Photo/Dancers entertaining guests during the 27th graduation at Mount Kenya University.
By James Wakahiu , Thika
editor@themountainjournal.co.ke
A new record number of students graduating on Friday at Mount Kenya University (MKU) as enrolment continues to grow in leaps and bounds.
During the 27th Graduation ceremony and the 4th Graduation ceremony of Equip Africa Institute, the MKU Vice Chancellor, Prof Deogratius Jaganyi congratulated the graduands for completing their studies successfully.
Jaganyi said MKU was graduating 8,724 candidates, comprising 8,638 from the institution and 86 from Equip Africa Institute compared to 7,448 who qualified in December 2024.
Photo/Celebration mood at MKU after graduates were conferred with degree on Friday.
Equip Africa is the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) – accredited arm of MKU.
The candidates included 10 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) Degrees, 691 Master’s , 150 Postgraduate Diplomas, 5,447 Bachelor’s Degrees, 1,965 Diplomas and 461 Certificates.
Photo/A section of graduands during the 27th graduation at Mount Kenya University.
Currently, the university has registered 60,223 and 1,762 students in MKU and Equip Africa Institute respectively.
“These statistics represent the highest student enrolment that the University has ever achieved in the May-August semester/ trimester period,” the VC said.
The graduation was held under the theme :Catalyzing innovation: universities as drivers of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
MKU Chancellor Prof. John Struthers, congratulated the management for the noteworthy achievement based on research, innovations and high enrolment.
“For the seven years that I have served as the chancellor at MKU, I have witnessed a steady and remarkable growth of this institution and today’s graduation ceremony confirms my vision of a very promising future for this university. The number of students graduating today, as well as many outstanding reports on MKU’s engagement at local and global levels as presented to us this morning, are also further testimonies to attest to that vision,” Prof Struthers said.
Photo/MKU Chancellor Prof. John Struthers.
The Chancellor appreciated the new partnership engagements at the university in the course of the last academic year. These include the competitively-obtained new status of MKU’s United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) position as the UNAI SDG 9 Hub Chair on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure for a three-year period that shall end in 2027. “This position has raised the university’s visibility globally as evidenced by MKU’s physical representation at the Global Higher Education Symposium at the UN Headquarters, New York, in July 2025 in the privileged discussion on Higher Education Institutions’ role in support of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he added.
Photo/ The guests and the MKU leadership during the 27th graduation ceremony
Other partnerships with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya Branch) and the International Law Institute – South African Centre for Excellence on alternative dispute resolution and investment arbitration; Marwadi University of India on ICT support; the National University of Science and Technology, International Maritime College Oman, Abu Dhabi Maritime Academy among others have added value to MKU’s programmes in diverse ways.
Prof Struthers said the university has established the MKU Alumni Award with a prize of Sh5 million. The award, to be competitively awarded at the December 2025 graduation, seeks to identify individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the society post-graduation.
He told the graduands to remember to thank God, their families and teachers for their continued support during their university studies. “Given the rapid changes in technology today, we urge you to remain engaged with your Alma Mater for further training and postgraduate career support,” the Chancellor said.
Photo/ A section of the graduands at MKU graduation ceremony.
The chairman of the University council, Dr Vincent Gaitho, announced the approval of a Tuition Fee Remission Policy to benefit all staff and their dependents with the intention of enhancing their welfare and for the promotion of internal capacity development of human resource capacity. Parents/guardians with more than two children concurrently enrolled at MKU or its affiliates are part of the programme that becomes effective next month.
The chairman said the council has promoted three senior lecturers to Associate Professor positions, 16 lecturers to Senior Lecturer positions, four tutorial fellows are now lecturers while eight staff members were raised in ranks.
Further, MKU continues to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a strategic enabler in its digital transformation journey. “The Council has therefore approved the implementation of a robust ICT system known as University Integrated Resource Platform (UnIRP), a major catalyst in the university’s vision of digital transformation, institutional excellence, and student-centred service delivery. By embracing advancements in technology, MKU hopes to improve the teaching and learning experience of our students and enhance operational efficiency,” said Dr Gaitho.
Photo/Archbishop Anthony Muheria, Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Nyeri confers with a guest during the 27th MKU Graduation ceremony.
He said the MKU council will continue to support Public-Private Partnerships and industry-academia collaborations in the promotion of education, training programmes and re-skilling initiatives to prepare the labour force for AI-driven knowledge economies. “We have partnered with tech giants like Microsoft to create an AI-empowered university system, offering tools and training to students,” he said.
To take advantage of opportunities beyond the local economy, MKU has established a Maritime Academy in Malindi where graduates may enroll to be qualified for opportunities in the Maritime space and the blue economy. Additionally, MKU has partnered with German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to expose students to the German language. Several MKU alumni have competitively enrolled in apprenticeship and job opportunities in Germany.
The chairman encouraged the graduads to keep up with emerging technologies and AI can’t be wished away. ”There are multiple short courses that graduates may enroll in MKU to boost the qualifications you are receiving today to make you more competitive,” he added.
The guest speaker, Dr. Tonny Omwanza, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA) said the event’s theme was a vital guide in the higher education sector in contemporary times. “The transformative power of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence within the Higher Education Institutions in today’s world have emerged as critical components in the education and research ecosystem,” he said.
The CEO said there is an amazing opportunity for MKU to provide leadership on AI in the region. “Colleges like MKU are not just consumers of trends but are expected to be catalysts of trends that shape socio-economic development, actively shaping innovation and AI-driven discourse in academia and industry. The theme is aligned with KeNIA’s agenda of building and nurturing the country’s innovation ecosystem,” he said.
