Purity Muthima

Biography

Dr Purity Muthima is an Association of Commonwealth Universities Fellow in Education. She is a researcher, trainer, mentor, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies at the School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Kenyatta University, Kenya. Purity specialises in the Economics of Education, Policy, and Planning. Her scholarly work focuses on skilling (TVET, STEM), mentorship, training, unemployment, and youth economic empowerment. She has conducted several gender studies, including a five-year impact evaluation research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which she is currently leading. The study evaluates the impact of apprenticeship, internship, and mentorship work readiness programmes on young women's employment.

She has published and presented papers widely, both locally and internationally, and has participated in numerous international and local workshops. She has also engaged in networking, training, and entrepreneurial activities across Africa and Europe. Purity has extensively trained youth in entrepreneurship through the Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP) programmes. Furthermore, she has played a significant role in the development of Kenya's new national Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

She is affiliated with several professional bodies, including the Women Education Researchers of Kenya (WERK). Currently, she is undertaking a collaborative action research project between the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and Kenyatta University (KU), as well as another project in partnership with the University of Sussex, UK, and KU, funded by the British Council. The aim of this work is to establish a Mentorship Resource Centre to improve employment opportunities by enhancing safety and transferable skills among women students in higher education institutions in Kenya.