On November 29, 2024, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in partnership with Mount Kenya University, Thika took part in a policy dialogue community workshop under the theme ‘Education, innovation and Social Enterprise for Inclusive and Equitable Sustainable Development.’ The SME breakfast meeting and workshop brought together players from Kenya's business community and academia to find common ground where businesses can utilize academic research to grow their businesses.

Dr Mercyline Kamande, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academics and Research Affairs, gave the opening remarks while KEPSA was represented by Modechai Nyerere, project Assistant and Clerkson Aroni, communications officer. Other notable persons from Mount Kenya University included Dr. Peter Kirira, Dr. Phelista Njeru, Dr Evans Mwiti and Dr. Samuel Karenga. Ms. Gloria Kikete represented the Institute of Certified Secretaries.

In her opening remarks, Dr Mercyline Kamande welcomed the attendees to Mount Kenya University and encouraged them to feel at home and interact more. She went on to say that academia no longer wants to research to put on a shelf but to share their findings with business owners who will largely benefit from the research. She encouraged the attendees to take advantage of the workshop and form meaningful interactions with the faculty researchers present and amongst themselves as business owners.

“As Mount Kenya University we are working towards ensuring we impact positively the business around Thika and Kenya and ensure we give them navigate the business climate challenges and the ever-changing business environment through accurate and timely research,” she added.

Mr. Modechai Nyerere, Project Assistant at KEPSA, took the attendees through what KEPSA does in representing the business community in Kenya through advocacy and capacity building of its members to grow their businesses. He highlighted the five key focus areas that include, financial linkages, market access, capacity building, innovation and Thought leadership, policy and regulation.

Additionally, Mr Nyerere said that the initiatives that are coming up are good for the business community and Kenya, however, harmonising our efforts and working together other than operating in Silos as we implement the different initiatives and share ideas and learnings to avoid duplication of initiatives and better serve the business community.

In her Keynote address, Ms Gloria Kikete from the Institute of Certified Secretaries highlighted the role of service learning in driving sustainable development and the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through MSMEs and higher education. She emphasized the collaborative potential between academia and the business sector, underscoring that both have essential roles in shaping a sustainable future.

"Service learning is more than an academic exercise; it is a way to foster real-world solutions for real-world challenges," said Ms. Kikete. She pointed out that for business leaders, this provides an opportunity to collaborate with students on projects that promote sustainability, innovation, and responsible business practices.

The role of academic institutions in ensuring they embrace service learning when teaching, ensuring their lifelong blended learning skills match what is being taught, and the demand out there in the market, recognised the importance of the different initiatives like the African Centre for Career Enhancement & Skills Support (ACCESS)  that MKU is implementing that help try and address the current issues faced by MSMEs when it comes to making them more sustainable.

ACCESS seeks to address the paradox of improved formal education systems in Africa and rising unemployment rates among African university graduates.