REPUBLIC OF KENYA

THE PRESIDENCY
MINISTRY OF DEVOLUTION AND PLANNING
OFFICE OF THE CABINET SECRETARY

REMARKS DELIVERED BY ANNE WAIGURU OGW, CABINET SECRETARY,

MINISTRY OF DEVOLUTION AND PLANNING, AT THE GRADUATION
CEREMONY OF ST. PAULS UNIVERSITY ON 9th OCTOBER 2015
The Vice Chancellor,
The University Council,
Parents of the graduating class,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me begin by offering my congratulations to the Graduation Class of 2015 present
today. Completing a university degree is no easy achievement. As was famously said once
upon a time, a man is judged, not by what he starts but by what he finishes, so well done for
accomplishing this milestone. I want to thank the parents, the older brothers and sisters, the
uncles, the aunties and everybody else who was involved in helping these extraordinary
young people arrive at this moment.
I am especially delighted to be present here today at one of, if not, the oldest training
institution in Kenya. As you are aware, St. Pauls University began way back in 1873 as a
training institution. In this regard, todays grandaunts ought to be twice as proud; not
only have you completed your undergraduate studies, you will also earn a degree from
this historic institution.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Education is the principal method through which societies transmit knowledge from one
generation to another, learn how to develop and accumulate knowledge, preserve certain
values and transform others, and introduce social and cultural change in the form of new, nonconventional ideas and values and attitudes, and non-traditional ways of thinking. It is through
education that people learn how to become more socially and politically conscious, and how
to increase their ability to acquire and use knowledge to improve the quality of their lives.

In a sense then, the role of education is to provide pupils with skills that will prepare them
physically, mentally and socially for the world of work in later life.
Emile Durkheim writing in the 1900s saw education as the institution which develops the
similarities between pupils, binding them with a shared view, forming a more solid,
harmonious society
Talcott Parsons Developed Durkheims ideas stating that education also provided
secondary socialization. An agreement of values, built on primary socialization from the
family. This valued individual opportunity; whereby everybody achieves on their own merit,
and the importance of equal opportunity - schools offering every pupil the same chance of
success. This system worked through what Parsons called role allocation. Role allocation
sorts pupils in terms of their abilities and talents, directing them towards occupations that
would best suit them. For example, a pupil excelling in the sciences would be encouraged
towards a profession as a doctor or scientific researcher.

Parsons developed the idea that schools provide a secondary socialization, enforcing shared
values, and develops the similarities to bind people, creating social solidarity. I have heard
your Vice Chancellor say you are St. Paulians, as you go out there, uphold the values of St.
Paul's University as an institution. Here the hidden curriculum takes place, where children
learn to interact with other people, to learn to respect authority, to work hard, and to make
friends. Developing social skills is as vital as being educated in later life, as employers will
want people who can communicate well to customers, and work well as a member of a team.
But it must be said, learning doesnt end in the classroom, learning continues throughout our
lives. As human beings, we are most alive and functioning closest to our potential when we
are learning, adapting, adjusting, and finding new ways, approaches and techniques to
improve our lives (or the lives of others) in some way.
The purpose therefore, of continuous learning is to adapt and cope with change. Change is all
around us. Products change, customers change, process and policies change. We are put on a
new team, we are entering new markets, and we have set new goals. In all parts of our daily
professional lives change surrounds us. In order for us to cope with that change, we need to be
willing and able to change ourselves. And learning is a key component in developing the
ability to change.

Continuous learning does not entail taking a course at a university and going back to school.
Continuous learning is an attitude and a set of behaviors that allow us to succeed in our everchanging environment, and is the best lever we have to turn who we are today into who we
want to be tomorrow. Change requires learning and conversely, there is no learning without
change.
So what qualities then do we need to be continuous learners;

Firstly, let me suggest that we need have a beginner's mindset. If you approach anything with
the mindset of an expert, you will learn nothing. With the expert's mind, you are looking for
confirmation and validation of what you already know. A beginner on the other hand, looks
constantly for one new tidbit, one or more ways to expand on their current expertise.

Secondly, make connections. Peter Drucker once wrote, "To make knowledge productive we
will have to learn to see both forest and tree. We will have to learn to connect the two."
Continuous learners do that. They continue to think about what they have learned in one part
of their life and how it relates to and connects with challenges, problems, opportunities and
situations that occur in other parts of their life.

Third, always learn something. Continuous learners learn new things "just because." They've
always wanted to play guitar, so they take lessons. They learn a new language. They do it
because they realize that our brains are like muscles. The more we exercise them the stronger
they will be.

