Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o has called on the Ministry of Education (MoE) to establish a clear roadmap for transforming Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology (RIAT) into a full-fledged technical university.
He also asked other relevant national government agencies and all responsible authorities to engage with the community and the institution on the matter.
Speaking during the institute's fifth graduation ceremony, Nyong'o said the proposed transformation of RIAT into a RIAT University of Science and Technology is not simply about elevating an institution, but about expanding the economic space of the region. He said it is an idea whose time has come, and whose historical foundations must be acknowledged.
Nyong'o said he is persuaded that stakeholders must seriously consider developing RIAT into a university of science and technology with a distinctive mandate in applied sciences, engineering, industrial technology, artificial intelligence, agricultural innovation, computing and enterprise development.
He said that in early 2025, community leaders representing the aspirations of the people of Kisumu County presented a request to President William Ruto for the transformation of RIAT into a technical university. According to the governor, the President agreed to the request, and the assurance must now be translated into a structured implementation process.
"Our young people must graduate not only with qualifications to seek employment, but also with the capacity to invent, manufacture, innovate and create enterprises," he said.
Nyong'o said the region must remember the visionaries and community leaders who understood long ago that education and technical competence were indispensable to economic emancipation. He paid tribute to the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and other founding leaders who mobilised communities around the establishment and development of institutions such as RIAT.
He said their dream was not simply to build classrooms, but to equip people with the knowledge and practical capabilities to participate meaningfully in the country's development. "We owe these pioneers a debt of gratitude, and our responsibility is to advance their vision," he said.
Nyong'o said Kisumu and Western Kenya possess considerable potential in agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, transport, logistics and trade. Much of it, he said, remains insufficiently exploited because of inadequate investment in the scientific and technological capacity needed to convert raw resources into finished products, competitive industries and sustainable employment.
He said a transformed RIAT would help develop machinery for agricultural production, technologies for food processing, innovations in fisheries and renewable energy solutions. He said the next phase of national development must be driven by science, technology, innovation and productive enterprise, and that a transformed RIAT would contribute to that aspiration.
The governor said the County Government of Kisumu stands ready to engage within its constitutional mandate and areas of responsibility.
He cautioned, however, that university status must mean academic excellence, modern laboratories, competent faculty, applied research and meaningful partnerships with industry.
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