By James Wakahiu
Institutions of higher
learning in East Africa must endeavor to contribute towards ending political,
social and economic inequalities in the region through their triple-mandate of
teaching, research and community outreach.
MKU Chairman Prof Simon Gicharu congratulates Kimilili MP Didmus Baraza after he graduated. Photo/ James Wakahiu Specifically, every
university should contribute towards creation of awareness of the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and ensure all institutional
activities are directed towards the achievement of the SDGs, Dr Peter Mutuku
Mathuki, Secretary General of the East African community has said.
“Universities need to
establish strategic facilities such as innovation and incubation hubs,
entrepreneurial promotion facilities, dedicated university-based foundations,
gender desks which should be fully utilised to support every university in
achieving its mission and vision.
This requires strategic resource mobilisation
to support nurturing of innovations to patents and their requisite
commercialization,” he said.
Dr Peter Mutuku Mathuki, Secretary General of the East African community. Photo/ James Wakahiu.
The secretary general
asked managers of the regional institutions to support the entrepreneurial
growth of students, staff and the communities. “Deliberate efforts are required
in creating synergies between the academia, private sector and governments.
University-based foundations, if fully utilised, can fund a lot of campus
activities, especially those that are directed towards community empowerment
and research and hence lead to reduction of inequalities,” he said.
Kilimili MP Didmus Baraza in graduation gown. Photo/ James Wakahiu
Dr Mathuki was
speaking on Friday during the 22nd Graduation Ceremony of Mount Kenya
University (MKU) where he was the guest speaker .
About 4,500 students
graduated during the function held at the college’s main campus in Thika
town.
Among the graduands
were Kimili MP Didmus Baraza and Richard Membo Guya 59 who graduated with degree of master of public administration and management and pharmacy respectively.
He congratulated MKU
for having been bestowed upon the responsibility of serving as the United
Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Hub for SDG No. 10 on Reduced Inequalities.
“This is an achievement which comes with a lot of responsibilities and
expectations on what the university ought to institutionalise to achieve this
mandate,” he said.
Graduands during the 22 graduation ceremony at MKU. Photo/ James Wakahiu.
“I am also aware that
MKU has implemented programmes that support all the SDGs 2030 and in so doing,
contributes quite well toward sending inequalities through capacity building in
health sciences, in education, ICT, engineering and energy production, gender
and persons living with disabilities, among others, which contribute
variously in the achievement of the SDGs 2030,”
Dr Mathuki charged MKU
founder Prof Simon Gicharu and the university council to pursue making MKU a
centre of excellence within East Africa in entrepreneurial
promotion.
“Engagement with like-minded organizations and
professionals in resource mobilization by the foundations needs to be
emphasized with a view to contributing towards the achievement of the 17
SDGs2030,” he said.
Dancers who thrilled guests and graduands during the 22nd MKU Graduation ceremony. Photo/ James Wakahiu
Although MKU is East
and Central Africa’s largest private university, the regional boss coaxed the
university’s managers to open more branches across the region to continue
developing capacity for the residents.
“The East African Community has recently
grown with the joining of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to seven
partner States and an expanded market of 300 Million people which provides
opportunity to those looking for opportunities either in the service or goods
industries,” Dr Mathuki noted.
MKU Chancellor, Prof
John Struthers said MKU has continued to establish new strategic partnerships
at national, continental and global levels despite the challenges from the
Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. These include the Erasmus – sponsored
partnership with the University of Estonia in Eastern Europe.
Another key
partnership is the multi – institutional consortium under the Nottingham Trent
University in Britain, which includes Makerere University Uganda), University
of Malawi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenyatta
University and Rongo University, all in Kenya.
Another project funded
from the UK involves Prof Struthers’ home university, the University of the West of
Scotland, MKU and Farmtrack Agriculture Company, which is examining issues
around pest infestation in mango and avocado crops in Kenya. “Just this week in
Nairobi, all the project partners including myself participated at the Kenya
Innovation Week event at the Sarit Centre in Nairobi,” said the chancellor.
Leadership[ of MKU during the 22nd Graduation Ceremony. Photo/ James Wakahiu
Under the United Nations
Academic Impact (UNAI) SDG10 Hub on Reduced Inequalities, MKU has in the last
three months collaborated with various professionals and institutions in
marking several International Days. Three of these are the days allocated to
MKU by the UNAI Office for observance as the UNAI Hub. “These International Days
serve as occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilise good
will and to help focus attention on pertinent global areas of importance that
affect humanity. For example, the International Day of University Sports was
marked on 20th September via a live TV show in Kiswahili language arranged
courtesy of the TV47 and was a significant showcase to the UNESCO regional
office,” he added.
Graduands during the 22nd Graduation ceremony at MKU. Photo/James Wakahiu
And in collaboration
with the Kenya National Library Services (Thika Branch), the International Day
International Day of Sign Languages was marked on 23rd September 2022 with a
combined face-to-face and online presentation. The event drew participants from
different parts of Africa. The International Day of Tolerance was
marked on the 16th of November, 2022 via a purely online (webinar) platform.
Similarly, the
International Day of Persons Living with Disabilities or the Persons Abled
Differently was marked on the 3rd of December via a Webinar where the key speaker
came from Joytown School in Thika, a graduate teacher who is also the secretary
to the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Kenya, Kiambu Chapter; who
is also a Person Living With Disability, said the Chancellor.
Congratulating the
graduands, the Secretary General Dr Mathuki charged them to be competitive and
ready to take up the next challenge in the global labour market. “Remain
goodwill ambassadors of MKU wherever you go. As you join your Alma Mater in
contributing towards reduced inequalities in the communities, I wish you
success in your life endeavours,” he added.
Prior to his current
role, he served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the East African
Business Council (2018-2021), where he was instrumental in driving and
articulating the Private Sector priorities in EAC decision-making process. He
is also a former Member of Parliament of the East African Legislative Assembly,
(2012-2017) where he chaired the Committee responsible for good governance and
served in the Committee of Trade and Investment.
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