NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 3 – KCA University has marked two decades of nurturing holistic, globally competitive graduates, conferring more than 2,900 graduands with degrees, diplomas and certificates in its 20th graduation ceremony, and using the milestone occasion to launch a Korean Language Centre that deepens the country’s widening educational partnership with the Republic of Korea.
Held at the university’s main campus in Ruaraka, Nairobi, on Friday July 3 under the theme “Learn! Lead! Transform!”, the first bi-annual ceremony brought together university leadership, members of the diplomatic community, industry leaders, alumni, parents and graduating students, to celebrate an institution that has grown from a specialised accountancy college into a multi-disciplinary university whose graduates now serve across business, technology, arts, media and the public sector.
Chancellor FCPA Dr. Martin Oduor-Otieno said today’s event was a moment to take stock of two decades of institutional growth and its contribution to Kenya’s higher education sector.
“We take pride in acknowledging the immense growth this institution has had over the years,” he said. “When you mark 10 years, 20 years, that remains a milestone in the history of this university. It goes to show how much the institution has contributed to the progress of the education sector in the country.”
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Isaiah I.C. Wakindiki congratulated the graduating class and urged them to lead with integrity and to regard themselves as creators of employment rather than seekers of it, a call directed at a generation entering one of the most competitive job markets in the region.
“Lead with integrity, and make a tremendous transformation by turning setbacks into milestones,” he said.
“Education is not only for employment; it equips one with skills and empowers students not only to seek employment, but to create it for others as well.”
The graduating cohort spanned across master’s, undergraduate, and diploma programmes, as well as professional certificates, reflecting the breadth of the university’s academic portfolio.
Awards were also conferred on outstanding students in recognition of excellence in scholarship, leadership, and creativity across faculties, honouring individual achievement within the wider class.
The theme framed the graduation not as a conclusion but as a summons to leadership and enterprise, a message that carried weight against the backdrop of persistent youth unemployment, which remains among Kenya’s most pressing national challenges and a shared concern across much of the continent.
The day’s proceedings were crowned by the official launch of the Korean Language Centre, presided over by the chief guest, H.E. Kang Hyung-shik, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Kenya.
The Centre is designed to equip students with Korean-language competency that opens access to scholarships, exchange programmes and employment opportunities in South Korea and beyond.
“The setting up of the Korean Language Centre at KCA University is one of the key steps that will contribute to the strengthening of diplomatic ties between Kenya and the Republic of Korea,” the Ambassador said. “This initiative will help in expanding opportunities for Kenyan students in the global market.”
The launch adds an international dimension to KCA University’s journey and situates the institution within a bilateral relationship that stretches back more than six decades.
Kenya and the Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations in 1964, when Seoul opened its first embassy in sub-Saharan Africa in Nairobi, and the two nations have since expanded cooperation across trade, technology, defence, environmental affairs and education.
For KCA University, the Centre positions the institution as an early mover in Korean-language training in the region, at a time when South Korea’s presence in technology, manufacturing, and popular culture continues to draw strong interest from young Kenyans.
University leadership said the facility would evolve into a hub for cultural exchange and academic study, with scholarships and structured exchange programmes anticipated as the programme matures.
The university urged its newest graduates to carry its name with distinction and to apply their qualifications to the service of their communities and the wider economy, both at home and abroad.
For the class of July 2026, the ceremony marked both a personal achievement and an entry point into professional life, not only as job seekers but also as job creators.
