Mount Kenya University is a private, multi-campus university in the municipal town of Thika, Kenya. It was established by Prof. Simon N. Gicharu and has become one of the most significant private universities in Kenya. MKU has a student population of 52,000 as of September 2015.
The idea behind the establishment of the university dates back to 1996, when the precursor of the university, the Thika Institute of Technology, was founded as a computer outreach program. At this point in time in Kenyan history, the development of information and communication technology (ICT), both mobile telephony and computer technology, had started gaining upward momentum in rural and urban centers.
In the year 2000, the institute developed into a commercial college offering management and computer training programs. Later in the year, the Ministry of Education Science and Technology recognized the institute as a full-fledged institution of higher learning and granted it full registration approval.
In order to remain relevant to the training needs of society, the institute initiated training programs in the fields of paramedical, information technology, and business and entrepreneurship education in the year 2002.
In the year 2005, the institute became the 1st private institution in Kenya to be allowed to train pharmaceutical technologists by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of the Ministry of Health.
In the year 2006, the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) validated and approved the institute’s request for collaboration with JKUAT to offer both diploma and degree programs. The Institute continued to work closely with the Commission for Higher Education in line with the stipulated guidelines for establishing a privately funded university.
