Nairobi: Newly installed Kenyatta University Vice-Chancellor Prof. John Okumu has been challenged to build on the institution’s achievements and steer it towards greater excellence, sustainability, innovation, and global impact. Prof. Okumu formally assumed leadership of the university during an installation ceremony held at the Graduation Square at the Main Campus on Friday, where university leaders called for unity and collective effort in advancing the institution’s mission.
According to Kenya News Agency, in his brief remarks during the ceremony, Prof. Okumu said his experience at the university had shaped his career and placed him in a position to contribute to the development of Kenya. ‘There is something that I have seen during my time here. There is something that I have seen to be able to build my whole career, to be able to help build the future of Kenya,’ Prof. Okumu said. His installation marked a new chapter in the leadership of the university and coincided with the matriculation of first-year students joining the institution.
The Chancellor of Kenyatta University, Ambassador Francis Muthaura, congratulated Prof. Okumu on his installation as the seventh Vice-Chancellor, saying the office carried both honour and responsibility. Amb. Muthaura said Prof. Okumu had inherited an institution built over decades through the labour, imagination, and sacrifice of many people and therefore had a responsibility to preserve what had served the university well while improving areas requiring change.
Amb. Muthaura emphasized the theme of the occasion, ‘Forging Ahead in Unity, Excellence, Sustainability, and Greater Global Impact,’ as it captured the task facing the university. He urged the University Council, management, Senate, staff, students, and alumni to support the new Vice-Chancellor, stressing that while leadership may reside in an office, institutional success remains a collective responsibility.
On academic excellence, the Chancellor highlighted Kenyatta University’s strong reputation in various fields but warned that continuous effort is necessary to sustain such a reputation. He challenged the university to aspire to become a leading institution on the African continent, likening it to global institutions like Harvard and Oxford.
Amb. Muthaura also addressed sustainability, urging the university to use its resources responsibly and establish systems that would remain effective beyond individual leaders. He encouraged an open and creative mindset, rejecting the notion that Africans are destined to remain followers.
The Non-Executive Chairperson of the Kenyatta University Council, Prof. Clara Momanyi, expressed confidence in Prof. Okumu’s ability to lead the institution. She emphasized the importance of integrity, fairness, and results in leadership and assured him of the Council’s support in achieving the university’s strategic objectives.
The ceremony also served to welcome first-year students, highlighting the support systems available to them, including accommodation, chaplaincy, security, health services, and innovation centers. New students were encouraged to prioritize their academics, maintain healthy lifestyles, and adhere to university regulations.
Other dignitaries present included the representative of the Principal Secretary for Higher Education, Dr. Beatrice Inyangala, and Nyali lawmaker Mohamed Ali.
