The Department of Physics is one of the oldest departments of the University of Nairobi. It was established in 1956 when the Royal Technical College of East Africa started offering an A-level course in Physics. In 1961, the Royal Technical College became the Royal College, Nairobi, offering degrees of the University of London. The Royal College, Nairobi became the University of East Africa, Nairobi Campus in 1963. The University of Nairobi gained autonomous university status in 1970. In the early days, the department was located at the Main Campus in the present Hyslop building. The department moved to its present location in Chiromo in 1974. The Department of Physics had its first batch of physics students (six in number) in 1966.
We also offer service courses to the College of Architecture and Engineering, College of Education and External Studies and the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences.
We offer the following undergraduate (B.Sc.) and postgraduate (M.Sc. and Ph.D) programmes:
- B.Sc. in Physics
- B.Sc. in Microprocessor Technology and Instrumentation
- B.Sc. in Astronomy and Astrophysics
- M.Sc. in Physics
- Ph.D. in Physics
Past Chairmen of the Department are:
- Prof. N. J. Skinner (1969 – 1978)
- Prof. Joseph Otieno Malo (1978 – 1988)
- Prof. Frederick N. Onyango (1988 – 1991)
- Prof. Riewa O. Genga (1991 – 1997)
- Prof. Barack Oliech Kola (1997 – 2002)
- Prof. Joseph Otieno Malo (2002 – 2003)
- Prof. Bernard O. Aduda (2003 – 2007)
- Dr. K.A. Kaduki (2007-2013)
- Prof. Julius M. Mwabora (2013-2019)
- Prof. Nyongesa Francis Wanjala (2019-present)