The 58th graduation ceremony of the IMTR WMO/RTC (World Meteorological Organization/Regional Training Centre) was held at the IMTR auditorium 2nd June 2023. The ceremony was presided over by the Principal Secretary of the State Department of Environment and Climate Change. Upon his arrival at KMD Headquarters, he was welcomed by Mr. Charles Mugah, who represented the Director and Permanent Representative of Kenya with WMO, Mrs. Mary Githinji (Deputy Director of Meteorological Application Services), Mr. Peter Macharia (Deputy Director Western Region), and Mrs. Beverly Aura (Assistant Director Projects and Partnerships representing the Assistant Director Corporate Communications and Relations), among other senior staff.
At IMTR, the PS was received by Dr. William Ndegwa (Deputy Director of Education and Training/Acting Principal), Mr. Simon Gichomo (Deputy Director of IMTR), Dr. Pamela Kaithuru, and Dr. Margaret Kimani, among other senior staff members.
In his address, the PS congratulated the students on their hard work, commitment, and dedication to their studies. He encouraged them to continue pursuing their studies and emphasized the importance of implementing the knowledge they have gained during their time at IMTR.
He also commended the leadership at KMD and IMTR for their diligent efforts in ensuring that the department fulfills its role as an essential service provider. Additionally, he mentioned that the Ministry was actively working towards transforming the Department into a semi-autonomous government agency in the coming months. This transformation would enable KMD to hire more staff and enhance its capacities in various areas.
This year, IMTR graduated a total of 24 students, with 19 from Kenya and 5 from Botswana, who successfully completed the MMTC (Middle Meteorological Technician Course).
The Kenya Meteorological Society awarded certificates and citations to the two top-performing students, Godfrey from Botswana and Diana from Kenya, recognizing their outstanding academic achievements and attributes displayed during their training.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Botswana High Commission in Kenya, parents, friends, and family of the graduating students. Also present were Prof. Horace Ochanda, Assistant Dean at the Kenya Science Campus; Mr. John Elungata of the MECCF (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Forestry), who accompanied the PS, and Dr. Richard Muita, the Chairperson of the Kenya Meteorological Society, who also serves as the Assistant Director for Research and Development and acted as the Master of Ceremonies for the event.
