Studying in Kenyan universities comes with very many decisions, a major one being where to live. The two most popular options stand out. Should you live in managed student accommodation (on-campus) or private rentals (off-campus)?
Different universities
in Kenya offer different types of accommodation with varying differences in
their charges as well. This largely depends on the location of the university
and whether it’s a public or private university.
Most universities in
Kenya offer on-campus accommodation but with the increasing number of high
school students who qualify for tertiary education, this is becoming a
challenge. There is no single University in Kenya that has enough accommodation
for all of its students, and this has given room for private accommodation to
develop.
Public &
Private Universities On-Campus Student Accommodation
On-campus
accommodation is the best option for students who don’t mind sharing their
space with other students.
Let’s look at the
on-campus charges for some of the most common public and private universities
in Kenya.
1. Kenyatta
University
Kenyatta University is
located along Thika Road. Kenyatta University students are accommodated in the
Main and Ruiru Campus hostels.
They range from single
rooms, double rooms, and triple rooms to common rooms where more than 6
students can be accommodated. These rooms are priced differently with the
singles being the most expensive.
The University charges
from Ksh7,000 per year, but you can also pay per semester.
2. United States
International University (USIU)
USIU is also located
on Thika Road, near the Safari Park Hotel. Its hostels consist of two
residential buildings that accommodate 258 students on campus. USIU also has
a partnership with Arcon holdings for a 700-bed facility for its students.
3. Jomo
Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT)
JKUAT is located in
Juja. The University charges Ksh7,800 per year and the rooms are shared.
4. Strathmore
University
Strathmore University
is located in Madaraka Estate, and it does not provide hostel facilities to
students. However, the institution has partnered with investors to offer
accommodation to students in Madaraka Estate.
The hostels go for
Ksh10,000 per month and the university recommends which ones to select.
5. Moi University
This university is
located in Eldoret and it has three major campuses. The varsity charges a
hostel amount ranging from Ksh5,000 to Ksh7,000 per year.
6. Technical
University of Kenya (TU-K)
The Technical
University of Kenya, is located in the Nairobi CBD along Haile Selassie
Avenue, opposite the Central Bank of Kenya.
TU-K has limited
hostel facilities for both men and ladies in South B and Upper Hill
respectively but has also partnered with private investors to provide
accommodation to its students.
For university-owned
hostels, the average monthly cost is Ksh7,000.
7. Multimedia
University
Multimedia University
is located on Magadi Road, opposite Nairobi National Park. It has a bed
capacity of 1026 spaces and 513 rooms. Students pay a total of Ksh17,000
per year.
8. South Eastern
University
Located in Kitui
County, this university provides rooms with prices going up to Ksh15,600 per
year. The rooms are shared.
9. Egerton
University
Egerton University is
located in Njoro, Nakuru county. The university has a few rooms available for
accommodation and the charges vary from Ksh7,000 to Ksh12,000 per year.
10. University of
Eldoret
Located in Eldoret,
the University of Eldoret offers student accommodation with charges starting
from Ksh7,000 per year.
11. Maseno
University
Maseno University is
located in Maseno Township along the Kisumu-Busia road, 25km from Kisumu City.
The University offers accommodation facilities to all students admitted at the
Main Campus. The rooms are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
The University
accommodation is charged at Ksh2,900 and Ksh5,500 per semester for out-catering
and self-catering rooms respectively.
12. Masinde Muliro
University of Science and Technology (MMUST)
Masinde Muliro
University of Science and Technology is located in Kakamega Town, Western
Kenya. The university has 5 hostels. Room allocation is done on a
first-come-first served basis through online booking.
However, special
consideration is also given to first-year students, students who are
differently-abled, students with medical issues, and student leaders.
A room is booked and
occupied for a period of one academic year, and payment is therefore charged
for one academic year. The current cost is Ksh5,000 per semester.
Public &
Private Universities Private Accommodation (Off-Campus)
To boost on-campus
accommodation, there is a lot of private accommodation around the campus areas
in Nairobi and outside Nairobi. Private accommodation comes in the form of
hostels and single or shared apartments.
With the increasing
number of university students in Kenya, there has been an increase in
demand for accommodation, forcing private developers to build private hostels
for students.
Although they might be
a bit costly if compared to on-campus accommodation, these private rental
houses provide a housing alternative for campus students.
Renting private
hostels or houses can vary in prices from as low as Ksh2,500 to around
Ksh78,000 per month depending on the area and the specific facilities provided
by the living space.
Some of the common
private hostels/accommodation around different universities around Kenya
include;
- University of Nairobi
- JessyGreen Student Residence - Zimmerman
Estate
- Hayden Stone – Boys Hostel - Ring Road
Kileleshwa, Opposite Prime Bank
- Simba Ladies Hostel - Ngara Road North,
opposite Fig Tree Hotel
- Classy Ladies Hostel - Gatak-ini Hose, Tom
Mboya Street
- Ngara Men’s Hostel - Ngara Road off
Murang’a Road
- Modern Christian Hostel - Ngara Road opp.
Kenya Police Sacco
- St. Johns Ladies Hostel - Ngara Road off
Murang’a Road
The rent charge ranges
between Ksh7,000 to Kshs12,000 per month depending on whether it’s a
single room, or whether it’s shared between 2 to 8 people.
- Kenyatta University
- St. Mary’s Girls Hostels - Kahawa Sukari
- Destiny Park Ladies and Gents Hostels -
Kahawa Wendani
- Wel-Star Ladies Hostel - Kahawa Sukari
- King County Hostel - Kahawa Wendani
The rent charge is
from Ksh3,000 to Kshs 8,000 per month, but some of the hostels charge per
semester with prices ranging between Ksh12,000 to Ksh24,000. Again, all of this
depends on whether you want a single room or a shared room, and the number of
people in the shared room.
- United States International
University(USIU)
- Priwana
- Paragon - Green gate next to North View
(Pema Apartments)
- Queens Hostel
- Esanto - Along USIU road
- Qwetu
- Gadiel Hostels - 700M from USIU
All these hostels cost
between Ksh6,500 to Ksh27,000 per month, with some charging rent per
semester from Ksh35,000 to Ksh78,000
- Moi University
- Dadina Hostel
- Cheros Hostel
The cost ranges from
Ksh4,000 to Ksh7,000 per month to or if you decide to pay on a semester basis,
the price range is Ksh16,000 to Ksh28,000
- Masinde Muliro University
- Oxford Hostels
- Victory Hostels
- Ena Place Hostel
- Eagles Hostels
- Kefinco Hostels
- State House Hostels
The rent rates for
these private hostels range from Ksh2,500 to Ksh12,000 per month.