Dr. Joseph Kibuye Wadawi, the Dean of the Strathmore School of Tourism and Hospitality, was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Johannesburg on October 6, 2008. Dr. Kibuye’s Ph.D. thesis was on destination marketing.

The thesis examined how hotel product quality can be used to influence a destination’s competitiveness.  It established that hotel quality plays a significant role in attracting tourists to Kenya.

The findings could help formulate an integrated conceptual framework for hotel quality and destination competitiveness. The findings could also be used by destination management organizations to make strategic destination designs.

Dr. Wadawi was born on 15 October 1967.  He graduated cum laude with a B.Sc. in Hospitality Management from Florida International University, USA, in 1998.  He taught hospitality at Kenya Utalii College before joining the industry as Deputy General Manager of a convention center. 

In 2004, he obtained an M.B.A. (Strategic Marketing) from CIM, Cyprus. He then joined Kenyatta University where he taught Strategy and Marketing in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism.