Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
PHILANTHROPIST, social entrepreneur, and wife of telecoms billionaire and Econet founder Strive Masiyiwa, Mrs Tsitsi Masiyiwa, has been officially installed as the new Chancellor of Amref International University in Nairobi, Kenya.
She joins the growing influence of Zimbabwean professionals and their continued impact on the continental stage.
The installation ceremony, held on Wednesday in Nairobi, was a high-profile event presided over by Kenyan President William Ruto, and signifies the start of a new, ambitious phase for the institution dedicated to advancing health equity across Africa.
The event coincided with AMIU officially receiving its Charter, signifying its full accreditation and transition into an autonomous institution.
Mrs Masiyiwa, who is also a co-founder of the Higherlife Foundation and Delta Philanthropies, is expected to bring decades of experience in human capital development and social impact to the university. She will oversee an institution that currently provides 78 training programmes to a student body of over 3,800 learners drawn from 32 countries across the continent.
In a statement, AMIU hailed the appointment, describing the new Chancellor as a valuable asset whose knowledge is vital to the institution’s mission.
“A distinguished philanthropist and co-founder of the Higherlife Foundation and Delta Philanthropies, Mrs Masiyiwa brings decades of experience advocating education, health access, and youth empowerment across Africa,” reads the statement.
“Mrs Masiyiwa’s leadership will focus on advancing AMIU’s mission to provide competency-based training, drive research aligned with community needs, and foster partnerships that strengthen Africa’s healthcare systems.”
In her address, Mrs Masiyiwa stressed the importance of ethical leadership and community-centred healthcare.
“AMIU represents the future of Africa’s health systems,” she said. “It is where the next generation of ethical, skilled, and community-centred health professionals will be nurtured. I am honoured to serve as Chancellor at this transformative moment in the university’s journey.”
In his keynote address, President Ruto said: “Today, we celebrate not just an academic institution but a national asset.”
“AMIU’s Charter reflects our shared belief in the power of African solutions for African health challenges. It is institutions like AMIU that will build the workforce to deliver Universal Health Coverage and drive primary healthcare reform.”
The Econet founder, Dr Strive Masiyiwa, congratulated his wife on her achievement in a Facebook post: “Congratulations to Chancellor Tsitsi Masiyiwa.
“Please join me in congratulating my wife, who was installed today as Chancellor of Amref International University in Nairobi. Be sure to take a look at Amref’s academic programmes! They even have a Health Entrepreneurship Academy.
“You’ll see when you look at the Amref website that one focus is to train tomorrow’s ‘health heroes.’”
Amref International University is a premier Pan-African health sciences institution, founded in 2017 as part of Amref Health Africa’s 60-year legacy in public and community health.
The university offers competency-based training in primary healthcare, public health, nursing, midwifery, health systems management, and health innovation. Serving a diverse student body from across Africa, AMIU is dedicated to producing leaders who advance health equity and strengthen health systems across the continent.
