Uhuru wins Africa’s President of the Year Award
President Uhuru Kenyatta has been voted Africa’s President of the year 2014/2015 for his leadership.
President Kenyatta was picked for the Africa Education and Leadership Awards for building consensus locally and abroad, efforts to change policies and supervise solutions that address Kenya’s issues.
Thousands of university students from across institutions of higher learning in the continent also recognised President Kenyatta for initiating progressive economic programmes.
‘OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP’
The students, who are members of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU), presented President Kenyatta with the award which, among other things, celebrates “outstanding leadership and educational excellence”.
AASU is based in Accra, Ghana.
AASU student leaders drawn from 12 local universities presented the award to the President at State House, Nairobi.
They were accompanied by Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi , PS Belio Kipsang and a team from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is a previous recipient of the award.
The students were led by their AASU, East African representative, Mr Lone Felix of Kenyatta University.
The President concurred with the students over the need for more engagement between themselves and the government, saying this would prevent them from resorting to violence to express their concerns.
HELB FUNDING
“You should engage the ministry (of Education) in a more constructive manner without going to the streets and throwing stones”, the President told the student leaders who also requested the Head of State for more funding from the Higher Education Loans Board.
The President instructed Prof Kaimenyi and the Head of the Public Service Joseph Kinyua to explore ways in which the students can be funded to hold the next AASU summit in Nairobi later in the year.
Kenya Private Sector Alliance representative Vimal Shah said the private sector is working with the student organization in an effort to change students’ mindset so that they stop ‘’resorting to violence and instead to resolve issues amicably’’.