Umma University is a chartered university in Kenya and is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE).
The institution was set up to cater for the minority and diverse communities in Kenya. It is the first Islamic institution offering higher education in the country. The institution offers certificate, diploma, degree and post graduate courses.
Umma offers leaning through various platforms including; traditional classroom learning, distance and open Learning, On-Line courses and learning using modern technology.
It combines Islamic morals and ethical orientation with practical learning about business and technology with the aim of nurturing scholars with varied experiences and leaders with ethical approach to leadership.
“…provide quality university education and training through nurturing and promoting creative and innovative, transmission and integration of knowledge and technology in order to produce holistic graduates of high value and integrity,” the University mission reads.
Founder
Umma University was founded by Africa Muslim Agency (AMA) now known as Direct Aid International (DAI). It is a non-governmental organization that was founded by a renowned medical doctor from Kuwait, Abdulrahman Al-Sumait.
Al-Sumait, an Islamic scholar, medical practitioner, and humanitarian, was known for his numerous philanthropic efforts that covered 29 African Countries.
He founded AMA in 1981 and worked as its secretary-general from 1987 until his passing in 2013. He also founded Kuwait Relief Agency and worked as its CEO from 1987 to 2013.
Al-Sumait was also the coordinator of Health Attaché for the Kuwait Embassy in Kenya.
He had many philanthropic efforts in Africa, including being Chairman of the board of Faculty of Shari’ah and Islamic Studies in Kenya.
How it Started
In 1998, Al-Sumait founded Thika College for Sharia and Islamic Studies and it was registered under Ministry of Education in the year 2001. The institution at the time offered Diploma programmes in Islamic Sharia and Islamic Studies.
In 2007, the institution applied for validation from CUE. It then applied to the commission, that it be allowed to collaborate with the International University of Africa in Khartoum, Sudan to offer two degree programmes; Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Sharia and Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies.
The experience of working together was of great help to the college that the owners felt a need to elevate it to University status.
The institution was given a Letter of Interim Authority in the year 2013. On October 18, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta awarded a charter to Umma University after it met requirements laid out by the Ministry of Education.
During a ceremony held at State House, Mombasa, the university was presented with the mace, logo, seal and two volumes of accreditation reports.
Campuses
The main campus is located along the Nairobi-Namanga Road, in between Isinya Town and Kajiado Town.
The other campus is located in Thika, Makongeni area.
Faculties
- School of Nursing
- School of Sharia and Islamic Studies
- School of Education and Social Sciences
- School of Business and Technology
Courses
Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Shariah, Bachelor in Islamic Studies, Bachelor of Business Management, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Certificate in Business Management.
Certificate in Information Technology, Diploma in Arabic Language, Diploma in Business Management, Diploma in Information and Communication Technology.
Other courses include: Bachelor of Education Science, Post-Graduate Diploma in Education, Bachelor of Early Childhood Development, Bachelor of education primary option, Diploma in Early Childhood, Diploma in Counselling Psychology, Certificate in Early childhood, Certificate in forensics
Certificate in Counselling Psychology, Certificate in Forensic Criminology and Victim Assistance (FCVA), Disaster Mitigation and Management, Community Development, Criminology and Crime Management, Peace and Conflict Studies, and Bridging Certificate in Maths.
Fees
Umma University offers affordable charges for courses at the institution.
Depending on the course, the fee ranges from as low as Ksh5,000 per semester to Ksh25,000 per semester.
 now known as Direct Aid International (DAI). The NGO was founded by, Abdulrahman Al-Sumait){kind=link}