Mudavadi: Engineers key to achieving sustainable development

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has urged engineers to take centre stage and steer the ship of Africa’s Agenda 2063.

Mudavadi said Africa's Agenda 2063 master plan identifies strategic incentives, which are key to accelerating Africa’s economic growth and development.

He said this will also help in reclaiming and promoting a common identity by celebrating our history and vibrant cultures.

"For this reason, my plea is to pay attention to the priority areas of Agenda 2063 where engineers must play a critical role. These include well-educated citizens leading to a skills revolution underpinned by Science, Technology and Innovation," said Mudavadi.

His speech was delivered by President William Ruto’s adviser on Women’s Rights Harriette Chiggai.

Mudavadi's remarks were presented during the fifth international conference of the Pan-African Society of Agricultural Engineers (PASAE) in collaboration with the  Kenya Society of Environmental, Biological and Agricultural Engineers (KeSEBAE) at the University of Nairobi.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary said that engineers must play a critical role in modern agriculture for increased productivity and a blue economy for accelerated economic growth.

He added that environmentally sustainable and climate resilient economies and communities and a world-class Infrastructure will also be achieved.

He said the conference comes at a time when the country is facing El Nino rains and the engineers may help in dealing with its ravages.

Mudavadi said Africa not only desires engineers to lead innovations in technology made in and for Africa but also helps in the adaptation of soft skills in the productive sectors of agriculture and manufacturing.

He said the genesis of Agenda 2063 was the realisation by African leaders under the newly minted African Union (AU), of the urgent need to refocus and re-prioritise Africa’s agenda from celebrating the attainment of political independence and winning the struggle against apartheid.

"Agenda 2063 is therefore our blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse it ought to be. It is the Continent’s strategic framework that aims to deliver inclusive and sustainable development," said the PCS.

Mudavadi also urged the engineers to consider the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, which upon implementation, will create the largest free trade area in the world.

He said Kenya is committed because it is aware that the scope of AfCFTA is large and will result in self-reliance.

"Kenya is at the forefront of lobbying for full implementation of AfCFTA because it will reshape markets and economies across the region and boost output in the services, manufacturing and natural resources sectors."

Mudavadi said it is time to build the Africa that the continent desires with participation from an all-inclusive engineering fraternity.

"As PASAE and KeSEBAE, you must stay the course of recalibrating meaningful change, not as an option but as a necessity for survival. I therefore call on all engineers to support the democratic leadership on the continent so that we may reap the benefits of more responsive, efficient and effective engineering systems."

On her part, Chiggai urged the upcoming engineers to take advantage of the growing technologies globally and be more innovative and proactive in helping find solutions to the current challenges facing the world in different spheres.