The Kennedy-Mboya education airlift program, with a funding of $3.3 million (Sh430 million), is set to benefit at least 60 Kenyan students, providing them with the opportunity to study at top universities in the US for one semester.
The agreement was signed during President William Ruto’s ongoing visit to the US, commemorating 60 years of partnership between the two nations.
Clinton White, Counselor for USAID, emphasized that the program aims to support the development and success of the next generation of Kenyan scientists, researchers, and engineers. It will also strengthen connections between American and Kenyan universities through two-way exchanges of STEM programs.
The US has been a longstanding partner of Kenya, actively supporting the country as a pioneer and regional hub for innovation. The new partnership in STEM education is expected to prepare innovative Kenyan leaders to meet evolving market demands and advance the nation’s economic development.
The Framework for Cooperation, signed by USAID, is expected to establish linkages, partnerships, exchange programs, and other relationships to share and develop STEM, advanced manufacturing, and ICT capacities in Kenyan higher education institutions.
Additionally, commitments from Microsoft and the Mastercard Foundation to support STEM education, along with commitments from US universities to partner with Kenyan institutions, are part of the initiative.
The Kennedy-Mboya partnership traces its roots back to former US President John F. Kennedy and former Kenyan Minister Tom Mboya, who met in 1959 during a conference on international affairs in the US.
Mboya, then 28 years old, was a labor leader and rising political figure in Kenya’s liberation movement, advocating for scholarships for Kenyan and East African students limited by colonial rule. Kennedy expressed interest in Mboya’s initiative, laying the foundation for the partnership.
