The Posta Corporation of Kenya has entered into an agreement with Mount Kenya University and its TV47 affiliate to offer internships to students.
The organisations intend to foster development through joint participation in corporate social responsibility, communications and courier services, and sporting activities.
Under the deal, MKU will "effectively and efficiently" achieve its mission of teaching, research and community outreach. As a communication channel, TV47 will complement the efforts of the two institutions.
Posta Kenya will offer internship and employment to MKU students, and engage them in development, testing and marketing new innovations targeting the youth.
Already, the corporation has youth-targeted innovations like Mpost, EMS2GO and E-njiwa.
Postmaster general Daniel Kagwe said public-private partnerships have become an integral part of the country’s progress in ensuring the continuation of business and sustainability.
Kagwe said under the partnerships, there will be enhanced e-commerce innovations such as timeshare lockers/boxes and establishment of a model post office at the university.
He spoke during signing the deal with MKU vice-chancellor Stanley Waudo.
"Posta Kenya has the capacity to provide excellent distribution and logistical services to both the national government and the private sector.
"If well supported by the national government and other key stakeholders, the corporation has the obligation to improve its business performance as the preferred logistics and financial (payments) services provider in the industry," he said.
MKU students who excel in sports will also have better chances to shine since Posta Kenya will be organising joint sporting activities with students to nurture and support sporting talents and scout and recruit talented ones.
TV47 chief executive officer Abdullahi Abubakar said the media house will support the two institutions in their endeavours and commended the deal for its potential in socio-economic development, especially for the youth.
"We are in all 47 counties and our bias is towards education, which we believe can shape the current and future generations. Our mission is to be the home of untold stories and we are focusing on the youth," he said.
Vice-chancellor Waudo said the need to reach, inform and partner with communities is increasingly becoming a key role for universities in efforts to disseminate research findings as opposed to keeping the data in libraries.
MKU has existing other partnerships, with among others Thika Level 5 Hospital, Kiambu county, where it developed state-of-the-art General Kago Funeral home-cum Medical School Anatomy Lab.
Over the years, the institution has also signed partnerships with multiple private firms and colleges locally and internationally.
