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Makerere honours Kibaki
President Kibaki at Makerere University yesterday during the ceremony where he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Laws. Photo by Ronald Kabuubi /EAPPA AGENCIES
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Commendation. The University Council, in recognition of his distinguished and outstanding contribution to public service at national, regional and international levels in the areas of academic excellence, political, social and economic reforms, awarded President Kibaki a Doctorate of Laws.
Makerere University yesterday honoured one of its most prominent alumni, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, with an honorary doctorate of laws in a special graduation ceremony held at the Freedom Square of the 89-year-old institution.
Mr Kibaki, who was accompanied by President Museveni, urged entrepreneurs to tap into the new innovations coming out of the university to move East Africa forward to enable the region compete in global economics.
He said not only should the East African institutions of higher learning take a leading position in African transformation process through inventing globally competent innovations but they should be lent a hand by entrepreneurs to take such innovations from their study workshops into the market.
He was speaking in relation to the Kiira EV- an electronic powered automobile that was launched by the College of Engineering, Design and Technology (CEDAT) late last year.
Makerere led the pioneering work on development of its energy efficient and environmentally friendly electric components.
President Museveni asked the Ministry of Education to give priority to supporting innovations at the university. He said until the founding of the Presidential Initiative on Science and Innovation, breakthroughs like the Kiira-EV were difficult to realise.
Mr Museveni later launched the collegiate system introduced last year to create semi-autonomous colleges as a way to align the institution to international standards.
