Mwangi Kibathi Faults Kenyans for Not Taking Interest in Space Explorations : “Your Great Grandson Will Cry”

• Mwangi Kibathi has called out Kenyans who do not follow up on news about space explorations saying this will cost their future generations
• Kibathi likened Kenyans to their great-great -grandfathers who never explored and now have to beg for visas to visit other countries
• Kenya boasts a space agency formed in 2017 and so far three satellite missions have already been launched into space

Economist Mwangi Kibathi has faulted Kenyans for sitting pretty as other countries go to space to explore other planets such as Mars.

Kibathi said Africans don’t care about space explorations

According to Kibathi, the average African is not even aware of what other countries are exploring and is not even interested.

“You see, the way Wazungus (white people) are doing all the space explorations? You see how they keep launching this satellite after another?” he posed on his Facebook page.

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“You see how Mwafrika doesn’t even feel aware? Thats how your great great great grandfather just sat under a tree drinking busaa and chewing ngwaci(sweet potatoes) as Portuguese, Danes, Spaniards, Italians made ships to explore the world,” he said.

He pointed out that today, if you want to go to Australia, US, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, you need to beg a visa from those men whose grandfathers were curious.

“In 400 years from now, your great great-great-grandson will cry outside Mars embassy begging Mzungu for a visa. He will be wondering why his forefathers did not colonize Mars like other peoples grandfathers from Europe,” he told TUKO.co.ke.

Kenyan boasts a space agency

Unknown to many, Kenya does have a Kenya Space Agency (KSA) that was established in 2017. Its mandate is to nurture, coordinate and develop the space sector in Kenya.

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According to the KSA, their main focus areas are agriculture where Kenyan Scientists use space technology in conjunction with agriculture to discover how to control and ensure healthy crop growth.

There is also disaster management where satellites can be used to make predictions for natural calamities such as locust invasions and earthquakes.

KSA also reveals that satellite communication is effective for evading security threats while Television, radio, telephones, and internet pick up signals via communication satellites.

KSA needs satellites for urban planning

Urban planning needs satellite imaging to closely monitor and support decision-making for sustainable planning in the cities.

As far as resource management is concerned satellites are known to generate multiple forms of data that can be helpful for both private and public use.

Outside Kenya, The Outer Space Programme is among the flagship programmes of the African Union Agenda 2063.

As of 2019, the African space industry was valued at US$7.37 billion and is likely to grow to US$10.24 billion by 2024.

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That is about 40% growth, which spells immense business opportunities for various organosations.

African Union space agency

The Exchange reports that during their 26th Ordinary Session in 2016 in Addis Ababa, the African Union Heads of State and Government adopted the African Space Policy and Strategy.

The AfSA’s headquarters will be in Egypt and will facilitate the human resources needed for the operationalization of the Agency.

Operations at the agency will commence later this year once the laders and workers are appointed.

Some of the African countries with their own space programs include Susan, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria.

On October 14, 2018, launched a 1U nanosatellite which was her first space mission at Konza Technopolis and was presided by KSA.

Another mission deployed a thermal imager to be used in monitoring surface temperatures and tracking of animals such as herds of the wildebeest migration.

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The third mission focused on emergency rescue operations for Kenyan fishermen on Lake Victoria.

In this case, the 1U nanosatellite was fitted with a transceiver with the ability to detect distress signals.

France, Germany, Italy agree on space rockets

In separate news on space exploration, France, Germany, and Italy, have agreed to guarantee the future of the next-generation Ariane 6 and Vega-C rocket launcher systems

The three biggest contributors to the European Space Agency, also reaffirmed a preference for European rockets, after the agency was forced to turn to US firm SpaceX to launch two future scientific missions.

The ESA has had to scramble to find a way to get its missions into space after Russia withdrew its Soyuz rockets in response to European sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine earlier this year.

Source: TUKO.co.ke