MOMBASA, Kenya, Jul 7 — Head of Public Service and State House Chief of Staff, Felix Koskei, has urged scientists to align their research work with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
“Ensure that there is a linkage between the research and the reality out there,” he said today when he spoke to the staff and management of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) in Mombasa.
Koskei said, given climate, which has adversely affected agricultural production in the country, the future of Kenya’s development lies in the blue economy.
But, he cautioned, “The money we pump into research must translate into the improvement of the economy.”
He was accompanied by Principal Secretary for Blue Economy, Betsy Muthoni Njagi, KMFRI CEO James Njiru, and Board Chairman John Safari Mumba.
He cautioned staff against engaging in corruption, saying, “Let us not employ monkey business in donor money by manipulating documents.”
He said the institution will be well- resourced to enable it to deliver on its mandate.
Koskei later visited Bandari Maritime Academy, the government institution that trains seafarers, accompanied by Principal Secretary, Maritime Affairs, Shadrack Mwadime.
The Head of Public Service said he will address the challenges Kenyan seafarers are facing in securing passports and visas to enable them to seek jobs abroad.
Mwadime said Bandari Maritime Academy has grown progressively over the years and now trains over 5,000 seafarers per year compared to less than 170 four years ago.
