Education relevance in any given country is anchored in its philosophy of education. The Kenyan philosophy of education advocates for provision of a holistic education and training that promotes all the domains of learning. However, in practice academically oriented learning is emphasized focusing on cognitive domain while passively imparting the psychomotor and affective domains. This article reports on data from a study that sought to explore the perceptions on the relevance Nyerere‟s philosophy of education towards the academically oriented university education in Kenya for sustainable economic development. The research adopted a case study research design. Data was collected from one Dean of students, 5 Coordinators of campuses, 586 fourth education students and 22 lecturers from Kisii University selected using saturated, purposive and simple random sampling techniques. The data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. The items in the questionnaires were tested for content validity and reliability by means of a pilot study in one of the campuses that was not included in the sample. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of the study revealed that university education was perceived as overreliant on academic qualifications while neglecting practical learning and values. The study recommended that to offer holistic education require embracing ideals of Nyerere‟s philosophy of education in line with the original intended objectives of 8-4-4 curriculum in Mackay report and the current needs of the country to produce liberated self- reliant individuals.