The CEO said his agency is running an entrepreneurial leaders training programme inspiring vice-chancellors as entrepreneurial leaders, who embody leadership styles that combine entrepreneurial qualities like risk-taking and innovation with the strategic and organizational skills needed to lead within a higher education institution.
Photo/ Dancers entertaning guests and graduands during the 27th MKU graduation ceremony
/“We also run Research Commercialization programs as well as Innovation award schemes all of which MKU has had as beneficiaries. MKU staff have also participated in a range of workshops and training programs organized by KeNIA,” he added.
KeNIA’s work includes orchestrating a review of relevant policies, activating incentives, supporting infrastructure enhancements to supporting, organising convenings, facilitating linkages, funding early stage innovations, strengthening capacity, causing linkages to markets. “All these are inputs, which determine how well we do in new products and services development, high value venture creation, startup development among others,” he noted,
Mr Omwanza said MKU is leading by example given the numerous visible initiatives it has undertaken. Under the German funded DAAD African Center for Career Enhancement and Skill Support (ACCESS) 2.0 project 2025-2029, MKU is spearheading a common AI-driven entrepreneurship unit and integrating capstone assignments into a spanning 10 local affiliate universities.
Photo/MKU Chancellor Prof. John Struthers (third left) during the MKU’s 27 graduation ceremony.
The ACCESS 2.0 project in partnership with Leipzig University and 10 local affiliate universities has secured €4.5 million (Sh682 million) for implementation from 2025 to 2029. The project supports annual student innovation across the nine local affiliate universities.
Under the “Africa Meets Bavaria” project—a two-year initiative funded by the Bavarian State Chancellery and coordinated by MKU’s Innovation and Incubation Centre, which is a bridge connecting African ingenuity with Bavarian innovation, three MKU students have been mentored at the innovation hubs in Munich.
“This being a partnership with the Technical University of Munich, the program’s capstone learning visit fosters long-term professional networks and collaborations, advancing the EU-AU innovation agenda and enriching students’ global perspectives,” he said.
KeNIA Research to Commercialization (R2C) Accelerator Programme helps researchers and academics bridge the gap between research ideas and commercial success. The project helps build skills on value proposition design, business modelling, fund raising, user centeredness, pitching, team structuring then further linking to investors and commercialization partners through expert coaching and networking. Over the last two years, the 25 research-based start-ups that have gone through the program have gone ahead to raise upwards of Sh255 million on their own, registered 18 new ventures and created 220 new jobs.
Photo/MKU Chancellor Prof. John Struthers conferring a Phd on a graduand during the 27th graduation at MKU.
He said the Commercialization and Entrepreneurial Institutional Leaders’ Summit (CEIL) annual forum brings together universities, research institutions, private sector actors, incubators, accelerators, and government institutions to explore how to build sustainable enterprises through innovation. “This year’s gathering that will be graced by the Head of Public Service will be held between the 10th and 12th September in Mombasa, focusing on Catalysing Innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems,” he added.
The CEO said the government has recently set up a State Department for Science, Research and Innovation within the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary. This is now where the KeNIA, together with NACOSTI and the National Research Fund are domiciled. “The three entities have specific initiatives targeting universities in accelerating technology adoption and commercialization,” he noted.
He told the graduands to position themselves as problem solvers. “If you are going to build a start-up, the consumer is going to pay for the service because it is either the best pain reliever or the service is the best in creating gains to their lives. You will succeed best if you sharpen your abilities to identify and define good problems in society, then create scalable solutions and consistently work through the development of those solutions into sustainable enterprises or institutions,” he said.
Mr Gikera Kahara, chairman of the MKU Alumni Association and a PHD candidate in Strategic Management, thanked the university management for revitalizing the directorate of alumni relations, which now effectively engages the large and diverse alumni community.
“The MKU Alumni Association is now officially registered, complete with a constitution that structures our engagement with the university and among ourselves. We often showcased our alumni’s achievements—from high-profile leaders to successful individuals influencing their communities—to highlight the positive impact MKU graduates have in society,” he said.
The association has been organizing several reunions and webinars, creating platforms for networking, learning, and collaboration. These events revealed that many alumni possess valuable skills—from event management to entrepreneurship—that the university and alumni association should recognize and leverage.
Welcoming the new graduates to the over 130,000 alumni, Gikera said, “Despite our size, we treat every alumnus as an individual and will seek your participation in upcoming programs. Before the year ends, we will present a comprehensive list of opportunities to get involved in,” he said.
The alumni chairman told the graduands to leverage on technology and AI for growth in skills and careers. “As young graduates stepping into a world increasingly shaped by AI, you are uniquely positioned to carry forward the legacy of universities as catalysts for innovation,” he said.
Present at the fete were, among others, MKU co-founder, Dr. Jane G. Nyutu, Vice-Chancellor, MKU University, Rwanda, Dr. Martin Kimemia and the Chancellor Designate of the same college, Prof. Egara Kabaji; Archbishop Anthony Muheria, Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Nyeri.
Present during the graduation wereMKU co-founder, Dr. Jane G. Nyutu, Vice-Chancellor, MKU University, Rwanda, Dr. Martin Kimemia and the Chancellor Designate of the same college, Prof. Egara Kabaji,.
Others were University Board of Directors, University Council representatives, vice-chancellors or the representatives from other universities.
