Dedan Kimathi University Of Science And Technology, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (or DeKUT) is a public, coeducational technological university in Nyeri, Kenya. It is one of 22 public universities in Kenya, having been a constituent college of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology since the year 2007 until it was chartered to become a fully fledged public university on 14 December 2012.
It was the first university in Kenya to be chartered under the new universities act of 2012 and the eighth public university to be established in the country.
It started as a middle-level national technical and business-oriented learning institution in 1972 and was elevated in 2007 to a constituent university college of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology through a Kenya Gazette notice to become a full-fledged university in three years. However, this came later on 14 December 2012 when President Mwai Kibaki officiated and awarded the institution a charter in a ceremony attended by government officials and higher education stakeholders.
It is located 6 km from Nyeri along the Nyeri – Mweiga highway. The college land spans about 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) consisting of 350 acres (1.4 km2) of natural forest, 350 acres (1.4 km2) of mature coffee and 300 acres (1.2 km2) of open space for expansion
On 26 November 2008 construction of a multi-purpose resource centre began. The second phase, out of four, of this project reached completion in late 2010. It serves as the main hub for activities and events in the college.
History
DeKUT was granted a charter to become a degree-awarding institution on 14 December 2012. Since August 2007 to the award of the Charter, it operated as a constituent university college. It started operating as a technical institute in 1978. It operates under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Academics
DeKUT offers academic programmes at the undergraduate and graduate levels through five schools and five institutes.
The schools and institutes are:
- School of Business Management and Economics;
- School of Engineering;
- School of Sciences;
- School of Computer Science and Information Technology;
- School of Health Science;
- Institute of Geomatics, GIS and Remote Sensing;
- Institute of Food Bioresources Technology;
- Geothermal Energy Training and Research Institute;
- Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management; and Institute of Technical and Professional Studies (ITPS). ITPS offers programmes at the technical diploma level.
Administration
It is run through an appointed University Council. The chancellor, vice chancellor and permanent secretaries in the Ministries of Higher Education and Finance are members of the council. The council chairman is Prof. Dulacha Galgallo Barako.
Campus
DeKUT is situated six kilometers from Nyeri town along the Nyeri-Nyahururu road. DeKUT sits on expansive grounds between Mt. Kenya, on the Eastern side, and Aberdare Mountains, on the western side. The location is 2600m above sea level and thus enjoys cool weather round the year even though it is right at the equator.
The university has a coffee farm that acts as its research center for coffee research and development, and a wildlife conservancy that hosts animals including llamas, wildebeests and zebras.
Student life
Private hostels have been set up around the university to house most of the students. Sports include rugby, football, hockey, basketball and volleyball teams. It hosts the Mt. Kenya 7s rugby tournament every year among other inter-university tournaments.
Clubs and societies include the Christian Union, Catholic Action, Presidential Awards club, Touch Crew International, Actuarial Association of Kimathi and the ICT Club. The ICT Club hosts hackathons.
The students are represented by the Dedan Kimathi University Students’ Organization (DeKUTSO) that is elected every year.
Housing and sports facilities
Kimathi has six halls of residence, one of which houses female students. The majority of students live off-campus. Transport is provided by the school to and from Nyeri town and estates where some students reside. Off-campus accommodation around the school is readily available as private developers have invested in hostels near the school. Off-campus residences include Sunrise hostels, Catholic hostels and Greens.
Campus meals are served by the school mess and a few off-campus food places. The student’s centre is available for students to socialise, watch TV and play pool.
Sports facilities include a rugby football field; volleyball, basketball and badminton courts; and a field hockey pitch.