The University of Nairobi (UoN) leadership is under scrutiny as the National Assembly Committee on Education questions the institution’s financial struggles, governance issues, and leadership instability.
Appearing before the committee, Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. Margaret Hutchinson faced tough questions regarding the legality of certain administrative positions and prolonged vacancies in senior roles.
Lawmakers expressed concerns over unapproved management positions, the Sh13.6 billion in pending bills, and key officials holding acting roles for extended periods.
“This university operates under a legal framework. Is it right to be referring to offices that were created outside of this framework?” asked MP Nabii Nabwera.
Prof. Hutchinson explained that while the university’s statutes were last updated in 2013, administrative reforms in 2020 led to the creation of new positions, including the Chief Operating Officer. However, MPs demanded documentation justifying these structural changes.
“A review was done, new positions were created, and then you reverted to the previous structure. Where are the documents to justify this?” asked MP Eve Obara.
Legislators also raised concerns about governance, questioning the high number of staff serving in acting capacity.
“For over five years, many senior positions have been held in an acting capacity, leading to leadership instability and inconsistencies in strategy implementation,” Prof. Hutchinson admitted. She added that the Public Service Commission (PSC) had conducted interviews for the vacant Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Vice-Chancellor positions, and the university was awaiting the results.
The committee scrutinized the university’s financial crisis, pointing out that despite receiving salaries directly from the government through negotiations with the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), UoN was still struggling with massive debts.
“In your documentation, we are not seeing how the pending bills are reducing,” said MP Peter Orero.
Prof. Hutchinson acknowledged the financial burden, revealing that as of March 28, 2025, the university’s pending bills stood at Sh13.58 billion.
“You are saying you have financial challenges, but we are not seeing documents on the current revenue the university is generating,” added MP Joshua Makilap.
Lawmakers also raised concerns about the underutilization of UoN’s satellite campuses in Kisumu and Mombasa.
“Even if the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) places students there, it is not sustainable. Have you leased out the campuses?” questioned MP Phylis Bartoo.
Prof. Hutchinson admitted that while the university owned the campuses, they were not fully utilized. “In Mombasa, we are even renting out space to generate income,” she said.
MP Jerusha Momanyi noted that ongoing leadership wrangles were slowing down the university’s progress.
“The core of the university is education. What mitigation strategies are in place to move the university forward?” she asked.
Committee Chair Julius Melly questioned Prof. Hutchinson’s authority, alleging internal power struggles within the management.
“We have information that your role as Secretary of the University Council has been relegated to the Corporation Secretary. It appears there is infighting within management,” Melly stated.
The committee has requested detailed documents on the pending bills and is set to conduct inspection visits to stalled university projects, including the Lower Kabete student accommodation project funded by the government in 1990, the proposed School of Pharmacy building at the Faculty of Health Sciences (KNH Campus), and the IDIS student hostels at Harry Thuku Road.
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