Former Education Cabinet Secretary Prof Jacob Kaimenyi has been formally installed as the second chancellor of the Management University of Africa (MUA), and used his first address in the role to challenge Kenyan universities to raise the bar on who they admit and how they teach.

The installation took place on Friday at MUA's main campus in Kisaju, Kajiado County, The Standard reported.

Admissions and AI

Kaimenyi urged institutions to "prioritise the quality of education over student numbers," warning against lowering academic standards to grow enrolment. He called on universities to rethink how they admit learners, design courses and prepare graduates for work, and to bring artificial intelligence into teaching and learning so programmes keep up with digital and technological change.

His remarks land on a familiar sore point. Employer surveys in recent years have flagged a mismatch between what universities teach and what the job market needs. A 2018 Federation of Kenya Employers survey found some graduates working in jobs below their qualifications, while a 2022 employers' skills survey rated TVET institutions above universities in producing job-ready graduates.

A new chancellor for MUA

MUA's Board of Trustees announced Kaimenyi's appointment on 21 October. He succeeds Dr Reuben Musyoka Mutiso, who served as the university's chancellor for 14 years, Education News reported.

The private chartered university was set up by the Kenya Institute of Management, a professional body founded in 1954, and focuses on management, leadership and business programmes from certificate to doctoral level, including distance learning. In announcing the appointment, the university said Kaimenyi's experience in academia and government would support its growth.

Who is Kaimenyi?

  • Joined the University of Nairobi in 1974 in the pioneer Bachelor of Dental Surgery class, later rising to Professor of Periodontology
  • Served as UoN Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) from 2004 to 2013
  • Education Cabinet Secretary from 2013, then Lands and Housing CS until 2018
  • Later posted as Kenya's envoy to Belgium, also covering the European Union and Luxembourg
  • Appointed Chief Scout of Kenya in 2022

His return to university leadership comes as national enrolment has crossed 700,000 students, according to the Commission for University Education, and as campuses grapple with overcrowded classes and staff shortages, making his call for quality over numbers likely to resonate across the sector.

Photos: Education News (Prof Jacob Kaimenyi); The Standard (Kaimenyi speaking at his installation as MUA chancellor in Kisaju). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.