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Born in 1956, Prof Olive Mwihaki Mugenda is a renowned academic, researcher, and administrator in Kenya.
Prof Mugenda was born and brought up in Kikuyu constituency but kick-started her academic journey in Dry's Farm Primary School in Timboroa, Baringo County.
She attended Alliance Girls High School for her 0-level education and later on joined Nairobi Girls for two years of A-level studies.
In 1979 she graduated with a first-class honours degree in Education from the University of Nairobi.
She went on to earn an MSc and PhD in Family and Consumer Sciences from Iowa State University, USA, and later obtained an MBA from the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI), Tanzania.
Academic career and leadership Prof Mugenda’s career in academia spans decades, largely centred at Kenyatta University (KU). She held various leadership roles, including Chair of the Department, Dean, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Finance, Planning, and Development.
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Making history in East Africa
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In 2006, she made history as the first woman Vice-Chancellor of a public university in Kenya and the East African region, a position she held until 2016.
During her tenure, she steered Kenyatta University through several transformations. These included expanding student enrolment, introducing market-driven programmes, improving staff welfare, and overseeing major infrastructure developments.
Service on boards and commissions Beyond academia, Prof Mugenda has served in leadership capacities across numerous organisations. She was the Chairperson of the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Vice-President of the International Association of Universities.
Locally, she has held positions with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI).
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Prof Mugenda is currently a Commissioner with Kenya’s Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and serves on various boards, including UBA Kenya Bank Limited and the African Centre for Transformative and Inclusive Leadership Initiative (ACTIL).
She is also affiliated with global institutions such as the Steering Committee for the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) and the Global Training and Research Program by the University of California.
Awards and recognitions
Throughout her career, Prof Mugenda has received numerous accolades for her contributions to academia and public service.
These include the Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) in 2006, Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS) in 2011, and the Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart (MGH) in 2021.
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She was also honoured internationally with the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and the French Government's Order of Academic Palms in 2016, recognising her efforts in advancing education and steering Kenyatta University’s growth.
Achievements
Prof Mugenda is credited with increasing Kenyatta University's budget from a low of Sh1.5 billion to a high of Sh9 billion by the time she left in 2016.
Some of her legacy projects include a Sh1 billion library, lecture halls and buildings for schools of engineering, tourism and economics.
A funeral home was also built during his tenure.The most notable development during his tensure was the Kenyatta University Teaching, Teaching and Referral Hospital with 500-bed capacity
Post-Vice-Chancellor career
After leaving Kenyatta University, Prof Mugenda continued her leadership journey by founding the Centre for Leadership and Innovation Growth (CLIG), aimed at empowering university leaders to drive organisational and community transformation.
When she retired as vice-chancellor in March 2016, the university council proposed a Sh100 million send-off package which she turned down.
Until December 2024, she served as Chairperson of the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) board.
She was installed as the second KCA University chancellor on February 21, 2020, replacing Prof Arthur Eshiwani.
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Family
She was married to fellow professor, Abel Mugenda, for 36 years. They met as teenagers in Thogoto, Kiambu county. They were blessed with four children. He died on January 5, 2019.
Prior, Abel who was a lecturer at USIU had filed for divorce over domestic issues.