Strathmore College was started in 1961 as an Advanced-level Sixth Form College offering Science and Arts subjects by a group of professionals, who formed a charitable Educational Trust (now the Strathmore Educational Trust). Saint Josemara Escriva`, founder of Opus Dei, inspired and encouraged them to start the College.
In March 1966, the first intake of Accountancy students, twenty-five in number, joined the Sixth Form students, and began preparing for the examinations of the UK-based Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). These first Accountancy students were sponsored by Shell East Africa, BAT (East Africa) and the East African Breweries. At this time Strathmore College was unique as a fully integrated post-Form 4 institution offering both academic and professional courses.
In October 1982, owing to the increased demand from companies for the professional training of their employees, the College began evening courses in Accountancy after normal working hours, with 60 students sponsored by various companies.
In 1986, in response to a request by the Trustees, the Government of Kenya donated 5 acres of land on Ole Sangale Road, Madaraka Estate. The European Union (EU) and the Italian Government agreed to back the Madaraka Campus project. The donors were keen to support a co-educational College that would offer courses in Management and Accountancy. Kianda College, an undertaking of Kianda Foundation, which was planning new developments at the time, agreed to run their professional courses in the new Madaraka campus.
Construction of the new campus commenced in September 1989. Meanwhile, in January 1991, the Information Technology Centre was started in the Lavington Campus to run computer courses leading to the Institute for the Management of Information Systems (formerly Institute of Data Processing Management) Diploma and Higher Diploma. In January 1992 a Distance Learning Centre was opened to offer correspondence courses in Accountancy to students who are unable to attend lectures.
In January 1993 Strathmore College merged with Kianda College and moved to Ole Sangale Road, Madaraka Estate.
Enrollment
A total population of 4,393 students(full-time and part-time) studying Accountancy, Administration, Commerce, Finance, Management and Information Technology.
Becoming a University
In August 2002 the Commission of Higher Education awarded Strathmore a Letter of Interim Authority to operate as a University with a Faculty of Commerce and a Faculty of Information Technology.
The first undergraduate students to enroll in these faculties completed their 4-year degree course in December 2004 and graduated in August 2005.
In June 2007, Kenya’s Commission for Higher Education approved the award of a charter to Strathmore University.
Strathmore University Charter gazetted
The University’s Charter was gazzetted under the Universities Act (CAP 210B) in the ‘Kenya Gazette’ supplement no. 47 (legislative supplement no. 27) via legal notice no. 86. The charter details establishment and functions of the University, membership and governance of the University, administration, financial provision and statutes of the University.
Mission
To provide all round quality education in an atmosphere of freedom and responsibility excellence in teaching, research and scholarship, ethical and social development and service to the society.
Vision
To become a leading out-come driven entrepreneurial research University by translating our excellence into major contribution to culture, economic well-being and quality of life.
Values
Excellence through the sanctification of work; freedom and responsibility; ethical practice; personalized attention; subsidiarity; collegiality; life-long learning; service to society.
Coat of Arms
The Coat of Arms is full of meaning:
The Lion is the symbol of strength and courage, and of the determined fight for excellence and justice. It also represents Kenya, our country, which strives to attain all the qualities mentioned above.
The Rose in full bloom represents love, the source of all good desires and actions, even if at times this means loving sacrifice, as represented by the thorns. The rose has a supernatural meaning too. Love, with capital letters, is love of God. The rose also has a historical meaning associated with the life of Saint JosemarÃa Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, who inspired and encouraged the people who started Strathmore: he once received a divine sign in the form of a carved gilded rose in a very trying moment of his life.
The Three Hearts represent the three races which, in 1961 when the University started, were segregated in the colonial system of education. The heart represents the person, since it is taken as the source of all our actions, and the source of love. The fact that the three hearts all have the same colour shows the equality of all people and their aim to love and understand each other. At the beginning it clearly pointed at the target of racial unity. Today it symbolises the common aim of parents, teachers and students in the educational process of Strathmore.
The Motto “Ut omnes unum sint” is Latin. It is a quotation from a passage of the Gospel, and means “That all may be one“. It expresses our desire to work together towards the same aim, in spite of personal differences or opinion, tastes and backgrounds.
The colours in heraldry (the science dealing with coats of arms) have associated meanings as follows: Yellow (Gold) Gold means eternity, perfection. Blue (Azure) Sky blue means high ideals, high aims. Red (Gules) Blood red means sacrifice, love, fortitude.
The Coat of Arms is full of meaning:
