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Elijah I. Omwenga, PhD, FICTAK

Vice-Chancellor

Prof.Elijah I. Omwenga, PhD, FICTAK

Welcome to the Open University of Kenya; a University where learning is not confined by walls, distance or time.

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Wasifu wa kitaalamu

Professor Elijah Isanda Omwenga is a distinguished Kenyan scholar, Professor of Computer Science and university leader with over three decades of experience in higher education, digital innovation, research and institutional development.

He is the Vice-Chancellor of the Open University of Kenya (OUK), Kenya’s first fully virtual public university, which was chartered on 3 August 2023. He also serves as Secretary to the Governing Council. Under his leadership, the University has expanded access to flexible, affordable and technology-enabled higher education, reaching over 37,500 learners from 79 countries. This number comprises students enrolled in academic programmes and others undertaking professional development courses. The University has developed 33 academic programmes, 32 of which have been accredited, and established a digital learning management system and a digital library providing access to over 20 million resources.

Professor Omwenga has championed institutional governance, financial accountability, research, innovation and strategic partnerships. During his tenure, OUK achieved clean audit reports for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years, while annual internally generated revenue increased from KSh 26.12 million in 2023/24 to KSh 410.56 million in 2025/26. He has also advanced research and digital capacity-building through national and international collaborations, including a five-year US$5 million grant under the Government of Kenya–World Bank Kenya Digital Economy Acceleration Project to support programme development, secure virtual laboratories and centres of excellence.

Before joining OUK as Vice-Chancellor, Professor Omwenga served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Student Affairs) at the University of Kabianga, Director of ICT and eLearning Coordinator at the University of Nairobi, and an eLearning consultant to UNESCO. His work has contributed to academic quality assurance, digital infrastructure development, institutional reform and the advancement of science, technology and engineering education across sub-Saharan Africa. He has also served on various national and international boards and committees in science, technology, innovation, intellectual property and higher education.

An accomplished researcher and author, Professor Omwenga has published over 70 scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals, authored three university-level books and supervised doctoral and master’s students. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Nairobi, an MSc in Computer Science with distinction from the National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, and a Bachelor of Education (Science) from Kenyatta University. He is a Fellow of the ICT Association of Kenya (FICTAK) and received the Association’s Distinguished Scholar Award in 2024.

Professor Omwenga’s work is guided by a commitment to accountable leadership, digital transformation and inclusive access to quality higher education. He continues to advance the role of technology and innovation in developing human capital and strengthening Kenya’s higher education system.

Matriksi ya kitaaluma

Sifa

  • PhD in Computer Science, University of Nairobi (2004)
  • MSc in Computer Science (Distinction), National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe (1998)
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Science, University of Nairobi (1992)
  • Bachelor of Education (Science), Second Class Honours, Kenyatta University (1990)

Utaalamu mkuu

  • eLearning and open and distance learning
  • Information systems
  • ICT in education
  • Digital transformation in higher education
  • Mobile and ubiquitous computing
  • E-government and e-commerce

Machapisho teule yaliyokaguliwa na rika

  • Maritim, E., & Omwenga, E. (2025). Open University of Kenya. In S. Mishra & S. Panda (Eds.), Handbook of open universities around the world (pp. 78–86). Routledge.
  • Omwenga, E. I., Mbithi, P. M. F., Muthama, J. N., & Mwarabu, J. C. (2021). A study on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in African universities. International Journal of Computer Applications Technology and Research, 10(8), 208–212.
  • Omwenga, E. I. (2021). Responding to COVID-19 pandemic's threat to African universities: A survey on challenges and mitigations. Proceedings of the African Virtual Symposium on Higher Education, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Hadullo, K., Oboko, R., & Omwenga, E. (2018). Status of e-learning quality in Kenya: Case of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology postgraduate students. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 19(1).
  • Hadullo, K., Oboko, R., & Omwenga, E. (2018). Factors affecting asynchronous e-learning quality in developing countries university settings. International Journal of Education and Development using ICT, 14(1).
  • Hadullo, K., Oboko, R., & Omwenga, E. (2017). A model for evaluating e-learning systems quality in higher education in developing countries. International Journal of Education and Development using ICT, 13(2).
  • Omwenga, E. I., Gakuu, C. M., Oboko, R. O., Kidombo, H. J., Mbwesa, J. K., Waiganjo, P. W., & Libotton, A. (2016). Quality indicator framework for assessing DEeL programs in Kenya: A technological and educational functional parameters approach. Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences, 7(4), 191–199.
  • Asiligwa, B. I., & Omwenga, E. I. (2016). A roadmap for the adoption of government e-payments in Kenya. International Journal of Computer Applications, 144(1), 8–18.
  • Mwakondo, F. M., Muchemi, L., & Omwenga, E. I. (2016). Proposed model for predictive mapping of graduate's skills to industry roles using machine learning techniques. International Journal of Engineering and Science, 5(4), 15–24.
  • Ireri, B. N., & Omwenga, E. I. (2016). Mobile learning: A bridging technology of learner entry behavior in a flipped classroom model. In J. Keengwe & G. Onchwari (Eds.), Handbook of research on active learning and the flipped classroom model in the digital age (pp. 106–121). IGI Global.
  • Makau, G. K., Omwenga, E. I., & Muranga, N. J. (2015). The critical technological factors of e-government in Kenya. International Journal of Computer Applications Technology and Research, 4(2), 92–97.
  • Manaka, R., & Omwenga, E. (2015). Online assessment in public universities: An implementation framework for online assessment. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing.
  • Omwenga, E. I. (2011). Modelling a computer-mediated learning infrastructure: Concepts, principles and implementation requirements. Lambert Academic Publishing.
  • Omwenga, E. I. (2011). Text-based productivity tools. African Virtual University Open Educational Resources.
  • Mbogo, T., Omwenga, E. I., & Waiganjo, P. W. (2010). A framework for distributed learning objects repository. Lambert Academic Publishing.
  • Oboko, R., Wagacha, P. W., Omwenga, E. I., & Libotton, A. (2009). Comparison of different machine learning algorithms for the initialization of student knowledge level in a learner model-based adaptive e-learning system. International Journal of Computing and ICT Research, 3(1), 50–56.
  • Omwenga, E. I., & Rodrigues, A. J. (2006). Towards an education evaluation framework: Synchronous and asynchronous e-learning cases. Journal of the Research Centre for Educational Technology.
  • ANSTI, & Omwenga, E. I. (2005). State of science and technology training institutions in Africa. UNESCO, Nairobi.
  • Omwenga, E., Waema, T., & Wagacha, P. (2004). A model for introducing and implementing e-learning for delivery of educational content within the African context. African Journal of Science and Technology, 5(1), 35–48.
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