Dr Vincent Ogutu, the man from Eastlands who became Strathmore VC
Dr Vincent Ogutu during an interview in his Strathmore University office on May 24, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Dr Ogutu was installed as the second vice chancellor (VC) of Strathmore University on March 30, 2023, taking over from Prof John Odhiambo who had served for 15 years.
- At some point, he sought a job at the Nation Media Group. He says: “I was interviewed by Wangethi Mwangi (former Editorial Director) and when he asked me why I wanted to become a journalist, I told him I wanted to change the world. He advised me to look for another job."
Dr Vincent Ogutu always had big dreams. When young, he dreamt of changing the world and, therefore, when he joined the University of Nairobi (UoN), he thought it would equip him with skills to change the world.
An incident he had witnessed while growing up in Eastlands remains etched in his memory. Government bulldozers descended on a neighbouring informal settlement and flattened everything, leaving families homeless and destitute. He felt helpless in the face of injustice.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in economics, he felt ready to utilise his skills to change the world. In his thinking the problems people faced were political. He planned to accomplish his mission by writing impactful stories in the press and, therefore, he sought a job at the Nation Media Group.
Journalism stint
“I was interviewed by Wangethi Mwangi (former Editorial Director) and when he asked me why I wanted to become a journalist, I told him I wanted to change the world. He advised me to look for another job, but I insisted I wanted to be a journalist,” he tells Higher Education during an interview at his modestly furnished office.
He got the job but only lasted a week before he knocked on Mr Mwangi’s door, this time to tell him that he was resigning to go and teach at Strathmore School.
“‘I told you, you were wrong!’ Mr Mwangi told me and I told him: ‘No, I wasn’t wrong, you were wrong. I still want to change the world.’”
Tables turned when Dr Ogutu later interviewed Mr Mwangi when he applied to study at Strathmore. Dr Ogutu describes his one-week stint in the newsroom as one of his best moments. However, when he stepped into the world of teaching, he never looked back.
At Strathmore, he was on familiar ground as it was the school he attended from Form One to Six.
“I was on a scholarship. My parents couldn’t have afforded to pay the fees,” he says.
He is now at the helm of Strathmore University, regarded by many as one of the best run institutions of higher learning in Kenya.
Dr Ogutu was installed as the second vice chancellor (VC) of Strathmore University on March 30, 2023, taking over from Prof John Odhiambo who had served for 15 years. The journey to the installation was long. The university council had identified him for the position five years ago. He was then under the mentorship of Prof Odhiambo, for three years, before the outgoing VC went on his sabbatical leave, leaving Dr Ogutu to virtually run the university as a mentee.
“I wasn’t interested in administration. My life was all set. There are all these beautiful problems that as a researcher, you can go and research and deliver to society … I think the only mistake I made was to know a lot about the Strathmore culture; to really love it and to know about technology and the changing times, and the fourth industrial revolution,” he says.
During the installation ceremony, he recognised various people, including his family, and the professional and social groups he belongs to. His friends from Kariobangi, as well as classmates at Strathmore Class of ’88, were also there to cheer him.
“We did so much in class. Boys will be boys as you can see. We haven’t changed, we’re still the same boys,” he says to loud cheers.
Early life
“I was born in Eastleigh, Second Avenue, Juja Road. Then I was raised in Pangani, Huruma, Kariobangi. I also spent time with [my] grandparents in Alego, so I grew up speaking Dholuo.
“Family, for me, has had a huge impact. I was raised a Catholic and was a member of the Holy Trinity Church in Kariobangi. All these things have an influence on my life.
“Growing up in Eastlands toughens you up. There’s a certain machismo that you get by growing up in Eastlands. It teaches you to be creative and streetwise. Since your parents don’t buy you toys, you grow up making your own toys, organising your own games and competitions, setting the rules, deciding who the judges are and the ones to settle certain disputes.”
Dr Ogutu dearly holds on to his dream of positively impacting the world and has a vision that in about 20 years, there will be a change of value in society, spearheaded by graduates of Strathmore University.
Dr Ogutu left) with Nation Media Group Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gitagama when the university’s leadership paid a courtesy call to the CEO at Nation Centre, Nairobi.
“Is Strathmore the most expensive university in Kenya?” I ask him.
“Probably, yes,” he says, his response immediate. “But it’s not just about the cost. It’s about the quality; the quality of the faculty we bring in from abroad and locally. Furthermore, there are many students who are here on scholarship. About 15 per cent of undergraduate students are on scholarship.”
Dr Ogutu explains that the university has a strong endowment fund where its alumni and donors contribute. He further states that the objective is to make Strathmore a “need-blind” university “so that no student who qualifies will be turned away because of their economic status”.
At the moment, Strathmore does not have campuses in other places but has offices in Kampala, Kigali and Rwanda. Its faculty also organises executive courses for students in other parts of Africa.
“For undergraduate [programmes], we like our students coming to our Nairobi campus. There is something and values that they learn by physically being here,” he says.
Dr Ogutu explains that the university, unlike many others, has a dress code that must be observed by all students and those who are not properly attired are turned away, at the gate by security guards.
“We picked on dressing to teach values. We could’ve picked anything else. It’s only a medium for teaching values. It’s about teaching students to respect themselves and respect others. Does your dressing offend other people?” he poses.
Strathmore is also unique compared to other Kenyan universities in that it administers an entrance examination to all new students and those that do not make the grade are not admitted.
“We need to check whether they are as good as their certificates claim,” he says, adding that he encourages employers to also test prospective employees on their suitability for the jobs they offer them.
“Universities have, for a long time, been giving certificates that act as a proxy for skill and talent, and employers keep falling for it over and over again. They employ them and then realise they’re not as good as we thought. And if an employer isn’t satisfied with our graduates, write back to us and say, ‘I’m disappointed. They’re not as good as you claimed they would be. That will force us to deliver on our promises.’”
Dr Ogutu belongs to Nafisika Trust that works with prisons to rehabilitate and transform prisoners and build the capacities of prisons officers.
He is also associated with B Lab East Africa that certifies organisations for social impact, Kapiyo Secondary School from his village where he serves on its board, as well as Citizens Pathway Group.
“This is probably the truest group of citizens that I have ever met in any country, anywhere in the world. We typically come together during elections and national crises, and we risk our lives to do anything possible to stand up for this country and defend it, and build integrity,” Dr Ogutu explains.
What sets Strathmore apart from other universities?
According to Dr Ogutu, it is the philosophy on which the university is built and the vision of its founder, St Josemaría Escrivá.
“You cannot buy the dedication of the people who built Strathmore; the careers they abandoned in the countries they came from, very talented people who could have been anything in life and then they believed in Africa, and the people they were giving their lives to. You can’t pay that; you can’t buy that,” he says with conviction.
Dr Ogutu self-identifies as a teacher and is a lecturer in organisational behaviour, leadership, social entrepreneurship and innovation. Prior to his VC role, he was the deputy VC (Planning and Development). He has a PhD in organisational management from Rutgers University, an MSc in financial economics from the University of London, and a BA in economics from the UoN.
Dr Ogutu has co-authored a book with Andrew Levi titled Unveiling ‘The Innovation Algorithm’: The New Approach to Raising Your Capacity to Innovate.
