John,
You may be easily accused of being academic. Careful examination of your statement "For instance we have seen thriving new University towns in Kenya. From Egerton, to Maseno, to Daystar and other universities, we see independently thriving ecosystems." shows that you are trying to select cases that fit your imaginations.
The best example of a Kenyan university that fits Konza is Moi University - not Egerton, Maseno or Daystar. Moi started as a government sponsored science and technology university but quickly degenerated into something else. You can confirm with the report of the second university in Kenya. Moi University's location with respect to Eldoret is similar to Konza's with respect to Nairobi. It is 35 kms from Eldoret. Moi's impact the local town - Kesses - is well know. After 30 years of existence, Kesses is not a leading innovation centre. Neither has any leading international company found it appropriate to set base at Kesses.
But the best of the Kenyan KCSE graduates still go to Moi University and the best of the Kenyan lecturers teach at Moi. Why are the leading innovation companies not going to Kesses? Must you hand over the institution to them so that they come? Most leading universities have very restrictive policies on setting up constituent colleges and more so in foreign countries.
If you reflect on these questions deeply, then you will see that the focus should not be on setting up a university campus. It should be to set up an ICT city modeled along the lines of the Multimedia Super corridor in Malaysia or other inovation centres elsewhere. Institutions (schools, universities, hospitals, etc) will follow when you get the city concept right.
Regards
Prof. James Kulubi
On Thursday, 23 April 2015, 21:06, John Kieti via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Dear Listers and Pundits,
Best regards
--
The ordinary just won't do
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