By Sandra Blessing
The African Talent University (TATU) becomes Kenya’s youngest university after the award of a Letter of Interim Authority (LIA) by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
Education Cabinet Secretary Dr Migot Ogamba presided over the event on Monday, April 20th, which brought the number of registered universities in the country to 85.
TATU will be Kisumu-based and is the only fully talent-based higher learning institution in the country.
The university offers non-traditional education and focuses on producing skilled professionals who are not traditionally academically endowed.
Dr Ogamba said the registration of the university marked a step towards building a university education system that works for every young Kenyan.
“The grant of the Letter of Interim Authority reflects our commitment to expanding education opportunities, nurturing talents in all their forms, and keeping university education aligned with the realities of our times,” he said.
The CS said the registration of the university was a testimony that the government was responding to a growing demand for university education in the country.
“Each year, over 900,000 candidates sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination, with only 28 percent transitioning to university, which can fully nurture diverse talents,” he said.
He said with the steady expansion, there is a shift from old tradition to a system that reflects skills, innovations, and flexibility, and to become a hub for creativity, digital transformation, research, and enterprise.
Prof. Humphrey Oborah, the founder, said the registration of the university will help address some of the gaps in the education sector.
“I am grateful for the registration. This is not a burden but a responsibility to bring something back home. It is a vote of confidence,” he said.
For the last two decades, Prof Oborah has battled to have the dream become a reality, and yesterday marked a new chapter in his life.
“We intend to establish a model that teaches learners through natural ability, creativity, and practical skill rather than examinations alone,” he said.
