From engineering lecturer to UoN VC, the rise of Prof. Ayub Gitau

For more than two decades, Prof. Ayub Njoroge Gitau has walked the corridors of the University of Nairobi as a lecturer, researcher, dean and senior administrator.

On Thursday, May 2026, that long academic journey reached its highest point after he was appointed the institution’s 9th Vice-Chancellor.

The appointment by the University Council marks a major leadership transition at Kenya’s oldest and most prestigious university, with Prof. Gitau taking over from Prof. Margaret Jesang Hutchinson, who had served in an acting capacity for the past year.

Prof. Gitau joined the University of Nairobi in 2002 as a lecturer in the Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering.

Over the years, he steadily climbed through the academic ranks, becoming a Senior Lecturer in 2008, Associate Professor in 2015 and attaining full professorship in 2023.

His rise within the institution mirrored his growing involvement in university leadership, research and academic reforms.

Alongside teaching and research, Prof. Gitau increasingly took up administrative responsibilities within the institution.

He served as Chairman of the Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering between 2011 and 2017 before briefly serving as Acting Dean of the then School of Engineering in 2017.

In 2019, he was appointed substantive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, a position he held until June 2024.

During his tenure, he became closely associated with curriculum reforms, accreditation processes and efforts to modernize engineering education in line with international standards.

Since August 2024, he has served as Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, where he played a key role in academic reforms, quality assurance and expansion of digital learning systems.

Prof. Gitau’s appointment also places the Faculty of Engineering back at the centre of the university’s leadership.

He becomes only the second professor from the faculty to rise to the position of Vice-Chancellor after former VC Prof. Francis Gichaga.

Widely described as calm and consensus-driven, Prof. Gitau has maintained a low-profile but influential presence in the university’s leadership structures over the years.

Beyond administration, he is an accomplished Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer and a registered Consulting Engineer with the Engineers Board of Kenya.

His academic work has focused on mechanization, renewable energy systems, irrigation technologies, climate adaptation and sustainable infrastructure development.

He has also led several international research collaborations involving institutions across Africa and Europe, particularly in climate-smart agriculture, food security and engineering education.

Prof. Gitau assumes office at a time when universities are facing growing pressure to improve research output, strengthen financial sustainability, embrace digital transformation and align academic programmes with changing industry demands.

The University of Nairobi has also been working to improve its global competitiveness and strengthen its position in international rankings.

In his first remarks after the appointment, Prof. Gitau said his leadership would focus on academic excellence, research, innovation and partnerships.

“The University of Nairobi has a proud legacy of scholarship, innovation and service to society. As we navigate a rapidly changing global environment, our focus will remain on strengthening academic excellence, advancing research and innovation, nurturing talent and positioning the University as a globally competitive institution,” he said.

His appointment came alongside that of Prof. Josiah Omollo Aduda, who was named Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Finance, Planning and Development.

Prof. Aduda, a Professor of Finance at the University of Nairobi, has previously served as Dean of the School of Business, Chairman of the Department of Finance and Accounting and Acting Deputy Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The two appointments are expected to strengthen the university’s leadership team as the institution pushes ahead with reforms focused on governance, financial sustainability, research expansion and infrastructure modernization.