Rwanda’s High Commissioner praises MKU’s cross-border partnerships and calls for stronger East African integration.
The High Commissioner for Rwanda to Kenya, Ernest Rwamucyo, has commended Mount Kenya University for the role it has played in cross-border education partnerships and shaping the next generation of East African professionals.
During a visit to MKU’s main campus in Thika, Amb Rwamucyo described the institution as a “strong partner,” underscoring how higher education is increasingly becoming a pillar of Kenya–Rwanda relations.
MKU is an important partner for Rwanda. The institution took faith in the country despite Kenya having a big market for education and a growing population, but still the university’s founders and its leadership thought it worth partnering with Rwanda,” he said when addressing students.
“And the partnership is broad because in addition to having a presence in Rwanda, we also have students from Rwanda coming here to Kenya to study, and we still continue to come for some disciplines that are not available in Rwanda. So, that’s the reason we consider this university a strong partner.”
The High Commissioner advised students pursuing their studies at the university to foster relations with fellow students who come from other countries in the region. He noted the current crop of students would in future become the business leaders and policy makers in the years to come, and that cultivating relationships now would help them professionally in the years to come, but also play a part in deepening relations within EAC in future.
“At the university, you learn and get exposure. There are opportunities in the region. So you should have an open mind. The world is increasingly interconnected,” he said. “MKU is a big university, very big campus with students from so many parts. I’m sure there are students from Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of Africa.”
“So make friends. Interact with them, grow your network and connections. Build a lot of social capital with them. This is because the people that you connect with today are going to be your network. And they’re going to grow with you professionally in their career… You may end up in different institutions, but those are the bonds that are going to propel you to higher places.”
MKU Vice Chancellor Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi also noted that such interactions among the students would open up the worldviews of the learners, enabling them to become better professionals.
“We want to see more of this kind of linkage. When students from diverse backgrounds interact, they get exposure…. we want to see the internalisation of MKU,” he said.
Amb Rwamucyo became the High Commissioner for Rwanda to Kenya in June last year.
During the visit to MKU in Thika this week, Prof Simon Gicharu, the founder and chairman of MKU, presented him with a copy of “Mountain Meet land of 1,000 Hills”, a book that narrates the journey that Mount Kigali University, Rwanda (MKUR), which is affiliated to MKU, has taken.
The book looks at how Mount Kenya University overcame the challenges it encountered when it swam headlong into the uncharted waters of cross-border education as well as the social and economic impacts of this move.
Prof Gicharu and Amb Rwamucyo also held a meeting during which they discussed various issues regarding higher education in Kenya and Rwanda. The engagement highlighted the strong ties between Kenya and Rwanda and reaffirmed the shared commitment to advancing education, research and regional collaboration.
