• Magoha says an announcement was made on the VC despite him requesting for time to consult.
Image: COURTESY
President Uhuru Kenyatta's disgruntlement over the move to fill University of Nairobi's top job without his consultation could have influenced the revocation of Stephen Kiama's appointment as vice chancellor.
Education CS George Magoha on Monday said, “The council acted in manner that did not conform after failing to consider the government's input in filling the position."
He continued, "It is unfortunate that someone somewhere is pulling strings and wants to destroy the university."
Magoha spoke at Olympic Primary School in Kibera, where he launched a campaign to ensure all learners who sat the 2019 KCPE exam proceed to secondary school.
In a Gazette notice on January 18, Magoha said the appointment of a substantive VC will be done after the completion of consultative meetings.
Magoha also dissolved the Julia Ojiambo-led UoN Council.
The Education CS said he met the President in Mombasa last week and he questioned the appointment of the vice chancellor.
The University Act 2016 dictates that a public university, recommend for appointment a vice chancellor, deputy vice chancellors and principals of colleges after a competitive process.
In the case of universities, the Public Service Commission carries out the competitive exercise before it forwards the candidates' results to the council.
The CS is not obliged to consult with the president in making the appointment.
However, Magoha said “I cannot appoint anyone without consultation with my appointing authority. I'm not beholden to anybody because I will take orders from my appointing authority.”
Magoha said the council consulted him on January 3 and a meeting ended with no agreed candidate.
“There was a candidate they had recommended.. I told them to let me consult, but they went on and announced the VC," he said.
"The government looks at many other things when given the top candidates. He is not bound by my recommendation or that of the council."
Magoha said the leader of the government is Uhuru.
On Monday, the University Academic Staff Union drummed up support for the move by the CS to revoke Kiama's appointment.
University and Academic Staff Union UoN chapter secretary George Omondi said the appointment should consider a candidate with the brains and wit to turn around the financial situation of the institution.
"When you are told to step aside and allow the process to come to a conclusion in the ordered manner, you do not contest it and keep chest thumping,” Omondi said on Monday.
However, Magoha's revocation has split the student fraternity into two camps. One is in support of the revocation while the other is against it.
The first group, led by University of Nairobi Students’ Association (UNSA) secretary general Gideon Majiwa on Sunday declared support for acting VC Isaac Mbeche.
The second faction under the leadership of UoN Council of Governors’ chairperson Peter Mutinda, said they recognised Kiama as the duly appointed VC.
However, they called for calm and urged the government to intervene and shed light on the process of appointment, adding that they will follow PSC’s results.
Priding itself as the premier and biggest university, UoN has failed to match up to its former glory.
Since the exit of Magoha as the university boss six years ago, the institution has been on a downward trajectory marred with bad leadership and increased debts.
In particular, the university has suffered a financial gap, with current liabilities standing at Sh5.7 billion against current assets worth Sh4.3 billion.
This means the institution owes various entities Sh1.4 billion.