- He added that corruption is the main problem ailing public universities in Kenya and urged MPs to weed out corrupt individuals.
- The move also saw students stage protests that led to the closure of the institution on Monday.
Image: FILE
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has condemned the recent ouster of Meru University Vice Chancellor Romanus Odhiambo.
Even though VC Odhiambo has been reinstated, Owino said the council exhibited non-professionalism in the alleged tribal wars.
"If it's true they wanted a VC from Meru then they have never experienced what real struggle is. They are leaders who have never washed their feet and don’t understand what BODMAS is," Owino said.
The lawmaker was speaking in Parliament on Wednesday over matters affecting higher education institutions.
"Leadership is based on merit and not all those factors some of us look at," he said.
He added that corruption is the main problem ailing public universities in Kenya and urged MPs to weed out corrupt individuals.
The second term MP said the role of parliament majorly lies in budget approvals.
"We should not be in this problem because we budget for these institutions. We need to know what happens in the financial sectors of every university," he added.
Education CS Ezekiel Machogu on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of Odhiambo.
In a statement, Machogu termed the move to suspend Odhiambo as ill-termed.
The move also saw students stage protests that led to the closure of the institution on Monday.
“The ministry directs the university council to rescind the decision to send Odhiambo on terminal leave and to appoint an acting VC,” Machogu said.
“The university council is directed to facilitate the resumption of Odhiambo as VC with immediate effect, in any case before the closure of business on March 7."
The council said it was not convinced that the former VC deserved a second term.
“The university council in its meeting held on February 27, 2023, evaluated your performance and found it to be below expectations. Therefore, the council declined to renew your contract as requested in your letter dated 20th December 2022,” chairman Prof Bosire Mwebi said in a letter dated February 27, 2023.