DP Ruto’s Invisible Hand In UoN Council As It Rejects PSC’s VC Appointment

There is an invisible hand in the current state of affairs at the University of Nairobi (UoN) as DP Ruto’s allied council led by Prof Julia Ojiambo is pushing for the appointment of deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof Stephen Kiama as the new VC.

We have to note that the alleged DP’s man–Prof Kiama was not among the top three candidates interviewed by the Public Service Commission on the 18th of December last year.

According to sources, the Prof Ojiambo led council has met twice on three names forwarded to it by PSC chaired by Stephen Kirogo. In one such meetings the council decided to rank the candidates disregarding PSC list. The council was bitter, acting VC Isaac Mbeche had been knocked out and the name was not among the top three.

The now politically aligned and divided UoN Council favoured Prof Mbeche who was supposed to have retired, is 69 years old, it extended the VC retirement age from 70 years to  75 years just days before the position was advertised.

Local media have reported that Prof Mbeche’s name is completely missing among the three candidates’ names that the PSC has forwarded to the Prof Magoha-led ministry of education who is then supposed to forward to President Uhuru Kenyatta for an appointment.

Julia Ojiambo-led council replaced Prof Mbeche, whose acting term of 6 months had expired with Prof Kiama in an acting capacity for another six months. The council, according to the Weekly Citizen will be sponsoring a case in court to challenge PSC forwarded list to the education CS Prof George Magoha.

It’s alleged that Julia Ojiambo and other UoN council members’ efforts to reach Education CS Magoha tunned futile last week. They also visited PSC offices for unknown reasons. Apart from the political alignment and politicians’ interests, it is not known why the council is being involved in the process of appointing the VC bearing in mind the University Amendment Act 2018 is against such acts.

Apart from Prof Mbeche and Prof Kiama, others interviewed by PSC were Prof Bernard Njoroge, Prof Madara Ogot, Prof Patricia Mbote, Prof Elijah Omwenga, and Prof Solomon Shibairo. For now, the council is at war with the education ministry as Magoha is said to have the original PSC ranking list the PSC has refused to follow. It’s not known why the council is fearing a new face to take charge as the VC.

Prof Ojiambo is under heavy pressure after a section of the council members accused her of being arrogant and bragging of her alleged protection by the deputy President William Ruto.

For starters, now the DP, Ruto was a junior to Prof Ojiambo who was then a director of youth and women affairs at KANU headquarters during the Moi regime.

It’s alleged the deep state political interference in the VC appointment headache has divided the Council to an extent that those opposed to Ruto’s crony Prof Ojiambo style of leadership have laid a plan to petition Prof Magoha and the ministry to dissolve the UoN council.

Former solicitor general Michuki Muchemi resigned as a member of the council upon discovering that the doddering Prof Ojiambo is running the council on her personal senile ego. According to the then the solicitor General, Prof Ojiambo is holding frequent council meetings fraudulently earn allowances.