Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Performance and Delivery Management in the Executive Office of the President, Mr. Eliud Owalo, has challenged universities to embrace and shape artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative force to secure a sustainable and inclusive future.
Owalo who is also former Cabinet Secretary for Information Communication and Digital Economy challenged institutions like Rongo University to embed AI and digital literacy across all disciplines from sciences, engineering, agriculture and humanities and to actively promote interdisciplinary research addressing real-world challenges in local communities.
“There is the need for our universities to not only teach digital skills but also lead the charge in creating homegrown, ethical, and sustainable AI solutions that address our continent’s most pressing challenges.” He stated.
“We must ask ourselves are we preparing students just for exams, or for life. Are we teaching them to follow instructions or to solve real problems?”
While addressing the media after his keynote address during the official opening of “a two-day international multi-disciplinary conference” at Rongo University, Owalo called for an African-driven AI agenda grounded in ethics, inclusion, and relevance to local realities.
The forum under theme “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Innovation for a Sustainable Future and Advancing Global Resilience,” brought together researchers, educators, policymakers, and industry experts to explore how emerging technologies can drive resilience in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and finance.
Endorsing AI as a force that is reshaping society, Owalo emphasized that artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept, outlining its involvement across various disciplines like agriculture and health where AI is used precision farming and patients’ diagnosis respectively among other disciplines.
“Currently AI is playing bigger role in our agriculture and health systems. For instance, AI supports precision farming and enables early diagnosis and personalized treatment in healthcare.” Said Owalo.
In education, it expands access and customizes learning. In disaster management, AI enhances preparedness and early warnings, he added.
While noting that technology could be abused, the former CS said that there should be a reasonable level of regulation.
He warned of potential risks that comes with the emergence of AI such us threats to data privacy, cyber security, the deepening of digital divides, stressing the need for deliberate and inclusive governance frameworks.
“Let us ensure that AI bridges rather than widens our social divides,” Mr. Owalo said. “We must shape it with integrity, inclusivity, and the audacity to dream beyond borders.”
Through the Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022–2032, Owalo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enabling this vision through initiatives such as the development of a National AI Strategy, and the establishment of digital innovation hubs nationwide.
Additionally, he revealed that the Kenya Kwanza administration would enhance support for local inventions and reforms in policy, legal and regulatory frameworks to protect young tech entrepreneurs as among steps in place to empower the next generation of innovators.
Rongo University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Gudu, praised Mr. Owalo’s direct contribution to the university’s digital capacity-building efforts, while noting his distribution of100 new computers with software while serving as Cabinet Secretary for ICT.
“Our postgraduate students are already using AI techniques based on the systems you donated,” Prof. Gudu said. “This has revolutionized our approach to research and opened up new frontiers in data-driven innovation.”
The VC lauded the government’s support in bridging the digital divide between urban and rural institutions and called for sustained collaboration between academia and government to translate research into practical solutions.
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