Zetech University is a private Kenyan institution owned by Zetech University Limited. The main founder and sponsor is Engineer Ken Mbiuki, who also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Ken Mbiuki was born around 1975 in Meru County. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nairobi, earning a Bachelor of Science degree.
During the 1990s, when technology was beginning to grow in Kenya, he taught himself computer skills alongside his engineering studies.
He later earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He used his business and technical knowledge to build Zetech University through Zetech University Limited, which sponsors the institution.
Another company, Thinken Holdings Limited, helps oversee the university’s operations and assets.
As Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mbiuki has been involved in guiding the university’s leadership and governance, especially after it received its charter in 2022.
In addition to education, he is involved in other businesses, including Thinken Holdings and Suntech Power Limited.
Zetech University Founding History
Zetech University began in 1997 as a small idea by its founder, Ken Mbiuki, who was then an engineering student at the University of Nairobi.
At 22, Ken Mbiuki started by teaching basic computer skills to a few fellow students in his hostel. At the time, Kenya’s technology sector was still developing, and computer skills were not common. He charged KSh 100 per session and initially taught only two or three students.
Within two years, the number of learners grew rapidly to about 300. By 1999, the classes were generating about KSh 200,000 per month.
In a past interview with Business Daily, Mbiuki noted that his success in training was boosted by the pressure from his fellow students, who yearned for the skills in a world without Twitter and Facebook.
“Initially I had two to three students, but the number went up between the end of 1997 and 1999, growing between 200 and 300 students. The decision was inspired by the pressure from the students,” he stated at the time.
That same year, he officially registered the institution as Zenith Technology College, which was later renamed Zetech.
The college moved to Summit House in Nairobi’s Central Business District and later expanded to Church House and Westlands.
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It partnered with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to offer degree programmes and began admitting government-sponsored students in 2000.
In 2006, Zetech opened a campus along Thika Road. In 2014, it launched a larger campus in Ruiru, which was officiated by then Deputy President Uhuru Kenyatta.
That year, the institution received a Letter of Interim Authority, allowing it to offer its own degree programmes.
Zetech held its first graduation ceremony in 2017. In August 2022, it was awarded a full university charter by the Commission for University Education, with approval from President Kenyatta.
Today, the university has more than 20,000 students across campuses in Nairobi, Ruiru, and Mangu, with a focus on science, technology, and technical training programmes.
Courses Offered
Zetech University offers accredited undergraduate and postgraduate degrees across five schools, emphasising STEM, business, and vocational training.
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School of Education, Arts & Social Sciences
- Bachelor of Education (Arts/Science)
- BA Psychology with Technology
- BSc Hospitality & Tourism Management
- BA International Relations & Diplomacy
School of ICT, Media & Engineering
- BSc Information Technology/Computer Science
- BSc Software Engineering/Data Science & Analytics
- BBIT (Business Information Technology)
- BSc Media & Digital Communication
- Bachelor of Journalism
School of Business & Economics
- BBA Management
- BCom (Commerce)
- BSc Accounting & Finance
- BSc Purchasing & Supply Chain Management
School of Law
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
School of Health Sciences
- BSc Nursing (NCK/CUE accredited)
All CUE-approved; online/ODel options available. Full list: zetech.ac.ke/programmes.
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