Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala engage with UON Chancellor Prof.Patrick Verkooijen on September 19, 2025/ENOS TECHE
Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala has stressed the need for innovation in higher education, urging Kenyan universities to shift from merely producing degrees to becoming hubs of solutions for global and local challenges.
She said this transformation will secure Kenya’s future by creating jobs and supporting the economy.
“We must transform our universities from warehouses of degrees into laboratories of solutions. Consider Dedan Kimathi University, which is producing semiconductor chips for phones and computers—once unthinkable on African soil, now a proud Kenyan reality,” she said.
Addressing over 4,000 graduands at the University of Nairobi, Inyangala underscored the importance of quality education that enables Kenyans to be not only consumers but also creators of technology.
“On this occasion, you have walked a long and sometimes uncertain road—through crowded lecture halls, sleepless nights of study, the weight of exams, and the anxieties of the future. Yet today, you stand tall. Your tassel is turned, your story is rewritten, and your names are forever inscribed in the proud history of this great university,” she said.
The 73rd University of Nairobi graduation ceremony comes amid a nationwide strike by university lecturers demanding billions in unpaid salary arrears and a collective bargaining agreement.
Inyangala appealed to striking lecturers to embrace dialogue and give the government time to meet its obligations.
“And to our lecturers—our builders of generations, our midwives of knowledge—I speak with candour and compassion. Yes, your demands are legitimate. Salaries must be honoured, arrears must be addressed, and dignity must be upheld. But there must be a balance. The rights of lecturers must be safeguarded, but so too must the rights of learners. Let us not allow disputes to rob students of their future,” she said.
Chancellor Prof. Patrick Verkooijen presided over his 73rd ceremony at the university, conferring 85 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, one Fellowship, 461 Master’s degrees, 3,029 Bachelor’s degrees, 23 Postgraduate Diplomas and 63 Diplomas.
The Chancellor applauded graduands for achievements in innovation, food security and transport.
University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Prof. Margaret Hutchinson congratulated the graduands and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to Kenya’s transformation agenda.
“We have deliberately reimagined education to equip learners with entrepreneurship, digital and critical thinking skills that prepare them to be global citizens and innovators who act locally but think globally,” she said.
She reported that despite current geopolitical and economic challenges, the university has met most of its targets in teaching, learning, community service and research.
Hutchinson commended the research team for attracting a record Ksh5.4 billion in funding, up from Ksh4.6 billion the previous year.
“We have also generated Ksh198,949,897 through our Income Generating Units as we work to strengthen the academic-research nexus for better student outcomes,” she said.
Among those graduating were Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and journalist Elkana Jacob. Koskei earned a Master of Science in Agricultural Entomology, Nyoro a Master of Arts in Economics, and Jacob a Master’s in Criminology.
