The nation is immersed in the final rites for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Amidst the national mourning, a significant proposal has emerged to honour his technical education background.
Former Cabinet Secretary and presidential advisor Moses Kuria publicly suggested renaming a major Nairobi university after the consequential leader.
Mr. Kuria took to his X social media account on Saturday to announce the proposal. He stated he had formally written to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba, requesting the change.
The proposal is to rename the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) to the Raila Odinga Technical University.
An Engineer’s Deep Roots
The move is intended to be a posthumous recognition of Mr. Odinga’s significant contributions to technical and engineering education.
Mr. Odinga was a firm believer in the value of technical training. His own educational path rooted him in the engineering field.
In the 1960s, he studied in East Germany. He earned a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1970 from the Technical University of Magdeburg.
The late politician also had a direct connection to a related institution. After returning to Kenya, he served as a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nairobi until 1974.
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TUK, the institution at the centre of the renaming proposal, was once the Engineering wing of the University of Nairobi, when it was known as The Kenya Polytechnic.
“I have today written to Education CS Julius Ogamba requesting to rename the Technical University of Kenya into Raila Odinga Technical University.”
Process and Timing of the Proposal
The proposal was made as the country continues its final farewell to the prominent statesman. On Saturday, the late leader's body was lying in state for a public viewing at the Mamboleo showground in Kisumu. The public viewing precedes his planned burial on Sunday, 19 October 2025, at his family home in Kang'o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County.
Renaming a public university in Kenya is a complex administrative process. It is governed by the Universities Act of 2012 and the TUK Charter.
Any such change requires consultations with the University Council, the Senate, and the Commission for University Education (CUE). Staff unions, students, alumni, and the public must also be consulted.
Should the proposal gain wide support, it will be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary for Education. The final step is presidential approval, followed by formal gazettement in the Kenya Gazette. If approved, the renaming will honor the engineer-politician and father of devolution.
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