Principal Secretary for Science, Research, and Innovation, Prof Shaukat Abdulrazak, has encouraged Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) students to prioritize innovations for better career prospects.
He said the society looks up to the universities and students to come up with solutions for society needs and for employment opportunities.
Prof Shsukat made the remarks when he visited the stand of the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM), at the ongoing Pwani Innovation Week 2025, which the sixth edition.
Interacting with TUM students and staff, the PS said that the economic growth and employment creation of the country lie in innovation; therefore, training institutions stand to play a central role in that direction.
Therefore, he took the opportunity to urge scores of TUM students who were present to focus on research and innovation in order to devise lasting solutions to problems affecting the community.
He also lauded the staff and the University as a whole for their commitment to research, training and innovation.
He keenly watched and engaged the students as they systematically explained concepts involved in different exhibitions that TUM is presenting to the public in this year’s innovation week at the Mombasa’s Swahilipot Hub.
Prof Shaukat was impressed by the “sparkling innovations” of TUM students. Auto Marine Sanitation Vessel project by John Opanda, a student from the Electrical and Electronics Department, caught the attention of the PS, and he promised to contribute Shs 200,000 to commercialize the innovation.
The primary objective of the invention is to reduce ocean pollution by siphoning oil and other spillages in the ocean.
Some of the key showcases that are proving a major attraction to the TUM stand are Ocean Aura Seaweed skin care products, Grain and Cereal Cleaning Machine, Floating Photovoltaic System, and Self-sufficient Smart Green House.
In his keynote speech, Swahilipot hub founder Mr Mahmoud Noor alias Chief Mentor emphasized that young people have enough potential and should be given opportunities in the country.
Noor urged young people to focus on innovations to solve problems affecting the community.
Pwani Innovation Week aims to foster a widespread culture of innovation and stimulate the innovation ecosystem in the coastal region of Eastern Africa. The initiative is a collaborative endeavour led by the Swahilipot Hub Foundation and its partners.
In attendance were the French Ambassoar to Kenya, H.E Arnaud Sequet; his Belgian counterpart H.E Peter Madens, and the Chairman Pwani innovation week 2025, Dr Kevit Desai, who is also a former Principal Secretary for TVET.
