University of Kigali Top Management conducts Strategic Benchmarking Visits to Kenyan Universities.

The University of Kigali (UoK) leadership team concluded a week-long benchmarking mission to leading universities in Kenya, aimed at strengthening academic quality, research capacity, and institutional governance in line with UoK’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan.

The high-level delegation included Prof George Kimathi, Vice Chancellor,  Dr. Ronald Kwena, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Innovation & Enterprise; Dr. Samuel Sindayigaya, Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics; Dr. Wilson Musoni, Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration & Human Resources and Dean, School of Computing and Information Technology; and Mr. Bukomeko Bernadline, Associate Dean, Programmes.

The visits to Strathmore University, Daystar University, and the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) focused on sharing experiences in research, academic programmes, student support, governance, and institutional management.

From 24th to 26th September, the delegation was hosted by Strathmore University. The team engaged with the Centre for Teaching Excellence, which showcased innovative teaching practices and robust quality assurance systems for examinations.

The delegation also met with the Institute of Healthcare Management, the Strathmore Research and Consultancy Centre, and the Centre for Intellectual Property & Information Technology, where discussions focused on research commercialization, consultancy, and intellectual property management.

Strathmore University’s Vice Chancellor, Dr. Vincent Ogutu, emphasized the importance of culture and values as the foundation of institutional excellence. The visit concluded with a session at Strathmore Business School exploring opportunities for joint research, PhD supervision, and policy-driven innovation.

                                                            UoK Team Meeting Strathmore University Vice Chancellor

                                         UoK Team Meeting Strathmore University Founder Prof Jim McFie

                                                            UoK Team Meeting Strathmore Staff

At Daystar University, the UoK team was hosted by senior management, including the DVC Administration, DVC Academic Affairs & Research, and the Director of Resource Mobilization.

                                                                     UoK Staff at Daystar University

The delegation toured new infrastructure developments – including the School of Law Block, School of Nursing Block, student hostels, ablution blocks, a poultry project, water treatment plant, gymnasium, and Heroes Corner – which reflect Daystar’s investment in student welfare and campus expansion.

Daystar also shared its successful models for resource mobilization, donor engagement, and alumni giving campaigns – valuable lessons for UoK as it diversifies its revenue streams.

At CUEA, the UoK team met with leaders from the Vice Chancellor’s Office, the Directorate of Research and Innovation, the Academic Registry, and the University Press.  Key highlights included: Research & Innovation Hubs for collaborative grants and regional partnerships; University Press & Publishing capacity for academic dissemination; Automation of academic registry functions and expansion of global library subscriptions and Innovation Hub for applied research and entrepreneurial initiatives.  CUEA’s models offered solutions to some of UoK’s operational challenges such as delayed submission of marks, curriculum gaps, examination quality issues, and low research outputs.