News & Events

Kirinyaga University has achieved a significant national milestone after emerging Second Runners-Up among Public Universities in Kenya at the Productivity and Performance Conference 2026, organized by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and held at the Kenya School of Government, Nairobi on June 19, 2026.

The University attained an impressive productivity score of 3.935, underscoring her commitment to excellence in teaching, research, innovation, governance, and community engagement. The recognition reflects the University's unwavering dedication to delivering transformative education, promoting impactful research, fostering innovation, and contributing to sustainable national development through quality service delivery.

This outstanding achievement is testament to the collective efforts and commitment of the University Council, Management, Senate, staff, students, alumni, partners, and stakeholders, whose support continue to propel Kirinyaga University to excellence. As the University celebrates this remarkable accomplishment, she reaffirms her commitment to strengthening academic excellence, enhancing institutional performance, and advancing innovation in pursuit of her mission of becoming a globally competitive institution of higher learning.

Kirinyaga University remains steadfast in her vision of nurturing competent graduates, generating knowledge through research and innovation, and making a lasting contribution to national and global development.

On behalf of the entire Kirinyaga University fraternity, the Office of the Vice Chancellor and that of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (ARSA) extend their heartfelt appreciation to the University Council, Management, Senate, staff, students, alumni, partners, and stakeholders whose dedication, teamwork, and unwavering commitment made this remarkable achievement possible.

Kirinyaga University captured significant attention at the recently concluded Science, Technology and Innovation (STRI) Week 2026 Exhibition Held at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) from May 18 – 22, 2026 through its outstanding innovations in Robotics and the Cotton Ginning Machine.

The University’s exhibition booth attracted researchers, industry stakeholders, students, innovators, and visitor’s eager to witness the transformative solutions being developed by the institution. The showcased projects demonstrated the University’s growing contribution towards advancing technology, research, and industrial innovation in Kenya and beyond.

Among the notable highlights was the recognition received from Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak alongside Deputy Governor of Kilifi County, H.E. Flora Mbetsa, who visited the University’s exhibition stand and interacted with the innovation teams. Their engagement underscored the increasing impact and visibility of the University’s research and innovation ecosystem at the national level. Their visit further heightened interest in the showcased projects, positioning the University’s exhibition among the major attractions during STRI Week.

The Robotics innovation particularly stood out for its practical application in solving real-world challenges through modern technological solutions, while the Cotton Ginning Machine demonstrated the University’s commitment to supporting value addition, industrialization, and agricultural transformation.

In addition, the University was honored to host Christian Jacobs from the University of California at the exhibition. The visit reflected the growing international recognition of the University’s innovation capacity, academic excellence, and commitment to impactful research collaborations.
Kirinyaga University continues to champion Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation by nurturing creativity, supporting research-driven solutions, and developing technologies that contribute to sustainable national development.

Through initiatives such as STRI Week participation, the University continues to showcase world-class talent, transformative ideas, and practical innovations shaping the future locally and globally.

Kirinyaga University, through the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic, Research and Student Affairs (ARSA), Prof. Charles O. A. Omwandho, recently hosted officials from Hikvision on April 29, 2026 for an engaging and informative career talk aimed at preparing students for the evolving job market.

The visiting Hikvision representatives, Mr. Tom Olumbo and Mr. Aiden Fan, delivered a comprehensive session that explored a wide range of career-focused topics. The discussion centered on emerging career opportunities within the technology sector, industry expectations for graduates, and the importance of gaining hands-on experience through internships and industrial attachment programs.

Students had the opportunity to gain valuable insights into the skills and competencies required to thrive in today’s competitive professional environment. The speakers emphasized the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and practical exposure as key drivers of career success.

The University expressed its appreciation to Hikvision for their collaboration and commitment to nurturing future professionals. Such partnerships play a crucial role in bridging the gap between academic training and industry demands, ensuring that graduates are well-equipped to meet workforce challenges.

Kirinyaga University remains dedicated to fostering meaningful engagements with industry partners as part of its mission to empower students and enhance employability through practical, real-world experiences.

On behalf of the entire Kirinyaga University fraternity, the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic, Research and Student Affairs – ARSA) and that of the Office of the Vice Chancellor extend sincere appreciation to Hikvision limited company for their invaluable contribution during the recent career talk.

A researcher from Kirinyaga University, Dr. Dickson Mwenda Kinyua from the School of Pure and Applied Sciences, working in collaboration with scientists Pietro Cucuta’s from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom the team have developed a method that combines polarized light and a magnetic field to detect malaria parasites in blood samples. Unlike conventional microscopy, the new approach is label-free and does not require staining or chemical treatment, making it faster and easier to use significantly improving malaria diagnosis.

The technique relies on hemozoin crystals produced by Plasmodium parasites. When exposed to a magnetic field, these crystals align and alter how they interact with polarized light, producing measurable changes in image intensity and contrast. This enables not only detection but also precise measurement of parasite concentration and location in the sample.

Findings published in Biomedical Optics Express show that the method can reliably detect and quantify malaria signals in laboratory tests.

This breakthrough offers a more objective and consistent alternative to traditional methods, with strong potential to enhance early diagnosis, guide treatment decisions, and support large-scale screening, particularly in low-resource settings.

The research team is now preparing for clinical trials and working to simplify the system further, including integrating automated image analysis to improve accuracy and reduce reliance on expert interpretation.  This remarkable achievement reflects excellence in research, innovation and global impact.

On behalf of the entire Kirinyaga University (KYU’s) fraternity, the office of the Vice Chancellor, and that of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic, Research and Student Affairs, congratulate Dr. Dickson Mwenda Kinyua for his outstanding contribution to groundbreaking malaria detection research.