Professor Stephen Gitahi Kiama (56) has officially been installed as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, taking over from Professor Peter Mulwa Mbithi. During his installation in Taifa Hall on June 05, 2020, past VCs, staff, students and industrial relations leaders paid glowing tribute to the new VC. Professor Kiama is a Kenyan veterinary surgeon and academic who, effective 3rd January 2020, became the 8th Vice Chancellor, University of Nairobi. The occasion was marked with colour and pomp and was graced by Dr. Vijoo Rattansi the Chancellor and Prof. Julia Ojiambo, the Chair of University Council. 

Professor Kiama started his scholarly-cum-academic sojourn in 1972 at Gatugi Primary Secondary School, Othaya. He sat for the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) in 1978 and was admitted to Kenyatta High School, Mahiga where he sat for the Kenya Certificate of Education (KCE) in 1982. He was then admitted to Nakuru High School for his Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (A-Levels). After successfully completing A levels, Professor Kiama was admitted to University of Nairobi for a bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine, graduating in 1990. Upon graduation, Prof. Kiama joined the faculty of University of Nairobi as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy. Since then, he has risen through the ranks to positions of Lecturer (1995), Senior Lecturer (2002), Associate Professor (2012) and Full Professor (2016). Instructively, Professor Kiama has steadfastly scaled the ladder of scholarship from the very bottom to the pinnacle of academia as a Full Professor.

Prior to his appointment as the 8th Vice Chancellor of University of Nairobi, Professor Kiama served as the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Human Resource and Administration and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor in-charge of Finance, Planning and Development.