TU-K Profile

In the 1920s there were heightened agitations for the expansion of access to higher education by indigenous leaders in the East African Territories. Concerted efforts in the form of committees, commissions and conferences resulted in positive developments that included the elevation of Makerere Institute to Makerere University College of the University of London in 1949, approval of the Royal Technical College of East Africa (RTCEA) in Nairobi with construction starting on 25th January 1952, and the establishment of Dar es Salaam University College in 1961.

RTC in Nairobi admitted the first cohort of students pursuing Architecture, Arts, Domestic Science, Engineering and Science in 1956. Simultaneously, another group of students were registered to the Kenya Technical Institute but admitted (in 1956) within the tuition of RTCEA in Nairobi.

The Kenya Polytechnic was registered by the Ministry of Education as a post-secondary educational institution on 18th January 1967 and assigned registration number 12715. It was initially authorized to carry a maximum of 2,075 students. Over the years, the Polytechnic experienced great expansion in student enrollment, diversity of academic programmes and in general scope of operations.

From its founding, The Kenya Polytechnic quickly established itself as a centre of excellence in the training of middle-level manpower for Kenya and other East African countries — a reputation reflected in the recognition and respect her graduates have continued to enjoy in the employment market.

The institution was established with the principal objective to train largely in the technical fields, especially architecture, surveying and planning, supported by programmes in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The scope later expanded to Business Studies and Management, Hospitality and Hotel Management, Health Sciences and Technology, Design and Printing, and — from the 1970s — Computer Science and Information Technology. Courses in communications and liberal studies were also introduced so that technical graduates could connect technological knowledge with the practical needs of society.

In 2005, the Government of Kenya launched Sessional Paper No. 1: A Policy Framework for Education, Training, and Research. The Paper provided for upgrading of national polytechnics to offer degree programmes in their areas of expertise, while continuing to offer traditional tertiary programmes and remaining an apex of TVET.

On 23rd August 2007, the President of the Republic of Kenya signed the Kenya Polytechnic University College Legal Order, formally establishing the Kenya Polytechnic University College as a constituent college of the University of Nairobi. The college began functioning as a university college in November 2008 when the Principal was appointed.

In July 2009, the university college had its first programmes approved by Senate at the University of Nairobi in electrical and electronic engineering — Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), and Diploma in Technology (Dip. Tech.). The first cohort of degree students joined in January 2009.

The Technical University of Kenya (TU-K) was established through the elevation of The Kenya Polytechnic University College (KPUC) to full university status. TU-K was established as the first Technical University in Kenya in line with the provisions of the Universities Act, 2012.

The technical university is a new type of university in Kenya, whose mandate is to offer higher education and research in technology — conceived as a technological force behind Vision 2030 and the nation's economic development. Countries that have made major technological breakthroughs have often been propelled by their technological universities.

TU-K offers undergraduate degrees at Bachelor's level. Beyond training professionals such as engineers, architects, surveyors, planners and estate managers, TU-K continues the KPUC tradition of producing technologists — bridging the gap between the engineer and the technician. Traditionally the engineer is trained for conceptualisation, innovation and design; the technologist focuses on production of artefacts and implementation of systems.

TU-K offers the degree of Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) for aspiring technologists, alongside full professional degrees such as Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.), Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), and Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.).