By Meshack M. Ngangi, MPRSK, MMCK | 5th December 2025

It was a day of pride, reflection, and forward-looking resolve as The Co-operative University of Kenya marked its 10th Graduation Ceremony, celebrating the Class of 2025 and a decade since its charter award. Dr. Benard W. Chitunga, the Chancellor, speaking for the first time to a graduating cohort, joined university leadership in congratulating the 2,826 graduands, a remarkable 27% increase from last year’s 2,220 and a clear signal of growing confidence in the University’s programmes and mission. 

The composition of the 2025 Graduating cohort indicated a narrative of incredible growth: certificate graduands declined to 44 from 71 in the preceding year, and undergraduate graduands to 1,169 from 1,428, while diploma graduands surged to 1,567, a 163% jump from 596, and master’s graduands rose to 45 from 21 — an increase of 114%. For the first time in CUK’s history, the university will confer doctoral degrees, with four PhDs to be awarded, three from the School of Co-operatives and Community Development and one from the School of Computing and Mathematics. The School of Computing and Mathematics recorded a striking 65% rise to 330 graduands (from 200), the School of Business and Economics saw a decline to 676 graduands (from 1,027), and the School of Co-operatives and Community Development recorded 209 graduands, a marginal drop.

Beyond the numbers, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kamau Ngamau, outlined that the university framed these achievements as part of sustained academic growth and a commitment to relevance in a rapidly changing world. He expressed that The Co-operative University of Kenya currently runs five doctorate programmes, twelve master’s programmes, thirty-seven undergraduate/degree programmes, and twenty-three TVET programmes. During the year, the institution launched new doctoral programmes and prepared additional courses for accreditation. Key among recent curricular innovations is the introduction of Data Science as a foundational discipline for artificial intelligence, and the School of Computing and Mathematics has announced plans to launch a BSc. in Artificial Intelligence in September 2026, designed to prepare graduates to lead and shape AI-driven innovation. These expansions reflect a deliberate strategy: to embrace current trends and anticipate future demands so that graduates remain competitive and relevant.

Student leadership and global engagement featured prominently in the day’s reflections. Seventeen students completed the Millennium Campus Network programme, a global student network that advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and nurtures student leadership for social impact. Over the previous three months, these 17 fellows demonstrated leadership, creativity, and dedication that raised the university’s profile internationally and underscored the power of young people to drive transformative change. Equally important was the recognition of the institution’s growing reputation, including the receipt of the Education Sectoral Award at the 2025 ICS Champions of Governance Awards, an honour that was cited as evidence of the university’s steadfast pursuit of excellence.

During the Chancellor’s address, Dr. Chitunga combined institutional pride with personal reflection and a clear moral charge for the graduates. He paid tribute to the late Hon. Raila Odinga, recalling moments of mentorship and a final, quiet admonition, “Remain focused and always have courage”—that the Chancellor described as a lasting gift. In asking the 10th Congregation assembly to observe a moment of silence, he connected personal gratitude with national memory and urged graduates to carry forward the values of courage and service. Chancellor Chitunga also signalled institutional ambitions: to fast-track infrastructure expansion, innovation, growth, and partnerships that will support CUK’s next phase and make the university community proud.

To the Class of 2025, the Chancellor offered a charge that was at once pragmatic and aspirational. Dr. Benard Chitunga reminded them that their journey unfolded amid global upheaval — from the disruption of COVID-19 to the acceleration of digital transformation — and that they now enter a world charged with both possibility and peril. Central to his message was a single, vital value: empathy. Defined as the ability to step into another’s shoes, understand their experience, and act to help, empathy was presented as the cornerstone for leadership in an era when technology often mediates human interaction. 

The Chief Guest, Hon. FCPA Dr. Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Co-operatives and MSMEs Development, encouraged the Graduands, encouraging them to step into a world filled with opportunities and responsibility. The Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary underpinned that a qualification from The Co-operative University of Kenya is not just a certificate; it is a calling that positions them not only as job seekers, but as job creators, not only as beneficiaries of the co-operative movement, but as future leaders, innovators, and visionaries. The Chief Guest expressed that MSMEs and co-operatives are shaping the nation’s next economic chapter, and that the new graduates are the generation expected to spark that change.

The Graduating Class of 2025 was urged to stay curious so they can adapt to constant change; to treat failure as “success in progress,” learning from each stumble and helping others to rise; and to aim not merely to make a living but to make a difference, practicing kindness and uplifting the needy. The tone was warm and candid, peppered with humor about lifelong friendships and the hope of wedding invitations, yet firm in insisting that graduates become “architects of change, champions of justice, and trailblazers of innovation.”

The University used the occasion to reaffirm its partnership role in Kenya’s cooperative and MSME sectors, thanking the Ministry and the State Department for Co-operatives for ongoing collaboration, including academic contributions to policy reviews such as those affecting the Co-operative Bill 2024 and SACCO Societies Act. The university announced an expanded alumni mentorship and engagement programme to accompany graduates beyond the campus gates. An Alumni Dinner, scheduled for early 2026, would double as a mentorship forum and networking opportunity, and the university pledged to be deliberate in assisting graduates to secure employment and other opportunities. Parents and guardians received particular gratitude for their sacrifices and support, as the university handed back to them empowered individuals ready to lead, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to society.

As the ceremony closed, both the Vice Chancellor’s and Chancellor’s final exhortations were rallying and comforting that The Co-operative University of Kenya remains the graduates’ academic home, and graduates were invited to return for further study, research collaboration, and professional development while staying connected through The Co-operative University of Kenya’s Alumni Association (CUKAA). With a blend of institutional achievement, national tribute, and a humane call to action, the day affirmed CUK’s mission to produce competent human capital through quality education, training, research & innovation, and to empower communities through outreach for socio-economic transformation, and entrusted the Class of 2025 with the task of building better communities across Kenya and beyond.