On 5th May 2025, Kibabii University hosted a team from the Kenya Industry and Entrepreneurship Project (KIEP) for a monitoring and evaluation visit under the Strengthening Kenya’s Innovation Ecosystem (SKIES) initiative. The team included Ms. Linet Mariita and Mr. Elijah Wekesa from the SKIES Management Firm, alongside Ms. Joan Chemitei representing the State Department for Industry.
The visit focused on assessing the progress of the second cohort of 32 students enrolled in the SKIES Rapid Tech Skills Programme. The current cohort, supported through a KES 6.2 million fund, is set to graduate at the end of May 2025. The evaluation covered key areas such as program implementation, course delivery, student engagement, institutional support, and challenges encountered.
Speaking during the evaluation, Prof. Stanley Mutsotso, the Program’s Principal Investigator lauded the initiative as a transformational milestone in empowering Kenya’s youth with practical, industry-driven technology skills. Kibabii University’s involvement in the SKIES program began with the admission of the first cohort in April 2024, which comprised 33 tech-enthusiastic youth. Its success led to continuation of the Project in Cohort 2.
KIEP is a USD 50 million project implemented by the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry through the State Department for Industry, with support from the World Bank with the aim of boosting innovation and productivity in select private-sector firms. Its SKIES component specifically targets the enhancement of Kenya’s innovation infrastructure and ecosystem.
Kibabii University is one of eight universities participating in the SKIES Rapid Tech Skills initiative, alongside Moi University, Dedan Kimathi University, Mama Ngina University College, Open University of Kenya, Technical University of Mombasa, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and Kenyatta University