Four, be continuously curious. One of the most powerful learning questions human beings use
is "Why?" If you are a parent, you are both familiar and exasperated by this question. But
heres the thing: why is the question of the curious. Continuous learners remain curious
about people, places, important and mundane things as well. By cultivating their curiosity
they are adding to their knowledge and perspective, while exercising an important part of our
learning brain at the same time.

Finally, teach others. Something magical happens when you teach someone something - you
suddenly understand it better yourself. Continuous learners teach others not just to help the
other person (or to show them how much they know) but because they know it helps them
deepen their mastery of their own learning.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Speaking of changes, during your three or four year stay here, you have
undergone noticeable growth and transformation. You walked in through the gates of this
institution as teenagers and are now leaving as young adults ready to take on the world.
The world you find yourself in is slightly different from the one of three or four years ago
when joined this institution. Firstly, the Kenyan economy attained middle-income status last
year and is now the 9th largest economy in Africa with a GDP of USD 53.3 billion and GDP
per capita of USD 1,246.
Secondly, within these three years you've been in this institution a new system of governance
known as devolution is now in place. Devolution has reinvigorated the economy in every part
of Kenya and is the vehicle through which we shall realize shared prosperity in this country.
Thirdly, opportunities for youth have expanded significantly in the last two years. To
encourage entrepreneurship as a means for creating more employment opportunities for the
youth, my ministry has set aside capacity building and Enterprise Development Funds and
programs such as the UWEZO Fund, and the Youth Enterprise Development Funds targeting

young men and women who are keen on establishing their own businesses. These funds seek
to, among other things, enhance capacities of the youth to start and manage small and micro
enterprises and expand access to finance through grants and credit. This is important
information for those who want to pursue the line of entrepreneurship.
Government is the single largest consumer of goods and services and 30% of its procurement
value is dedicated to enterprises owned by the youth, women and persons with disabilities. I
would like to urge you all who are interested to register companies and take up
these opportunities.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Now because of these and other such opportunities, some of you may aggressively go after
financial success and the trappings of wealth such as fancy cars, expensive clothes and a
flashy lifestyle as an end to itself.
Of course the fundamental problem with this approach is that it forces us to compromise
on our value systems and distracts us from what is important. And what is important is not
the pursuit of money at whatever cost but the dedication of our lives to a bigger cause, a cause
that advances us as human beings and as children of God. Id like to encourage you to look at
yourself as a vessel whose aim is to spread good and make the world a better place. Not only
does this approach a positive effect on the society, it also has a great effect on us as
individuals.
In this regard, allow me to say a few things;
Firstly, set high standards for yourselves. You must come up with your own standards and not
adopt standards of others such as your parents and your peers, otherwise they will not mean
anything to you. High standards will guide you in terms of who to work for and what kind of
work you will pour your energies into. What to respond to and what not to respond to.
As Steve Jobs said, Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to
be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is
to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle for anything less."
Secondly, develop a solid work ethic. Every employer desires to have a hard working
employee, one who places value on delivering results through discipline and hard work. Do
not settle for mediocrity, but pride yourselves in exceptional work. When given a task, go the
extra mile. Moreover remember that much as you may work hard, there must be results to
show for it.
His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya, Hon Uhuru Kenyatta always reminds
us that effort without results is meaningless. So make sure your efforts produce results.
Thirdly, take some risks, even on the choice of a career. Don't feel that you've got
to immediately get a high paying job to meet your family's expectations or to keep up with
your peers. Indulge your instincts a bit. Try something just because it feels right to you. Serve
your Community. Serve your church. Mistakes in your twenties are not irreparable; they're
part of your education and probably the most valuable part. Sometimes they don't turn out to
be mistakes. So step out of your comfort zone every so often and try a new approach. As the
writer of Ecclesiastes noted: the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither
yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill;
but time and chance happeneth to them all.

My fourth and final point is: have faith in God. Lets have faith in God that when set high
standards for ourselves and take some risks, the landing will be a soft one. That everything
will be okay. Because most of the time it is, and even sometimes when things go wrong, you
often look back later on and can see some good things which might have come out of a
difficult situation.
Only when youve really committed yourself to something do you really start to see
new opportunities. Believe the best and have faith in the Almighty in all your endeavours.
As I conclude, I would like to say, as young as you are, you can achieve something great. Set
high standards for yourselves, develop a solid work ethic, take some risks and have faith in
God.
Thank you and God Bless you all.