Bomet University has been elevated to operate as a full-fledged public university after receiving a charter.
President William Ruto on Wednesday awarded the charter to the institution that has operated since 2016 as a constituent college of Moi University.
With the award of the charter, Bomet University now becomes the 36th public chartered university in Kenya, bringing the total number of universities to 83 and serving nearly 630,000 students countrywide.
Speaking during the charter award ceremony, Ruto affirmed the government’s commitment to education, saying it is the foundation of national transformation.
“Today is a day that affirms our conviction that education is the surest path to transformation and shared prosperity,” he said.
He noted that universities play a central role in national development through teaching, research, and community service.
"Through teaching, universities prepare citizens with the knowledge, skills, and values needed for national and global progress. Through research, they expand the frontiers of understanding and generate solutions to global challenges. Through community service, they translate learning into impact, improving lives and strengthening society."
The President said Bomet University embodies this mission, noting that although it is rooted in the South Rift, its impact extends nationally, regionally, and globally.
He highlighted ongoing education reforms, including the student-centred funding model, which he said ensures resources are directed to learners based on ability and need rather than background.
He further noted that the education budget has increased from Sh490 billion in 2021 to over Sh700 billion in the current financial year, strengthening infrastructure, expanding access, and stabilising support for universities.
Bomet Governor Prof Hillary Barchak praised the university’s rapid growth, describing its journey as remarkable.
“From a small constituent college of Moi University in 2017 to now, a fully fledged university, this has been quite a journey. From an initial intake of 200 students to nearly 10,000 today, and from five academic programmes to 114, Bomet University has transformed lives and put Bomet County on the international map,” he said.
Prof Barchak noted that the institution, recognised as the only Green University in Sub-Saharan Africa, has also transformed Bomet Town economically and socially.
The University began with 130 students and has so far graduated 226 undergraduate students.
