Three UoN Council members arrested

University of Nairobi Council chairman Prof. Amukowa Anangwe arrives at EACC, integrity Centre to record statement on allegations of abuse of office. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Three members of the University of Nairobi Council, and a staffer were Friday morning arrested by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over allegations of abuse of office.

They include the Council Chairperson, Prof Amukowa Anangwe, two council members, Carren Omwenga and Ahmed Abdullahi, and another suspect identified as Brian Ouma.

Ouma is the University of Nairobi's Chief Operations Officer (COO).

EACC Head of Communications Stephen Karuga confirmed the arrests.

Anangwe was arrested at Kisumu International Airport and flown to Nairobi for questioning.

The three other suspects are already in custody and are expected to appear at the Integrity Centre any time from now.

"On or about April 19, 2024 at the University of Nairobi Council Chamber within Nairobi County, you jointly and severally used the authority of your office being the University of Nairobi Council Members to improperly confer a benefit to Daniel Brian Ouma Okeyo by passing a resolution to reappoint Daniel Brian Ouma Okeyo and nullifying the letter issued by Prof Stephen Kiama rescinding Ouma's appointment as Acting Chief Operations Officer contrary to the judgment delivered on April 8, 2024 vide ELRC JR 46 of 2023." reads part of the charge sheet.

The arrests come just a month after Education CS Julius Ogamba revoked the appointment of four UoN council members, including Abdullahi and Omwenga.

On the other hand, Anagwe was in February this year dismissed as chairperson of the UoN Council, but got a reprieve when days later, the High Court overturned the CS's decision to fire him [Anangwe], and barred both Ogamba and the Attorney General from appointing a replacement pending hearing of the case challenging his dismissal.

More follows...