Staff at the University of Nairobi are once again expressing unease as disagreements surface over how top leadership positions are being filled. The latest concerns focus on the recruitment of the Vice Chancellor and deputy vice chancellors, a process that members of the University Academic Staff Union say lacks openness and raises troubling questions about who is truly in charge of the institution.
According to UASU, the university administration has failed to properly advertise the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Human Resources. Union officials argue that this omission is not accidental and instead creates room for external influence over a role that directly affects staff welfare, recruitment, and promotions.
They warn that such actions could weaken trust within the university and undermine established procedures meant to protect fairness.
Speaking on Thursday, UASU Chapter Secretary Dr. Maloba Wekesa openly challenged the administration’s explanation, saying the failure to advertise the position was intentional.
“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.
Beyond the deputy position, UASU is also questioning the overall leadership structure at the university.
The office of the Vice Chancellor has remained without a substantive holder since the exit of Prof Stephen Kiama. Prof Margaret Hutchinson is currently serving in an acting capacity, a situation the union says cannot continue indefinitely without creating uncertainty.
An earlier recruitment process named Prof Bitange Ndemo for the role, but he did not take up the position. Now, another recruitment exercise has been launched for the Vice Chancellor and two deputy vice chancellors, a move that has further alarmed the union.
“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.UASU insists that leadership appointments must be guided strictly by merit and professionalism.
Dr. Wekesa emphasized that ethnicity and political interests should have no place in university management.
“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.”The union has also warned that it will not hesitate to take legal action if university statutes are violated.
Dr. Wekesa claimed that individuals with questionable academic credentials are attempting to regain influence within the institution. He reminded stakeholders that past interference by powerful figures had harmed the university and should not be repeated.
“That past where the chancellor meddled in the daily operations of the university, as was the case with the previous chancellor, when the council overstepped their mandate and basically pitched camp in the university, those days are over,” he noted.
He further raised concerns about officers previously investigated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. “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 leadership wrangles have also affected staff welfare. Despite a 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement that set the retirement age for academic staff at 74 years, several senior scholars remain off the payroll more than a year after the agreement was signed. UASU says this has caused financial strain and frustration among affected staff.
The union is now demanding the unconditional reinstatement of those removed from the payroll and full payment of all delayed dues, warning that continued silence from the administration will only deepen the crisis at the country’s oldest university.
Leave feedback about this