Kenyatta University

Education and CommunicationsKenyatta University
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Kenyatta University (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Nairobi. It acquired the status of university in 1985, being the third university after University of Nairobi (1970) and Moi University (1984). As of October 2014, it was one of 23 public universities in the country.

Location

The main campus of Kenyatta University sits on over 1,000 acres (1.6 sq mi), at Kahawa, in the Kasarani Sub-county, north of Nairobi City County, approximately 17.5 kilometres (10.9 mi), by road, northeast of the central business district of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, off of the Nairobi-Thika Road.

The list of KU campuses includes the following locations:

  1. Main Campus – KahawaNairobi
  2. Ruiru Campus – Ruiru
  3. Parklands Campus – Parklands
  4. Kitui Campus – Kwa Vonza
  5. Mombasa Campus – Mombasa
  6. City Centre Campus – Nairobi Central Business District
  7. Nyeri Campus – Nyeri
  8. Nakuru Campus – Nakuru
  9. Kericho Campus – Kericho – Closed
  10. Dadaab Campus –Dadaab
  11. Embu Campus – Embu

The Arusha and Kigali campuses in Tanzania and Rwanda respectively were closed in 2018.

History

In 1965, the British government handed over the Templar Barracks in Kahawa, to the newly formed government of Kenya. The southern part of the facility remains in military use, as the Kahawa Barracks. The other part of the barracks were converted into a college called Kenyatta College, which offered Advanced Level (A-Level) secondary education at Form 5 and 6 level, as well as some undergraduate diploma courses. In 1978 the entire Faculty of Education of the University of Nairobi was transferred to Kenyatta College, and its name was changed to Kenyatta University College, following an Act of Parliament. The school became the only institution in Kenya training teachers at degree level, and discontinued all other courses. Degrees offered at Kenyatta were in the name of the University of Nairobi.

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In 1985, it was granted full university status and was renamed Kenyatta University.

U.S. President Barack Obama, whose late father, Barack Obama, Sr. (an economist) and paternal relatives are from Kenya, visited Kenya in 2015; while there, he visited the university’s main campus.

Academics

As of March 2016, the university has 12 campuses offering bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees. The degrees awarded include those in medicine and law. The university has open-learning, e-learning which is known as the digital school, school-based, part-time and full-time teaching. Kenyatta University is accredited by the Kenya Commission of University Education, the Inter-University Council for East Africa, the Africa Association of Universities, the International Association of Universities and the Commonwealth Universities.

Library

Kenyatta University’s library is one of the largest in Africa and offers scholarly information resources and services to its students and researchers. In addition to lending services, the library offers E-services and has branches in the respective satellite campuses.

Schools and institutes

As of March 2016, the university maintains the following schools:

School of Humanities and Social Sciences (2002)School of Public Health (2004)
School of Visual And Performing Arts (2008)School of Business(2005)
School of Education (1970)School of Economics (1998)
School of Pure And Applied Sciences(2003)School of Agriculture and Enterprise Development(1984)
School of Engineering And Technology (1985)School of Law – Parklands(2009)
School of Environmental Studies (2003)School of Medicine (2011)
School of Hospitality & Tourism(2010)School of Virtual & Open Learning(2011)
School of Architecture and the Built Environment (2016) – Ruiru CampusSchool of Creative, Film and Media Studies (2015) – Ruiru Campus
School of Nursing Sciences (2017)School of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies(2018)

Institutes and centers

The university hosts institutes and centers such as;

  1. Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University
  2. Africa Centre for Transformative and Inclusive Leadership (ACTIL)
  3. Chandaria Business Innovations and Incubation Centre (CBIIC)
  4. Center for Refugee Studies and Empowerment
  5. Cisco Networking Academy
  6. Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
  7. Center for International Programmes and Collaboration (CIPC)
  8. Centre for Gender Equity & Empowerment
  9. National Phytotherapeutics Research Centre

Degrees and courses

The following courses are offered by the university and accredited by the Commission for University Education in Kenya (CUE)

Doctorates and PhD – 14

Master’s degree – 94

Bachelor’s degree – 117

Postgraduates Diploma – 12

Student life

International students

The Centre for International Programmes and Collaboration is a unit under the office of the Vice Chancellor, responsible for coordinating international activities, collaborations and linkages.

