Prof. Stephen Kiama was competitively appointed as the 8th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi on January 5th, 2020. His tenure has been marked by significant transformation in the University's culture, stability, and partnerships.
He graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Nairobi and was immediately hired by the University’s Department of Veterinary Anatomy as an Assistant Lecturer. Prof. Kiama completed his Master’s degree in Veterinary Anatomy under the supervision of Professor J.N. Maina and Professor Josabatta Battacharjee. His master's thesis was titled, "Morphology and Morphometry of the Avian Pecten Oculi: A Comparative Study," was partially supported by a DAAD scholarship.
In 1997, Kiama was awarded a scholarship by the Swiss Federal Scholarship Commission to pursue a PhD in Structural Biology at the University of Bern, Switzerland, under Professor Peter Gehr. Prof. Kiama's PhD thesis was titled "Functional and Morphological Characterisation of Particle – Dendritic Cell Interaction." He graduated in 2001 and returned home to continue his research and teaching at the University of Nairobi.
Throughout his career, Prof. Kiama has gained 34 years of research and teaching experience at various institutions, including time spent at Gatty Marine Laboratory, St. Andrews University (Scotland), and the Free University of Berlin (Germany) on scholarships from the British Council and DAAD. Kiama has also held a visiting researcher position at the University of Witwatersrand (South Africa) and taught at the University of Ghana, Legon.
He has published extensively in structural biology and has supervised 14 Master of Science and 12 Doctor of Philosophy Postgraduate Students. In 2022, Kiama was appointed to the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms by H.E President William Ruto, where he chaired the subcommittee on Governance and Financing of University Education.
Since joining the University of Nairobi as an Assistant Lecturer in 1990, he rose through the ranks to become a Full Professor in 2016. He has held several Senior Management positions at the University of Nairobi, including Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Human Resource and Administration, Principal of the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, and Founding Director of the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies.
He has also served in various Administrative positions, including Chairman of several University committees, Member of the University Senate, and as a Board Member of several organizations. His extensive experience and leadership has significantly contributed to the University's transformation and success.