Rose Mwonya: Professor of home economics

Professor Rose Mwonya is on course to becoming the fifth vice chancellor of Egerton University and the institution's first ever female vice chancellor when she officially takes over the reins from Prof James Tuitoek next week.

Today's Sunday Nation (10 January 2016) contains a feature on Prof Mwonya's academic journey and her rise to the top.

Below is an excerpt of the article by Elvis Ondieki.

Prof Mwonya spent her formative years at Ndenga Primary School in Siaya County where she studied up to Standard Four before her father took her to Asumbi Girls Boarding School in Homa Bay County. From there she joined Nyabururu Girls in Kisii and later enrolled at the Embu Institute of Agriculture.

Afterwards, she worked under the Agriculture ministry before she applied to the government to secure her an admission to pursue a diploma at Egerton University, then under the University of Nairobi.

She finished her three-year-course in Agriculture and Home Economics in 1975 then was later posted to Kakamega district as a District Home Economics Officer. She worked in that position shortly before going to Bukura Institute of Agriculture in the then Western province as a lecturer to fulfil her dreams.

Later, she received a scholarship from the United States Agency for International Development to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture at the Iowa State University which she completed in one and a half years. 

She also pursued an MSc and PhD in Home Economics Education at the same institution until 1984. Prof Mwonya majored in home economics, a discipline that incorporates child development and adult education among other aspects.

Read the full article, Rose Mwonya: My rise from village girl to vice-chancellor

Congratulations to Prof Rose Mwonya on her appointment as Vice Chancellor! 

Monica Mweseli - Literature Professor and University Vice Chancellor

As the current Vice Chancellor of Kiriri Women’s University of Science and Technology (KWUST), Prof Monica Wanambisi Mweseli joins the company of Leah Marangu, Olive Mugenda and Mabel Imbuga – Kenyan women professors who are serving at the helm of universities (respectively, Africa Nazarene University, Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology). 

KWUST is unique, however, in that it is Kenya’s only university that caters specifically for women and focuses on developing the capacity of female students in the fields of science and technology.

A literature don and former Fulbright scholar, Prof Monica Mweseli has over 20 years’ teaching and research experience in literature and linguistics both in Kenya and USA. Her career in academia began at the University of Nairobi where she earned her BA degree in English in 1979, majoring in literature in English with minors in History and Religious Studies. She then proceeded to Atlanta University in Georgia, USA where she obtained her MA (1981) and PhD (1987) in English.

Between 1984 and 1988, Prof Mweseli taught Composition and Literature at Daytona Beach Community College in Florida, USA. She then returned to Kenya and joined the University of Nairobi’s College of Education in July 1988 as a lecturer in the Department of Literature. Five years later, she rose to the position of senior lecturer and in September 2000 she was appointed associate professor of literature, a position she holds to date.

While teaching at the University of Nairobi, Prof Monica Mweseli also held various senior administrative roles. In 1990-91 as chair of the postgraduate students’ committee in the Department of Literature, she was responsible for reviewing both Masters and PhD thesis proposals in the department. 

Later, as acting chair of the Department of Literature and Linguistics (1994/95), she headed committees that were responsible for introducing new academic departments, such as the Department of Music, the Centre for Performing Arts and the Department of Arts and Design. She also chaired the planning and budgeting committee for the proposed 10-year literature and linguistics syllabus.

Prof Mweseli has supervised several Masters and PhD theses at the University of Nairobi and a number of her former students are now lecturing at various universities in Kenya. She is a prolific author with a host of publications to her name, ranging from literary analysis articles, poems, anthologies, short stories and books. She has also presented several papers on drama, prose, poetry, oral literature and African literature at various local and international forums.

Outside the university arena, Prof Monica Mweseli is an active member of the Kenya Oral Literature Association (KOLA) and the Kenya Chapter of AAWORD, the Association of African Women for Research and Development. She is also a reputable drama festival adjudicator and has adjudicated at various district and national drama festivals in Kenya over the years between 1992 and 2005. She is also a devoted member of the Church of God, Nairobi and co-director of a non-governmental organization Aged, Children and Women Organization.

Mabel Imbuga - New VC of JKUAT

Prof Mabel Imbuga is the new Vice Chancellor of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) effective 1 August 2008. She takes over from Prof Nick Wanjohi whose term ended in March this year. For the past four months, Prof Imbuga has been the interim VC.

With her new appointment, Prof Mabel Imbuga becomes the second female VC of a public university in Kenya, after Prof Olive Mugenda of Kenyatta University.

A professor of biochemistry, Mabel Imbuga has a longstanding record of administrative leadership in JKUAT. She headed the Department of Biochemistry between 1998 and 1999, after which she rose to become the Dean of the Faculty of Science and served for two terms between 1999 and 2003.

