Kibabii University and Kenya Methodist University (KEMU) have embarked on an innovative initiative to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) in transforming human resource management practices within higher education institutions (HEIs). The first workshop under the project, themed “Empowering HR through Artificial Intelligence,” was held on Wednesday, 1st July 2026 at Kenya Methodist University, Nairobi Campus, bringing together HR professionals from universities across Kenya to explore the role of AI in improving efficiency, transparency, and fairness in recruitment processes.
The Project is funded by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) through a partnership between Kibabii University and KEMU. The project is spearheaded by Dr. Manasi Echaune, Principal Investigator, and Dr. Mary Mbithi, Co-Principal Investigator, with the goal of developing practical AI-driven solutions that will strengthen human resource management across higher education institutions.
The workshop was officially opened by the Dean, School of Business at KEMU, Dr. Dorothy Kirimi, and facilitated by ATARAH Solutions, a Human Resource Management Consultancy firm, where participants drawn from Kibabii University, Kenya Methodist University, University of Kabianga, University of Embu, Aga Khan University, Bomet University, and Moi University shared insights on the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into institutional HR systems. The topics covered include; AI in modern recruitment, Practical AI Recruitment Lab and Recruitment Process Redesign.
According to Dr. Echaune, the project seeks to build the capacity of HR professionals by equipping them with AI knowledge and tools to support more effective recruitment decisions. A key focus of the initiative is the development of an AI-powered recruitment platform specifically tailored for HEIs, designed to promote transparent, efficient, and equitable recruitment practices.
The envisioned platform is expected to revolutionize university recruitment by streamlining processes, reducing administrative bottlenecks, enhancing decision-making, and improving access to fair and data-driven hiring practices. Once developed and validated, the solution will be scaled beyond the two partner institutions to benefit other universities within the ACU network.
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