Bachelor of Arts in Social Work

Since its inception in 1976 the social work program (B.A. Degree) has been administratively under the auspices of the Department of Sociology but with its own Program Coordinator. The Programme was initiated within the Department of Sociology in response to a request from an Inter-Ministerial Working Committee on Social Work Education in Kenya. The Inter-Ministerial Committee included the following representatives: The Kenya Institute of Administration, The Kenya National Association of Social Workers, The National Council of Social Services, The Ministry of Housing and Social Services, The Ministry of Finance and Planning, The Ministry of Education, The Directorate of Personnel and The Department of Sociology, University of Nairobi. The Committee, following its study of the social welfare needs of Kenya at that time projected that the country would need twenty to twenty-five (20-25) social work graduates per year to meet the existing manpower needs.

The committee established that “the overall goal of the programme would be to train professional university level social workers in response to the increasing complexity of social problems in the country”. Prior to 1976, there existed in Kenya a Diploma and Certificate Training Programme operating under the auspices of the Kenya Institute of Administration at Kabete. The Diploma Training Programme was later transferred to the Embu Government Training Institute. In other words, there was no university level training of social workers in Kenya prior to 1976.

In the beginning, the Inter-Ministries Committee and the Department of Sociology collaborated in planning and the development of the Social Work Programme. As a result of this collaboration, it was recommended that a B.A. Social Work degree be offered within the Department of Sociology at the University of Nairobi. The decision to administratively house the Programme in the Department of Sociology was made for several reasons:

Initially, the Social Work Programme was funded by the Fredrick Ebert Foundation for three-years. The Foundation met the cost of a senior lecturer position and two lecturer positions, including other expenses for operating the programme for the period specified and renewable for an additional two years. However, the Foundation did not fund the programme beyond the three years. Consequently, the financial responsibilities for operating the programme were taken over by the government.  The programme has since grown; from admitting about 20 students per year to about 60 currently.

 From 1976 to as recent as the 1990’s, the BA (Social Work) programme at the University of Nairobi remained the only university program in Kenya for professional training in social work. The course was started to fill a professional gap not only in Kenya’s but actually in East Africa’s social development sector. Social work graduates have since played a critical role in the overall development of the country. Of notable significance has been their contribution in the following areas: management of children’s affairs (e.g., rehabilitation and training), gender and development, youth affairs, probation and correctional services, management of community development programmes, community mobilization and capacity building, medical social work (in health facilities), counselling, human resource management and micro-enterprise development.

Like all recognized tertiary training centres for social workers, the University of Nairobi has over the years adhered to a curricula that not only allows students to specialize in social work early in the BA programme but also that combines class work and fieldwork. It is hoped that this practice will be sustained especially for the purpose of maintaining internationally recognized social work training standards and for the University of Nairobi to maintain its pole position as the model for professional social work training in Kenya.