OUK Elects First Virtual Student Governing Council in Landmark Digital Election

The three-day electoral exercise, featuring a digital voting platform developed by an OUK student, marks a milestone in technology-enabled student leadership and democratic participation.

The Open University of Kenya (OUK) has elected its first Student Governing Council (SGC) following a three-day electoral exercise held from 9th to 11th November 2026, marking a significant milestone in the university's approach to digital student engagement and governance.

The exercise began with mock elections on 9th November to test the voting platform, followed by the official electoral process on 10th November. The final Student Governing Council elections took place on 11th November through “Voterswall”, a digital voting platform developed by Mr. Innocent Kiboto, an OUK Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics student.

The final voting exercise was completed in approximately 20 minutes, demonstrating how technology can facilitate democratic participation in a university whose students are geographically dispersed.

Mr. Dennis Kamau was elected Chairperson after garnering 66 per cent of the votes, while Ms Norah Mutanu was elected Vice Chairperson.

Other elected officials are Mr. Paul O. Oketch, Secretary General; Mr. Harrison Osasso, Finance Secretary; Mr. Festo Nyakundi, ICT and Academic Affairs Secretary; Ms Selena Ahoma, Sports and Culture Secretary; Ms Stephanie Banda, Gender and Social Welfare Secretary and Mr. Victor Kiposgei, Special Needs Representative.

University challenges new leaders to redefine student governance

Speaking during the announcement of the results, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Planning and Infrastructure, Prof. Christopher Chepken, congratulated the elected officials and commended the Election Board, the technology provider, the Dean of Students and university management for supporting the electoral process.

Prof. Chepken described the establishment of the University's first virtual Student Governing Council as an important institutional milestone, noting that OUK was breaking new ground in student representation.

He challenged the incoming leaders to embrace innovation and develop approaches to student leadership that reflect the university's distinctive virtual learning environment.

"You are not going to be competing with other student councils in terms of what they do. You will have to set your own standards," he said.

He observed that OUK's student leaders would represent a geographically diverse student population, including learners living outside Kenya, requiring new approaches to communication, representation and student activities.

Prof. Chepken cited opportunities for virtual sports, debates and other online student activities, noting that the university and the new council would need to develop innovative models of student engagement.

He assured the council of the university's support and urged the elected officials to make promoting OUK, its academic programmes and graduates their immediate priority.

"The first duty that you have is to market OUK, market the programmes and market the graduates," he emphasised, adding that employers and other stakeholders needed to recognise the quality and value of OUK graduates.

Election Board commends smooth electoral process

The Chairperson of the Election Board, Prof. Sammy Mutisya, commended the successful conduct of the elections, describing the exercise as a job well done.

He also noted that the composition of the elected council had met the two-thirds gender principle, underscoring the importance of inclusive representation in student leadership.

Acting Registrar, Academic Affairs, Dr. Catherine Kagucia, congratulated the elected officials and urged them to take up their responsibilities with commitment, particularly in promoting the university's academic programmes.

She noted that the elections had been conducted smoothly, without major disruptions or disputes, and commended the voting system for facilitating the process.

Ms. Betsy Wanjala (Ag. HOD, Student Affairs) said the elections demonstrated that students could participate effectively in democratic processes regardless of their physical location.

She particularly celebrated the fact that the voting platform had been developed by an OUK student, describing it as evidence of the University's commitment to nurturing innovation and producing globally competitive graduates.

She challenged the incoming council to demonstrate that virtual student leadership could be effective and positively influence society, just like student leadership in conventional universities.

Student innovation powers digital democracy

For Mr. Kiboto, the elections provided an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of locally developed technology in addressing the governance needs of a fully virtual university.

He described the experience as particularly meaningful because the elections were conducted at the university where he is also a student.

Kiboto said the platform enabled students to participate from different locations, including outside Kenya, with some casting their votes from Dubai.

On the integrity of the electronic voting process, he explained that Voterswall incorporates system integrity checks, digital hashes and audit logs to help verify the authenticity of voting records and detect unauthorised alterations.

Kiboto reported that approximately 1,700 students participated in the earlier online electoral stage, while the final SGC election recorded 100 per cent voter turnout among the designated electorate.

He noted that the final exercise, initially planned to take three hours, was completed in approximately 20 minutes.

Beyond the University elections, Kiboto revealed that Voterswall was engaging with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), having been accredited as a voter education provider.

He also disclosed that the company had held discussions around opportunities to enhance electoral participation among Kenyans living in the diaspora, including the possibility of electronic voting in future national elections.

A new chapter in OUK student leadership

The establishment of the first virtual Student Governing Council represents an important step in OUK's institutional development and its commitment to reimagining higher education through technology.

As the newly elected officials prepare for induction and swearing-in, expectations are high that the council will strengthen student engagement, promote accountability and contribute to building a vibrant and inclusive virtual university community.

For OUK, the milestone goes beyond an electoral exercise. It reflects the university's ambition to harness technology, nurture student innovation and create new models of leadership suited to the evolving landscape of higher education.