Uhuru seeks varsities’ help to fulfil ambitious pledges

President Uhuru Kenyatta, also the Chancellor of Kibabii University in Bungoma County, confers degrees to graduands on December 21, 2017. He pledged to provide the necessary resources and facilities to produce the required human capital. PHOTO | SAMUEL MIRING'U  

In Summary

• He said his administration has allocated two per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to support research this financial year. 
• The President urged them to promote the required skills for new graduates to get employed.

By TITUS OTEBA
More by this Author

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday asked universities to play a pivotal role in the achievement of his four-point agenda.

The President challenged the institutions of higher learning to be part of the agenda geared towards ensuring food security, affordable housing, manufacturing and affordable health care in the five years of his final term.

He said his administration is focused on ensuring that all Kenyans enjoy a level of wellbeing that enables them to live a happy, healthy and productive life.

“In executing this agenda, I expect the universities to play a key role going forward,” President Kenyatta said.

TRANSFORMATION
The Head of State spoke in Bungoma County when he presided over the second graduation ceremony of Kibabii University.

The President is the Chancellor of the university.

Among other graduands, former Bumula MP Wakoli Bifwoli graduated with a master’s degree in education.

For universities to truly become the vehicles for transformation, the President said, they must strengthen their relations and linkage with the industry to match the skills they teach with the requirements of industry.

EMPLOYMENT
He urged them to promote the required skills for new graduates to get employed as well as those of entrepreneurship to help them to create jobs.

“Kenya has tremendous opportunities for young men and women who have these skills,” he said.

“Teach your students to make the most of them. By producing a young workforce of Kenyans with the appropriate skills, we expect universities to be an important ingredient in our pursuit for a better, prosperous and inclusive society, in line with our Vision 2030 blueprint.”

Pledging the necessary resources and facilities to produce the required human capital, he said:

“Our aim, as a government, is to have these institutions to be true centres of excellence in the service of our nation.”

RESEARCH
Noting that the need for creating a stronger research base for sustainable socio-economic development was not only clear but urgent, he said his administration has allocated two per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to support research this financial year. 

He urged the graduates to uphold the highest degree of integrity that will make Kenya a better place to be admired all over the world.

Praising the university for raising enrolment from the initial 333 students to 7,500, he noted:

“The university has improved and is now offering 48 teaching programmes, from the previous 24 programmes, which is a great achievement in this part of the world.”

The President also opened a Sh280 million tuition complex.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i urged politicians to avoid shortcuts and emulate former MP Bifwoli by pursuing education instead of obtaining fake academic papers.