MKU Setting Up A New 1Billion Engineering School In Thika.

Mount Kenya University is planning to set up a Sh1 billion School of Engineering in Thika.

On his Facebook page, MKU Founder and Chairman, Board of Trustees Dr. Simon N. Gicharu said that they shall set up the school at their Thika Main Campus.

This move comes hot in the heels of the partnership agreement they signed recently with China University of Petroleum (East China.

Vice Chancellor Prof Stanley Waudo confirmed the same shortly after his term was renewed for another three years by the board of directors.

“Empowering local communities by improving the knowledge base has always been one of our key drivers. My main focus now is consolidation of the growth that this institution has achieved. I intend to oversee the setting up of engineering programmes which will be my legacy,” Prof Waudo said.

China University of Petroleum (East China), founded in 1953 as Beijing Petroleum Institute, along with its sister university in Beijing, are considered to be among the best universities in petroleum-related studies in China.

The 5-year MoU will be discussed one year prior to its expiration and reviewed if necessary, based on the mutual agreement of the universities, if not it will be reviewed automatically for another five years.

“Either party, upon giving a one-year written notice to the other part may terminate this understanding provided that such termination will not affect the completion of any activity underway at the time,” the MoU states.

The administration of the MoU will be the responsibility of Dean of the College of International Education, China University of Petroleum (East China) and the Director of Global linkages at MKU.

Prof. Waudo’s tenure was extended by the Board due to his impeccable performance in the last eight years.

“Eight years ago today (May, 2008), the Commission for Higher Education, thoroughly impressed by the steps we had taken as a college, rightly observed that we would greatly expand higher education opportunities for young people in Kenya if we became a university. Thika Institute of Technology thus became Mount Kenya University. Prof. Stanley Waudo, a meritorious academic and consummate administrator, became the founding Vice-Chancellor. Recently, we as the Board of MKU renewed his contract for another three-year term. Under his stewardship, no doubt, Mount Kenya University has reached stratospheres heights. I wish to congratulate Prof. Waudo, pictured here with other members of the University Council when we received the Letter of Interim Authority,” Gicharu said in a statement sent to the newsroom.

  

He added that they had decided to extend Prof Waudo’s tenure to allow him complete the projects he had started.

“We are so impressed by his performance which surpassed our expectations. He is a dedicated servant and we will support him to the end,” he said.

A former don at the Kenyatta University since 1985, Prof Waudo has served as MKU VC since 2008. He also holds a PhD in Plant Pathology from Iowa State University.

Dr. Gicharu also announced that the University Council had appointed Prof Evans Kerosi Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration and Institutional Advancement for another three years.