From TUK to Raila Odinga Technical University
The Ministry of Education has received a request to think about renaming the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) in honor of the late former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga.
In a letter addressed to the Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba, former senior presidential advisor Moses Kuria suggested that the university be renamed Raila Odinga Technical University as a tribute to him.
Kuria pointed out that this renaming would recognize Raila’s significant contributions to the field of engineering, which is one of the main areas of study at TUK.
“I have today written to Education CS Julius Ogamba requesting to rename the Technical University of Kenya to Raila Odinga Technical University,” he noted.
“If I were CS, I would do it straight away,” added Kuria, who was also once a Senior Advisor in the President’s Council of Economic Advisors.
Kuria shared a quick overview of TUK, which used to be connected to the University of Nairobi (UoN), where Raila once taught.
Originally, TUK served as the Engineering department of UoN before it was renamed Kenya Polytechnic.
Kuria believes that changing TUK’s name to the Raila Odinga Technical University would be a fitting tribute to Raila’s legacy and a recognition of his deep passion for technical education.
“Engineer Raila Odinga was not just a lecturer at the UON School of Engineering. He was an ardent believer in technical education since his days at Madelberg College in Germany,” he posited.
To rename TUK, we need to follow a specific process outlined in the Universities Act, No. 42 of 2012 (Revised 2016), the Technical University of Kenya Charter from 2013, and the Constitution of Kenya (2010). This particularly involves Articles 10, 43, and 232, which focus on public participation, the right to education, and good governance.
The proposal for the name change must come from either the Education Cabinet Secretary or TUK’s University Council. It’s essential to engage the public in this process, meaning that consultations should take place with the University Council and Senate, the Commission for University Education (CUE), students, staff unions, the public, and alumni.
Once these consultations are complete, the University Council will formally recommend the name change to the CUE and the Education CS, providing reasons and summarizing the public feedback received.
Following this, the CUE will review the university’s charter and legal documents to ensure that the proposed name aligns with national policy and higher education standards. If everything checks out, CUE will send a recommendation to the President through the Education CS.
If the President is on board, they will give the final approval and sign a Legal Notice in the Kenya Gazette to officially change the university’s name, along with issuing an updated Charter that reflects the new name.
Once this is published in the Gazette, the new name becomes legally binding, and the Ministry of Education, along with the University Council, will ensure it is updated across all documents, branding, and institutional records.
From TUK to Raila Odinga Technical University
