New leadership wrangles in UoN amid recruitment standoff

A new leadership row is brewing at the University of Nairobi over the recruitment of the Vice Chancellor and the deputies, with the university's University Academic Staff Union (UASU) members questioning the drive behind this latest move.

The university’s administration is accused of failing to advertise the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Human Resources, leaving room for outside forces to manipulate and control the hiring process.

Speaking on Thursday, UASU Chapter Secretary Dr. Maloba Wekesa pointed to what he termed a deliberate omission to advertise the aforementioned position, arguing that there is a sinister plan that will have dire effects on UASU staff.

“This is NOT an inadvertent omission. This is a deliberate omission which, in our opinion, sows a new seed of disorder that UASU fears, portends for another round of unseen hands intent on controlling staff hiring and eventually the destiny of the University,” he said.

UASU also questioned how or who is now running the university since there have been delays in employing a new VC after the exit of Prof Stephen Kiama.

“The office of the vice chancellor has been without a substantive holder, prof Margaret Hutchinson holding it in acting capacity …efforts to employ a VC were undertaken with Prof. Bitange Ndemo named for the role that he did not take up…only this week, another recruitment process for that position as well as those of two DVC’s was started. UASU is reading a sinister motive in this move,” Dr. Wekesa added.

“Because we are a university that believes strongly in merit, any recruitment done should be on the basis of merit, professionalism, not the basis of ethnicity, not the basis of political expediency.”

He added that any violation against the set University statutes will be met by swift and legal action, arguing that people with ill motive and dubious academic credentials seeking control of the institution are regrouping.

“That past where the chancellor meddled in the daily operations of the university, as wasthe case with the previous chancellor, when the council overstepped their mandate and basically pitched camp in the university, those days are over,” he noted.

“Even in our own university, there are officers who have been investigated by the EACC for having fake papers, and we hear they are sneaking back. EACC must take action, the government must take action.”

The cost of these wrangles is found on the payroll. Despite a 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that set the retirement age for academic staff at 74 years, many senior scholars remain off the payroll a full year after the signing.

UASU is now demanding unconditional reinstatement and full payment of delayed dues.