Records Management Program in Public Universities in Kenya: A case study of Maasai Mara University

Abstract

Records are the lifeblood of an organization. They are the strings that connect the various departments and sections of the organization. The records if not professionally managed may lead to loss of vital records. Therefore, good records management is essential for any organization to function effectively. The aim of this paper is to look at the records management program in public universities in Kenya, a case study of Maasai Mara University. The project objectives were: I. To establish whether there is any records management program in MMU 2. To determine whether the records management program is implemented in MMU 3. To establish the roles of records management program in MMU 4. To find out whether there is a records management policy in place in MMU 5. To make recommendations on the way forward

The study employed descriptive research design with a target population of 15 staff. Data was collected through interviews and also from available secondary data. It was found that there was no records management program, records management policy, records retention and disposal schedule. The staff in charge of the records in the registry and health Centre were found to have inappropriate courses and some were not qualified. Training of the staff was found to have happened only once. Limited space in the records area, broken chairs and worn out shelves were some of the problems identified. The study therefore recommended that qualified people with appropriate courses in records be deployed to the records repositories, purchase of movable shelves, establishment of a records management program, policy and records retention and disposal schedule. It also recommend regular training to staff, establishment of a central registry and records centre, more computers on the records repositories and provision of the scheme of service