New Award to Immortalise an Education Champion

Zetech University has inaugurated a prestigious new annual award, the 'Hon Senator Dr. G.G. Kariuki Education Excellence Award', to commemorate the enduring legacy of the late Laikipia Senator, Dr. Godfrey Gitahi Kariuki. The announcement was a central highlight of the university's 9th Graduation Ceremony on Friday, November 14, 2025, held at its Technology Park Mang'u Campus in Juja, Kiambu County. The event, themed “Inventing the Future,” saw 3,216 students conferred with degrees, diplomas, and certificates across a variety of academic disciplines.

The award is designed to recognize the top-performing student in the School of Education, Arts, and Social Sciences each year, creating a direct link between the university's future educators and a celebrated historical champion of educational access in Kenya. The inaugural recipient of this honour was Ikaru Muturu Joseph, a graduate of the Bachelor of Education (Arts) program. Zetech University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Njenga Munene, articulated the award's dual purpose during the ceremony. "Through this award, Zetech University aims to celebrate excellence and uphold the legacy of Dr. G.G. Kariuki, whose commitment to learning and community development continues to inspire generations," Professor Munene stated. To mark the occasion, the university also unveiled a commemorative plaque in the Africana Section of its library, and the Kariuki family donated a collection of books.

A Political Titan’s Educational Footprint

Dr. Godfrey Gitahi ‘GG’ Kariuki, who passed away in June 2017, was a formidable figure in Kenyan politics, uniquely serving in the governments of all four of Kenya's presidents since independence. First elected to Parliament in May 1963 as the inaugural Member of Parliament for Laikipia, his political career spanned over five decades, culminating in his election as the first Senator for Laikipia County in 2013. While his political achievements were extensive, his most profound and lasting impact, particularly felt within Laikipia County, was his relentless and pioneering drive to establish educational infrastructure long before the advent of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Witnesses to his work credit Dr. Kariuki with being instrumental in the founding of numerous schools that provided foundational learning opportunities for thousands of children. Records and community memory attribute the establishment of secondary schools such as Rumuruti, Ngumo Secondary School, Gatero Girls, Mwenje, Njorua, and Njonjo Girls to his efforts. He also played a pivotal role in building several primary schools, including Rimururuti, Kiguro, and Waigwa Primary. His son, James Waigwa Kariuki, who represented the family at the Zetech ceremony, recalled his father's deep personal commitment, noting that he even donated his own land for the construction of schools. Beyond physical infrastructure, Senator Kariuki was a key facilitator in securing Commonwealth scholarships for bright, underprivileged students from his constituency and was central to establishing craft training centres like Igwamiti and Rumuruti to equip young people with vital technical skills.

Inspiring Future Generations Through Lifelong Learning

A staunch believer in personal development, GG Kariuki led by example. In a remarkable and widely publicised feat, he earned a PhD in International Relations from the University of Nairobi at the age of 76, a personal achievement he undertook explicitly to inspire younger generations to pursue lifelong learning. This commitment to continuous education underscored his philosophy that learning was a lifelong journey essential for personal and national development.

Speaking on behalf of the family, James Waigwa Kariuki commended Zetech University for its vision in establishing the award. He highlighted that his father's educational initiatives were not confined to Laikipia, and that the award served as a national recognition of his expansive philosophy on education. "We are very impressed because this is a thing that my family has done over the years... especially people from Laikipia can relate more because that is where he has done a lot of imprinting. He has contributed to schools, he has donated land for schools," he remarked during the ceremony. The establishment of the award at the fully chartered university—which received its charter in August 2022 from former President Uhuru Kenyatta—positions GG Kariuki's legacy within a modern, forward-looking institution. The award serves not only as a memorial but as a continuing challenge for excellence, integrity, and community service in Kenya's education sector, aiming to shape future leaders who embody the same developmental spirit that defined the late senator's career.