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Turkana University College (TUC)

Kenya's first public university in Lodwar, Turkana, offering petroleum, fisheries, and renewable energy programmes.

County
Turkana
Established
2015
Students
1,500
Employment rate
45%

The institution

Who they are, how big, and how they rank.

About

Inaugurated on 27th January 2017 through Legal Notice No. 8 of 2017 as a constituent college of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Turkana University College (TUC) is Kenya's first public university in the vast, resource-rich northwestern region. Located along the Lodwar-Kapenguria Highway, TUC serves over 1,500 students.

The college operates three schools: Education, Business and Economics, and Science and Technology. Its unique programmes include Petroleum and Gas Technology, Fisheries Management, Economics of Oil and Gas Management, and Renewable Energy — reflecting Turkana County's strategic position in Kenya's emerging oil and gas sector.

Accredited by CUE and the IUCEA, TUC ranks 15th nationally. The campus includes an Environmental Research Centre and a partnership with the National Oil Corporation of Kenya, making it a critical institution for petroleum sector training and ASAL research in northwestern Kenya.

The numbers

Annual fees
Ksh 50,000 to Ksh 80,000
Student to staff
1:20
Mode of study
Full-time, Part-time, Distance Learning
Charter status
Accredited
Chartered
2015
Scholarships
None recorded
Mentor institution
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology

Research

Tuc focuses on arid and semi arid lands research, climate resilience, and sustainable development in the turkana region, with unique programmes addressing the county's specific environmental and economic context. the school of science and technology conducts research on petroleum operations, renewable energy, water technology, and environmental science — leveraging turkana's position as kenya's oil frontier to generate research that informs the nascent petroleum industry. the environmental research centre supports studies on climate adaptation, desert ecology, and sustainable natural resource management in one of kenya's most arid environments. the school of education advances research on educational access in marginalised pastoralist communities, while the school of business and economics investigates oil and gas economics, supply chain management, and enterprise development. partnership with the national oil corporation of kenya supports research on petroleum technology and energy policy. mmust mentorship provides research supervision and quality assurance. research output increasingly informs petroleum sector policy, asal development, and educational access across turkana county and northwestern kenya.

Accredited by

  • Commission for University Education (CUE)
  • Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA)

What they teach

Faculties, departments and the programmes on offer.

Admission requirements

A C+ mean grade is the minimum for a Bachelor's degree; competitive programmes (medicine, engineering, law, nursing, architecture) require higher grades and specific KCSE subject clusters. Master's programmes require a relevant Bachelor's degree; PhD programmes a relevant Master's degree.

Intakes

  • January
  • May
  • September

Schools and faculties

3 in total
  • School of Education

    Main Campus, Lodwar

  • School of Business and Economics

    Main Campus, Lodwar

  • School of Science and Technology

    Main Campus, Lodwar

Campus and beyond

Where you would be, and who they are connected to.

Campuses

Main campus
Lodwar Main Campus
  • Main Campus

    Turkana

    Lodwar Town, Turkana County

On campus

  • Library
  • Computer Labs
  • Student Hostels
  • Sports Ground
  • Lecture Halls
  • Cafeteria
  • Environmental Research Centre

Notable alumni

  • Education and environmental professionals from Turkana County
  • Teachers and petroleum industry workers from Rift Valley

International partnerships

3 institutions
  • Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (mentor)
  • Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA)
  • National Oil Corporation of Kenya

Further reading

Keep this

Entry marks, intakes and fees at Turkana University College are restated each year. Save it and the app keeps this version, so you can see what changed when it does.