The national government is supposed to strengthen education standards by providing opportunities and employing graduates instead of letting those who are well educated and trained to look for opportunities outside the country.
Speaking on West FM during an interview on Thursday, the Principal Secretary, State Department for University Education and Research Ambassador Simon Nabukwesi said that they are many youths in the country who have graduated and yet job opportunities are few so majority of them opt to move outside the country.
He told youths to major in sectors that need research and urged them to use their qualifications they have to further their education abroad hence get jobs there.
“It’s good to qualify and have knowledge though nowadays we have less job opportunities due to the large number of Universities where many students graduate. Therefore we have to look for ways of fortifying education so that jobs that are available can be taken up. There are cases where we have job opportunities but we have no people to do them for instance people who have done logistics, statistics, psychiatrists etc, you also find that other few jobs have many people eyeing them, and many end up doing what they never specialized in,” he said.
On the controversial appointment of a new Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Administration, Finance and Development at Kibabii University that has led to unrests among Bungoma locals and leaders across the County, the former Kenyan Ambassador to Canada asked Bungoma locals to calm down and avoid demonstration on streets and leave the matter to the government to be sorted out well.
Residents among them leaders have vowed to support Professor Donald Siamba, a local to occupy the position he is acting in.
He added that a Bungoma local is better placed to be given that position as he promised to handle the matter in his capacity together with concerned parties, and he revealed he had received concerns and grievances from people in the County.
He however said that some of Western Professionals are also holding high posts in other Universities across the country.
“It is something that has been talked about a lot and I am urging Bungoma residents to leave it to the government to be handled officially. Let the residents not demonstrate demanding for the appointment of a certain person. We have received their grievances and we shall work on it.
“We would like Prof. Siamba, who is preferred by Bungoma residents, to be given a high position, and it’s possible. Therefore, if everything is handled professionally as planned in the education policy it will be better, instead of how the issue is being handled by residents,” he said.
The position of a Deputy Vice Chancellor -Administration, Finance and Development became vacant when Prof. Shem Aywa resigned in May 2019.
Following his resignation, Prof. Siamba Donald Namasaka was appointed in acting capacity from 4th May 2019 and his period as acting DVC was extended in December up to May 2020. Interviews were conducted on 23rd January 2020 after the Public Service Commission shortlisted 10 people for the interview to fill the position and out of the 10 only 8 turned out for the interview.
Professor Namasaka is the only one from the local majority community, Bukusus, who occupied a high position, albeit in an acting capacity in the University, after Prof. Aywa resigned.
The 2nd Deputy Vice Chancellor who is in charge of Planning, Partnerships, Research and Innovation is Prof Benedict Mutua from the Kamba community.
The 3rd Deputy Vice Chancellor (Acting) in Charge of Academic and Student Affairs is Prof Julius Maiyo comes from the Kalenjin community.
Vice Chancellor Professor Ipara is a Teso.
Many have been up in arms given that if Prof. Siamba is denied this chance and as is assumed by some, another person is given the post, following serious lobbying then all the high leadership positions will fail to have local community presentation, with the VC from the Teso community, 2 (possibly) Kalenjin DVCs and 1 DVC from the Kamba community.
