Mount Kenya University will this month celebrate ten years of operations in Rwanda even as it readies to receive a charter from the Government of Rwanda, enabling to open a fully-fledged university in the country.

Simon Gicharu founder and chairman MKU said the entity had applied for a charge following growth in its Rwanda Campus, necessitating it to scale up operations in the country as well as the need to overcome cross border challenges in running the institution. He added that the institution expects to be granted a charter by Rwanda in the coming months and give it room to operate as a fully-fledged university.

The move will make the Rwanda institution autonomous and will be a boon for students who have currently have to travel to Thika to sort out administration issues as well as graduations on completion of studies.

"With the growing number of students now at 4 000, 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" he said.

Prof Gicharu spoke at a meeting with Dr Richard Masozera the Rwandan High Commissioner to Rwanda when paid the university a courtesy call on Tuesday 24th September, 2019.

The High Commissioner had earlier been received by the MKU  Vice Chancellor Prof Stanley Waudo who noted that the Government of Rwanda had accorded MKU an enabling environment to private institutions of higher learning in the country.

Dr Masozera’s visit also included a one-hour session with the Rwandan students studying at MKU’s main campus in Thika.  In their presentation to the Ambassador, the Rwandan students expressed their deep appreciation to MKU for the great support so far offered to them by the University, as well as individual growth received while in Kenya. Dr Masozera, urged the Rwandan students to take full advantage of their stay at MKU by working hard on their studies and eventually return back home as skilled citizens for nation building. 

Other than the campus in Kigali, MKU has also made investments in communications through Royal FM, a commercial station operated by its school of Communication and Mass Media. To expand its audience base, Prof Gicharu announced plans to set up five English language training centres in Rwanda.

There are about 20 other private universities in Rwanda. initially operating three other campuses, the university management consolidated them into one into an ultramodern facility in the upmarket Kigali to offer postgraduate, bachelors’ degrees, diploma and certificate courses.