National Defence University-Kenya (NDU-K) recently participated in the 3rd Multi-Sectoral Conference on Science,Technology and Innovation (MS-COSTI 3) held at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi.
The conference themed, 'Science, Technology, and Innovation as a Game-Changer in National Security and Sustainable Prosperity,' was aimed at facilitating a multi-faceted forum of national discourse to chart Kenya's technology-driven and innovation-led sustainable development agenda.

During the meeting NDU-K Vice-Chancellor, Lieutenant General Jimson Mutai,represented by the University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Innovation & Security Studies, Major General William Shume, gave a presentation titled ‘Fostering Inter-agency Collaboration in Response to Emerging Technology-Induced Threats to Economic Security’. This, he contended, was a theme that is in tandem with University's mandate of offering training, research, and academic discourse, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise necessary to address the complex dynamic security challenges.

During the closing ceremony, for which he was Guest of Honor, Maj Gen. Shume lauded the Government’s efforts in embracing the use of technology that has seen more than 5,000 services accessible via the Gava Mkononi App and eCitizen platforms terming it as a show of commitment towards adopting the advantages of science and technology to ensure effective and inclusive service delivery for all Kenyans.

At the same plenary, Director General of Defence National Security Industries (DNSI) Major General Benard Waliaula gave a presentation titled ‘Emerging Technologies, and Innovative Solutions for Enhanced National Security and Protective Security’ in which he reiterated that the future of a country's economies will largely depend on innovation-driven entrepreneurship. He called for an adoption of an ecosystem that supports home-grown firms to generate world class products and services that aid in the widening and deepening of digital and economic transformation.

NDU-K Head of Teaching and Curriculum, Colonel (Dr) Charles Imbiakha, through a research proposal themed, 'Empowering and Reorienting the Next Generation Tech-Savvy Workforce for National Security in Kenya,' explicated that, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) are key enablers of industrialization, security and sustenance of social economic development of any country. Calls for urgent support and interventions need to be explored as Kenya takes a trajectory of becoming a newly industrialized Nation as envisaged in Vision 2030. The proposal is co-authored by Col (Dr) Kimuyu and Lt Col (Dr) Kondoltiony.

Participants at the conference included leaders and representatives from various Ministries, Embassies and High Commissions, County Governments, Government Agencies and Departments, innovators, exhibitors, scholars and researchers, among others.