Chief Francis Kariuki of Lanet Umoja in Nakuru County, who got the attention of the world for using Twitter to fight crime, was among 9,535 graduands at Mount Kenya University on Friday.
Chief Kariuki was presented with a degree in Counseling Psychology which he had been undertaking through virtual learning.
Mr Kariuki said the education acquired will assist him to offer professional services to the community.
The graduation ceremony was attended by the Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Jacob Kaimenyi and presided over by Chancellor Victoria Wells-Wulsin. Professor Kaimenyi challenged Kenyan universities to lead the way in research and innovation.
Kariuki leads a community of about 28,000 residents. His Twitter account shows he has about 51,000 followers and those who receive his tweets via text message are said to be in the thousands.
Subscribers get his tweets in real time via free text messages, and don't need to have a Twitter account or an internet connection to receive them. The chief can send them any time of the day or night using his smart phone.
Chief Kariuki's tweeting has been able to bring down the crime rate in Lanet Umoja from near-daily reports of break-ins. He also uses Twitter to send messages of hope, especially for the young and unemployed.
A recent study shows social media use in the continent is growing, with South Africa sending the most tweets, followed by Kenya and Nigeria. Egypt and Morocco follow in the list of top five most active countries.
