Egerton University

The main campus of the university is located in Njoro, a small community approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi), southwest of the town of Nakuru.[3] This is located approximately 182 kilometres (113 mi), by road, northwest of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya.[4] The coordinates of the university main campus are:0°22'11.0"S, 35°55'58.0"E (Latitude:-0.369734; Longitude:35.932779).[5]

Egerton University is the oldest institution of higher learning in Kenya. It was founded as a Farm School in 1939 by Lord Maurice Egerton of Tatton, a British national who settled in Kenya in the 1920s.[6]

In 1950, the School was upgraded to an Agricultural College offering diploma programmes. The Egerton Agricultural College Ordinance was enacted in 1955.

The school was founded in 1939, and was originally named Egerton Farm School.[7] It was established by a large land grant of 740 acres (3 km²) by Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton of Tatton. The school's original purpose was to prepare white European youth for careers in agriculture.[8] By 1955, the name had changed to Egerton Agricultural College. A one-year certificate course and a two-year diploma course in agriculture were offered. In 1958, Lord Egerton donated another 1,100 acres (4.5 km²) of land. Soon afterwards, the college opened its doors to people of all races from Kenya and other African countries.[8]

In 1979, the Government of Kenya and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded a major expansion of the institution.[9] With support from the Government of Kenya and USAID, the college expanded yet again, becoming part of the University of Nairobi system. In 1986, Egerton Agricultural College was gazetted as a constituent college of the University of Nairobi. The following year, 1987, marked the establishment of Egerton University through an Act of Parliament.[10] and the college was recognized as a chartered public university.[11]

Egerton University has made tremendous progress towards increasing access to higher education in Kenya. Chuka University, Kisii University and Laikipia University, who were chartered to become full-fledged Universities on 8th January 2013, 6th February 2013 and 19th February 2013, respectively, were all former constituent Colleges of Egerton University.[12]

Egerton University has four campuses, one of them being a constituent college.[2]

• The main campus is based at Njoro and houses the faculties of Agriculture, Arts & Social Sciences, Education & Community Studies, Engineering & Technology, Environment & Resources Development, Science & Veterinary Medicine.
• The Nairobi City Campus hosts the faculties of Arts & Social Sciences, Education & Community Studies and Commerce. It also hosts the African Centre for Distance Education (ACDE).
• The Kenyatta Campus is located 5 kilometres (3 mi) from Njoro Campus and houses the Open and Distance Learning (CODL) programmes.
• The Egerton University Nakuru Town Campus College hosts the faculties of Commerce and Health Sciences.[2]

The University has nine faculties, subdived into fifty one academic departments offering programmes at diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels:[2]

• Faculty of Agriculture[13]
• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences[14]
• Faculty of Commerce[15]
• Faculty of Education and Community Studies[16]
• Faculty of Engineering and Technology[17]
• Faculty of Environment and Resource Development[18]
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Law[19]
• Faculty of Science[20]
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery[2]

The university offers many academic programs. Students can receive a three-year diploma, a bachelor's degree, master's degree, or a doctorate (PhD).[2]

In 2004, the university established a partnership with Western Michigan University that allows students to complete half of their degree at Egerton and finish their studies at WMU in a choice of computer science, engineering and business administration.[21]

• List of universities in Kenya
• Education in Kenya
• Maurice Egerton, 4th Baron Egerton
• Egerton family
• Lord Egerton Castle

• Official Egerton University website