From prestigious to perilous: How Vice Chancellor post lost its lustre

(Centre) Profffesor Paul Wainaina accompanied by Kenyatta University (KU) students and non teaching staff after the Employment and Labour Court issued orders reinstating him as the Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor on April 30, 2025 at the university grounds. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard] The seat of the Vice Chancellor (VC) in Kenya's public universities is increasingly becoming one of the most perilous. Once regarded as the pinnacle of academic achievement, the position is now synonymous with boardroom wars, ethnic undercurrents, student unrest, and allegations of mismanagement. Over the past decade, a clear pattern has emerged: university chiefs are either hounded out, entangled in court battles, or quietly nudged into early retirement amid swirling controversy. From Maasai Mara to the University of Nairobi, from Moi University to Kenyatta University, the past and present reveal a sobering truth: being a VC in Kenya is no longer merely about academic leadership - it now demands political acumen, crisis navigation, and often, survival. Perhaps nothing illustrates this better than the recent return of Prof Paul Wainaina as Kenyatta University VC. The Employment and Labour Relations Court reinstated Wainaina last Wednesday after he had spent over a year in the cold. The University Council had sent him on compulsory leave in April 2024. But this was not the first time the long-serving academic had to fight for his position. In 2022, he was dismissed for refusing to surrender a section of university land to the government for the construction of a World Health Organisation (WHO) regional hub. Then-President Uhuru Kenyatta publicly rebuked him and warned that any university management unwilling to comply would be shown the door. Days later, Wainaina was ousted, sparking protests from university staff who claimed he was punished for defending the institution's interests. While he did not reveal the precise reasons behind his most recent removal, Wainaina noted the parallels with the events of 2022. "In 2022, I was dismissed for refusing to be compromised. It's the same thing happening now," Wainaina said. His removal triggered a leadership crisis that threatened to destabilise the institution. Sources within KU claim the power struggles revolve around control of resources, strategic assets like land and the university hospital, and broader political influence. The decision to send Wainaina on leave mirrors a growing trend in Kenya's public universities, where VCs are suspended as a precursor to removal. This approach first emerged at the University of Nairobi and was later seen at Moi University. In both cases, suspension signalled imminent leadership shake-ups. The University of Nairobi has now been without a substantive VC for eight months following the ouster of Prof Stephen Kiama in September last year. Kiama was removed after a series of confrontations with the University Council. In December 2024, the Council terminated both his Vice Chancellor and professorial contracts. University staff, led by the University and Academic Staff Union, allege that Kiama's ouster aimed to pave the way for leadership that would comply with the Council's agenda. The union has claimed that Kiama's removal was tied to plans to lease parts of the university's extensive estate to private developers. In April, accusations of mismanagement and fraud engulfed the university, prompting the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to seek clarification on how large tracts of land were transferred to private ownership without proper documentation. Prof Kiama is not the only UoN VC to exit amid controversy. His predecessor, Prof Peter Mbithi, was quietly removed in 2019 after serving one term, with claims of poor working relationships with staff, council members, and government officials. In 2019, Maasai Mara University was also rocked by leadership wrangles after VC Mary Walingo was suspended following her implication in a Sh177 million corruption scandal dubbed the 'Mara Heist', exposed in a TV report. She was charged alongside four other university officials for allegedly irregularly withdrawing funds between 2016 and 2019 and was ordered to step aside as investigations proceeded. In September 2022, the Public Service Commission (PSC) directed her reinstatement pending the hearing and determination of her case. However, the ugliest incident occurred in 2018, when politicians stormed Moi University to demand the appointment of a VC from the local community. This led to the removal of Prof Laban Ayiro, then acting VC since 2016, and exposed the grip of ethnic politics on university governance. Despite his strong academic credentials, Ayiro's appointment was fiercely opposed by leaders from the Rift Valley region, laying bare the role of tribal considerations in public university leadership. Prof Isaac Kosgey, who was appointed in Ayiro's place in 2018, was himself sent on compulsory leave last year. His suspension followed a near collapse of the institution after a 90-day staff strike over unpaid salaries and benefits. In November 2024, the EACC opened an investigation into alleged financial mismanagement. The Auditor General flagged the university for ghost workers, over-employment, and unsustainable debt levels. Chairman of the Vice Chancellors Committee Prof Daniel Mugendi, argues that VCs often become scapegoats for deeper institutional problems. "VCs are often forced to make unpopular decisions - downsizing, fee hikes, or shutting down non-performing departments - all of which attract backlash. Many institutions are running deficits, making it impossible to pay staff or complete infrastructure projects," said Mugendi. Prof David Some, the former chief executive of the Commission for University Education, says universities have become battlegrounds for political and other vested interests. "Appointments are frequently lobbied for along tribal lines, and reforms are resisted when they threaten entrenched power structures. VCs must walk a thin line between technocratic leadership and a politically charged environment," he noted. James Ole Kiyapi, a former Education Permanent Secretary, adds that weak governance structures and limited institutional autonomy exacerbate the situation. He argues that university councils are often political appointees, whose loyalties do not always align with academic merit or institutional progress.

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From prestigious to perilous: How Vice Chancellor post lost its lustre

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