For More than a decade, Anthony Kamau has been a witness to the impressive growth and development of MKUR. He says he has seen it all: the challenges, the successes and generally, the exhilarating experience of watching an institution evolve from humble beginnings into an academic giant in just a decade.
In October 2015, Kamau was appointed the representative of the MKUR Board of Directors and has held that position ever since.
He remembers how it all began for him: “I joined MKUR on January 5, 2011 as an accountant. Being the first time to leave my home country, I was a bit worried and anxious because I knew no one there.
“I learnt that MKUR had just started in late 2010, and that it was the only foreign university in Rwanda.”
Kamau also observes that in those days, Rwanda’s education sector lacked enough teaching personnel, since the country had just switched from French to English.
That change of language, Kamau notes, eventually made a positive difference. Kamau sums up his experience at the campus this way: “The memory I have retained is the growth of the campus from scratch to a modern institution with its own ultra-modern buildings. We now have state-of-the-art training facilities.”
He says students were able to bear with the university even when it was operating from three centres in town.
The staff have been also outstanding in their dedication, Kamau adds, and this has contributed to the growth of the university.
His memory of the alumni is “how they have been successful in life and the way we have trained even prominent people in the society. They confess how the university has helped them improve their careers.”
Kamau pays tribute to the late Prof Elim Lokapel, who impacted the campus in an interesting way.
“He infused new energy into the institution’s marketing drive and staff culture of serving our students.”