Education CS George Magoha has said they won’t be compelled by the courts to rescind the decision to replace Kenyatta University management.
The CS spoke days after the High Court temporarily stopped the implementation of a letter suspending vice chancellor Prof Paul Wainaina and harassment of university staff.
He said they will continue with the planned takeover of the KU land despite the High Court order.
Magoha said KU land is public and belongs to the government and it can decide what to do with the land.
He spoke at Chania Girls High School in Thika while commissioning CBC classrooms.
“Will the government stop working because an issue is in court? Can I, as a surgeon, say well, I will allow you to bleed to death because someone has gone to court?" he asked.
Magoha said the university and Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital are conjoined, and they need each other and will exist together.
"As far as I’m concerned, no judge can change the status. KUTRRH and Kenyatta University are like husband and wife, it doesn’t matter who is running them, they will exist together.”
The CS said the university will be run by the recently constituted board of management and it will hold its graduation on Friday this week.
He was responding to questions on whether the government has appealed the court orders.
“The Judiciary is another arm of government, they will pronounce themselves and that is the lowest court and as the matter is continuing towards the Supreme Court, do you expect the government to keep quiet?” he asked.
“Having a World Health Organization facility next to the hospital will also lift the status of both the university and the hospital. All these noises you are hearing is just stupid hogwash.”
The CS said Prof Wainaina should have resolved the matter in the backroom with the government for compensation to offset the institution's growing debt.
“If I was the vice chancellor, I would have talked with the government in the backroom for compensation because the university still has 580 acres of unused land. I would have used the money to pay the university debts, there is so much politics about nothing,” he said.
Prof Wainaina was suspended following a tiff with the government for rejecting plans to cede part of the university land.
In a letter, the government wanted KU to avail 410 acres for division into four sub-plots. WHO was to get 30 acres, Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention was to get 10 acres while KUTRRH and Kamae Settlement Schemes were to get 180 and 190 acres respectively.
Meanwhile, Magoha has said the government is committed to complete construction of all classrooms as promised by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He said the government has released the Sh16.9 billion capitation funds for learners across the country to take them through the second term of 2022 academic year.
Magoha thanked school heads who have agreed to support learners whose parents are unable to pay school fees in time.
“I urge our school heads to continue handling poor students with mercy since sending them home is not only unjust but a criminality as most of them will likely fail to return to school,” he said.
Edited by A.N
