The University of Nairobi, Kisumu Campus started as an Extra Mural Centre under the Department of Extra Mural Studies to offer demand driven courses in 1957. By then the centre only offered certificate and diploma courses under the School of Continuing and Distance Education. Due to the high demand of the academic programmes, the University purchased the former British Council Library Building in 2006. Acquisition of the building enabled the centre to expand its programmes and student enrolment. To meet the challenge of increased enrollment, the centre was formerly established as a Campus in 2008 and the University initiated the construction of its own sixteen-storey building. The first phase of six floors is complete and together with the former British Council Building, it is now the Kisumu Campus Complex.
Currently the Campus has over 2500 students enrolled in 12 academic programmes distributed in two colleges (College of Education and External Studies (CEES); and College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), and the Open, Distance and eLearning Campus. There is one faculty and five schools offering the 12 academic programmes. The School of Open and Distance Learning (SODL) offers Bachelor of Project Planning and Management, Bachelor of Education Arts (by Distance Learning), Master of Arts (Project Planning and Management), and PhD in Project Planning and Management. The School of Education offers Master of Education (Planning and
Administration) and Master in Early Childhood. The programs offered by SoB include Bachelor of Commerce, Master of Business Administration and PhD in Business Administration. The SoL offers Bachelor of Laws, FoA offers Bachelor of Arts, and SoE offers Master of Science in Health Economics and Policy. During this planning period, additional programmes from current and other colleges and schools are earmarked for introduction