Building the Future: 30 UoN Students secure Future Urban Builders Scholarship
Nairobi’s infrastructure challenges require more than financial investment, they demand a sophisticated new blueprint and a generation of professionals equipped to execute it. This was the central theme at the event held at the Confucius Institute, University of Nairobi on Friday, January 9, 2026, as 30 students were named the inaugural recipients of the Future Urban Builders Scholarship established by the Chinese Property Developers Association Kenya (KCDA). To cement this commitment, the KCDA presented a cheque of 2 million Kenya Shillings to Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Jackson Maalu, who received the donation on behalf of the University to support the scholarship fund and the broader welfare of needy students.
Prof. Siphila Mumenya, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and Prof. Owiti Abiero K’Akumu, Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment and Design, presented 30 outstanding students from their respective faculties to receive the inaugural scholarship. This first cohort comprising 10 engineering students and 20 from the Built Environment and Design disciplines; represents a new generation of professionals tasked with managing the country’s complex infrastructure needs.
Prof. Wang Shangxue, Director of the Confucius Institute at UoN, welcomed the guests by framing the scholarship within a long-standing history of international exchange. She noted that the partnership has already facilitated the travel of 239 Kenyans to China, including 57 academic staff and experts from the Ministry of Education. With 50 scholarships currently supporting students from undergraduate to postgraduate levels, Prof. Wang emphasized that this new initiative by Chinese Property Developers Association represents a critical expansion of Sino-Kenyan academic and industrial collaboration, specifically targeting the professionals who will design Kenya's future cities.
Prof. Jackson Maalu characterized the scholarship as a vital intervention for Kenya’s Vision 2030 goals. He noted that the collaboration with KCDA is not merely a financial transaction, but a strategic alignment that integrates rigorous academic training with global industrial expertise. "True progress is built on the foundation of knowledge, collaboration, and mutual respect," Prof. Maalu stated, emphasizing that by fostering this synergy, the University is positioning its graduates to transition from classroom theory to the leadership of sustainable urban development.
Mr. Zhang Jiaping, Chairperson of the KCDA, reinforced this sentiment by describing the award as a "sacred trust" handed to the students. He explained that the association’s mission is to enhance construction quality in Kenya by leveraging local materials and supporting job creation. For the recipients—10 from the Faculty of Engineering and 20 from the Faculty of Built Environment and Design—the benefit extends beyond tuition coverage; it offers direct exposure to the standards and expectations of the international real estate and construction sectors.
The ceremony transitioned into a candid panel discussion titled "Youth Ingenuity Building Dreams of a Beautiful City," where academic discourse met the pragmatic bottlenecks of Nairobi’s growth. Prof. Siphila Mumenya advocated for a shift toward integrated planning that eliminates the need for residents to traverse the city for basic services. She argued that modern design must prioritize localized amenities—schools, offices, and social spaces—while incorporating advanced water treatment and solid waste management from the very beginning.
Adding a long-term perspective, Dr. Musyimi Mbathi from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning challenged the awardees to think beyond immediate project cycles. He suggested that true urban resilience requires a 200-year planning horizon, noting that a "triple helix" of academia, government policy, and industry developers is the only viable framework for managing rapid urbanization. This view was echoed by student representative Bradley Otieno, who highlighted that the city’s survival depends on how effectively his generation reworks critical drainage and decongestion systems. Mr. Woo of the KCDA further suggested that Kenya can bypass common urban pitfalls by adopting modern planning technologies and drawing lessons from China’s rapid infrastructure model.
For the 30 recipients, the scholarship provides essential financial relief, but the broader institutional benefit lies in grounding engineering and design degrees in the practical realities of the Kenyan construction industry. By bridging the gap between the lecture hall and the building site, the University of Nairobi continues to ensure that its graduates possess the capacity to manage the immense complexities of a future built environment.
