The Technical University of Kenya (TU-K) was established through the elevation of The Kenya Polytechnic University College (KPUC) to full university status. TU-K was established as the first Technical University in Kenya, with the provisions of the proposed Universities Act, in 2012. The technical university is a new type of university in Kenya, whose mandate shall be to offer higher education and research in technology. The technical university, as a concept, is being created in Kenya with the objective to be a technological force behind the Vision-2030 drive and the general economic development of the nation. This has come about from the realization that most countries that have been able to make major technological breakthroughs were heavily propelled through this by their technological universities.

As an institution of higher learning, TU-K offers undergraduate degrees at the Bachelor’s level. TU-K continues to produce technologists with the objective to bridge the gap between the engineer and the technician. Traditionally the engineer (or equivalently architect, surveyor, planner, or estate manager) is trained to be concerned with the conceptualization, innovation, and design of new artifacts and systems. The technologist on the other hand is normally concerned with the actual production of artifacts and the implementation of systems. TU-K offers the degree of Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) for those aiming to be technologists. Parallel with this however, TU-K also offers the full professional degrees in various fields. For instance, it is intended to offer degrees such as Bachelor Engineering (B.Eng.), Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), and Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.).