The University of Nairobi (UoN) Council has defended its recent decisions and leadership conduct, dismissing claims of illegality and mismanagement as “false narratives” meant to derail ongoing reforms at the institution.
In a detailed statement, the Council said it has followed the law and the university’s charter in all its decisions, including recent leadership appointments that have sparked a public dispute with the Ministry of Education.
“The Chairperson of the Council has not acted outside the law and regulations. The persistent allegations are misplaced and lack relevant information,” the Council stated.
The Council, led by Chairperson Prof. Amukowa Anangwe and members Carren Omwenga and Ahmed Abdullahi, pointed to progress made during their tenure. These include clearing promotion backlogs, reducing ethnic bias in recruitment, and approving the 2024–2027 Strategic Plan.
“The staff mindset has shifted from business-as-usual. Corrupt cartels in procurement have been curtailed,” the Council said, highlighting its push for transparency.
Despite these reforms, the Council admitted that the university is facing severe financial stress. Government funding currently covers only 32% of UoN’s budget and just 66% of its payroll, while the university is burdened with nearly 30% of the public universities’ combined Sh72 billion debt.
The growing tension escalated on Friday when Higher Education Principal Secretary Dr. Beatrice Inyangala accused Prof. Anangwe of acting unlawfully by issuing appointment letters to Prof. Bitange Ndemo as Vice-Chancellor and Prof. Francis Mulaa as acting VC and Deputy VC (Academic Affairs), without Council approval.
Dr. Inyangala said no Council meeting had been held to make the appointments, terming the move a serious violation of the Universities Act.
“These actions are not only irregular but a blatant usurpation of powers reserved for the full Council,” she said. “They hold no legal standing.”
She added that the Ministry was not consulted on the appointments and reaffirmed that Prof. Jesang Hutchinson remains the acting Vice-Chancellor.
In response, the Council insisted that it followed legal procedure, citing Section 35 of the Universities Act, which allows it to appoint Vice-Chancellors in consultation with the Cabinet Secretary—emphasizing that “consultation does not mean concurrence.”
According to the Council, Prof. Ndemo had requested his appointment letter and was fully involved in the process, only to later reject the position in a surprise announcement on LinkedIn. The Council says it has not received a formal letter from him declining the job.
To avoid a leadership vacuum, the Council appointed Prof. Mulaa in an acting capacity for six months. However, government-linked members of the Council reportedly withdrew from a scheduled meeting to ratify the appointments, citing lack of approval from the Cabinet Secretary.
The Council said a previous resolution from its 145th meeting allowed the Chair to act on behalf of the Council if there was no quorum.
It further accused political actors of interfering in university matters and pushing personal interests through lawsuits and misinformation.
“Outside actors meddling in the affairs of the University of Nairobi for selfish interests should stop,” it stated.
The Council called on the Cabinet Secretary to uphold the law and respect institutional independence.
“If our term is to end before May 2026, then it should be through a negotiated exit strategy,” Prof. Anangwe said, referring to ongoing legal cases over the attempted revocation of Council members by the Ministry.
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