Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 12 launched a doctoral scholarship program in conjunction with the Chinese government, who are sponsoring the project.

The Aspire to the Zenith: President Uhuru Kenyatta Doctoral Scholarship Program that will benefit at least 100 Kenyans is being coordinated by the Confucius Institute at Egerton University in Nairobi.

"The Sino-Kenyan relationship stands as a towering example of how two nations, continents apart, can forge bonds of unity and cooperation," Kenyatta said during the program's launch in Nairobi.

He said in a statement issued after the launch that the scholarship symbolizes the blossoming relationship between Kenya and China that has been developing for centuries.

He presented scholarship awards to the first 18 students, who will travel to China to study in higher education institutions, including Nanjing Agricultural University.

The scholarship program will offer 60 Kenyans direct admission into PhD programs, offering training in the fields of agriculture and engineering, with 40 of their peers entering at the master's degree level for doctoral studies.

"These 100 Kenyans will undoubtedly return home well-equipped to trigger advances in agriculture that will promote job creation and food security," Kenyatta said.

He commended the close links between Kenyan universities and Chinese institutes of higher education, which he said were helping to boost Kenya's education sector.

The president said the scholarship program fitted seamlessly with the government's Big Four Agenda, which centers around food security, affordable housing, universal healthcare and manufacturing.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said the scholarships will boost Kenya's efforts to develop food security through the study of agriculture and technology.

Liu Xianfa, Chinese ambassador to Kenya, attended the event which was held at State House in Nairobi.