Prof. Justin Irina was recently appointed the Chancellor of Murang’a University of Technology. Prof. Irina is a professor of Inorganic Chemistry. The Professor has risen to the rank of Vice-Chancellor of the Moi University and eventually, the Chairman of the Council of Pwani University College. Prof Irina received a Fulbright fellowship to California State University, loss Angeles in 1979, and a Commonwealth Scholarship, St. Francis Xavier University Canada. The President of Kenya awarded him the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) national award in December 1994. Prof. Irina has taught and was Professor at the National University of Lesotho, University of Nairobi and Moi University.
Prof Irina has an industrial experience where he worked in the Research Laboratory, Shell Refinery Montreal Canada, and at the quality control laboratory Shell Company Mombasa Kenya. Prof. Irina has served the public in management positions where he was the secretary, Public Universities Inspection Board, Secretary to the Commission for Higher Education (CHE), Kenya, Vice Chancellor of Moi University and former Principal of Chepkoilel Campus College, the founding Dean, faculty of Science Moi University.
Prof. Irina also served as a Board Member of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) where it achieved a lot of success. Prof Irina also chaired the Board of Governors of Mombasa Polytechnic where he modified it to become Mombasa Polytechnic University College. Prof Irina has also served as a member of the Board of Aga Khan Health Services, Kenya and a member of the Council of Western University College of Science and Technology (WEUCO), now Masinde Muliro University. Prof Irina has had a stint as a member of the council of Maseno University Council. He chaired the Board of the Coast Institute of Technology –Voi Kenya. During his tenure, the college grew from a small community college to a modern sizeable technical training institute with a significant contribution to the community.
To date, Prof. Irina still holds the position of Chairman of East African Materials Research Society where he is currently serving since Y2000. He served as Chairman of the Kenya Chemical Society and Chairman of the Agricultural Society of Kenya.
Prof Irina is known for his efforts in trying to help the Coast of Kenya to establish a University. He fought and negotiated for long with authorities in Kenya to establish a University at the Coast, a dream which was realized with the establishment of Pwani University College.
