Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has made a commitment to settle the leadership conflicts at the University of Nairobi (UoN) within the next seven days.
During a speech at Dedan Kimathi University in Nyeri on Friday evening, CS Ogamba described the crisis at UoN as a governance issue. He claimed that it was caused by an individual who was trying to force the institution and the ministry into submission.
“Last night, on Thursday, I didn’t go to bed until 1 a.m. because of the serious problems at UoN. But I’ve told Kenyans that I will fix this issue within a week,” Ogamba said.
He added, “There’s one person doing things he knows he shouldn’t and holding us hostage. We won’t let politics take over. We will resolve this problem. Even if it takes time, I will get it done.”
On May 5, in a letter, the UoN Council, led by Prof Amukowa Anangwe, announced the appointment of Prof. Bitange Ndemo as the new Vice Chancellor of the university. Prof. Ndemo was set to replace the acting VC, Prof Margaret Hutchinson. At the same time, the Council appointed Prof Francis Mulaa as the acting VC for six months, starting immediately. This was until Prof. Ndemo could step down from his role as Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium.
However, in a LinkedIn post, Prof. Ndemo said he had nothing to do with the appointment. He called it unprocedural. Prof Ndemo confirmed getting an appointment letter from Prof Anangwe. But he pointed out that the letter didn’t have the approval of CS Ogamba.
“On May 5, I got a letter from Hon. Prof. Amukowa Anangwe, the University Council Chairman, appointing me as Vice Chancellor. I asked the chairman to confirm if the Education Minister agreed, as the law requires. Prof. Anangwe said it was being taken care of and that he had sent the necessary documents an hour earlier,” Prof. Ndemo said.
He also said, “The chairman had already given Prof. Mulaa a letter to act as VC until I left my current job. The announcement led to many congratulatory messages on social media. But I’m distancing myself from this improper process and have withdrawn my candidacy for the position.”
The Education CS noted that these disputes were causing the university to lose funding chances from partners and donors. He gave an example of the French government. It had planned to invest in the university but had stopped because of the governance problems.
“Many people want to give money to UoN for research, for Artificial Intelligence, for Environmental Studies, and for the Leadership Institute. The French government wants to give 36 million Euros. But they’re asking, how can we give money when this university isn’t working properly?” the CS revealed.
Still, Ogamba said his ministry would solve all the issues that were threatening the survival of universities. He promised to make sure all universities keep operating.
“We will solve all these problems. I’ve promised Kenyans that we won’t let any of our universities fail. For universities with problems, we will find solutions,” Ogamba stated.
