Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has revoked the appointment of Prof Amukowa Anangwe as the chairperson of the University of Nairobi (UoN) Council, effective February 21, 2025.
The revocation follows mounting pressure from the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the National Assembly’s Education Committee, both of whom accused Prof Anangwe of mismanagement, staff interference, and governance conflicts at the university.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 36(1)(a) of the Universities Act, 2012 as read together with Section 51(1) of the Interpretation and General Provisions Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Education revokes the appointment of Amukowa Anangwe (Prof.) as the Chairperson of the Council of the University of Nairobi, with effect from February 21, 2025,” Mr Ogamba said in a Gazette notice dated February 21.
Uasu had issued a seven-day ultimatum demanding his removal, citing concerns over unilateral decisions, unauthorised contract extensions, and the controversial Chief Operations Officer position.
Meanwhile, MPs had recommended the dissolution of the entire university council, citing leadership failures that they claimed were disrupting operations at Kenya’s top university.
Uasu officials accused Prof Anangwe of encroaching on the Vice-Chancellor’s role, taking over key decision-making functions that they say have created confusion and governance instability at the institution.
"Prof Anangwe is behaving as if he is the Vice-Chancellor. He has been unilaterally issuing transfer letters, extending staff contracts at his personal whim, and sitting in internal interviews. This blatant overreach is unacceptable," said Uasu UoN Chapter Secretary Dr Maloba Wekesa.
The lecturers’ union had warned that failure by the government to act within a week would lead to industrial action, potentially disrupting learning at the university.
At the parliamentary level, lawmakers raised concerns that the council’s overreach was negatively impacting the university’s stability and governance.
"We are directing the Ministry of Education to submit a report on the University of Nairobi within seven days. There is clear inertia in the ministry — if we allow more time, we may never get answers. We saw what happened with Moi University, we warned about it, but it still sank. We cannot allow UoN to follow the same path. This committee demands action now," said acting committee chair and Kisii Woman Representative Jerusha Momanyi.
With Prof Anangwe’s removal, attention now shifts to the government’s next steps in restoring order at the University of Nairobi and ensuring leadership stability moving forward.
