Remarks · 21 November 2025
Excellencies, Members of the Council and Management of the National Defence University-Kenya (NDU–K), Distinguished Faculty, Graduands, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to join you on this auspicious occasion, the third graduation ceremony of the National Defence University-Kenya, to honour and celebrate the achievements of this remarkable cohort of graduands, who now join the ranks of those fully empowered to serve our nation and the world.
We are also gathered to reaffirm the ideals that define this university: Excellence in education, service to the nation, and innovation through rigorous research in the pursuit of peace and security.
This graduation comes at a fluid moment for our country and the world. The pace of change is accelerating. The boundaries between traditional and evolving security threats are blurring. Our defence and security architecture is in constant flux.
Rapid technological advancements, especially Intelligence, are proving both a boon and a threat.
These trends compel us to adopt agile, innovative, and adaptable strategic approaches across every sphere of national and international life, including our security architecture, our education policies, and the broader landscape of economic development. in
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In these areas, flexibility, foresight, and disciplined creativity have become indispensable for national advancement.
I am therefore proud that the National Defence University-Kenya has distinguished itself as a dependable institution capable of undertaking sensitive research with far-reaching implications for our security and development.
The work done here ensures that research-driven, data-guided, and evidence-based solutions inform national policy, strengthening our capacity to respond to rapidly evolving challenges with clarity and confidence.
I commend the university council and management for their steadfast commitment to the research initiatives I continue to assign from time to time: Studies addressing critical national concerns, including sustainable approaches to security in the North Rift; whole-of-society strategies addressing femicide, and the influence of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation on governance.
Ladies and gentlemen, in my State of the Nation Address yesterday, I identified human capital development as one of our four national priorities alongside the expansion of irrigation, energy, transport and logistics, to propel Kenya to the next frontier of development.
We settled on human talent development because our people are this nation’s most precious and irreplaceable resource. No country can rise above the abilities of its citizens.
A nation that truly intends to prosper - as Kenya does - must therefore elevate the capabilities of its people through deliberate skills development, the deepening of knowledge, and the strengthening of creativity and innovation.
We are resolute in our mission to expand science, technology, engineering and mathematics education programmes, fortify our innovation ecosystem, promote cutting-edge research, and cultivate a formidable cadre of high-level professionals in engineering, science, research and technology.
It is for this reason that the government is committed to scaling up the national research fund from the current 0.8% of our GDP to the required 2%. This increased investment is essential to driving this vision and will ultimately raise our national research budget to KSh 1 trillion within the next decade.
Through this fund, we expect our universities to stand at the forefront of research, innovation, and technological development. We expect to see a steady rise in patents originating from our institutions of higher learning and research.
We also expect deeper collaboration between universities and industry; partnerships that design practical solutions to real-world challenges, as it happens in leading innovation ecosystems around the world, from Silicon Valley’s university-industry clusters to the research corridors of South Korea, Israel, and Germany.
The National Defence University-Kenya will play a critical, frontline role in advancing this agenda. The curriculum of every programme offered must be aligned with our national priorities today and for the future.
I therefore commend the university for developing capstone programmes on national security and ethics designed to foster a collective understanding of our evolving security environment, and to ensure coherence in policy formulation and implementation across government.
To the Graduating Class of 2025: You step into a world that is dynamic, interconnected, and full of opportunity. You have acquired critical skills that must now be applied in defending and advancing our nation. I urge you to use these skills, particularly in strategic and critical thinking, to confront and resolve the complex challenges that lie ahead.
I urge you, just as I urge all Kenyans, to dream boldly and aspire greatly. Do not be content with the ordinary or the average. You are the visionaries of this generation, entrusted with the duty of actualising Kenya’s immense potential for greatness. Do not settle for less because Kenya will not.
I reaffirm the government’s steadfast commitment to supporting the National Defence University-Kenya in fulfilling its mandate. We shall continue to invest in research, infrastructure, and training to ensure that this university remains a world-class institution of higher learning. I thank you.