Abstract:
I am employee (Assistant Lecturer) at the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, in
Kenya. In January 2019, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) was voted the
University of Choice in Kenya. This was based on the percentage of students aspiring to
proceed for higher education selecting it as first choice. The ranking was a result of an indepth
assessment
done
by
the
Kenya
Universities
and
Colleges
Central
Placement
Service
(KUCCPS).
This
is
a
great
achievement
for
the
university
given
that
the
country
has
over
seventy
(70) universities for prospective scholars to choose. The position places this
university in a front competitive position enabling it enjoy many advantages that come with
preference by most students as the University of Choice. The competitive advantages to be
enjoyed include:
More students being admitted in the university
Revenue being realized from fees paid by students
Economies of scale in utilization of university assets and other resources
More funding from the government and other collaborators because of higher
student numbers
Stronger bargaining power between the university and its publics
This favourable competitive position of DeKUT can possibly be attributed to the integration
of factors and processes working together to enable the university out-compete others in
Kenya. This work attempts to analyse these factors basing on Porter’s Value Chain Model.
