Kenya's First Open University: What It Is & Courses Offered

Kenya on Thursday, August 3 launched its first open university located at the Konza City Technopolis in Machakos County.

The Open University of Kenya (OUK) had its charter awarded by President William Ruto during a function held at the university's grounds after the previous administration had shelved the plan due to financial constraints.

"Whereas the Cabinet Secretary for Education has submitted the charter to me with recommendation there on and whereas Parliament has approved the establishment of the said Open University of Kenya, in accordance with the requirements of the universities, act 2012. I William Samoei Ruto, President, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, of the Republic of Kenya I am satisfied that the awarding of charter to the Open University of Kenya, will be of benefit to the advancement of University Education in Kenya," Ruto said.

“In exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 24 (1b) of the University Act, I William Samoei Ruto, President and commander of Armed Forces of the Republic of Kenya, hereby award the charter to the Open University of Kenya on August 3, 2023 and wish the university a great success.”

The Head of State at the same time appointed James Mwangi, Group Managing Director of Equity Group Holdings PLC, as Chancellor of the OUK. Professor Ezra Maritim will be the OUK's council chair.

Viral Tea takes a look at what you should know about the Open University of Kenya:

What are open universities?

Open universities are institutions offering degrees with low or no entry requirements. They are the ideal study options for students who have graduated from their previous studies with low grades but want to continue their higher education.

Another aspect that makes them stand out is the fact that they are distance learning studies, meaning you don't have to travel to a physical location to study. This means that courses are taught fully online or with materials sent to your home.

The goal of open universities is to offer everyone equal opportunities to develop their abilities, improve their level of education and retrain for a new career. They are also the ideal way to become eligible for pursuing a typical university degree afterwards.

Open universities have very few entry requirements

The term open university usually refers to a university with an open-door academic policy, that is, no entry requirements. That is why open universities are usually ”open” to all students.

The initial thought behind open universities was to make higher education accessible to everyone. For example, this means that you might be accepted even when you do not have a certificate from secondary school.

How Was The Open University of Kenya Formed?

OUK's idea was conceptualised through the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2005 which was titled, A Policy Framework Education, Training and Research; Meeting the Challenges of Education, Training and Research in Kenya in the 21st Century.

President Ruto appointed the Presidential Working Group on Education Reform (PWER) on September 30, 2022, led by Prof. Raphael Munavu, to, among other things, recommend a framework for the operationalisation of the National Open University of Kenya and open, distance and e-learning (ODEL).

A technical working committee was established on January 9, 2023, to fast-track the implementation of the proposed university.

President William Ruto awarding a charter to the Open University in Kenya (OUK) on August 2, 2023, in Machakos County. /MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

The Commission for University of Education (CUE) in a letter dated June 7, 2023, approved the recommendations for the award of a Charter for the OUK by the Head of State. 

“The Commission in its deliberations appreciated the uniqueness of the proposed Open University of Kenya, being the first university to be established without being mentored by an existing university hence lack of a governing organ to incur expenses,” the letter read. 

Another letter dated May 4, 2023, by the Secretary to the Cabinet Mercy Wanjau, showed that the Cabinet approved the establishment of the OUK noting that the proposed university was of strategic national importance.

Its formation is based on the Universities Act, of 2012 which provides for the setting up of a specialised university to offer programmes on e-learning platforms. Previous attempts to form OUK stretched back to 2010 when the late Mwai Kibaki was president, but they fell short owing to a deficiency of funds.

How Will The University Be Managed?

Just like any other university, OUK will be managed by a Vice-Chancellor who will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the institution. The VC will also have Deputy Vice-Chancellors, a Senate, a Council and student bodies. 

"The funds of the University shall comprise such sums as may be granted to the University by the exchequer and such monies or assets as may accrue to or vest in the University in the course of performance of its functions under this Charter and the Statutes," the draft regulations reads.

Courses Offered

The Open University of Kenya seeks to admit its first cohort of about 7,100 students in September 2023 into eight programmes; six Bachelor programmes and two postgraduate programmes. 

The bachelor flagship programmes include; a Bachelor of Data Science, a Bachelor of Science in Cyber and Digital Forensics, a Bachelor of Technology Education, a Bachelor of Entrepreneurship and Business, a Bachelor of Economics and Statistics, and a Bachelor of Agri-Technology and Food Systems.  

The two postgraduate programmes offered are Leadership and Accountability and Learning Design and Technology. 

Location of the university 

According to a report on the Consideration of the Draft Charter for the Establishment of the OUK, the university will be located at Konza Technopolis while its virtual presence will be supported by a Learning Management System with both physical and cloud servers.  

“Currently the seat is currently being hosted at the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) headquarters on a temporary basis,” the report reads.

Fees Charged

Even though the institution is yet to announce in detail the course fees and additional charges, previous reports indicated that the committee proposed that degree students pay between Ksh10,400 and Ksh10,900 per module while post-graduate diploma courses cost Ksh130,000 per year.   

This is considering that a full-time student will be expected to take between four and six modules. 

"The cost per module is Ksh10,400 for the Bachelor of Data Science, Bachelor of Economics and Statistics, Bachelor of Science in Business and Entrepreneurship, Bachelor of Technology Education and Bachelor of Cyber Security and Digital Forensics,” the committee said. 

"For the two post-diploma courses, Diploma in Learning Design and Technology and Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and Accountability offered in the first year, the projected fee per year is Ksh130,000.”

The proposed fees are however expected to be lower than other universities.

A look at the Open University of Kenya located at Konza City Technopolis in Machakos County launched on August 3, 2023. /PCS