MKU founder gets honorary award

Mount Kenya University proprietor Simon Gicharu has been awarded a honorary professorship award at the International University of Management (IUM) in Namibia. In a statement to recognize Gicharu’s achievement, Dr Kleopas Dumeni hailed his contribution to education sector in Africa. “Gicharu is an astute entrepreneur whose works are manifest in the growth MKU. We honour you for the great achievement,” said Dr Dumeni. During his reponse, Gicharu termed the award ‘timely’ saying it blends with the ongoing celebrations to mark MKU 20 years of ‘excellence and growth from strength to strength.’ “This award will fuel our resolve at MKU to work harder and vastly improve service to humanity. It is indeed a very humbling experience and a grand feedback to me, my family, to the Board of Directors, the entire MKU community,” he added. While praising, African governments for their role in promoting education, VC Gicharu cautioned that education should not be a preserve of a chosen few. “Education must be made accessible to as many Africans as possible by making it affordable. Our higher learning institutions must also align their goals and objectives along these ambitious visions for the good of our African people,” said Gicharu before challenging African governments to work towards harmonization of curriculums. “We want a situation where someone can study anywhere and work anywhere in then Pan African spirit. I am therefore happy to note that the growth and spread of MKU to different parts of Africa goes a long way towards strengthening the Pan- African spirit, a spirit that has a great potential for socio-economic emancipation for all Africans. A united Africa will provide the synergy needed for faster growth and development,” Gicharu. MKU campuses in Rwanda have more than 4,500 students.