The Ministry of Education has announced an array of measures, including the appointment of a new team to save the financially troubled Moi University.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on Wednesday, January 22 witnessed the swearing-in of new council members for the Eldoret-based university that has been battling one crisis after another, including a series of workers' strikes over the contentious Sh8.6 billion salary and statutory deductions debts.
Among the proposed reforms are changes in the university management and implementing plans to improve the state of Moi University’s finances.
“Leadership and governance issues necessitated the appointment of a new council to steer this university. It is now the responsibility of the new team to put in place sustainable strategies to ensure that the institution regains its glory before it started experiencing challenges it is undergoing,” said Mr Ogamba.
The CS revoked the appointment of Dr Humphrey Kimani Njuguna as the council chairman and replaced him with Prof Noah Midamba, two weeks after President William Ruto promised to constitute a committee to evaluate the scale of crisis facing the university and recommend a long-lasting solution.
Among those whose appointments were revoked include Prof Clara Samiji Momanyi, Christopher Khaemba, Eusilah Jepkosgei Ngeny and Susan Amlango Aletia.
Dr Ogamba appointed Prof Midamba, Prof Ronald Wasike, Dr Mercy Nyambura Kanyara, Dr Edwin Sambili and Anne Weceke Makori as the chairperson and members respectively of the university council.
Dr Ogamba said the crisis that had marred the university since 2024 has forced the government to intervene and salvage it from facing collapse.
“The university has been undergoing a lot of troubles leading to series of strikes but in December 2024 we entered a return–to-work formula with the workers for graduation to take place,” said Mr Ogamba on Wednesday during the inauguration of the new council members.
He said medical students who have been at the university for more than nine years will be graduating in March this year.
“We will not sit back and watch universities crumble down due to bad leadership and the new (Moi University) council members have a responsibility of restoring confidence in the students and staff who have been affected by crisis at the university,” added Mr Ogamba.
He disclosed that the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) will be the next university to receive new council members as part of the plans to resolve the management crisis.
“We are not leaving behind any of our universities in the restructuring process and the next will be TUK and every one of us is expected to play our role in ensuring that issues facing universities are resolved. This will ensure universities play their main mandate in research, innovation and other roles meant for such institutions,” said Mr Ogamba
The government, he said, will not waver in instituting painful but beneficial decisions aimed at promoting managerial and academic performance in its universities.
“We will longer entertain laxity in the administration of our universities. There is no university that can survive if it cannot cut a niche for itself and that is what we are determined to achieve,” said Mr Ogamba.
He challenged university council members across the country to play a vital role in fostering good governance, transparency and accountability and make advances in training, research and innovation.
Mr Ogamba, who was accompanied by Principal Secretary for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala, asked the new council members to implement the return-to-work formula signed with the workers.
Dr Inyangala said the government will monitor progress at Moi University and other learning institutions to ensure quality education.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) secretary General (Moi Chapter) Busolo Wegesa challenged the management to put on hold plans to lay off workers as the institution was currently understaffed.
“The plans by the university to reduce the number of workers will attract another crisis,” said Mr Busolo.
The workers, through the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), asked the new council to ensure that they receive their salaries on time to avoid tensions.
“We hope the new council has a cheque for the month of December. The workers sitting here are anxious to receive their salaries on time,” said Mary Chepkwemoi, KUSU secretary.
Kesses MP Julius Ruto promised to seek intervention from the government to ensure that the university is given more funding to meet immediate needs as it stabilises.
“As area MP, I will urge the parliament to inject more resources to Moi University to help in reviving it,” said Mr Ruto.
Prof Midamba, the new council chair, assured the government of his commitment to reform the university based on his vast management knowledge.
“I have what it takes to reform and redeem Moi University. Together with my team we promise to achieve greatness and urge leaders to own challenges emanating from their leadership and move on,” said Prof Midamba.
President Ruto, while on tour of his home county of Uasin Gishu two weeks ago, promised to constituent a committee to evaluate scale of challenges facing Moi university and recommend viable solutions.
He said plans were at an advanced stage to overhaul the management and allocate adequate resources to save the financially troubled institution of Higher learning.
“We will put in place an efficient management team and allocate sufficient resources so that Moi University can thrive like other public universities,” said President Ruto last week during a tour of his home tuff of Uasin Gishu County.
The management released Sh113 million salary arrears last week to avert the resumption of work boycott by the teaching and non-teaching staff.
The workers threatened to go on strike again over the contentious Sh8.6 billion salary and statutory deductions debts.
It has further paid December salaries in full, a day after Uasu and Kusu warned of another strike accusing the management of flouting the return-to work pact.
“I can confirm that the salary arrears for the three Months — October, November and December — have been wired to the workers’ accounts while the December salaries have been paid in full. This is a relief to our members,” said Nyabuta Ojuki, Uasu Chapter Secretary.
The unions are pushing for the implementation of the remaining 24 clauses in the return-to-work agreement signed in November 2024 which ended a strike that had disrupted learning at the university.
“What the union now wants is the implementation of enhanced salary rate under the 2021/2025 deal,” said Mr Njuki.
The Ethics and Ant-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations is probing financial and managerial questions at the cash-strapped institution.
