Mount Kenya University Rwanda (MKUR), Kigali campus has been granted a charter by Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s administration and rebranded to Mount Kigali University (MKU).
Effectively, this makes MKU the first ever cross-border campus in Rwanda to attain the charter and full accreditation.
The institution will henceforth operate as a fully-fledged university.
The cabinet sitting last Thursday under the chairmanship of President Paul Kagame approved the ministerial order granting accreditation and legal personality to Mount Kigali University.
A communique from the Office of the Prime Minister made the announcement.
MKU Vice Chancellor designate, Professor Edwin Odhuno thanked the government of Rwanda for granting the university the new status.
“We are extremely grateful to the Ministry of Education for this recognition,” said Prof Odhuno upon learning of the news, adding: “As an institution, we are happy with this achievement and will work even harder to expand access to higher education.”
Odhuno added that the accreditation is an exciting, yet challenging development because it means the university has the responsibility of delivering much more in teaching, research and community outreach.
On his part, MKU founder and chairman Professor Simon Gicharu said the change of the university status in Rwanda will enhance service delivery quality education skills to all.
“With the growing number of students, we thought it would be wise to make MKU, Rwanda autonomous to serve them better. And the government of President Paul Kagame continues to be very supportive. We thank him for this.” Chairman noted.
Gicharu said students will no longer have to travel to Thika to sort out administration issues as well as attend graduation ceremonies as Mount Kigali University is now fully pledged.
MKU regional Marketing and Communications Director Henry Musisi said the rebranding and a new charter will enable the institution to operate autonomously across Rwanda and independently from its counterpart in Thika, Kenya.
The Kigali campus offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, diplomas and certificates in various disciplines.
In addition, the university recently initiated the construction of Sh500 million Kigali Paramount Hotel, which is expected to function as the regional training centre for hospitality and tourism programmes, aiming to target the broader East African market.
The hotel is scheduled to be fully completed by the end of this year.
Benson Abuto, who heads MKU Rwanda’s Hospitality and Tourism Department said the department, backed by the hotel, could perform a similar role as Kenya Utalii College, training for the region.
