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Tom Mboya University College in Homa Bay county has been given the greenlight to operate as a full-fledged institution after it received a charter.

 The institution based in Homa Bay town was awarded the charter by President Uhuru Kenyatta at Kakamega State Lodge during his tour of Western Kenya on Tuesday.

It has been operating as a constituent of Maseno University since its inception in October 2016. With the charter, the institution now has autonomy and changed the name to Tom Mboya University. This means it will start offering its own degree courses. In its accreditation report, the university has been given the greenlight to offer 39 academic programmes for undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Blue economy

The institution has been offering three main faculties with 27 academic programmes including biological and physical sciences, business and economics, and education. The university which is in the process hiring a vice chancellor, now has the capacity to introduce its own academic programmes.

Prof Charles Ochola (pictured) who has been heading the institution as the principal, said plans are underway to introduce more courses. He said that they intend to create a niche in blue economy.