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Why KeMU is gaining popularity in Kenya and Africa

Wednesday September 06 2017
By Evans Ongwae

A survey by Corporate Staffing Services (CSS) in 2015 showed that while employers generally assessed graduates on the basis of technical expertise, industry knowledge and exposure through internship, they also placed a premium on favourable soft skills.

In the end, the holistically developed graduate, the study found, tended to win the day in the employment market.

GRADUATES PREFERRED

In this poll, CSS placed Kenya Methodist University (KeMU) at number five among Kenyan private universities whose graduates employers preferred.

There are more than 30 such universities in the country.

CSS is an established recruitment firm in Kenya.

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It is in constant touch with employers, and is thus an authority on the kind of graduates employers want.

The favourable ranking of KeMU has boosted demand for studies at the university.

MUSLIMS, HINDU

Today, students stream into this Christian-founded university from across the religious divide.

For example, the university has learners of Islamic and Hindu backgrounds, the main attraction being the quality education the university offers, the mentorship and socialisation based on values of honesty and integrity.

KeMU is an established brand in Kenya.

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The KeMU logo. The university's motto is "The Future is Here". PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

It is among the private universities that admit big numbers of government-sponsored students.

It has this year admitted 1,146 such students, taking in the third largest number after Mount Kenya and Kabarak universities.

This is a statement of trust in the quality of its academic programmes.

CONTINENTAL REPUTATION

As the university continues to gain popularity locally, its continental reputation is also receiving quite some boost.

At KeMU, you will find students from Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Zimbabwe, among others.

This foreign recognition is boosted by a well-established distance learning programme that the university initiated some 17 years ago.    

Last year, it revamped this programme to incorporate a digital campus.

DIGITAL CAMPUS

More local and foreign students, and some Kenyans based outside the country, are enrolling into this.

Many students find the KeMU Digital Campus convenient because they can access reading materials, commonly referred to here as e-resources, through the use of a simple memory card in a mobile phone.

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Students at KeMU Hub in Nairobi. KeMU is among Kenya private universities that admit big numbers of government-sponsored students. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

They also have access to a digital library, which provides electronic resources in bigger volumes than a physical one. 

KeMU’s heavy investment in the latest technology has made this possible.

There is an online librarian to guide learners and provide them with instant solutions whenever necessary, much the same way as would happen in a physical library.

WIDE RANGE OF COURSES

What programmes does KeMU offer?

Run by the Methodist Church in Kenya, KeMU provides a wide range of academic courses in the schools of Medicine and Health Sciences, Business and Economics, Education and Social Sciences, and Science and Technology.

The courses are structured to expose students to a learning environment that promotes excellence in scholarship, research and selfless service to the society.

Most of the courses are also offered in diverse modes of study.

These include evening, weekend and holiday classes.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Such flexibility enables working students, who may not find adequate time to study during the day, to pursue their courses. 

One more notable recognition: KeMU is among the few private universities that train medical professionals.

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Cheetahs play with a dummy cheque of Sh234,500 that KeMU donated to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for wildlife conservation in 2010. KeMU was the pioneer institution of higher learning to adopt an animal at the orphanage located at KWS headquarters in Nairobi. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Kenya, medical studies are largely offered in public universities, owing mainly to the heavy investments involved in offering such courses.

The School of Medicine at KeMU is one of the few that exist in private universities.

Founded in 2003, the School is the fastest growing at this university that appears destined to become a top player in Africa’s higher education sector.