Africa Nazarene University
| Motto | What begins here, Transforms the World |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1994[1] |
| Affiliation | Church of the Nazarene |
| Dean | Mr. P. Kangori |
| Location |
Nairobi, Ongata Rongai, KE 1°24′05″S 36°47′24″E / 1.401424°S 36.789923°ECoordinates: 1°24′05″S 36°47′24″E / 1.401424°S 36.789923°E |
| Website | www.anu.ac.ke |
Africa Nazarene University (ANU) is an American private Christian University in Nairobi, Kenya, and an affiliate of The Church of the Nazarene Colleges and Universities around the world.
ANU is fully accredited by the Commission for University Education and the International Board of Education(IBOE).
History
ANU is a private Christian University and an institution of the Church of the Nazarene International, whose mission and vision follows the Wesleyan Holiness Tradition. It was established to prepare leaders for the Church both at ministerial and laity level and therefore the Church of the Nazarene sought to address the challenges witnessed in African society in the early 1980s through an institution of higher education. In accordance with the Kenya University’s Act of 1985 – provision for establishment of private universities in Kenya – the Church settled on Kenya as a location to start a Nazarene University which became the first one outside North America.
In July 1993, the Board of the Church granted its authority for the establishment of a university in Africa following a unanimous vote by its members during a General Assembly in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. The Church, through the university’s founders, continued to pursue negotiations with the Commission of University Education, then Commission of Higher Education (CHE) to establish a degree awarding institution. Therefore, the legal authority to establish the university was given on November 23, 1993, when CHE issued, on behalf of the Kenyan Government, a Letter of Interim Authority for the university to start laying the foundation for the development of ANU.
Situated in the middle of the Masaai savannah, the physical foundation of the university was laid on 124 acres. The campus is located next to Nairobi National Park, off Magadi Road near Ongata Rongai Town, 24 km from Nairobi city center.
In August 1994 Dr. Martha John, ANU’s first Vice Chancellor, opened the university’s doors to 62 students from eleven African countries taking undergraduate courses in Theology and Business Administration and a Masters of Arts in Religion. One year later, the university introduced the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, welcoming an additional 42 students.
Prof.Leah T Marangu took over from Dr. John in January 1996 and was installed as Vice Chancellor in February 1997. On October 8, 2002, the university was granted the Charter (Accreditation Credentials) by the government of Kenya, making ANU the first private university to receive the credential under the new act and without being affiliated with any other university locally and abroad.
Starting off with three programs, the university now has 36 programs and the campuses have grown from one to five.
