Martha Karua addresses participants during Aga Khan Authors Day 2026 in Nairobi. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard]
People's Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has challenged universities to ensure the knowledge imparted to students impacts society directly.
Speaking during the Author's Day event at Aga Khan University in Nairobi on Monday, Karua said that the country was awash with scholars, yet the societal challenges still persist despite the existence of solutions in universities.
"Kenya is rich in talent, ingenuity and ideas, yet we must ask ourselves, how much of the knowledge we produce is finding its way into the life of ordinary Kenyans," she said.
Karua said that there were various sectors that need manpower in Kenya to make a tangible difference in Kenyans lives.
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"What does education mean to a young person who cannot find meaningful employment? What does medical research mean for families that struggle to access quality healthcare?" She posed.
She challenged the research departments in universities to take up the mantle and look at finding solutions not only for assessment but for the nation.
"Our universities must do more than expand the boundaries of knowledge. They must help us answer the difficult questions facing our country; how do we create meaningful opportunities for our young people?" Karua said.
She also urged them to leverage resources in existing and current research done.
"Knowledge cannot transform a society if it is confined to the shelves of a library, it must find its way into the decisions we make, the policies we pursue and the lives of people we serve," she added.
This comes even as the unemployment crisis in the country continues, especially among the youth who are continuously churned out of universities every year.
Universities have also been struggling with huge debts and sinking into insolvency, led by the University of Nairobi.
The Tertiary Placement funding bill currently before the National Assembly has also split opinion over whether it would help resuscitate the universities to begin seriously engaging in research.