Ogamba: The man tasked with reshaping public varsities

For thousands of students and lecturers across Kenya, the last few months have been a whirlwind of anxiety, protests, and uncertainty.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba inherited a multiple crisis when public universities across the country were reeling from staggering debts exceeding Sh70 billion, financial mismanagement, and leadership disputes.

With his firm stance on governance, he stamped his authority in reforming Kenya’s higher education sector.

Moi University became the first institution on his radar as staff strikes dragged on, salaries went unpaid, and the weight of a Sh8 billion debt threatened to shut down the institution permanently.

But when Julius Ogamba took over as Education Cabinet Secretary, he knew he had to act fast.

At Moi University, the situation had reached breaking point. Salaries were delayed for months, and frustrated staff launched a week-long strike.

Students watched helplessly as their academic future hung in limbo. Determined to turn things around, Ogamba took a decisive step—he dissolved the university’s council and appointed Noah Midamba as its new chairperson.

“With this new team, I do not doubt that Moi University will break from the past and look to the future with much confidence,” he assured in a gazette notice.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Isaac Sanga Kosgey was sent on an eight-month leave due to accumulated leave days—a move aimed at addressing audit concerns.

“As you are aware, the university is facing financial constraints, and the continuous accumulation of staff leave days exposes the institution to audit queries,” noted Midamba in a letter dated January 30, 2025.

Within days of the council’s inauguration in January 2025, Moi University disbursed Sh500 million in delayed salaries.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) launched investigations into allegations of fraudulent infrastructural projects worth over Sh2 billion involving senior officials at the university.

For many, the near-collapse of Moi University was a wake-up call. And it wasn’t just Moi—other institutions were also teetering on the edge.

At the University of Nairobi (UoN), Kenya’s oldest institution, a leadership crisis had spiraled into court battles and political scrutiny.

When the university council removed Vice Chancellor Prof. Stephen Kiama in September 2024, the decision was met with fierce opposition from lecturers and students.

In response, Ogamba revoked the appointment of the university council chairperson, Prof. Amukoa Anangwe, signaling a firm stand against mismanagement.

“We have taken the bold and decisive step to cut short the term of the former council. The government will no longer tolerate mismanagement in public universities,” Ogamba warned.

The decision came amid threats of industrial action by lecturers. University Academic Staff Union (UASU) UoN Chapter Chairman Dr. Richard Bosire accused Anangwe of overstepping his mandate, meddling in university operations, and undermining the vice-chancellor’s authority.

“Prof. Anangwe is behaving as if he is the vice-chancellor. He has been unilaterally issuing transfer letters, extending staff contracts at his whim, and sitting in internal interviews. This blatant overreach is unacceptable,” Bosire said.

MPs led by Julius Melly (Tinderet) directed the Ministry of Education to address the leadership crisis at UoN within a week.

“We saw what happened with Moi University. We warned about it, but it still sank. We cannot allow the University of Nairobi to follow the same path,” cautioned Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera, a sentiment shared by Kisii Woman Representative Jerusha Momanyi.

 “We are directing the Education Ministry to submit a report on the University of Nairobi within seven days," she said.

However, Anangwe contested his removal in court, securing an injunction suspending both his dismissal and the implementation of a 24-month transformation plan by the university chancellor.

The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) remained shut for weeks as staff struggled with salary delays that dated back to 2013.

“I want this to be clear on record that the challenges at the Technical University of Kenya stem from non-payment of salaries,” Vice Chancellor Prof. Benedict Mutua told MPs.