Athletics

Kenyatta University partnered with IAAF as an athletics-village in the 2017 world under 18 championship Nairobi. The athletes were hosted in the Nyayo hostels and used the campus facilities for training.

Kenyatta University offers the following disciplines:

Men’s sports

Football, rugby, hockeyvolleyball, netball, handballbasketballtennis, table tennis, squash, badmintonchess, scrabble, darts, boxing, bodybuilding, taekwondo, swimming, athletics (track and field), scrabble, karate, Roll Ball, woodball, judo, wrestling, Goalball, baseball, softball.

Women’s sports

Football, rugby, hockey, volleyball, netball, handball, basketball, tennis, table tennis, squash, badminton, chess, scrabble, darts, boxing, fitness modelling, Taekwondo, swimming, athletics (track and field), Scrabble, Karate, Roll Ball, woodball, Judo, goalball, baseball, softball Seminars Short – term Courses in coaching, Sports management, training and Sports leadership are offered.

Sports facilities

  • Two swimming pools
  • One gymnasium
  • Five soccer fields
  • Eight tennis courts
  • Four volleyball courts
  • One rugby field
  • Two badminton courts
  • One squash court
  • Three netball fields
  • Two athletics & track fields(IAAF Track)
  • Three handball courts
  • Two hockey fields
  • Four basketball courts
  • Two common rooms for indoor sports & board games.

Sports achievements

  • 2012 – National Champions, Kenya University Women’s Games
  • 2011 – National Champions, Kenya University Games
  • 2010 – 3rd Best University, East Africa University Games
  • 2009 – National Champions, Kenya University Games
  • 2006 – 6th Best University, East Africa University Games
  • 2004 – 2nd Best University, East Africa University Games

Alumni

The following individuals are some of the “prominent alumni” at the Kenyatta University website:.

Notable staff and professors

  • Prof Mike Boit – sports science, former athlete. Received an honorary Doctorate of Science (DSc) from the University of Glasgow in recognition of his contributions to the academic research of sports and its development in Kenya 2014
  • Ambassador Joseph Magutt Kenya’s ambassador to the Republic of Germany
  • Prof Olive Mugenda – former vice-chancellor (2009-2016), Board Chair KU hospital

Management

The chancellor is Benson Wairegi. The Vice Chancellor is Professor Paul Wainaina who was reinstated on November 3, 2022, after being suspended on July 12, 2022, due to a tussle with the government over university’s land.[25] During his suspension, Professor Waceke Wanjohi was appointed to act as the Vice Chancellor. Professor Wainaina had succeeded Professor Olive Mugenda, the first female Vice Chancellor of a public university in Kenya, who retired after the end of her tenure in January 2016. There are four Deputy Vice Chancellors and four Registrars, to assist the Vice Chancellor carry out his mandate.

The Deputy Vice Chancellors are:

  • DVC Academic Affairs: Professor John Okumu
  • DVC Administration: Professor Fatuma Chege
  • DVC Finance and Development: Professor Godfrey Mse
  • DVC Research, Innovation & Outreach: Professor F.Q Gravenir

Businesses and investments

The university owns and operates the following income-generating businesses and investments:

  1. Kenyatta University Funeral Home
  2. North Coast Beach Hotel – Mombasa
  3. Uni-City Shopping Mall & Office Complex – Nairobi
  4. Kenyatta University Conference Center – Nairobi (100 rooms)
  5. Kenyatta University Bookstore – Nairobi
  6. Television station KUTV
  7. Kenyatta University Children’s Hospital – Nairobi (Under construction)
  8. Kenyatta University Dairy Farm – (In development)
  9. Kenyatta University Hospital[29] (KUH)
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