President William Ruto Reappoints Prof Simon Gicharu as KICD Chair for Three Years

President William Ruto has appointed Prof Simon Gicharu, founder of Mount Kenya University, as non-executive chair of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development for a further three-year term, with the appointment taking effect on October 16, 2026 according to a Gazette notice dated the same day.

Gicharu, who holds the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear honour, first assumed the KICD chair in October 2023 for a three-year period; the new term extends his stewardship of the body that designs and revises Kenya’s school curricula.

The institute, created under the KICD Act of 2013, advises the government on curriculum matters, drafts and updates curricula, and approves supporting learning materials, while also conducting research, promoting educational technology and collaborating on teacher professional development.

KICD’s remit spans early childhood, primary, secondary, adult and non-formal education, teacher training, special needs provision and technical and vocational training, making its work central to the nation’s shift from the 8-4-4 system to competency-based education.

Gicharu’s background includes founding Mount Kenya University, which received its charter in 2011, as well as establishing Mount Kigali University in Rwanda and media company Cape Media Limited that owns TV47 and Radio47.

Earlier in his career he taught mathematics at Thika Technical Institute after graduating from Kenyatta University, then launched the Kenya Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme that later became the Thika Institute of Technology, the precursor to Mount Kenya University.

International accolades awarded to Gicharu comprise the 2014 Ernst & Young Eastern Africa Entrepreneur of the Year award, induction into the World Entrepreneur of the Year Hall of Fame in Monaco, and an honorary professorship from the International University of Management in Namibia in 2016.

He has also held leadership positions in public entities such as the Geothermal Development Company, the Water Services Regulatory Board and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation.

In his role as KICD chair, Gicharu will oversee governance and strategic direction, while the institute’s chief executive officer and management team continue to manage daily operations.

The reappointment arrives as Kenya advances the competency-based education framework, with curriculum development, learning material production and the transition to the new system identified as priority areas for the education sector.