National Defence University - Kenya (NDU-K)

Chartered on 27th May 2021 by President Uhuru Kenyatta, the National Defence University, Kenya (NDU-K) is Kenya's first specialised university of strategic national importance. The University Seat is located in Lanet, Nakuru County, with campuses including the National Defence College (Karen, Nairobi), International Peace Support Training College (IPSTC), Joint Command and Staff College (JCSC), Kenya Military Academy (KMA), and Defence College of Health Sciences (DCHS).

The university operates seven colleges serving over 2,500 students, including both military officers and senior civil servants from Kenya and allied countries including Burundi, Malawi, Nepal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Programmes focus on defence, security, and strategic studies.

Accredited by CUE and the Kenya Ministry of Defence, NDUthe institutionK ranks 64th nationally. It aspires to be a think tank and policy institute for government, producing strategic research that shapes national security discourse in Kenya and the broader region.

NDU-K's research is focused on defence, security, and strategic studies, conducting research on regional peacekeeping, counterterrorism, and military technology that directly informs Kenya's national security policy. The university's Research, Innovation and Security Studies directorate coordinates research across its seven colleges, with the National Defence College producing strategic research on geopolitics, security strategy, and national defence policy. The International Peace Support Training College (IPSTC) conducts research on peace support operations, conflict resolution, and regional security in the East African Community and the Horn of Africa. Partnerships with the US Army War College, the UK Royal College of Defence Studies, the China National Defence University, and India's National Defence College support collaborative research on international security, military strategy, and defence diplomacy. The Simulation Centre provides a practical research environment for military operations and strategic gaming. NDU-K aspires to be a think tank and policy institute for government, producing strategic research that shapes national security discourse and policy in Kenya and the broader region.