RUTO WORKING

Higher Education minister William Ruto wants contentious issues in the proposed constitution resolved before Kenya goes to a referendum.

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Speaking in his first official function since a Cabinet reshuffle Monday, Mr Ruto asked fellow leaders to muster courage and iron out the issues instead of referring them to post-referendum.

“That is how we are going to build a stable and peaceful nation - by solving immediate problems not postponing them,” Mr Ruto said.

He was addressing 200 students, who won university scholarships from Equity Bank after they came top of their districts at last year’s Form Four exam.

The top performers also secured themselves an internship programme with the bank for the period of their study and a promise of permanent employment upon graduation.

Each of them was awarded Sh720,000.

“The country is looking upon you to provide a generation of leadership who can say no when everyone else is saying yes,” he told them.

A section of politicians, led by Mr Ruto are opposed to the chapters on land and devolution while Churches have raised issue with the clause on abortion and kadhis' courts.

He called upon the private sector to complement efforts by the government to offer scholarships and bursaries in the pursuit of university education.

“This way, we shall be investing in a knowledge-based economy since the graduates will come back to work for your organisations,” he said.

This, according to the minister, was one way in which corporate organisations could help the country achieve a knowledge-based economy as captured under the blueprint Vision 2030.

Dr Mwiria asked the students, who will benefit from the scholarships in foreign universities, to plough back knowledge by working at home and boosting the country’s human resource base.

Equity Bank boss James Mwangi said he would assist the students apply for scholarships in Ivy League institutions such as Havard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford.

“Achieving quality education for our youth requires a multi-pronged approach,” said Dr Mwangi, who echoed the sentiments that the private sector must contribute since they were the end users of the graduates.

Basic Education minister Sam Ongeri, assistant minister Dr Kilemi Mwiria (Higher Education) and Vice Chancellors Olive Mugenda (Kenyatta) and Leah Maragu (Nazarene) were present at the function.