His appointment follows a competitive recruitment process by the Public Service Commission (PSC) where he was the top-ranked candidate, according to the KU Chairperson of Council, Prof. Clara Momanyi.
Prof. Okumu previously served as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) for one decade and in various Senior Management positions at the University.
“Given his in-depth experience and strategic insights in higher education management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement, the University Council is confident that he will provide visionary and transformational leadership that will guide the University into its next phase of growth and excellence.”
Prof Okumu takes office following the retirement of former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina in January 2026.
He did his Bachelor of Education (Science) in 1986 at the same institution, majored in Physics (first degree) and Condensed Matter Physics in his MSc in 1988, still at KU.
In 1996, he got his PhD in Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.
He rose from the position of a Tutorial Fellow in 1988 to an Associate Professor in 2004 at KU.
Prof. Okumu has also contributed to literary studies, among them published 26 papers in internationally refereed journals, 18 articles in conference proceedings and authored 2 books.
He is also a member of the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation Network to support young African Scientists in training and exchange of Scientific Information.
