Islamic University of Kenya has opened its branch in Garissa town five months after it received its charter.
The university received the charter on November 5, 2024, from President William Ruto, an event that officially recognized the university’s status under the Universities Act (2012).
Speaking at the ceremony that was held at a Garissa hotel, the university’s board, led by Sheikh Mohamed Osman, thanked President Ruto for recognizing the role played by the institution in imparting knowledge to Kenyans.
While urging the youth to take advantage of the opportunity to enroll for various courses at the university, Osman described the charter as a milestone, especially for the North Eastern region, as far as promoting education standards is concerned.
He said the university is founded on Islamic values that emphasize knowledge, discipline, compassion, and justice.
“As we struggle with poverty, insecurity, language barriers, and unemployment, there is a need to inculcate these values that will in turn provide sustainable solutions through empowerment and enlightenment,” Osman said.
The board member disclosed that they would be offering courses that are in line with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) and called on the residents to take advantage of the opportunity by enrolling.
“We intend to have a fully-fledged medical school where doctors, dentists, radiologists, pharmacists, and many other faculties of medicine will also be offered,” he added.
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo said the opening of the branch was a bold stride toward the realization of a dream long held by the people of the region—a dream of access, equity, and empowerment through higher education.
Mwabudzo described the campus as a beacon of hope, a symbol of opportunity, and a gateway to a better future for the young people.
“It is through education that the son of a herdsman can become a doctor, the daughter of a single mother can become a lawyer, and the youth of this region can rise to become leaders, innovators, and agents of change,” Mwabudzo said.
“This new campus will open doors that were previously a pipe dream for many from the region. It will also inspire dreams that may have once seemed unreachable,” he added.
On his part, a former Director of the Young Muslim Association, Sheikh Abdisalan Mohamed, said that many students whose dream of studying abroad could not materialize due to financial constraints from the family finally have a reason to smile.
“Many of our sons and daughters who completed Form Four and wanted to pursue higher education abroad could not due to financial constraints. But with this new university in Garissa, many will have the opportunity of fulfilling their dreams,” he said.
In his address, SUPKEM National Organizing Secretary Sheikh Abdullahi Salat said that the university would go a long way in addressing the issue of the teachers’ shortage that has been of great concern in the region for a long time.
Salat called on the county government to prioritize allocating land to the university for future expansion.
Former Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye challenged parents to invest in their children’s education, noting that “it’s the only gift that would guarantee a better future for a child.”
Shidiye said that other than education, the new institution would bring other good tidings through providing employment for the youth.
The former legislator said that human resource remained the biggest capital in the world and that many economies have grown by skillfully putting their human resource to good use, and challenged the government to do the same.
By Jacob Songok
