Remarks · 18 August 2024
The Chancellor; The Board Trustees; University Council; Vice-Chancellor; Cabinet Secretaries present; Principal Secretaries present; Governor Stephen Sang, Governor Nandi County; Leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; County Government leaders present; Honourable members of Parliament present; Esteemed Guests; The distinguished members of the graduating class of 2024; Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great privilege to join the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton community in celebrating the collective efforts of the church, leadership, management, teaching and non-teaching staff, and most importantly, the disciplined, hard-working, and dedicated students of this institution.
A graduation ceremony is an ideal opportunity to reflect on, recognise, and affirm the contributions, impact, and output of all these important stakeholders. It also serves as a measure of their effective collaboration and how successfully they have upheld their founding values and guiding principles.
I know that the graduating class is made up of disciplined, hardworking and dedicated young people, from Kenya and beyond, because if they were not so, this event would not be taking place at all.
I also know that the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, set out to establish a unique learning institution of great ambition and that it has not only lived up to its founding aspiration of imparting much-needed knowledge and skills in areas of great relevance to our communities, but it has also done so while remaining firmly grounded in Christian faith and values, which are reflected in every facet of life and work here. At the same time, it has grown into a modern, forward-looking institution that consistently sets and meets high standards.
In doing so, the university has demonstrated the power of faith in organising, developing, and actualising important national institutions, highlighting the essential roles that faith-based organisations play and their undeniable contribution to national development.
This University, in particular, has not hesitated in asserting moral values and ethical principles as essential components of all meaningful work. Consequently, its work and the people associated with it have impressed me with their unique impact on our communities, organisations and enterprises.
This graduation ceremony is therefore a worthy celebration of 42 years of ambition, consistency, and impact. It confirms that the Church’s decision to establish an institution of higher learning, and the government’s decision to charter it, were inspired decisions. Not only was this the first Kenyan university to receive a charter, but it was also the first faith-based university, the first institution to offer nursing at the degree level in our region, and the first to offer a degree in Medical Laboratory Science.
The reason why our Universal Healthcare agenda has taken off is that the legacy of this university enabled Kenya to establish a robust pool of Healthcare human capital.
This university was also among the foremost in promoting ICT as a fundamental infrastructure for competitiveness and efficiency. It has led the way in training innovative and enterprising ICT professionals, and its ability to transition seamlessly to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, including holding an online graduation ceremony, is a testament to this.
Similarly, this institution reaffirmed its commitment to generating research and imparting knowledge and skills that are in high demand in the local community. In 1978, it established itself on land where the Ministry of Agriculture had run an Animal Husbandry Institute. It not only took over the property but also operated an exemplary dairy farm that continues to provide the local community with knowledge and skills in animal husbandry and dairy management.
After 46 years of ambition, consistency and commitment to impactful service, it is now evident that the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, is a formidable institution which delivers without fail. It is time to translate nearly half a century of excellent achievement into a radical vision for the future, one that contributes to Kenya’s national transformation and positively impacts the world through faith-based education and leadership. It is time to align firmly with the collective desire of Kenyans for rapid positive change, develop and deliver innovative solutions and provide leadership for the future grounded on excellence, efficiency, integrity and compassion.
The world today is confronted with multiple complex and dynamic threats and challenges, a number of which pose existential implications for humanity and all life on earth. Climate change and the threat of pandemics are the foremost of these risks. On another level, food and nutrition security, biotechnology, and cybersecurity threats continue to loom over us.
However, the world today also offers vast opportunities and unprecedented potential for success - not only for individuals, but also for communities, organisations, and nations. Globalisation has escalated the scale of transformative possibilities to levels that were not imaginable only two decades ago.
To successfully confront the threats, navigate the complexity, and exploit the opportunities before us, we must develop a capacity to engage with technology and practice innovation boldly and ambitiously. This university has demonstrated that it is capable of doing precisely that, and young citizens, like the graduating class of 2024, are exactly whom we need to make it happen.
I encourage you all to face the future with both confidence and ambition, with courage and integrity, and with boldness as well as imagination. Teach future graduates science, technology, economics, arts and humanities, management, and leadership, and also about the power of the Almighty God of all creation, and about the role of values in elevating social institutions to achieve transformation.
To the class of 2024: I congratulate you on your hard work and achievement. I wish you success as you go forth into the world, practice your professions, and realize your great potential for the benefit of your families and our nation. I pray that your wisdom, integrity, and strength grow as you use your knowledge and skills to serve God, your fellow citizens, and our nation.
To the class of 2024: I congratulate you on your hard work and achievement. I wish you success as you go forth into the world, practice your professions and actualise the great potential that you have for the benefit of your families and our nation. I pray that your wisdom, integrity and strength increase as you put your knowledge and skills to the service of God our creator, fellow citizens and our nation. Well done, God bless you.