NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 27 – Kenyatta University has appointed Prof. John Okumu as its seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor, effective July 27, 2026.
The appointment was announced by University Council Chairperson Prof. Clara Momanyi during a ceremony at the university’s main campus attended by members of the Council and Management Board on Monday.
Prof. Okumu succeeds Prof. Paul Wainaina, whose tenure was defined by high-profile disputes with the government over university land and the management of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH).
Wainaina was briefly removed from office in 2022 amid the disagreements before being reinstated following a change of administration, and eventually retired in January 2026 after completing his tenure.
Speaking after receiving his appointment, Prof. Okumu thanked the University Council for its confidence and pledged to provide visionary, inclusive and transformative leadership.
“I am deeply honoured by the confidence the University Council has placed in me. I am committed to leading with humility, integrity and openness as we work together to strengthen Kenyatta University’s position as Kenya’s premier university and a globally competitive institution,” he said.
Congratulating the new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Momanyi said his extensive academic and leadership experience would strengthen the university’s longstanding tradition of excellence in teaching, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and community engagement.
Four decades at Kenyatta University
Prof. Okumu brings nearly four decades of service to the institution, having joined Kenyatta University as a student in 1983 before beginning his academic career as a Tutorial Fellow in 1988.
He rose through the ranks to become Professor of Physics in 2020 and later served for a decade as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs.
Following Prof. Wainaina’s retirement, Okumu was appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor in January 2026 and steered the university through the leadership transition before his confirmation as substantive Vice-Chancellor.
His appointment comes as Kenyatta University seeks to strengthen its position as one of Kenya’s leading centres of higher education, research, innovation and community engagement.