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.