Egerton university: Egerton University has been recognized for its efforts in upgrading its digital learning infrastructure, earning the distinction of being the second-ranked institution of higher learning nationally in 2025.
According to Kenya News Agency, the university’s achievement follows significant enhancements to its digital infrastructure, which have bolstered the institution’s digital capabilities and improved learning, research, and overall institutional effectiveness. This upgrade was made possible through financial support from the Kenya Education Network (KENET) Digital Campus Infrastructure (DCI) Revolving Fund.
The fund is designed to assist universities in upgrading vital ICT infrastructure, including campus fibre networks, Wi-Fi coverage, and data centres, ensuring that students and staff have seamless access to the internet and digital academic resources. KENET Executive Director Professor Meoli Kashorda emphasized that the improvements at Egerton University will enhance the quality and accessibility of education.
Professor Kashorda noted that digital infrastructure, such as the high-speed internet provided to institutions, supports both synchronous and asynchronous learning, making education more flexible and accessible to students regardless of their physical location. During the awarding of a Certificate of Recognition to Egerton University, he highlighted that digital technology facilitates interactive learning experiences through multimedia, e-books, and online platforms, thereby improving student engagement and academic performance.
KENET established a Sh200 million digital campus network infrastructure revolving fund in July 2022. This fund finances the upgrade of outdated campus networks and the expansion of networks to connect new buildings or extend Wi-Fi to student hostels, replacing the annual Direct Engineering Support (DES) budget that previously donated equipment to institutions in need.
Professor Kashorda underscored the significance of robust digital infrastructure in Kenyan higher education institutions, as it provides access to global scholarly databases and digital repositories, and supports advanced research in fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science.
KENET, a not-for-profit organization licensed by the Communication Authority of Kenya, serves as the National Research and Education Network (NREN) of Kenya. It promotes the use of ICTs in teaching, learning, and research, operating under a Board of Trustees and a Management Board that includes representatives from various sectors.
In discussing the DCI Revolving Fund, Professor Kashorda explained that beneficiary institutions enter into agreements with KENET for engineering, procurement, build, operate, and transfer projects, with recovery periods ranging from 12 to 60 months. The investment for each institution is limited to their annual Internet expenditure.
Professor Kashorda also highlighted the role of initiatives like the National Digital Literacy Programme in equipping students with essential digital skills. These initiatives support efficient administration and enhance student learning through digital tools such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Student Information Systems (SIS).
Egerton University Vice Chancellor Professor Isaac Kibwage expressed that the award reflects the university’s ongoing investment in modern digital systems that support teaching, learning, research, and administration.