UoN staff threaten strike, demand removal of council chair

Academic staff at the University of Nairobi (UoN) have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to remove Council Chair Prof. Amukowa Anangwe, accusing him of overstepping his mandate and interfering with the university’s management. 

Through the University Academic Staff Union (UASU), the lecturers claim that Prof. Anangwe has encroached on the Vice-Chancellor’s (VC) role, taking over key decision-making functions, which they say has created confusion and undermined governance at the institution.  

"Prof. Anangwe is behaving as if he is the Vice-Chancellor. He has been unilaterally issuing transfer letters, extending staff contracts at his personal whim, and sitting in internal interviews. This blatant overreach is unacceptable," said UASU UoN Chapter Secretary Dr. Maloba Wekesa.  

The lecturers further allege that Prof. Anangwe has ignored directives from the Chief of Staff and the Head of Public Service, which outline the separation of powers between the University Council and management. They argue that his interference has led to mismanagement, with several senior university positions now being held in an acting capacity under his influence.  

"If Prof. Anangwe wants to be Vice-Chancellor, let him apply for the job instead of usurping roles that are not his. We are calling on the Education Committee of Parliament to censure him, and the Cabinet Secretary must intervene before the situation worsens," Wekesa added.  

The staff have also raised concerns over the alleged existence of a “Chief Operations Officer” position held by Brian Ouma, which they claim is illegal. According to UASU, the position is not recognized under the UoN Charter or by the Public Service Commission.  

"The University Council has allowed an illegal position to persist, draining public funds while UoN’s ranking plummets due to bad governance. The Chief Operations Officer position must be revoked immediately," Wekesa stated.  

With tensions rising, UASU has warned that failure by the government to act within a week will lead to industrial action, which could disrupt learning at the country’s premier university.  

"We are ready to down our tools if the government does not take action. We will not allow one person to run UoN like a personal kiosk," Wekesa warned.  

The lecturers are now calling on the Ministry of Education, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and Parliament to intervene and restore order at the university.