Education CS, Julius Ogambo, UoN Chancellor, Prof. Patrick Verkooijen and VC Prof. Ayub Gitau on the podium during UoN 75th Graduation Ceremony at the Chancellor’s Court.
The University of Nairobi celebrated its 75th graduation ceremony, marking a milestone defined by the theme, “Transforming Society through Excellence, Knowledge and Innovation.” The ceremony served as both a celebration of academic achievement and a call to action for the Class of 2026 to tackle the continent's most pressing challenges through innovation, excellence and knowledge.
Addressing the more than 3000 graduands at the Chancellors Court on 18th September 2026, Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogambo charged the students to be innovative thinkers who create employment opportunities themselves rather than await formal employment.
“Kenya does not need graduates who are simply looking for jobs. We need graduates who can create opportunities, solve problems, innovate and contribute to the transformation of our economy and society,” the CS stated.
In his inaugural address, Vice Chancellor Prof. Ayub Gitau reiterated this statement urging the graduands to turn what they know into solutions that improve livelihoods stating, “This year's graduation theme captures both our responsibility and our ambition: “Transforming Society through excellence, knowledge and innovation.”
The VC reiterating the university’s commitment to its vision of transforming society, also emphasized the impact of research terming it as a university’s true value.
"A university earns its place in society by ensuring the knowledge they generate matters," Prof. Gitau stated, noting that excellence extends beyond rankings to the quality of graduates and the societal benefits of their work.
He emphasized this by lauding Prof. Dr. Loise Ombajo and the CEMA team for representing the University at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Colorado. He praised their groundbreaking HIV research’s potential to reshape health policy and improve millions of lives across Africa.
The ceremony also highlighted exceptional achievements by the Faculty of Health Sciences. FHS was recognized as the university's best-performing faculty, celebrating a cohort OF over 200 graduands that included; 9 Doctor of Philosophy graduates, 9 Fellowship candidates, 93 Master of Medicine and 142 Bachelor of Science graduates.
Outstanding FHS faculty members were also lauded for their efforts, with Prof. Muthoni Mathai congratulated as Best Researcher for her 23 peer-reviewed publications, while Prof. Dr. Loise Ombajo was lauded for mobilizing over KES 1.2 billion for research and infrastructure.
The Chancellor, Prof. Patrick Verkooijen, delivered a stirring charge to the graduands, using the historic FIFA World Cup debut of Cape Verde as a metaphor for resilience. "They were given just a 1% chance... They competed, they believed, and they made history," he said, urging the graduands to "show us how big your 1% can be."
Reiterating this statement, the Chair of UoN Council Prof. Chacha Nyaigotti Chacha charged the students to uphold the university’s excellence in their future.
“To our graduands, you leave this University carrying its name. Carry it as a mark of excellence wherever you go. Whatever task is placed before you, in whatever office, Government, enterprise or ministry you serve, do it with your whole heart,” Prof. Chacha stated in his address.
The valedictorian, M'Mwirabua Mark Murimi of the Department of Architecture, echoed this sentiment, reminding his peers that education carries a heavy responsibility.
"The society that invested in our education will look to us to use what we have learnt with integrity and purpose," Murimi stated, emphasizing that the job market expects character as much as competence.
As the ceremony concluded, the message to the new alumni was clear: graduation is not the end of learning, but the beginning of a lifelong commitment to driving innovation and societal transformation.
FHS congratulates all our esteemed graduates.
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