KCA University history dates back to 1989, with the establishment of the institution as Kenya College of Accountancy (KCA)by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) to improve the quality of accountancy and financial management training in the country. The college was founded after a study conducted by Chart Foulks Lynch (CIPFA) services of the UK in 1987/88. The study revealed that the Kenyan economy required an additional four hundred qualified Accountants every year. The output of qualified accountants from the training institutions then was less than one hundred.
On commencement of its services in 1989, it enrolled 170 students but this number tremendously increased over the years and today, enrolment stands at over 12,000 students annually. To maintain a national outlook, the institution opened campuses in Kitengela, CBD and Kisumu, and Satellite College in Amagoro
The dream of converting the College into a university began in 1997. In 2000 the enrolment figures especially in foreign courses indicated an upward growth. KCA entered into collaboration with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and University of South Africa (UNISA) and successfully launched diploma and degree programmes.