President William Ruto on Sunday presided over the 42nd graduation ceremony of the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, where a total of 1,267 graduands were conferred with different degrees. 

President Ruto received the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in Leadership from the university during a graduation ceremony held on the university grounds in Chesumei Constituency.

In his congratulatory speech, Ruto praised Baraton for being the first university in Kenya to offer a nursing degree, claiming that Baraton graduates include some of Kenya's most respected health care workers.

The president went on to pledge a Ksh60 million grant from his government to the university, which he said will help in building more facilities at the institution.

"The request that has been put to me for a grant from the government of Kenya for the completion of the facility that you have in this institution, I am instructing the ministry of education to give a grant of Ksh60M for the development of that facility," Ruto added.

The president congratulated the new graduates, urging them to leverage what they learnt to prosper the country. 

Ruto was accompanied by Education Cabinet Secretary Migosi Ogamba, who also urged universities to reinvent themselves to be self sustaining. 

During the ceremony, Prof. Jackson Msafiri Mamba was installed as the new University of Eastern Africa Baraton vice chancellor, taking over from Prof. Philip Maiyo who has been at the helm for a decade.

President Ruto welcomed Mamba as the new VC, saying he believes in his ability to transform Baraton.

"I'm very confident that you have the requisite knowledge, understanding, and experience to be able to run this great institution and take it to greater heights as is expected by this community, the church and the government," Ruto said.