The State Department for Higher Education and Research unveiled Open University of Kenya, the first public virtual university in the country.
President William Ruto awarded the charter to the university at the Konza Technopolis in Machakos County and installed Equity Group CEO James Mwangi as the first chancellor of the institution.
In his inaugural speech, Mwangi said the university will offer affordable and accessible higher education through distance learning.
He said the conventional mode of learning which many people have enjoyed for decades is no longer sustainable due to new global challenges and constraints.
“Constraints are imminent during calamities like the Covid-19 pandemic and this justifies the putting up of an open university to manage the constraints of the old model of education,” said the CEO.
Mwangi added that the advancement of ICT has provided more efficient ways of learning and Kenya should join other countries that have embraced technology.
“The increasing demand for higher education and particularly in a country where half of the population is below the age of 15 cannot sustain the conventional learning, Kenya needs to join other nations and reap the benefits of technological advancement,” he noted.
The CEO further noted that the university will create a competitive workforce by creating access to higher education learning through distance learning.
“Technology has continued to create disruptions in the delivery of services to the society bringing efficiency and productivity. Kenya will use this technology to support open learning,” said Mwangi.
He hailed the president for appointing him as the first chancellor and pledged to use his expertise to ensure the success of the university.
“I am humbled for the opportunity accorded to me and having served as the chancellor for Meru University of Science and Technology for ten years I bring the insights I have learned to the new university,” added the CEO.
Speaking at the same event, University Council Chair Professor Ezra Maritim said the university marked a significant milestone in the history of higher education in the country due to its mode of delivery.
“The emergence of the new institution whose mode of teaching is virtual promises to reshape the landscape of university education in the country,” said Professor Maritim.
He reiterated that the university will play a pivotal role in the education sector which has witnessed an escalating demand for equitable and accessible university education.
“The demand has made university education highly competitive arising the need to have a university that focuses on open and distance learning to learners who are unable to attend a traditional university,” said Professor Maritim.
The council chair said the university will offer courses that are tailored to meet the various needs of learners including employees not able to attend conventional lectures.
He said some of the courses to be offered include Bachelor of Data Science, Bachelor of Economics and Statistics, Bachelor of Science in Business and Entrepreneurship, Bachelor of Technology Education and Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics.
Others are a post-graduate diploma in Leadership and Accountability and a diploma in Design and Technology.
He further noted that the university will enhance the skills and knowledge of the workforce contributing to the growth of the country’s economy.
“The university will afford learners an opportunity to study while fulfilling their work and family duties, “added Professor Maritim.
The council chair noted that the university will also give learners an alternative of the conventional classroom that cannot withstand disruptions like the Covid 19 pandemic.
“The institution is timely and will provide learners with an opportunity to continue with education in case of a disruption like the Covid 19,” he said.
Professor Maritim said the council will monitor the university to ensure quality standards.
By Roselyne Kavoo
