President William Ruto has awarded Kamagambo University a Letter of Interim Authority, paving the way for the institution to operate as a private university.
Ruto issued the authority on Tuesday, September 15, during a ceremony at State Lodge in Kisumu County.
The university, which is under the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has grown from Kamagambo Adventist Teachers’ College and will now expand its role in higher education.
Ruto said the institution would create opportunities for young people in Migori County and across the country to pursue higher education.
He said the university would train teachers, entrepreneurs and other professionals needed to support Kenya’s development.
“The university will create opportunities for young people in Migori County and the entire country to pursue higher education while training teachers, entrepreneurs and professionals needed to drive Kenya’s transformation,” Ruto said.
The President, however, warned the university management and trustees that the interim approval comes with the responsibility of maintaining high standards.
He urged them to uphold academic integrity, good governance, prudent use of resources and quality as the institution works towards securing a full Charter.
“The word ‘interim’ matters. Kamagambo has crossed the threshold, but it has not reached its destination,” Ruto said.
Kamagambo University has been approved to admit students to three initial degree programmes: Bachelor of Education in Arts, Bachelor of Arts in Theology with Entrepreneurship and Bachelor of Business Administration with Entrepreneurship.
Ruto also used the occasion to highlight proposed changes to Kenya’s higher education system.
He said the government was reforming student placement and financing through the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026.
The proposed law is before Parliament and seeks to provide a new framework for placement and financing of students in tertiary institutions.
Ruto said the reforms were intended to ensure that every qualified student can pursue higher education regardless of their background.
He challenged universities to focus not only on academic qualifications but also on skills, research and practical solutions to national challenges.
“Our universities will ultimately be judged by the competence of their graduates, the value of their research and the solutions they deliver to society,” he said.
Ruto said higher education should prepare young people not only to compete for jobs but also to create enterprises and contribute to the transformation of different sectors of the economy.
