By Agnes Kiconco

KIU, Main Campus - What started as a small operation with only a few hundred students has evolved into a fully-fledged, three-site campus with a diverse student body and a staffing base committed to quality education, research, and community service.

Since receiving its charter in 2009, Kampala International University (KIU) has experienced tremendous growth and transformation. Now, 16 years after chartering and 25 years since its founding, the university is celebrating a quarter-century of academic excellence and innovation with the first cohort of graduates having walked through gates in 2004.

To celebrate the 25 years of greatness come June 2025 at the university’s Western Campus in Ishaka, Bushenyi district during the 31st graduation ceremony, KIU will and still celebrates and reflects on achievements made over the past years and as the university’s motto flows ‘Exploring the Heights’ the university will highlight future goals and how KIU will continue to grow as a high-achieving, globally recognised institution, providing accessible, affordable, and quality education to students from Uganda, East Africa, and beyond.

Over the years, the university has made tremendous achievements hence why it has been consecutively ranked the leading private university in Uganda. According to the 2024 Webometrics Ranking, KIU was ranked 2nd best university in Uganda, 30th in Sub-Sahara, 55th in Africa, and 2138th globally. https://www.webometrics.info/en/search/Rankings/Kampala%20International%20University%20type%3Apais

Looking to the future, the university is poised to continue its trajectory of growth, innovation, and excellence. With a strong focus on research, expanding global access to.

“As the Board of Trustees, we look to the future with even greater optimism. KIU is committed to expanding access to quality higher education and community engagement. Our focus now is to consolidate research, innovations, and community engagement,” said Al-Hajj Dr. Hassan Bassajjabalala, Chairman Board of Trustees at the university’s 30th graduation ceremony in November 2024.

The university has expanded its academic programs, invested in state-of-the-art infrastructure, and attracted a diverse community of scholars from across the globe. The university has over seven study sites across the country (Jinja, Lira, Fort Portal, Hoima, Kiryandongo, etc.), two campuses in Uganda (The Main campus in Kampala and the Western Campus in Ishaka-Bushenyi).

KIU Main Campus
The Main Campus is in the vibrant capital city of Kampala along Ggaba Road, Uganda. It offers state-of-the-art facilities to support academic and extracurricular activities. Key features include: Well-equipped lecture halls and laboratories, a modern library with an extensive collection of books, journals, and digital resources, on-campus accommodation for students, and sports facilities plus recreation centres. The campus has the following Colleges and Schools - College of Economics and Management, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Digital, Distance and E-Learning, College of Education, School of Law, School of Mathematics and Computing, School of Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and School of Public Health.

KIU-Western Campus
This unique campus in Ishaka, Bushenyi district, Uganda is a hub of health sciences and offers extensive involvement in teaching, research, and innovation in all programmes.

The campus has a range of Faculties and Schools: Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry, School of Allied Health Sciences, School of Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Business and Management, Faculty of Education, School of Law, School of Agricultural Sciences.

The campus also has its own Teaching Hospital and Research, the biggest and the only University Teaching Hospital, with a capacity of over 700 beds to provide quality medical care for residents of the Greater Bushenyi area and assist in training medical students. Kampala International University Teaching Hospital and Research (KIUTHR) The teaching hospital will mid-2025 launch Uganda’s first private Cancer, Heart, and Brain Surgery Hospital, a groundbreaking initiative set to redefine healthcare in Uganda and the region.

Share Your KIU Story
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, KIU invites its alumni, students, staff, and partners to share their KIU experiences and memories on ?? Celebrating 25 years of KIU ( Kampala International University )  or via email [email protected].