Principal Secretary of the State Department for Higher Education and Research, Dr Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, has urged fresh graduates to embrace technology as they enter their respective fields in the industry.
Speaking during the 8th graduation ceremony at Kirinyaga University, the PS remarked that the university’s motto, “innovative technology for a dynamic world,” resonates with the realities of our time, expressing confidence that the graduates were well-prepared to embrace the digital era.
“Entering education, business, health sciences, and engineering presents great opportunities to leverage technology and uncover infinite possibilities. I commend the university for its focus on science, technology, and innovation,” the PS said.
Since receiving its charter in 2016, the university has transformed from a small technical institution with fewer than 200 students into a fully-fledged university with over 13,000 students, 300 staff, and more than 100 academic programmes.
Dr Inyangala further emphasised the university’s role in training health practitioners, which contributes to the government’s agenda of universal health coverage.
“I am aware that you are working hard to improve health outcomes in the community by offering free diagnostics and treatment. I thank you for this and encourage you to expand the scope of this work,” she noted.
The experts graduating today in software, computer systems, and engineering will certainly advance the government’s agenda for a digital economy. In an era of accountability and science-based decision-making in the justice system, we also appreciate the experts who will enhance forensic science.
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting universities in fulfilling their mission by providing a conducive policy environment to facilitate university operations and relying on research evidence from universities to continuously improve policies and programmes.
The PS added that the government continues to fund universities even within the current constrained fiscal environment. She assured the university, students, and parents that under the new funding model, the institution will receive resources, in contrast to the previous system, which only saw annual increases of about 5%.“With the current model, we are almost doubling resources to the universities. This is crucial to ensure that our students receive the quality education that can only be achieved if we fund quality inputs, employ additional staff, and improve our infrastructure. We also recognise that all other inputs into the education space will not produce the desired results if our staff do not organise them to deliver the expected outputs.”
She challenged the graduates to seize every opportunity to refine their skills, to upskill, to multi-skill, and to broaden their horizons to fit a fast-changing world in the fourth industrial revolution.
“I will add my voice to what has been said before and urge you to foster curiosity, challenge assumptions, and seek out knowledge with an open mind. When called to serve, do so with diligence, empathy for the less fortunate in society, and love for those around you.”
Kirinyaga University Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Mary Ndung’u, stated that the university’s programmes are consciously developed to address and effectively contribute to the achievement of Kenya Vision 2030 and the Better Agenda of Government, BETA.
The VC mentioned that the development of high-quality teaching and research programmes naturally comes with a requirement for excellent facilities, which the university council and management have continued to mobilise resources to ensure students are adequately equipped with innovative technology and skills.
“It is our hope that government funding will be enhanced to enable Kirinyaga University to realise the roadmap as set out in our strategic plan 2022-2027. We embrace a holistic approach to equipping our students for the workplace, including academic, social, and ethical skills.”
Professor Ndung’u added that to create an enabling environment for learners, the university has invested in ultra-modern facilities, including laboratories, workshops, ICT infrastructure with high-speed internet, and attendance support services.
