SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H.

,
PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF
THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION
STONE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI TOWERS, 26TH AUGUST, 2014

The University Council,
Senate,
Management,
Academic staf,
Students,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great joy to e here once again! I am ha""y to join you at this
ceremony, at an institution #hich many "roudly $no# as their esteemed alma
mater!
They include my De"uty % I hear that he is ac$ here to com"lete his &h!D! As
&resident, I have done my "art, al#ays encouraging him to #or$ hard and
"lease his "ro'essors and su"ervisors in order to do #ell and not to emarrass
us!

As you can see, the University o' (airoi is an in)uential, iconic and historic
institution, #ith an e*cellent tradition o' scholarshi" and integrity!

As +enya,s -rst University, it set the "ace and standard 'or academic #or$ and
research, y #hich our country has risen to ecome the region,s education hu!

.or this reason, this University remains a eacon and "oint o' re'erence 'or
everyone involved in learning, teaching, "hiloso"hy, research and other 'orms
o' intellectual "roductivity!

Since Inde"endence, this institution has striven to su""ly Government,
commerce and industry, academia, regional and international odies #ith
outstanding "eo"le #hose achievements have done the country "roud! To e
ale to do so consistently 'or decades is remar$ale, and to as"ire to get etter
at it in 'uture is highly commendale!

Today,s activity s"ea$s to various dimensions o' your institution,s, as #ell as
our country,s as"irations! As I indicated, this university is a leader in its -eld!
It is evident that the University o' (airoi intends to maintain and im"rove this
leadershi" "osition, and to ene-t a larger numer o' "eo"le y it! /e are
inaugurating the uilding o' eauti'ully imagined and designed, modern and
green to#ers! The to#ers emody the est attriutes o' the University0
e*cellent standards, s"lendid vision, astute strategy and consistent delivery! It
re"resents our collective as"iration as a nation to rise high and to#er aove
our challenges and issues! It symoli1es our amition to lead, and our drive to
succeed!

It says that #e desire, and are ready and ca"ale o' accom"lishing
trans'ormative and visionary things! It announces the aility to rely on
ourselves to solve our "rolems!

The University o' (airoi has traditionally een a leader o' architectural
"hiloso"hy! This #ay, it has "roduced ins"iring and timeless uildings #hich
house a "ro'oundly democratic interaction in "hiloso"hy and imagination!

The im"act on our intellectual sector has een intensely ene-cial to everyone
touched y the University,s #or$! And that is asically the #hole country! The
im"act on the City,s s$yline must e commensurate #ith your im"act on the
national higher education landsca"e! Its design, and green design, must "oint
us to#ards the 'uture #e #ant0 "ros"erous, sustainale, #ith a lasting "ositive
im"act on "resent and 'uture generations!

2ou have no# develo"ed ca"acity to enale more young school leavers3 ene-t
'rom the est higher education availale in our region!

The to#ers are y themselves a 4ision 5676 )agshi" "roject! 8ut the
connection #ith our trans'ormative roadma" does not end there! /e e*"ect the
University to 'ocus its resources and strategy in uilding a strong cadre o'
"ro'essionals #ho #ill lead +enya,s trade and industry, entre"reneurshi",
service, research and innovation, "ulic service and technocracy into reali1ing
our "otential as a nation! The urgency o' the "romise demands that our
national institutions deliver ca"acity that #ill 'ul-ll national e*"ectations! I
elieve that you are ready!
Let us not 'orget the ene'actors #ithout #hom the uilding #e celerate
#ould not have een "ossile! &hilanthro"ists, such as the Chandaria
.oundation, #ho have so generously contriuted to this, and so many other
develo"ment "rojects in the country, are #orthy o' our commendation! They
are also #orthy o' our emulation!

9ne #ay in #hich our ene'actors might e encouraged to strengthen their
su""ort : one #ay in #hich they can ma$e their generosity go even 'urther : is
y setting u" endo#ments!

9ther countries, and other institutions, have learned that endo#ments give an
e*tra sense o' staility to institutions, es"ecially institutions o' higher learning
that have long relied on "ulic grants! There is no reason #hy these grants
cannot e su""lemented y 'unds "ooled 'rom their ene'actors! My
Government #ould e only too ha""y to #or$ #ith ene'actors #ho undertoo$
"rojects o' this $ind!

9' course, #ith e*tra 'unding comes e*tra accountaility! Those #ho have
su""orted the university3s amitions : and here I include my Government and
ordinary +enyans : #ill e*"ect that their 'unds e used in the most "rudent and
trans"arent manner "ossile! It is the least the university can do to honour the
generosity o' its "artners!

To the students o' this great University, I have a 'e# #ords to share #ith you!
2ou already 'all among a cadre o' illustrious individuals #hose e*"loits and
achievements have lit u" the annals o' history! 2ou are heirs to a magni-cent
tradition o' e*cellence in scholarshi" and service! 2ou are in the hallo#ed
grounds #hich #ere graced y "rodigies and s"ectacular achievers, many o'
#ho #ere students just li$e you! .ollo# their 'ootste"s! Chase your dreams!
;elease your "otential and let it mani'est in great ideas! 8uild yourselves and
aim to serve!

Let me also insist that you sho# "ro"er gratitude 'or #hat you have learned
here y retaining your ties to your alma mater, and su""orting it, long a'ter you
have le't! 2ou too must join the ran$s o' "hilanthro"ists, in #hatever #ay you
can!

My Government stands ready to 'acilitate you to crest the clouds and reach 'or
the stars! I #ish you all the est!

To the teaching staf o' this University, and the non%teaching staf as #ell0 it
ta$es a village! Let us all do our est to create and maintain a "er'ect
environment 'or our young "eo"le to succeed s"ectacularly! And do your it to
sustain the glorious image o' this great institution!

I urge the entire University o' (airoi community to a""reciate the 'ull
signi-cance o' the res"onsiilities entailed in eing here! It demands that you
honour a great legacy and e*ecute the mandates that go #ith it!

It re<uires you to e conscious o' a road national and international
constituency that this University has served 'or decades! It as$s you to all rise
as one, and to#er as a solid, reliale and enduring to#er o' strength, service,
vision and leadershi" no#, and 'or years to come!

Than$ you and God less you!