A fresh leadership crisis has engulfed Kenya’s premier institution, the University of Nairobi (UoN), following the abrupt dissolution of its governing council by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba.
In a gazette notice issued on Friday, Ogamba revoked the appointment of four members of the university council—Sally Toroitich, Ahmed Abdullahi, Parmain Ole Narikae, and Carren Kerubo Omwenga—effective April 11.
This comes months after the CS had similarly revoked the appointment of Joel Kibe in December 2024.
With only Council Chairman Prof Amukowa Anangwe remaining—protected for now by a court order that suspended his removal—the University of Nairobi is left without a fully constituted council.
This, coupled with the vacant Vice Chancellor’s office following the removal of Prof Stephen Kiama late last year, creates a troubling leadership vacuum.
The university’s top leadership positions have in recent years become precarious, marked by short tenures and unceremonious exits.
While the late Prof George Magoha was the last Vice Chancellor to complete two full terms—later rising to become Education CS—his successors have not been as fortunate.
Prof Peter Mbithi and Prof Kiama, who followed, both exited before completing a single full term, in what insiders describe as politically charged circumstances.
Their exits mirror the fate of multiple councils, pointing to a pattern that suggests systemic instability.
The University Council has now been disbanded three times in just four years. These frequent changes have often been explained as necessary interventions to fix governance issues. However, critics argue they represent deeper structural and political problems.
The ongoing disruptions at UoN are tied to what sources within the university describe as an unresolved power struggle involving various government agencies, university insiders and political actors.
In 2020, then Education CS George Magoha dissolved the council led by Prof Julia Ojiambo, accusing it of interfering with the appointment of a new VC. UASU also called for a permanent solution to the leadership crisis.
