USIU-Africa traces its history to 1927 when the Balboa Law College was chartered as a private graduate institution in San Diego (USA). The college later changed its name to Balboa University in 1945. In 1952, Balboa University again changed its name to California Western University and in 1953, Dr. William C. Rust became the university’s founding President.

In 1967, the university’s name was changed to United States International University (USIU) and established branch campuses in different regions around the world, namely, Tokyo in Japan, London in the UK, Mexico City in Mexico, and Africa in Kenya. USIU in Kenya was registered under the Companies Act (Cap 486) on September 18, 1969. In 1989, Retired General Kenneth McLennan became the Interim President of USIU and from 1992-1999, Dr. Gary Hayes assumed the role of third President of USIU. From 1981-1984, Dr. Dee Aker served as the first Executive Director and in 1984, Dr. Lillian K. Beam took over as the Executive Director of the Nairobi Campus and her tenure lasted ten years and saw great improvements in enrollment, curriculum and staffing. In 1994, Professor Freida Brown was appointed as the Executive Director and she introduced strategic changes that put USIU-Africa on an upward trajectory, and transformed it into a regionally acclaimed and globally recognized center of academic excellence. Among her major achievements were the attainment of the Kenyan charter, expansion of the campus with commensurate infrastructure, program diversification and growth, and prudent fiscal management.

In 1999, following legal reforms in the higher education sub-sector, USIU-Africa received a formal Charter and Professor Freida Brown became the first Vice Chancellor under this system of governance. In 2001, the Africa campus separated from the rest of the USIU campuses and in 2005, USIU-Africa sought and subsequently received independent accreditation from WASC Senior Colleges and Universities Commission (WSCUC) as USIU-Africa and granted Kenyan accreditation by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

In December 2014, the Board of Trustees announced the impending retirement of long-serving Vice Chancellor Prof. Freida Brown and in January 2016, Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza was appointed Vice Chancellor after a rigorous international search.

In 2021, Professor Freida Brown returned from retirement and was appointed for a period of one year to facilitate the recruitment of a Vice Chancellor. In 2022, Professor Margee Ensign took over from Professor Brown and her brief but impactful time with the institution was marked by unwavering commitment, passion, and vision. During this time, among one of her achievements was spearheading the establishment of the Center for Executive Education (CEE).

In 2023, Dr. Omolola E. Omole-Odubekun accepted to serve as Interim Vice Chancellor on short notice. Her many years of service and dedication to USIU-Africa distinguish her as an exceptional leader and in July 2024, Professor Mwenda Ntarangwi was appointed as the new Vice Chancellor.