MKU’s Kigali Campus Renamed After Receiving Charter by Rwandan Govt
Mount Kenya University’s Kigali Campus in Rwanda has been renamed Mount Kigali University after being granted a charter by the Rwandan government, making it a fully-fledged university. The institution, which has been in operation for more than a decade, has more than 6,000 students.
Becoming independent has been a long process for the campus, which began in 2018. Kenyan public universities in Rwanda have faced difficulties operating, with Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology eventually closing after a dispute with the higher education regulator in Kigali.
This left their investments in a poor state. With the new charter, the Mount Kigali University will become an autonomous entity, which the MKU Regional Marketing and Communications Director Henry Musisi said will ease learning and graduation as students no longer need to travel to Kenya to graduate.
The Rwandan government will provide a conducive environment for the university to operate. Mr Musisi noted that Rwanda has been experiencing a shortage of manpower in the hospitality and tourism sector, a gap that the university plans to fill.
The university has already broken ground on the construction of the Kigali Paramount Hotel, a Sh500 million ($4.7 million) facility that will serve as the regional training center for hospitality and tourism programs. This will target the larger East African market and is expected to be completed later this year.
The university will focus on producing graduates with employability skills that are relevant to the market, particularly in the hospitality and tourism sectors, as well as in health training and research and the school of business.
Mr Musisi said Rwanda is a big market for higher education, and once students complete Form 6, they can choose the university they want to attend. The government also gives scholarships in prioritized areas.
Mount Kenya University is owned by businessman Simon Gicharu, who has diversified his investments from education to real estate, media, and the hospitality industry in Thika and Mombasa, where he owns Nyali Golf View Residence.
MKU’s Kigali Campus Renamed After Receiving Charter by Rwandan Govt