Former Education CS Jacob Kaimenyi appointed Chancellor of Management University of Africa

Former Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. Jacob Thuranira Kaimenyi has been appointed Chancellor of the Management University of Africa (MUA), succeeding Dr. Reuben Musyoka Mutiso, who served in the position for 14 years.

The Nairobi-based university announced the appointment on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, saying its Board of Trustees had named Kaimenyi its second Chancellor. In congratulating him, the university expressed confidence that his experience in academia and government would contribute to its continued growth and institutional development. "We warmly congratulate Prof. Kaimenyi, whose exceptional service to academia and to the nation is widely recognised," the university said, adding that it looked forward to benefiting from his experience.

Kaimenyi's career spans more than four decades in academia, university administration, government and diplomacy. He joined the University of Nairobi in 1974 as a member of the pioneer Bachelor of Dental Surgery class, graduating in 1978. He later pursued postgraduate studies in Periodontology at the University of Mangalore in India and earned a PhD from the University of Nairobi. He rose at the university to become a Professor of Periodontology, then served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs from 2004 to 2013.

In 2013, he was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Education, Science and Technology in former President Uhuru Kenyatta's first administration. He later served as Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Housing and Urban Development from 2015 to 2018. His public service extended into diplomacy when he was nominated as Kenya's Permanent Representative to UNESCO in Paris in early 2018, a posting changed to Belgium in July of the same year.

While in Belgium, he also represented Kenya at the European Union and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, engaging in diplomatic, trade and development affairs, and participated in engagements involving the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Kaimenyi has received national honours, including the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) and the Elder of the Golden Heart (EGH), and was appointed Chief Scout of Kenya in 2022.

The Management University of Africa is a private chartered university in Nairobi specialising in management, leadership and business education. Established by the Kenya Institute of Management, a professional body founded in 1954, the institution traces its roots to 2011.

Its programmes span certificate courses to postgraduate and doctoral studies, with areas of focus including business administration, entrepreneurship, development studies, education, supply chain management and leadership. The university also offers distance-learning opportunities and was granted its full charter by the Commission for University Education. Its mission centres on quality education, innovative teaching and research, while nurturing leaders, entrepreneurs and change agents equipped to respond to the demands of a changing global economy.