By Joseph Mose
When Prof. John Sorana Akama walked into Kisii University College in 2009, he inherited an institution with barely 300 students and only two degree programmes.
Seventeen years later, the academician is being considered for one of Kenya’s highest forms of public recognition, after being proposed for recognition as a national hero during the 2026 Mashujaa Day celebrations.
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The nomination by the National Heroes Council places Prof. Akama among personalities being considered under the scholarship, professionalism and research category.
It recognises his contribution to higher education, institution building, scholarship and public service.
But for many people in Kisii and beyond, his story is perhaps best understood not through titles and honours, but through the thousands of young people whose lives passed through the institution he helped build.
As the pioneering Principal of Kisii University College, Prof. Akama oversaw its transformation from a small university college into a fully fledged university. He became the institution’s first Vice-Chancellor after it attained university status in 2013.
Under his leadership, student numbers rose from about 300 to more than 30,000, while academic programmes expanded from just two to more than 200 accredited programmes. The institution has since produced more than 40,000 graduates in disciplines including law, medicine, journalism and other fields.
The university developed major facilities, including a 3,000-seat library, ICT facilities and laboratories, as it expanded its capacity to accommodate a rapidly growing student population.
That growth did not remain confined behind the university gates. Kisii town itself evolved into a major student centre, with thousands of students living in surrounding estates and contributing to the local economy.
A 2015 report noted that the wider town had more than 30,000 students across various institutions, with Kisii University alone accounting for more than 17,000 at the time.
Prof. Akama’s influence has also extended beyond administration. He is an author and scholar whose works include Undeterred: A Rural Boy’s Journey to the Pinnacle of Academia, as well as books examining the history, culture and experiences of the Gusii people.
His proposed recognition therefore offers a moment to reflect on a career in which institutional growth and personal scholarship have intersected.
From a modest university college serving a few hundred students to an institution serving tens of thousands, Prof. Akama’s legacy is now being measured not only in buildings and programmes, but in the generations of graduates who passed through Kisii University.
