The Safaricom and M-Pesa Foundation is set to construct a modern state-of-the-art Centre for Industrial Skills and Enterprise Development at Meru University at a cost of KSh 140 million.
University Vice Chancellor Prof. Romanus Odhiambo said the magnificent centre will be the heart of innovation for the institution and the surrounding community.
Speaking during the 13th Graduation ceremony of Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST), Prof. Odhiambo said the facility will provide the students and the wider community with the tools, mentorship, and incubation space to build sustainable businesses, create jobs, and drive the nation’s economic engine.
“Through the transformative work of the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations, they have committed a generous donation of KSh 140 million towards the construction of a state-of-the-art Centre for Industrial Skills and Enterprise Development at MUST! This magnificent Centre will be more than just a building; it will be the heart of our innovation ecosystem.
It will be a factory for dreams, providing our students and the wider community with the tools, mentorship, and incubation space to build sustainable businesses, create jobs, and drive our nation’s economic engine. Safaricom, your investment is not just in concrete and steel, but in the future of Kenyan innovation. Thank you for believing in us,” said the Vice Chancellor.
On his part, the university Chancellor and Safaricom CEO Dr Peter Ndegwa said Safaricom is committed in creating platforms that empower young people by investing in programs that give them not just skills, but opportunities to innovate and create.
Dr. Ndegwa said the students ideas, innovations and enterprises will now be incubated and turned into real solutions for Kenya and beyond.
“Our Digital Talent Program, and now the M-PESA Foundation’s Centre for Industrial Skills and Enterprise Development, which we launched right here at MUST today, are all built on one conviction: that Kenyan youth, given the right tools, can change the world.
This Centre is more than a building; it is a promise. A promise that your ideas, your innovations, your enterprises can be incubated and turned into real solutions for Kenya and beyond,” said the Safaricom CEO.
He regretted that every year, millions of young people join the workforce but employers continue to cite a lack of skilled workers as a pressing barrier to employment.
“I have faith that MUST has prepared you to meet this challenge. The centre will strengthen the gains made in embedding entrepreneurship into our curriculum affirming the belief that knowledge and skills can, and must, be translated into enterprise,” stated Dr. Ndegwa.
Prof. Odhiambo emphasized that the university vision extends beyond the national borders noting they are committed to producing global citizens through the international exchange programs.
“This year, we extended our international collaborations, sending our students to world-class institutions through the Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 (BCDI). These exchanges are not just academic trips; they are journeys that expand perspectives, build global networks, and open doors to unmatched opportunities. We are ensuring that a MUST degree is a passport to the world,” said Prof Odhiambo.
He said the university has embraced the social community responsibility by investing in community based projects citing the recent establishment of the endowment funds for the bright and needy students.
“Our engagement extends meaningfully into the heart of our community. This commitment was demonstrated through initiatives like the inaugural MUST Mt. Kenya Mountain Run.
This endeavor was undertaken with a dual purpose: to create an endowment fund for the less fortunate and bright needy students, and to promote the critical cause of environmental conservation”, said the Vice Chancellor.
He added, “Through such determined actions, MUST demonstrates its deep surrounding within the societal fabric, upholding a steadfast belief in giving back and lifting others as we climb”.
He lauded the government’s decision to reduce university tuition fees this year emphasising that the pivotal decision will ensure that the light of quality education is accessible to more bright young Kenyans.
The VC also hailed the university students for winning the prestigious Innovate254 Hackathon with their groundbreaking project: an AI-enabled telepathology platform designed to revolutionize diagnostic medicine in remote areas.
Another team also developed a comprehensive toolkit empowering SMEs with AI and cybersecurity solutions, proving that MUST is at the forefront of solving Africa’s most pressing challenges.
Prof. Odhiambo said plans are underway by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for the construction of about 1,700 modern student housing units earmarked to commence before the end of this year.
He said once realized, the facilities will greatly ease pressure on accommodation and provide students with safe, affordable and conducive environment for learning, research and innovation.
“This development could not have come at a better time, as our student population continues to grow steadily each academic year. We are deeply grateful to the Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, for their commitment to supporting higher education and ensuring that our students have the right infrastructure to thrive both academically and socially,” said Prof. Odhiambo.
He urged the alumni be their ambassadors by coming back to mentor those left behind.
The VC challenged the graduates to be the changemakers who see a problem and build a solution.
He said a university is a living, breathing ecosystem of ideas, noting that this past year, MUST has been a powerhouse of innovation and global intellectual exchange.
Dr. Ndegwa said the true wealth of a nation lies not in its natural resources, but in the minds and hearts of its young people.
“Every conversation that I have with students reminds me of the promise you carry: the promise that education can transform not just an individual life, but entire families, communities, and indeed, Kenya. Today, you stand tall because education has opened a door that nothing, not poverty, not circumstance, not doubt could shut,” said the Chancellor.
He however regretted that youth unemployment remains a challenge with too few opportunities available.
Dr. Ndegwa urged the graduates to embrace lifelong learning as the foundation of their journey ahead.
“In addition, we do not want you to merely look for jobs. We want you to create them. To transform Kenya’s crowded job market into a marketplace of abundant opportunity. However, I also acknowledge the challenges you may face in the job market, and I encourage you to stay resilient and keep faith in your abilities,” stated Dr. Ndegwa.
The Chancellor challenged the graduates to mentor others by sharing knowledge and extending opportunities to them because education is not complete until it becomes a light for someone else.
He called on the graduates to combine technical skills with entrepreneurial vision in order to build enterprises that not only endure but thrive in turbulence.
“This trust, this foundation of our education system, should reassure you of your preparedness for the challenges ahead. You are stepping into a world that desperately needs leaders of integrity, innovators of courage, and dreamers of justice,” said Dr. Ndegwa.
