MMUST Management Officially Welcomes AFRIAK Fellows as It Pledges Support to the Advancement of Indigenous Epistemologies and Continental Research

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology’s management today, 5^th March, 2026, officially welcomed the inaugural cohort of the MMUST AFRIAK Fellows to the University. The Chairperson of the Academic Committee in the MMUST Council, Dr. Kennedy Olung’o and the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Hussein Golicha, who was representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo, engaged with the residency participants. They pledged their support to the programme, marking a commitment to the advancement of indigenous epistemologies and continental research.

Dr. Kennedy Olung’o engages with the MMUST AFRIAK Fellows during the research workshop.

Representing the University Council, Dr. Kennedy Olung’o expressed his honour in meeting both the scholars and the Indigenous Knowledge Holders involved in the program. He noted that over the coming weeks, the residency will provide a vibrant space for reflections, mentorship, dialogue, and collaboration, which will go a long way in informing community resilience, policy innovation, and sustainable futures.

“As a Council, we proudly support this intellectual gathering, which strengthens inter-generational learning, deepens continental networks of scholarship, and encourages African intellectual sovereignty in shaping research agenda for our societies,” said Dr. Olung’o.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Hussein Golicha addresses the participants.

In his address, Prof. Hussein Golicha reminded the fellows of the profound loss to the continent when traditional wisdom is not documented, citing the famous African proverb ‘when an old African man dies, a whole library is burnt down.’ “Research in indigenous knowledge is very important as it can be used to improve our environment and society. It is very inspiring to see young researchers driving this agenda. We challenge you to dig deeper into these concepts to ensure that our ancestral wisdom is not lost but is instead utilized to better our world,” remarked Prof. Golicha.

AFRIAK MMUST Mentor, Prof. Kenneth Simala, guides the fellows on research during the workshop.

The highlight of the day was the presentations of individual research concepts by the fellows. Under the expert guidance of AFRIAK MMUST Mentor, Prof. Kenneth Simala, the fellows pitched their ideas, which were subjected to intense peer review and expert faculty scrutiny.

As the first step in a rigorous journey of refinement, stakeholders eagerly anticipate seeing how these concepts transform into high-level research by the end of the residency!