Prof Stephen Kiama.
Governance issues that have plagued the University of Nairobi appear to have taken a political angle after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua waded into the dispute that pits the Vice Chancellor, Prof Stephen Kiama Gitahi, against the varsity council.
At the centre of the differences is a succession battle as the contract of the VC comes to an end on January 5, 2025. Although he has requested for an extension, sources indicate that the council does not intend to renew his contract.
Mr Gachagua has now come out to defend Prof Kiama against the council in a recent interview with Inooro TV station, where he accused the council members of “harassing” the don.
Prof Kiama was suspended by the council on Friday last week, the fourth attempt to do so after he managed to fight off previous efforts to remove him from the helm of the university.
In April, the council had again attempted to send the VC on compulsory leave but he stayed after the intervention of powerful government officials.
“When I defend our people, I’m called a tribalist. Prof Kiama has been harassed by the chairman (Prof Amukowa Anangwe). Since he was appointed chairman, Prof Kiama has never known peace,” Mr Gachagua said.
“If there’s a public university in Kenya that’s run without any trouble, it’s the UoN but the VC is being harassed. They even took goons to evict him.”
According to the Universities Act (2012), politicians have no role in the appointment VCs for public universities and the position is competitively recruited by the university councils that then forward their recommendations to the Cabinet secretary in charge of Education.
Roughed up by goons
Prof Kiama on Monday told the Nation that when the council met at the University Towers at the main campus on Friday, they were accompanied by people he referred to as “goons” as well as police officers.
A Nation reporter was roughed up by the mean-looking men and had the recording they had filmed deleted.
A senior police officer who was at the university said that they had been invited by the acting chief operation officer of the university, Mr Brian Ouma, who asked them to provide security during the council meeting.
Prof Anangwe said that the VC had denied the council access to the venue and therefore had to seek the assistance of the police.
“I’m the secretary of the council and therefore mandated to convene meetings, with the chair as the moderator. I was in the process of preparing documents for the meeting and send out the invitations when he called for the meeting,” Prof Kiama said.
He said that his lawyers were exploring the situation and would likely challenge the meeting and its resolutions in court.
In his communication regarding Prof Kiama’s three-month suspension, Prof Anangwe said that the VC was under investigation for insubordination and gross misconduct although he did not give details of the allegations.
A source told Nation that upon expiry of his suspension, Prof Kiama would be sent on terminal leave.
However, Nation has established that the State Corporations Advisory Committee had listed UoN among other public bodies that were exempted from performance evaluation owing to the differences between the management and the council.
“There was fear that the council wouldn’t be fair in evaluating the VC but they, somehow, managed to get authority to go ahead with the evaluation,” a source close to the matter said on condition of anonymity, citing its sensitivity.
With the VC now suspended on disciplinary allegations, the council appointed Prof Margaret Jesang Hutchinson to replace him in an acting capacity.
She was the deputy vice chancellor in charge of research, innovation and enterprise. The council witnessed her taking over the VC’s office on Monday.
Prof Francis Mulaa, the former associate dean in the Faculty of Science and Technology will take over Prof Hutchinson’s docket in acting capacity.
The university council also appointed Prof Ayub Gitau, the former dean of the Faculty of Engineering, acting DVC in charge of Academic Affairs.
In April, the council unsuccessfully appointed him to replace Prof Kiama in an acting capacity.
On July 4 2024, Prof Kiama wrote to the council requesting for appointment for a second term as VC.
In his letter, he listed his achievements which includes increasing external research grants from Sh1.9 billion when he took over in 2019 to the Sh4.8 billion.
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