Prof. Henry Thairu is the immediate former Director of Kenyatta University Consultancy Unit as well as the Coordinator of the School of Creative Arts, Film and Media Studies at Kenyatta University (2013-present). He is also the Chairman of Governing Council of Mater Hospital from March 2018. Henry Thairu has served as the Chairman, Commission for University Education from January 2014 to October 2016. The main work of the Commission is to accredit, inspect and regulate universities and their academic and research programs so as to ensure Quality University Education. He is the former Vice-Chancellor of Inoorero University (IU) from 2008-2013. IU was the Enterprise University of Kenya. He is the founder Managing Director of JKUAT Enterprises Ltd (2005-2006), a company wholly owned by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. The company’s main mission is to commercialize the University’s Research and Development results and innovations. He has been Deputy Principal (Academic Affairs-1992-1994) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) from February 1994 to April 2005. 

He is the former Chairman of the Board of Management of Kenya Education Network (KENET) from 1999-2008. KENET provides internet connectivity to universities, colleges and research institutes in Kenya. He is the former Chairman of the Board of the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) from 2007-2010, and former Chairman of the National Council of Science and Technology. He is the former Chairman of Radiation Protection Board (RPB) where he served for six years. He is the former Chairman of Kenya ICT Board Innovation Grants Committee. He is also the former Chairman and Governor of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Higher Education, Science and Technology Sector Board (2010-2014). He is the current Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Railway Training Institute (RTI 2008-present), a subsidiary of Kenya Railways Corporation. He has also served as the Chairman of the Elders Court at Karen Community Church for the periods 1996-2005 and 2012-2018. 

Globally he has served in the Executive Committee representing the African Region in World Association of Industrial Technology and Research Organization (WAITRO) in 2000-2004, and the Global Consortium on Higher Education Research in Agriculture (GCHERA), in 2000-2009. Prof. Thairu was a member of the Higher Education Taskforce (TAHEST), which developed the three bills which have already been enacted in to law. That is University Act of 2012, The Science and Technology and Innovation Act 2013 and TIVET Act 2013.