- Ruto has urged universities to prioritise quality and relevance over expansion, noting Kenya now has 90 authorised universities with about 630,000 students enrolled in 2024.
- Ruto has called for stronger university-industry collaboration and urged universities to build strong academic foundations rather than rushing to expand.
President William Ruto has urged Kenyan universities to focus on the quality and relevance of education rather than simply increasing the number of institutions and students.
Ruto said universities must produce graduates with skills that can help solve problems facing the country, create businesses and contribute to the economy. He was speaking on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, when he issued a Letter of Interim Authority to Kamagambo University in Kisumu County, paving the way for the institution to operate as a private university.
The President said Kamagambo’s interim status means the institution has taken an important step but still has to prove itself through quality education, proper governance and responsible management. “The word ‘interim’ matters. Kamagambo has crossed the threshold, but it has not reached its destination,” Ruto said, challenging the university to maintain high academic standards and earn the confidence placed in it through its performance.
Ruto said Kenya’s university sector has expanded significantly, with the number of institutions authorised to operate as universities now reaching 90 following the establishment of Kamagambo University. He noted that the expansion has also increased access to higher education, with about 630,000 students pursuing degree programmes in 2024 and nearly 124,000 graduates recorded during the year. However, he said the increase in university numbers and student enrolment should not come at the expense of quality. “Access without quality disappoints the student and quality without relevance disappoints the nation,” he said.
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According to Ruto, universities should prepare students not only to look for jobs but also to create businesses and develop solutions to challenges in different sectors. He pointed to agriculture, healthcare, affordable housing, digital technology and renewable energy as areas that require skilled professionals and locally developed solutions. The President also called for stronger cooperation between universities, industry and government to ensure that what students learn is connected to the needs of the workplace, saying employers should have a role in shaping university curricula while students should be exposed to workplaces and practical challenges.
Ruto further urged universities to strengthen research and ensure that innovations developed in institutions of higher learning can be turned into businesses and jobs. “A country that continually imports knowledge will continually import solutions. Kenya must become a nation that produces knowledge, applies it, and exports it,” he said.
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Kamagambo University has its roots in the Adventist mission established in 1912 and grew from a teacher-training institution whose graduates served in schools across the country. Ruto said the institution now has an opportunity to build on that history by training professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders who can contribute to Kenya’s development. He also cautioned the new university against rushing to expand, saying its priority should be to establish strong academic foundations and maintain quality as it grows.
By Lizzy Aluga
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