Information about Kenya’s first real virtual university

In September 2023, the Open University of Kenya hopes to enroll its inaugural class of roughly 7,100 students in eight programs.

The two postgraduate programs available are Learning Design and Technology and Leadership and Accountability.

The draft charter for the Open institution of Kenya was passed last week by lawmakers, led by Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba, enabling the construction of Kenya’s first fully functional virtual institution.

The university will use an open and distance e-learning strategy that offers flexible learning modes in an effort to give opportunities and skills to young people, the elderly, people with disabilities, minorities, and marginalized groups.

Programs available

In September 2023, the Open University of Kenya plans to enroll its first cohort of over 7,100 students in eight programs: six bachelor’s degree programs and two postgraduate programs.

Among the flagship bachelor’s degree programs are those in data science, cyber and digital forensics, technology education, entrepreneurship and business, economics and statistics, and agri-technology and food systems.

The two postgraduate programs available are Learning Design and Technology and Leadership and Accountability.

where the university is located

A report on the Consideration of the Draft Charter for the Establishment of the OUK states that the university will be housed in Konza Technopolis and that a learning management system with both physical and cloud servers will support its online presence.

According to the source, “the seat is currently being temporarily hosted at the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI) headquarters.”

the price of programs

The committee suggested that post-graduate diploma courses cost Sh130,000 per year, while degree students would pay between Sh10,400 and Sh10,900 per module.

Four to six units will be required of a full-time student.

“The cost per module is Sh10,400 for the Bachelor of Data Science, Bachelor of Economics and Statistics, Bachelor of Science in Business and Entrepreneurship, Bachelor of Technology Education, and Bachelor of Cyber Security and Digital Forensics,” the committee stated.

The expected annual cost for the two post-diploma programs, Diploma in Learning Design and Technology and Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership and Accountability, is Sh130,000.

Budget

A budget of Sh1.8 billion was also proposed by the committee, which was led by Prof. Ezra Maritim, for the OUK’s first year of operation.

They claimed that this would cover the majority of the start-up expenses for constructing physical facilities, instructional materials, and learner support services.

They further defended the amount by stating that each student would have to pay Sh156,582 in the first financial year if the budget were to be funded by tuition fees.

“If this budget were to be funded entirely from student fees, each of the 7,100 students proposed for the first intake would have to pay Sh156,582 for that financial year, assuming that the development costs are amortised over a five-year period,” the paper said.

Charter Award

The suggestions made by President William Ruto for the award of a charter to the OUK were approved by the Commission for University of Education (CUE) in a letter dated June 7.

“The Commission in its deliberations appreciated the uniqueness of the proposed Open University of Kenya, being the first university to be established without being mentored by an existing university hence lack of a governing organ to incur expenses,” the letter stated.

The Cabinet approved the creation of the Open University of Kenya, according to a letter from Mercy Wanjau, the Secretary to the Cabinet, dated May 4, 2023, stating that the proposed university is of strategic national importance.

Information about Kenya’s first real virtual university

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