UoN on Track for Competency-Based Learning Transition

The University has reported significant progress in preparations for the transition to Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), positioning itself to receive the first cohort of learners under the new system in 2029. A Monitoring and Evaluation exercise conducted on Friday, 5th June 2026 by the State Department for Higher Education and Research highlighted progress in curriculum alignment and institutional readiness. The assessment forms part of a nationwide initiative to evaluate universities’ capacity to implement recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.

Leading the Ministry delegation, Dr. David Watene, Director of Higher Education at the State Department for Higher Education and Research, linked the University’s strong showing in the latest Centre for World University Rankings report to its enduring academic leadership, observing that, “This institution has mentored the vast majority of us in leadership today, and it is gratifying to see our alma mater continue to set the standard for academic excellence.” He noted that the Monitoring and Evaluation exercise would determine the University’s readiness for the transition to the CBET framework.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ayub Gitau, emphasized the University’s systemic realignment to support the national reform agenda. “As a university, our collective responsibility is to ensure that the transition results in graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also competent, adaptable, and equipped to contribute effectively to society and the economy,” Prof. Gitau noted. He highlighted that CBET is now embedded as a standing agenda item in University Senate and Council meetings to guarantee continuous academic oversight. The University has also established dedicated technical committees to steer implementation across faculties and has committed significant resources to programme review, accreditation, and quality assurance, laying a firm foundation for the new framework.

Prof. Rosemary Imonje, Team Leader of the University’s CBET Committee and Curriculum Expert, reported that curriculum transformation efforts are now at an advanced stage. She noted that the process began in 2024 and has since involved extensive faculty engagement, curriculum review, and staff retooling. “The University is on track,” she said. “We have conducted sensitization sessions across faculties and continue to engage academic staff through Training of Trainers programmes to ensure effective implementation.”

Discussions during the exercise also examined challenges that universities must address before full implementation. Among the issues highlighted were staffing shortages in specialized disciplines, high student-to-staff ratios in some programmes, the need to modernize laboratories and practical training facilities, and increasing investment requirements for digital learning technologies.

Even so, the University pointed to ongoing investments designed to strengthen future readiness. These include improvements to sports and recreational facilities to support emerging pathways, and the development of the Engineering Science Complex Project, which is expected to expand capacity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics training.

To ensure a comprehensive institutional assessment, the evaluation was attended by senior university management and administrative heads, including Deputy Vice Chancellors: Prof. John Mande (Academic Affairs), Prof. Josiah Aduda (Finance, Planning and Development), Prof. Leonida Kerubo (Human Resource and Administration), and Prof. Margaret Hutchinson (Research, Innovation and Enterprise), as well as faculty deans from Engineering, Health, and Arts, and administrative section heads from Finance, Facilities Management, Human Resources and Administration, ICT, and Corporate Affairs.

The monitoring exercise concluded with a shared commitment to sustainable financing and deepened industry–academia partnerships. Reaffirming his confidence in the transition, the Vice Chancellor stated that continued collaboration between the Ministry, universities, and industry stakeholders will successfully deliver the objectives of the CBET reform agenda, positioning the University to drive Kenya’s socio-economic transformation.