The National Research Fund (NRF) Chairman Prof Ratemo Michieka has called on the government to allocate more funds to research institutions to boost the country’s development.
Speaking during the official opening of the third Meru University of Science and Technology International Conference (MUSTIC), Prof Michieka said that every country should fund its research institutions for its benefit.
“Nobody or any country can support research institutions other than the nation where such institutions are. It is therefore imperative and very important that developing nations eject more funds into research arena to get things done for that country,” he said.
He added that the government should push ahead with this agenda which would generate employment opportunities for its citizens.
“If there is a big factory that has been researched in a given institution, such could probably take in 600 or 700 persons who could be employed comfortably having had research and developed an innovation that can take that number of people,” said Prof Michieka.
He said at the moment, the government was releasing two percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to research institutions but this could be increased for more benefits to the country.
He added: “If you want to know how research contributes to the development of a country, go to the development index of developed countries and check on the amount of money paid in research. You will then realise that it is much more than what we give in Kenya”.
He said the theme of the conference; ‘Science in Service of Climate Action’, revolves around the question of whether after the floods and varying climatic conditions witnessed lately, shall we again witness the same?
“What can climate teach us, how can we educate the citizens on how to mitigate and stop the devastating effects of climate change as it keeps on coming every four to five years in time,” posed Prof Michieka.
He exuded confidence that after the conference, Kenyans would get good reasons as to why they should not probably stay close to the rivers and try to avoid activities that could affect the climate and micro-environment within a particular area.
The University’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Romanus Odhiambo said the conference’s theme was informed by the fact that everyone knows what we have gone through as a country including the terrible floods witnessed about two months ago.
As a university, they decided to dedicate the whole world to discussing scientifically, the mitigation, resilience, and the science behind climate change, he said.
“As a country, we encourage you and as President William Ruto has been saying, we have to be sensitive about climate change issues in the whole country,” he noted.
“When we talk about climate mitigations, planting trees is one of them that we as Kenyans have to do, and also inculcate this ideology amongst our young people, and all Kenyans so we can succeed in this,” said Prof Odhiambo.
By Dickson Mwiti
