From prestigious to perilous: How Vice Chancellor post lost its lustre

(Centre) Profffesor Paul Wainaina accompanied by Kenyatta University (KU) students and non teaching staff after the Employment and Labour Court issued orders reinstating him as the Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor on April 30, 2025 at the university grounds. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

The seat of the Vice Chancellor (VC) in Kenya’s public universities is increasingly becoming one of the most perilous.

Once regarded as the pinnacle of academic achievement, the position is now synonymous with boardroom wars, ethnic undercurrents, student unrest, and allegations of mismanagement.

Over the past decade, a clear pattern has emerged: university chiefs are either hounded out, entangled in court battles, or quietly nudged into early retirement amid swirling controversy.