UoN and Qwetu partner on a 2800-bed capacity student residence

The University of Nairobi and Qwetu Student Housing  have announced the commencement of a project to build a 2,800- bed capacity Qwetu and Qejani Student residence at the Chiromo adjacent to UoN's Chiromo campus. 

The facility will offer UoN students an opportunity to relish Qwetu’s world-class student residences at an affordable cost and more importantly, alleviate the acute student housing shortage.

Qwetu and Qejani Chiromo will be the 11th Qwetu facility in the country, comprising of the flagship residences - Qwetu Student Residences and the more affordable brand - Qejani Student Residences. The facility is expected to accommodate students from both the main and Chiromo campuses.

Speaking during the project’s official dedication and laying of the foundation stone ceremony held at the UoN Chiromo Campus on February 10, 2022, UoN’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Kiama described the partnership between UoN and Acorn Holdings Limited as one that would help address accommodation challenges at the institution which currently has an acute shortage of over 45,000 beds.

"We are delighted to work with Acorn Holdings Limited to deliver this project because it will address the problem of insufficient student hostels we have grappled with for years. We believe that even as we continuously look for ways to improve our physical assets, the market entry of private developers such as Acorn Holdings, who have significantly transformed student housing in the country, is a welcome move."

He noted that such partnerships will further enhance access to affordable, quality and secure student accommodation adding that it underlines the University’s commitment to ensure adequate housing for a growing student population. The Qwetu hostels will greatly support the University’s internationalization program. International students will have access to world class accommodation next to the University.

“Our core mandate as the University of Nairobi is to teach and conduct research. Nevertheless, we have a responsibility to our student fraternity to provide decent, affordable and safe housing and such public private partnerships allow us to accomplish the same in an efficient manner”.

The development comes at a time when the need for on-campus accommodation is at an all-time high. According to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), university enrolment in Kenya has increased from 27,000 in 1989 to about 500,000 currently with no corresponding investment in accommodation leading to a huge gap.

The existing capacity for student accommodation in the country is limited with the majority of higher institutions only catering for approximately 20% of their student population. In addition, Kenya is undergoing rapid urbanization with 40 million new people expected to move into urban centres in the next 30 years. This rapid urbanization combined with a large youth population is driving the dire need for clean, safe, conducive, amenable, and yet affordable student accommodation.

On his part, Acorn Holdings Limited CEO, Edward Kirathe, expressed delight with the strategic partnership between the two institutions adding that the facility will be great for students seeking quality accommodation in a convenient location within the University.

“We are excited to partner with UoN and we look forward to building high quality facilities in an environment that promotes students' success by fostering a sense of community while providing amenities that ease their day-to-day lives,” he said.

Qwetu currently has a portfolio of 10,000 beds of which 3,800 beds are completed and occupied. Out of the occupied beds, the highest percentage of students are from the University of Nairobi compared to other universities, which confirms the strong partnership between Qwetu and the University.