Varsity gets lab equipment worth Sh225m

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has received, through a grant, science equipment worth Sh225 million from the African Development Bank.

The modern vacuum-coating machines will also be used to offer professional training to organizations and other universities in the region.

Speaking when he received the equipment, George Manyali, the lecturer in charge of post-graduate studies, said MMUST is the first higher learning institution in the country to have such machines in their laboratories.

"The equipment will help us, as we strive to produce quality graduates to meet market and other professional requirements," said Dr. Manyali.

He said MMUST, being a technical university, aims at producing skilled and competent students to fit employers' requirements especially in sciences, engineering and medicine.

"As a university, we have to compete favorably. We cannot compete with other universities if we lack equipment, therefore, receiving these machines is a milestone towards achieving our mandate as a department," he said.

He said the university will be using the equipment to train students from other universities in the region and also offer research to professional people and organizations.

Thomas Sakwa, dean of the Faculty of Science, said the faculty is determined to equip its laboratories with modern equipment to enable it offer quality training to its students.

The university is the only one that won a grant from the bank to get modern and state-of-the-art equipment in sciences and engineering courses.

"For all machines in our labs to be equipped, it will cost us Sh225 million, which is a grant from the bank. MMUST will be in a class of its own having fully-trained science graduates," said Prof Sakwa.

He said the university has also hired qualified and competent lecturers to teach in the department.