KU HISTORY & PROFILE
When you come to Kenyatta University, you discover that you have arrived at a special place. The University’s Main Campus is set on over 1,000 acres with a pleasant and serene surrounding conducive to academic and intellectual growth.
Kenyatta University is home to some of the world's top scholars, researchers and experts in diverse fields. We pride ourselves in providing high quality programmes that attract individuals who wish to be globally competitive. To achieve this, we have invested heavily in infrastructure and facilities to offer our students the best experience in quality academic programmes under a nurturing environment in which our students learn and grow.
Kenyatta University is one of the leading universities in Kenya judging by the quality of our graduates. Our aim is not only to maintain this position, but to improve further and attain our vision of becoming a world-class university that is committed to quality and relevance.
What gives graduates of Kenyatta University a cutting edge over their peers is the University’s emphasis on practical hands-on knowledge and the skills training imparted to its students. Towards this noble end, Kenyatta University has established meaningful links with industrial partners, who guide the University on practical, professional requirements which need to be built into programmes at Kenyatta University.
As a result, the University’s courses give our graduates a distinct advantage in the workplace. Already, many of our graduates are exposed to new employment opportunities by accessing industrial attachments during their study, or through course related placements.
 OBJECTIVESThe objectives of Kenyatta University are to:
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ACCREDITATIONKenyatta University is accredited to the following:
OUR VISION"A dynamic, inclusive and competitive centre of excellence in teaching, learning, research and service to humanity.” OUR MISSION"To provide quality education and training, promote scholarship, service, innovation and creativity and inculcate moral values for sustainable individual and societal development.” OUR IDENTITY"A community of scholars committed to the generation and dissemination of knowledge and cultivation of wisdom for the welfare of society.” OUR PHILOSOPHY“Sensitivity and responsiveness to societal needs and the right of every person to knowledge.” OUR CORE VALUES
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History of Kenyatta University:
The history of Kenyatta University dates back to 1965, when the British Government handed over the Templer Barracks in Kahawa to the Government of Kenya. These barracks were converted into an educational institution named Kenyatta College, which initially offered Secondary and Teacher Training Education, leading to the award of Secondary Teacher 1 (S1) and Secondary Teacher Advanced Level (SA) certificates.
In 1970, following an Act of Parliament, Kenyatta College became a constituent college of the University of Nairobi, and its name changed to Kenyatta University College. The institution admitted its first batch of 200 students in 1972 to pursue studies leading to the Bachelor of Education degree awarded by the University of Nairobi. By 1975, the earlier teacher training programmes (S1 and SA) were phased out, making way for the Bachelor of Education and a two-year Undergraduate Diploma in Education.
A significant milestone occurred in July 1978, when the Faculty of Education of the University of Nairobi was transferred to Kenyatta University College. This move made the institution the only one in the country at the time offering teacher education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Kenyatta University College attained full university status on August 23, 1985, and the establishing Act became operational on September 1, 1985. The University was inaugurated in December 1985 with three foundational faculties: Education, Science, and Arts.
In 2002, the University restructured its faculties into three schools, which expanded to seven by 2005. Continued growth saw the number of schools rise to nineteen in 2017. Following a major restructuring exercise in 2022, the academic structure was streamlined to nine schools, offering over 350 academic programmes and serving more than 60,000 students. The University currently boasts a workforce of over 1,083 academic staff and 1,601 support staff, all dedicated to fulfilling its academic and administrative mission.
Over the years, Kenyatta University has also played a leading role in the growth of higher education in Kenya. It has nurtured several former constituent colleges that have since grown into independent universities. These include:
- Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) – attained full university status in 1998
- Pwani University – constituent college from 2007, granted full status in January 2013
- Machakos University – started as a campus in 2009, chartered in 2016
- Mama Ngina University College – established under Kenyatta University and granted a Charter in 2022
In 2013, Kenyatta University was itself granted a Charter in accordance with Section 19 of the Universities Act, 2012, further affirming its autonomy and leadership in Kenya’s higher education landscape.
