On April 23rd 2008, His Excellency Mwai Kibaki, President of the Republic of Kenya granted a Charter to Strathmore University. The Charter provides for the establishment, control, governance, and administration of the university and for connected purposes, in the manner prescribed by the Universities Act (Chapter 210b, Laws of Kenya).

Strathmore University is sponsored by Strathmore Educational Registered Trustees (SERT), a non-profit body corporate with perpetual succession, established under the Trustee (Perpetual Succession) Act (Chapter 164 of the Revised Laws of Kenya 1962 edition).