Politicians shortlisted for vacant university council slots 

Former Uasin Gishu Senator Isaac Kipkemboi Melly and former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara are among 93 candidates shortlisted for appointment as members of public universities councils.

Mr Melly is a former student of Kenya Institute of Management where he graduated with a Diploma and at Kisii University where he studied Business Administration.

Mr Magara, a senior Assistant Commissioner at Kenya Revenue Authority, holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting option) degree from Punjab University, India.

Other politicians who are eying the slots include former Mosop MP David Koech, who is the former chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education.

Former Webuye legislator Saulo Wanambisi Busolo studied at the University of Nairobi student and is a past chairman of Kenya Sugar Board.

The positions have also attracted top financial managers including Mr Joseph Zachary Abuta a certified public accountant and a past council member at Kaimosi University College.

Also in the list are top scholars and professionals including lawyers, educationists and retired Kenya Defence Force (KDF) officer.

The council membership require persons of high integrity in order to help these institutions to effectively carry out their mandates, especially in resource management, both financial and human. 

Shortlisted candidates

According to the list seen by the Nation, 16 counties which include Turkana, Garissa, Nyandarua, Homa Bay, Bomet, Baringo, Kericho, Murang’a, Busia, Kitui, Marsabit, Wajir, Makueni and Vihiga did not have women applicants shortlisted for the posts.

Another 11 counties, including Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Kajiado, Mandera, Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Nakuru, Nairobi, Machakos, Isiolo and Trans Nzoia had no male applicants.

Bungoma county dominated the list with eight shortlisted candidates, including seven men and one woman followed by Narok with seven candidates (five men and two women). Kisii also had seven candidates comprising four men and three women.

Siaya and Turkana counties had four shortlisted candidates with Siaya having three men and a single woman while Turkana had four men applicants with no women in the list.

The counties which have two candidates include Garissa, Nyandarua, Homa Bay, Migori, Bomet, Baringo, Kericho, Murang’a, Busia, Laikipia, Embu, Meru and Kirinyaga.

Kiambu, Uasin Gishu and Kisii counties had the highest number of women candidates as they had three in the list while 17 counties including Bungoma, Nandi, Siaya, Kisumu, Nyeri, Migori, Laikipia, Kirinyaga, Embu, Kajiado, Mandera, Mombasa, Taita Taveta, Nakuru, Nairobi, Machakos, Isiolo and Trans Nzoia had one woman shortlisted.

The Ministry of Education is expected to allocate them to universities using some criterion such as regional representation and professional attributes and then get them gazzetted and posted to each institution.

Wrangles, and in some cases lawsuits, have hindered the appointment of university councils by Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha. 

The councils are charged with the responsibility of the overall management of universities, according to the Universities Act (2012).

Management activities

The councils also set dates for resumption of learning in universities, but in their absence, the role has been left to the management of the institutions. 

Some the Universities’ councils such as Kabianga and Egerton among others, whose term of office expired in March this year, according to Uasu officials, has slowed down crucial management activities involving its members.

"No promotion of senior academic staff has been authorised at Egerton University for nearly a year now, yet some of them are due for retirement in the next couple of months," said a don at the Njoro-based campus.

"When there is no council in place, the conducive working environment is disrupted and at Kabianga we had concluded our local Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and there are some issues that are supposed to be implemented by the management after the council ratifies them such as commuter allowance and promotions," said Cyprian Ombati who is also the secretary of Uasu at Kabianga University and national Trustee of Uasu.

Early this year Prof Magoha, while appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee, said he had communicated to the Government Printer to gazette the vacant positions in the universities councils.

Apart from the expired university councils, concerns have been raised over universities which have been run by VCs in acting capacities for a long time. Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Taita Taveta University, and Maasai Mara University have all had their top management in acting capacity due to wrangles and court cases.