It is easy for sceptics to dismiss this development as a non-starter, or as a waste of money that could be better spent on poverty eradication. But nothing could be further from the truth.
While for most of its history space activity has been associated with advancing national goals—such as national pride and enhancing prestige abroad, we have now come to the realisation that space activities also yield important scientific and economic benefits.
The realisation of these benefits could come about through alliances and co-operative efforts— including the sharing of research, capacity-building activities, and also through more formalised co-operation by way of partnerships or consortia. I also see specific benefits arising from Kenya’s new space programme.
Kenya could use space technologies to facilitate urban development, land use monitoring, and mapping for the surveillance of climate change effects such as flooding.
Kenya has already made steps in this direction, as seen in the Kenyan Coast Observation Through Affordable Space Technology Applications (KOASTAL) project. This aims to detect and monitor marine and terrestrial water pollution.
The new space programme could also enhance opportunities for intra-African co-operation, as provided for under the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU).
This enjoins African countries, as one of its objectives, to promote research in all fields, especially science and technology, in order to advance the continent’s development.
The programme opens up the possibility of South-South collaboration. Other opportunities for collaboration could be sought under the aegis of existing frameworks for cooperation on science and technology between Kenya and the European Union.
Above all, Kenyans must see some tangible benefits from the space programme in order to be enthusiastic about it.
It could foster improvements to public health services by expanding and co-ordinating space-based services for tele-health and telemedicine.
Educators would also want to see improved literacy through satellite-based tele-education programmes. Our tourism sector would be happy to see the Malindi-based San Marco offshore launch facilities being used as a hub for space tourism ventures.
My hope is that Kenya’s new space programme encourages closer co-operation and dialogue between government and all stakeholders who are interested in realising the aforementioned benefits.
In the 21st century Kenyans cannot afford to look at development goals merely in terms of roads and railways. Our new space will also facilitate other ways of realising Kenya’s Vision 2030.
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