Indonesia Offers Scholarships to Kenyan Students as Part of Development Cooperation
Mukhamad Najib, the ministry’s director of institutional affairs, said the scholarships are part of Indonesia’s broader outreach to developing countries and include funding for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Among the schemes is the Developing Country Partnership (KNB) Scholarship, which targets students from developing nations.
Indonesia also offers the Indonesian Aid Scholarship (TIAS), managed through the International Development Cooperation Fund (LDKPI), aimed at capacity building and strengthening development cooperation, Najib said.
“Kenya is certainly a potential partner in this scheme,” Najib said in a statement, adding that education ties between the two countries have grown steadily.
Diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Kenya date back to 1979, although Kenya formally opened its embassy in Jakarta in 2022.
Najib said the two countries have maintained cooperation in education for years.
He identified agriculture, economics, energy and green development, vocational education, and industry and manufacturing as fields with strong potential for expanded collaboration.
“We welcome the cooperation sought by the Mombasa delegation. Collaboration in higher education and human resource development is an important agenda that we must continue to strengthen,” Najib said.
Mbwarali Kame, local minister for education in Mombasa County, welcomed the initiative, citing limited higher education access in the coastal region. Mombasa currently has only one public university.
“Access to higher education remains limited due to economic factors. Many students cannot continue their studies because of financial constraints,” Kame said.
He added that the delegation visited Jakarta to observe Indonesia’s higher education practices and explore deeper cooperation.
Since last year, about 17 students from Mombasa have begun studying in Indonesia. They underwent roughly three months of preparatory training to support cultural and academic adjustment.
Officials said the partnership is expected to increase the number of Mombasa students pursuing degrees in Indonesia in the coming years.
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Translator: Sean Filo M, Resinta Sulistiyandari