PM urges Kenyan varsities to style up

BY WAMBUI NDONGA

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null 1/1 PM Raila Odinga/ File NAIROBI, Kenya, May 31- Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Tuesday challenged local universities to provide education programmes that matched up to international standards in order for the country to achieve its Vision 2030. Mr Odinga argued that the programmes should be globally competitive and also promote innovative ideas that can be used to advance the country’s development agenda. The PM who was speaking during the inauguration of a new engineering complex at the Kenyatta University added that the move would help provide local labor that would be cheap and skilled, as the country gears up for its long term goals. He further asked the Engineering Registration Board (ERB) in the country to embrace new areas of specialisation in engineering. “It took the British four years to construct the railway line from Mombasa to Kisumu, nearly 800 kilometers. Yet we have not been able to add a single inch to our railway line since the British left,” he said amidst applause. The PM also challenged education officials to give more exposure to young scientists arguing that their ideas should not be rejected. He instead urged Kenyans to nature young innovations and guide youths who were developing them. He has also urged the universities to increase their intake of women so as to promote gender equality. He further urged girls to take up engineering as a career in order to enhance and balance out competition with boys. “We must keep track of the youthful innovation displayed at the annual science congresses and give our young scientists the exposure they deserve. For example if drama and music festival finalists can perform at State House so can our pioneering young scientists,” he said. Mr Odinga added that there was need prioritise sciences, technology, engineering and maths so that the country could scale up its capacities for scientific and technological innovations “In fact I want to challenge all our universities to find ways of identifying and tracking right from their high school days pupils who demonstrate innovative talent and potential,” he said. He said; “We must all embark on a deliberate effort to raise interest in science and engineering and make and innovation part of our national culture.” The PM lauded Kenyatta University for prudent utilisation of resources noting the engineering building and an upcoming library have been financed entirely from the University’s internal resources. The PM directed the ministry of Higher Education to provide adequate resources that could be used to stock local universities. “I have had a look at the engineering laboratory that has been set up by KU but I must admit that that is not what an engineering lab looks like so I am givining instructions to the Higher Education minister to ensure that the government provides enough funds for these labs,” he said. Follow the author at https://twitter.com/wambuindonga

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