Prof. Olive Mugenda, Ph.D., CBS, MGH

Prof. Olive Mugenda is the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital.

She holds an MSc and Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University (USA). She also holds an MBA degree from ESAMI, Arusha (Tanzania). She was previously the Vice-Chancellor of Kenyatta University from 2006 to 2016. Before this, she was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Finance Planning & Development). She has also held various Board positions in a number of organizations including Chairperson, Association of Commonwealth Universities; Vice-President- International Association of Universities; Director, Nation Media Group; Member, Association of African Universities; Kenya National Examinations Council; Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI) among others.

She is also a Commissioner with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) of Kenya.

Professor Mugenda was awarded The Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) in 2006, The Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS) in 2011 and most recently, in 2021, the Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart (MGH) Presidential Award. She was also awarded the Ernst & Young Life Time Achievement Award in 2014 and in February 2016, she was honoured by the French Government through the French Embassy with the order of Academic Palms – a national order of France for Distinguished Academics and figures in the world for her efforts in steering the University’s growth.