MKU Rwanda Named Top Hospitality Trainer
Mount Kenya University Rwanda (MKUR) has received a major boost in its bid to become a leading training institution in the hospitality industry.
The Kigali hotel that the university is developing is set to receive a five-star rating, which will help the institution achieve its goal of setting standards for the region in terms of first-class hospitality services.
The chief tourism officer at Rwanda Development Board, Ms. Michaella Rugwizangoga, held talks with the university officials led by the founder and chairman Simon Gicharu on the details of issuing the rating.
Mr. Gicharu noted that, despite the decline in the tourism industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are still great growth opportunities for those who offer superior services.
This, he said, begins at the training stage. He emphasized that the university has set its bar high and wants to offer the best possible hospitality training to its students.
In December 2022, during the Rwanda Tourism Excellence Awards, MKUR was voted the country’s best training institution in hospitality and tourism. This recognition has further strengthened the university’s position in the industry and its determination to become a regional leader.
The Kigali hotel, which will be part of MKUR’s main campus in Rwanda, will be officially named the Kigali Paramount Hotel. It will have 40 rooms and will be one of the main structures in the university.
The head of MKUR’s hospitality and tourism department, Mr. Benson Abuto, believes that the hotel will be a strong competitor to Kenya’s Utalii College and will be a recognized authority in the region.
The university’s entry into Rwanda 13 years ago is documented in a book that was launched on February 10.
The launch event marked the official unveiling of the hotel’s name and served as a testament to the university’s commitment to providing quality training in hospitality and tourism.
The university has set its bar high and aims to provide first-class training and services to its students, which will help it achieve its goal of becoming a recognized authority in the region.
The university’s founder and chairman, Simon Gicharu, spoke about the high expectations that MKUR has for hospitality training, saying “We want to set the standards for the region with first-class services to our clients and customers.”
He acknowledged that the tourism industry has faced some difficulties, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but noted that there are still growth opportunities available to those who can offer superior services.
Gicharu emphasized that this all starts with proper training, which is what MKUR is striving to provide.
This effort by MKUR follows recognition that the university received in December with regard to its hospitality training. During the Rwanda Tourism Excellence Awards 2022, MKUR was voted the best training institution in hospitality and tourism in the country.
The awards were based on several factors, including the relevance of their programs, the quality of training, the state of the faculty, and the competence and employability of their graduates.
MKUR has been steadily growing its presence in Rwanda since entering the country in 2010. The university started as a technology institute in Thika, Kenya in 2000, but after inquiries from Rwandan citizens, it ventured into Rwanda and has since established itself as a modern institution that attracts thousands of students.
To commemorate this journey, the university’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication created a coffee table book titled “Mountain Meets Land of 1,000 Hills.”
The book provides insight into the story of the university’s entry into Rwanda, including the inspiration that Gicharu received from a Rwandese teacher, Peter Claver Nyombayire, who taught him biology in secondary school.
Gicharu hopes that the book will inspire Africans to document the stories of their continent and highlights the importance of education in shaping the future of Africa.
MKU Rwanda Named Top Hospitality Trainer
