Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has told Kenya's universities to invest more in research, innovation and skills training, arguing that degrees alone will not carry the economy forward. He also promised to push for government funding to build a science and technology centre at the Adventist University of Africa (AUA) through the coming supplementary budget.
Mr Mbadi spoke on Thursday at AUA's 20th anniversary celebrations in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County.
Kenya hopes to reach high-income status by 2063, he said, and that goal, which goes beyond Vision 2030, will depend on how well the country converts knowledge into solutions people can use. Sound research, he added, must underpin the shift the post-2030 framework demands: from delivering projects to delivering outcomes, and from reacting to crises to anticipating them and building resilience.
AUA Vice-Chancellor Prof Ademola Tayo said the planned centre will have laboratories for advanced computing, artificial intelligence (AI), data science and cybersecurity, together with spaces for innovation and business incubation. Smart classrooms and laboratories for biomedical work, molecular biology and public health research are also part of the design.
Prof Tayo described the project as urgent because the university is preparing to expand its online learning after receiving provisional approval from the Commission for University Education. Good intentions will not keep online programmes running, he said. They need dependable digital infrastructure, suitable laboratories, smart classrooms, secure learning platforms and technical support, all within an environment that protects academic quality.
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