Great Lakes VC turns down call for dialogue

Great Lakes University of Kisumu Vice Chancellor Prof Amadi Ndede. [Dalton Nyabundi/Standard]

Great Lakes University Vice Chancellor Amadi Ndede has turned down the Chancellor’s invitation to have a dialogue.

Prof Amadi refused to appear before the varsity’s Chancellor Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o to receive a report from former Commission for University Education boss David Some, on a mediation process undertaken by Nyong’o.

In her response to the invite which came through Nyongo’s communication office, Amadi said she declined to go because she was not aware such mediation had been done on behalf of the university.

She said further that her management was not aware there were issues that required mediation.

Amadi said in her letter to Nyong’o that the mediation was insincere and stage managed since her office had not been briefed about it.

“The university fraternity is not aware of any warring parties within its ranks that would call for a mediation,” reads her response to Nyong’o.

Rocky path

She pressed that the management was not approached with complaints that would require mediation and that the university senate was not represented in the Nyong’o talks.

“Meetings convened outside the university and not convened by the vice chancellor are deemed not to be university meetings,” it reads.

The university has travelled a rocky path in the past five years as trustees and top officials fight incessant court battles over its management.

Two months ago, goons hired by one faction of the officials raided the university’s main campus in Kisumu and destroyed property worth thousands of shillings.

At one time, this year, those opposed to Amadi tried to stop the university from conducting its graduation ceremony, but the exercise went on, Nyong’o presided over it.