On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Dr. Benard William Chitunga made history after being installed as the second chancellor of the Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK), a chartered public university in the country.
His installation made him the youngest ever chancellor appointed to lead an institution of higher learning in the country. He will serve a five-year term as the university’s chancellor, succeeding the late Joseph Nyagah, who was the inaugural chancellor of the institution located in Karen, Nairobi.
The 36-year-old rose to this position following his appointment by President William Ruto, who also attended his installation alongside former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and other top officials in the Kenya Kwanza administration.
His profile
Chitunga holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Management from KwaZulu-Natal University, South Africa. He also pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from UGSM Monarch Business School, Switzerland.
Additionally, he holds a master’s degree in global business and sustainability-social entrepreneurship from Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Italy, and a postgraduate degree in development strategy and governance from Bradford University, United Kingdom.
Before his appointment, Chitunga worked at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), based at the headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as a senior officer for partnerships, donors, and special projects.
He was the Banks’ secretariat to the USD 5 billion Affirmative Finance Special and Trust Funds, where he had the privilege of serving as the task manager/lead during their establishment in 2018.
The Co-operative University of Kenya’s chancellor prides himself on having deep experience and expertise in partnerships, development, concessional finance, and multilateralism in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Currently, he also serves as a partnership specialist and secretariat-special funds management at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing, China.
Ruto lauds his leadership
Speaking during his installation ceremony, Ruto lauded Chitunga, insisting that it was a statement that young people are ready to step up into leadership positions.
“Dr Chitunga’s elevation to the chancellor role reflects our collective conviction that young people are not merely leaders of tomorrow; they can also lead today. As a government, we are intentional about integrating young people into leadership to unlock their innovation, energy, and bold thinking in shaping our country’s future,” Ruto stated.
On his side, Chitunga vowed to transform the institution through strategic development and investment. He also pledged to unleash a cooperative stimulus to accelerate Kenya’s development agenda.
Chitunga also vowed to position the CUK as a lead consultant to the government, offering advisory services and further setting the institution as a launchpad of policy research for Kenya.
He also pitched for the full adoption of Artificial Intelligence to spur development in the country and train students in market courses.
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