Nyeri: Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has promised to resolve the leadership wrangles at the University of Nairobi in the next week. Speaking at the Dedan Kimathi University in Nyeri, CS Ogamba described the situation at the university as a governance challenge, which he attributed to an individual exerting undue influence over the institution and the ministry.
According to Kenya News Agency, the crisis escalated after the University of Nairobi Council, chaired by Prof Amukowa Anangwe, appointed Prof. Bitange Ndemo as the new Vice Chancellor in a letter dated May 5. Prof. Ndemo was supposed to replace the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Margaret Hutchinson. Furthermore, the Council designated Prof Francis Mulaa as acting Vice Chancellor for a six-month period until Prof. Ndemo’s release from his current role as Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium.
Prof. Ndemo, however, distanced himself from the appointment in a LinkedIn post, calling it un-procedural. He confirmed receiving the appointment letter from Prof Anangwe but noted it lacked approval from CS Ogamba. Prof. Ndemo stated that he sought confirmation from Prof Anangwe on whether the necessary ministerial concurrence had been obtained, to which Prof Anangwe assured him it was in process. Despite this assurance, Prof. Ndemo chose to withdraw his candidacy due to the procedural irregularities.
CS Ogamba highlighted that the ongoing disputes were jeopardizing the university’s funding opportunities. He pointed out that the French government had pledged to invest in the university but was hesitant due to the governance issues. The French government had committed 36 million Euros for various initiatives, including research and development in Artificial Intelligence, Environmental Studies, and a Leadership Institute.
Despite these challenges, Ogamba reassured that the ministry would address all issues threatening the functionality of universities. He emphasized the commitment to ensuring that no university would face operational failure, affirming that solutions would be found for institutions facing difficulties.