Uasu rejects Multimedia University Vice Chancellor

Trouble is brewing at Multi Media University (MMU) following the appointment of Prof Rosebella Maranga as the acting Vice-Chancellor.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) wants Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to revoke the appointment of the Vice Chancellor and two Deputy Vice Chancellors. 

Multi-Media University Uasu Secretary General Onesmus Mutio also wants the CS to revoke the appointment of the university council chairman Moses Ole Saduka which was effected on January 2, 2024. 

On January 9, 2024, Ole Sakuda convened a council meeting that appointed Prof Maranga as acting VC and her deputies Prof Geoffrey Kihara, (Administration and Finance) and Prof Livingstone Ngoo (Academic Affairs/ Research) for six months.

The union questioned why it has taken so long to publish the names of the shortlisted staff who went through interview.

“The CS should ensure the university has a substantive chairman to the council and a Vice Chancellor to end the chaos in the management,” said the secretary general.

Mutio reads mischief in the appointment of Maranga, leaving out Prof Paul Mbatia with whom they had served together as deputy vice-chancellors.

Last week, The Standard learned that there have been several unsuccessful meetings chaired by Sakuda to iron out the differences between the university and Uasu.

Mutio said Machogu erred to appoint Sakuda as the chairman of the university council.

“The appointment of Sakuda violates the Universities Act of 2012, and has also thrown the entire MMU community into chaos as members of the council and unit managers are in acting capacity. The entire process is skewed to favour certain persons which is unfair,” he claimed.

The former DVCs Prof Mbatia (Academic Affairs, Research, and Innovation) and Prof Maranga (Administration, Finance, and Planning) terms ended on December 17, last year. 

Both had applied to retain their positions through the Public Service Commission (PSC) and were to be interviewed afresh. 

Mbatia was from the University of Nairobi and Maranga was from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology before they were appointed to serve at Multi Media University.