Hope Africa University (HAU) is an educational institution of higher learning established by the Free Methodist Church.  The Free Methodist Church's idea to establish a university dates back in the early 1980's. 

But it was on April 1st 1999 that a decision to establish the university was made in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Consequently, Hope Africa University was opened on February 6, 2000 in Karen/Nairobi in the Republic of Kenya.  It started with a small number of students from Burundi, Rwanda, DRC (Congo) and Kenya.

The University relocated to Bujumbura in the Republic of Burundi in December 2003.  On February 2, 2004, Hope Africa University was officially opened by the Director General of Higher Education on behalf of the Minister of Education of Burundi.  On that opening day, the university had 110 students, of whom 47 had come with the institution from Nairobi.