She was then appointed the director in charge of academic programs at JKUAT’s Institute of Tropical Medicine. In May 2005, Prof Imbuga was appointed the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of academic affairs, a position she held until she became the acting VC.

Congratulations, Prof Imbuga!

Olive Mugenda - First Woman Vice Chancellor of a Public University in Kenya

In March 2006, Prof Olive Mugenda of Kenyatta University (KU) made history in Kenya by becoming the first woman to be appointed the Vice Chancellor (VC) of a public university. What is also notable about Prof Mugenda’s feat is that she was selected through a competitive open recruitment process and beat three male professors to clinch the post, demonstrating that in some cases a woman may just be the ‘best man for the job’!

Olive Mugenda has built an impressive track record of quality leadership through her professional contribution towards improving the quality of education in Kenya. Prior to her appointment as VC, she was KU’s Deputy VC in charge of Finance and Planning for four years.

After she received her PhD in Family and Consumer Studies from Iowa State University in 1988, Prof Mugenda taught in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, rising to become the head of department and later the Dean of the Institute of Applied Human Sciences. She also served as the Director of KU’s International Students’ Summer Program.

In the course of her teaching career, Olive Mugenda specialized in women’s education, home economics, statistics and research methodology. She also contributed towards the restructuring and diversification of the home economics curriculum at KU, placing greater emphasis on emerging topics such as environmental sciences, public health and HIV/AIDS management.

She has led several programs in support of girls’ education in Kenya at primary, secondary and university levels, and has received several awards in honour of her efforts in this regard. These include the 2007 Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute MBA Meritorious Award, the 2006 Elder of the Burning Spear presidential award, the 2002 KU Exemplary Service Award, the 2000 Atlas Alumni Award and Iowa State University’s 1982 Phi Kappa Phi Achievement Award.

KU recently made two noteworthy achievements under Prof Olive Mugenda’s watch as VC. In May 2008, the university was recognized as the best performing state corporation in the 2006-07 performance contract evaluations. In the same month, KU received ISO 9001:2000 quality certification for its excellence in accountability and operations. Of the seven public universities in Kenya, KU is the only one so far to receive an ISO certification.

KU’s star is shining brightly under Prof Olive Mugenda’s leadership and I believe that she can and will do even more to lead further improvements in quality of education and service delivery at the institution.

Olive Mugenda’s accomplishments are a source of inspiration to Kenyan women to strive for excellence in their careers, aim high and not shy away from competing for top-level jobs, especially in the public sector.

Kudos Prof Mugenda!

Leah Marangu - Kenya's First Woman Vice Chancellor

While Wangari Maathai is renowned as Kenya’s first female professor, having attained associate professorship in 1977, Leah Marangu bears the distinction of being the first woman in East Africa to be named a full professor.

Leah Marangu is also the first Kenyan woman to serve at the helm of a university, following her appointment in 1996 as the Vice Chancellor of Africa Nazarene University (ANU), a position she holds to date.

Prof Marangu received her MSc in Family Environment (1969) and PhD in Home Economics (1975) from Iowa State University. She went on to teach in several universities in the United States as a visiting professor and then returned to Kenya in 1977.

She taught Home Economics at Kenyatta University (KU), rising to become the head of the Department of Home Economics in 1988, which is also the year she was appointed a full professor. The following year, she won a Fulbright Scholarship which saw her return to the US as a visiting international professor until 1995.

In the course of her teaching career, Prof Leah Marangu has built a wealth of research expertise on women’s health, the role of women in food production, and science education for the girl child.

Through links with her alma mater, Prof Marangu has enabled several of her female students at KU to pursue higher degrees at Iowa State University, the most notable of whom is undoubtedly Prof Olive Mugenda, the current vice chancellor of KU. Talk about coming full circle!

More about Olive Mugenda in the next post. But suffice it to say here that through this one example, Prof Leah Marangu has laid a strong foundation for a lasting legacy of provision of quality higher education to Kenyans, and especially Kenyan women. This also lends credence to the saying “Educate a man and you educate an individual. Educate a woman and you educate a nation.”

Prof Marangu has received several awards in recognition of her efforts to improve the quality of education in Kenya. In 2001, she received the Iowa State University Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest alumni award, in honour of her pacesetting achievements in the field of education.

Today’s Standard newspaper quotes Prof Marangu speaking at ANU’s 11^th graduation ceremony held last week: “Time has come for us in Africa to invest in a different type of education, Christ-centred education that produces individuals who are committed to servant leadership. At Africa Nazarene University, we are on the journey to transform Africa to economic prosperity.”

With a vision like that, one can only look forward to a future marked by yet more great achievements by Prof Leah Marangu and her students at ANU.

More grease to your elbow, Prof Marangu!