Fresh storm over UoN VC job as top State officials clash

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba before Senate Education Committee at Bunge Towers, Nairobi. [File, Standard] Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and the Head of Public Service Felix Koskei could be headed for a clash over the appointment of new vice chancellor of University of Nairobi. Sources at the university have hinted to The Standard that with the Council, chaired by Prof Amukowa Anangwe negotiating their exit, focus now shifts to the appointment of the VC and constituting new Council. It emerged that Jogoo House is keen to have Prof Bitange Ndemo, current ambassador to Belgium, to rescind his decision to decline the appointment as VC. Koskei side, it emerged, favours Prof Margaret Jesang Hutchinson, who is the acting VC to take up the prime slot. The dilemma, however, is that while Prof Ndemo publicly rejected the offer and expressly termed the appointment process as unprocedural, Prof Hutchinson, largely preferred for the top seat, did not apply for the job. Insiders say that this dilemma has drawn both factions to the drawing board, with insiders at Jogoo House and those at the university pointing at a major split of interests in the appointment. Turning down the appointment, Prof Ndemo cited procedural irregularities in the process. "I dissociate myself from this unprocedural process and I have withdrawn my candidacy for the position," Prof Ndemo stated. According to the scores by the Public Service Commission (PSC) that conducted the interviews,Prof Ndemo emerged top in the merit list with a score of 84 per cent. Prof Duke Orata emerged second with a 73 per cent score and Prof Francis Jackim Mulaa was ranked third with 66.7 per cent. This means that with Prof Ndemo and Prof Hutchinson out of the race, the next candidate suitable for the job is Prof Orata and Prof Mulaa. Insiders say that even though Prof Orata, a professor in the department of Chemistry, emerged second, he presently has no administrative or management duties. And Prof Mulaa, having been promoted and appointed substantive DVC by Prof Anangwe, now stands a better chance for the VC job. It, however, emerged that both sides -Jogoo house and State House- are not keen to have Prof Mulaa take up the slot. A consultative meeting of University of Nairobi Professors' Association (UoNPA) convened last week by Koskei is said to have been briefed why Prof Mulaa must step down in the ensuing leadership quest. Immediately after the meeting, Koskei, in a social media post, said the meeting aimed at strengthening governance. "UoNPA paid me a courtesy call for a constructive discussion on university governance. I appreciated the intellectual rigour and insights that will inform ongoing efforts in policy and institutional strengthening. I assured them of the government's commitment towards streamlining matters at the University of Nairobi," the post reads. A professor who attended the meeting said: "In the meeting we were told that he (Prof Mulaa) has to first surrender the DVC appointment letter that he was given by the council. Failure to which he will also face court action just as the rest of the council members did." On May 5, 2025, the council through Prof Anagwe appointed Prof Mulaa substantive DVC (Academic Affairs) and also acting vice chancellor. However, in a letter dated May 9, 2025, Higher Education PS Beatrice Inyangala wrote to Prof Mulaa revoking his appointments, arguing that there were no consultations. This position, it emerged, was reinforced during a meeting with Koskei and the professor's association. Consequently, emissaries were dispatched to informally talk to Prof Mulaa to surrender his appointment letter and to perish his ambitions of being VC. "Anytime from now, if he (Prof Mulaa) does not play ball, expect fresh arrests that will culminate in him being hounded in court and charges. This will also push him out of the university leadership, hence clearing way for the rest of processes," said the professor. Efforts to reach out to Prof Mulaa did not bear fruit. Multiple phone calls, short text messages and WhatsApp messages to Prof Mulaa's mobile phone went unanswered. Government sources familiar with the details, however, said that it is a matter of time before Prof Mulaa is ejected from the office. "A team of investigators have already been instructed to go to Prof Mulaa's last status at Garissa University to comb out details of misappropriation of government money under his watch, in the event he fails to submit to the emissaries' instructions." Insiders told The Standard that after the PSC firmly stood with its report after the recruitment process, external forces mooted a new plan to tilt the process to their favour. "Some forces wanted the PSC to retract its report to the Council so that the hiring process of the VC can start afresh to allow favoured candidates, who may not have applied to submit their applications," said a source at the university. In a statement dated May 15, 2025, PSC said that the recruitment process was above board and as per the law.

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