Tokyo investment in Kenya’s higher education bears fruit

Investment in higher learning and technology has been a long time common ground for Japan and Kenya.

Over the years, Kenya has benefited in various ways from scholarships to capacity building courtesy of the Japanese government.

In 1981, the bilateral cooperation between the Kenyan and Japanese governments bore Jomo Kenyatta College of Agriculture and Technology, a middle level college that would grow to become Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

JKUAT has witnessed expansion with enrolment growing to 42,000 students pursuing a variety of over 400 academic programmes and graduating over 5,000 candidates annually.

The continued relationship between the two would in 2013 see the setting up of the Pan African University Institute of Basic Sciences Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI), hosted at JKUAT.

As part of the arrangement, the Government of Japan, through Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), provides graduate teaching and research equipment to the institute.

Jica also undertakes both medium and long term training of JKUAT technical and faculty staff.

Through the JKUAT and PAUSTI network, the African Union’s African Innovation (ai) project has been taking shape. The Africa–ai–Japan project was formalised in mid-2014.

Through the project three innovation centres were to be set up including the Innovation Centre for Bio-resources (iCB) whose aim is to advance agricultural and related research through bio-transformation of locally available resources.

The second was the Innovation and Prototyping Integrated Centre (iPIC) meant to host facilities that provide advanced prototyping for innovation, invention and education.
The third centre is the Innovation Centre for Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (iCMoB).

Activities undertaken at the centre will be aimed at understanding the molecular basis of biological activity in organisms to enhance the development of innovative solutions to meet human needs.

JKUAT has also formalised partnerships with Japanese industry players including Nissin Foods Ltd on production of locally flavoured noodles; and Looop Inc in renewable energy device research.

Toshitsugu Uesawa, the Japanese ambassador to Kenya, earlier this month praised the cordial relations between Kenya and Japan which have existed since the East African nation attained independence in 1963.

“In fact, Kenya is the biggest beneficiary of Japanese assistance among all sub-Saharan African countries,” he said.

According to Dr Takao Toda, director-general of the Human Development Department at Jica, about 14 per cent of Science and Mathematics primary school teachers across Africa have acquired training skills through Jica.