Leadership wrangles at Masinde Muliro ease as hiring of new VC, deputies starts

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology has been without a substantive vice-chancellor for the past 33 months, triggering endless tussles between the management and union officials.

The hiring of a vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellors has been bogged down by disagreements, protests and endless litigation, undermining academic programmes.

Successive vice-chancellors were appointed in an acting capacity, plunging the university into a crisis as administrators and union officials were locked in battles.

The turning point came on November 30, 2018 when former vice-chancellor Prof Frederick Otieno’s term ended.

At the time, a faction supporting Prof Otieno and union officials who opposed his leadership were involved in wrangles that sucked in academic staff and students, disrupting operations.

Former university council members, led by ex-chairman Jeremy Bundi, were accused of working with union officials to undermine the running of the university.

Back on track

But after Prof Solomon Shibairo was appointed acting vice-chancellor in April 2020, he has been busy trying to steer the university back on track and heal the divisions that had threatened to cripple operations.

University Education and Research Principal Secretary Simon Nabukwesi revisited the issue when he asked union officials and the community to stop the wrangling targeting administrators and focus on working together to take the university to the next level.

Speaking during the university’s 16th graduation ceremony on Friday last week, he said the government wants stability in the management of the university.

At one point, 49 court cases had been filed by parties as the leadership wrangles intensified.

Mr Nabukwesi said the government had invested resources to benefit the community and improve learning and research, saying that could not be achieved in an environment fraught with acrimony and internal conflicts involving management and unions.

“Already Sh200 million has been dispatched to the university and more money has also been allocated to other projects at the university,” he said.

Complex being built

The government, he said, is putting up a multimillion-shilling complex that is being built in three phases.

“This is the only university that has gone for a long period of time without a substantive vice-chancellor as people are running from one court to another to block the university from getting the required leadership,” he added.

University council chairperson, Dr Musangi Mutua, appealed to the government and other stakeholders to support the university so that it can improve its research activities.

He said the university was tasked with establishing world-class research groups that work on innovations in technical education, general engineering, agricultural engineering, civil engineering and security courses.

“The projects call for moves to foster research aimed at the commanding heights of science and technology that will exert far-reaching influence on cutting-edge scientific and technological issues as part of our overall development plans,” Dr Mutua said.

Turbulent period

Lacking a substantive vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellors has put the university through a turbulent period in the past two years, characterised by student unrest and protests by workers.

Prof Joseph Bosire, from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University, was appointed acting vice-chancellor in December 2018 to replace Prof Otieno.

Prof Bosire served for seven months before the government appointed Prof Asenath Sigot, who served in an acting capacity from July 2019 to March 2020.

She was replaced by Prof Shibairo, who met union officials and sought to address their grievances, including unfair sackings and demotions.

“I have an open-door policy and believe in fair administration of justice. We should handle matters affecting the institution with sobriety, put the tussles behind us and focus on our core mandate,” Prof Shabairo said when he took office.

Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) Masinde Muliro chapter secretary-general Onzere Mulongo said there is a cordial relationship between the management and the union.

“The management has considered the grievances raised by representatives of workers and has considered some of the stagnated staff for promotions, reviewed some of the disciplinary process that occurred and have brought back people who were sacked unfairly, particularly union members,” he said.

“That was a good consideration from management and as a union and workers, we thought that makes (sense) for us to cooperate with them.”

Unions appeased

The unions appear to have been appeased by Prof Shibairo’s management approach.

“Currently, the university management is considerate and the council has opened up to dialogue and consultation to resolve issues facing workers and there is no point to continue fighting,” he said.

The union, he said, was pursuing an out-of-court settlement for all the matters filed in court to allow for a smooth running of the university and harmonise the relationship with the unions.

Mr Nabukwesi had challenged the parties to resolve all court disputes.

The university started hunting for a new vice-chancellor and three deputies in February 2021.

The deputies are for academic and student affairs, administration and finance, and planning and research.

The positions were advertised by the Public Service Commission after earlier hiring efforts were derailed by court cases.

Candidates

By August 8, 2021, some 16 candidates had submitted their applications and seven were shortlisted for interviews.

The leadership wrangles at Masinde Muliro echo similar disputes at other public universities. For instance, in neighbouring Moi University in Eldoret, when Prof Laban Ayiro was appointed acting vice-chancellor to replace Prof Richard Mibei, local leaders rejected his appointment.

Governors Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu) and Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet) and several MPs stormed the university to protest against Prof Ayiro’s appointment.

They petitioned the Education Cabinet secretary to review the appointment in favour of Prof Isaac Kosgey.

Prof Ayiro later landed a job as vice-chancellor at Daystar University on March 1, 2019.

In Kakamega County, Lurambi MP Titus Khamala kicked off a campaign to push for the appointment of a local as the next vice-chancellor of Masinde Muliro, claiming the community had been marginalised from the running of the university.

For now, the war cries appear to have receded as some semblance of normality returns to the university.

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