PS Korir presides over graduation ceremony at KISM in Ruaraka

Lands and Physical Planning PS Nixon Korir on Friday presided over the 13th graduation ceremony at the Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping in Ruaraka, Nairobi.

A total of 457 graduands were awarded Diplomas and Craft certificates in photogrammetry and remote sensing, cartography, land survey and printing technology.

The PS said the government plans to elevate the status of the college, which is a training arm of the State Department of Lands and Physical Planning, to a semi-autonomous government ggency to increase its performance and efficiency.

He said the institute has been training professionals who have performed well in their field of study home and abroad.

"The graduates we send out into the job market are competent and resourceful to perform land management duties in our country and abroad," Korir said.

The PS urged the graduates to join professional bodies as soon as they step out of college.

He said many students who do professional courses get locked out of employment because of their failure to join relevant professional bodies.

He said KISM has continued to play an important role in Kenya’s development and it has also served to train professionals from neighbouring countries.

"KISM has been a focal point in the transfer of geo-information knowledge within the East, Central and Southern Africa regions. This has been possible through the Third Country Group Training programmes," he said.

KISM has also collaborated with Kenya International Boundaries Office (KIBO) to train staff from Kenya, Tanzania and South Sudan in short courses to empower them to reaffirm and map their common international boundaries.

The institute is a centre of excellence in the Northern Corridor Integration Project (NCIP) which comprises Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan in the human capacity cluster.

Prior to presiding over the graduation ceremony, the PS opened a new ablution block at the institute's play ground and led a tree-planting exercise within the institute.

Leaders present included KISM director Jesse Waithaka, Director of Surveys, Weldon Maritim and president, Institute of Surveyors of Kenya, Abraham Samoei.