A groundbreaking Sh18 billion education deal between the University of Nairobi and the French government, once hailed as a turning point for Kenya’s science and technology sector, is now entangled in delays, political wrangles, and leadership changes that have cast uncertainty over its future.
In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the University of Nairobi and announced a strategic partnership to establish a world-class science and engineering centre. The vision: to replicate a facility similar to Harvard’s Science Complex, right at UoN’s Chiromo Campus.
The proposed 30,000-square-metre hub was to include precision engineering labs, innovation centres, postgraduate hostels, and a high-end ICT platform — all designed to revolutionise STEM education in Kenya. The French government pledged Sh5.5 billion to jumpstart the project.
But six years since the idea was born, and nearly five years since Macron’s visit, there is little to show on the ground.
The delays stem not from lack of funding or interest, but from internal challenges. Documents and interviews reveal a project caught in the crossfire of a leadership crisis at the University of Nairobi (UoN).
At the heart of it is a string of high-level appointments and revocations. Prof. Stephen Kiama, the former Vice-Chancellor, was pushed out. His replacement, Prof. Margaret Hutchinson, was installed by government order following the dissolution of the university council chaired by Prof. Amukowa Anangwe.
Meanwhile, Prof. Francis Mulaa, who led the original project team in 2015, was also controversially removed from the project’s leadership shortly after being shortlisted for a top position at the university.
The idea was first mooted in May 2015, when a UoN memo called for a compelling proposal to attract foreign credit for infrastructure expansion. In 2021, the French government committed funds and planned to break ground. Construction was initially set for 2023 but has now been postponed to May 2026.
Each passing year has seen new leadership shake-ups, bureaucratic hurdles, and missed deadlines.
The futuristic complex is set to rise at Chiromo Campus, but as of mid-2025, no construction has begun. What should have been a beacon of academic excellence remains a paper-bound promise.
– By Wambui Wachira
