because I at times felt unsecure about my English and the

‘Mother tongue interference’. At the end of the internship I have improved this by

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communicating more with the colleague interns, practicing journalists, interviewees and

opinion shapers as well as being encouraged by my industrial supervisor.

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 Be more initiative

Creativity is what differentiates a journalist from a better journalist. When I joined KNA I

had the urge to be a better journalist and I immediately knew that to achieve this I had to be

more adventurous, more inventive and more original. After a continuous struggle, I overcame

all the retrogressive odds and secured a bit for myself (Sports reporting). I though did not

ignore other bits as what the future may hold for me might be different.

Being more initiative also gave me a challenge to conglomerate both the rational and

emotional aspects to refine a more human interest story. The driving force towards such a

blend is the fact that women and children audience are more attracted to emotions while the

male audience are fascinated by reasons (McQuail 1992).

4.3. Conclusion
The Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology through the MCHS

provides a good background for future dissemination of information and news to the

people.

It also provides a chance for training young, energetic IT to practice their skills by giving

them full opportunity and a better background to work as media practitioners.

4.4. Recommendations

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While it should be noted that the program, BA in Media and Communication, was well

executed in terms of units being covered, it is also in order for the department to review the

syllabus with view of incorporating more practicals.

It is understandable that the degree program was initially offered for those who yearned to

work in the print media, managerial positions and policy makers. This however has changed

and the degree holders are expected to do technical jobs like production and camera work

among others. It therefore calls for the department to engage its students on practical by

introducing more units

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to engage them on writing skills, presenting and camera work among other productions

done in the modern media houses.

The idea to have the field attachment at the end of third year of studies was good as it

gives students opportunity to adjust in their field of study while on their last academic year.

However, it has also presented numerous challenges to students who extremely perform well

at their industrial attachment places and the companies would like to retain them.

In my opinion, it would be in order if the department will review when students go for

their attachment with the view of having it at the end of the fourth year of study.

Lastly, the Communications Department should find means of assisting students in the

department in securing attachment places especially those pursuing media. This is because of

the competitive nature of the media industry.

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CHAPTER FIVE
5.1.

References

1. Katherine B (2013). Research Project: Free Speech Debate. Oxford University Printing Press,

Britain.

2. Jane & Annabel (2005). Ethics for Journalists.

3. Kinuthia J. MEMO dated 14th June 2016; Guidelines to improving KNA copy.

4. The Media Observer (April-June 2015). Ford Foundation. Nairobi, Kenya.

5. McQuail D (1992) Media performance: Mass communication and the public interest.

Sage, London.

6. Stuart A (2004). News and Journalism, New York. USA.

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5.2 Appendix

MEMO
To; All field stations

From; Head, KNA

Date; 14th June 2016