Prof Peninah Aloo-Obudho appointed Maasai Mara University vice chancellor
Prof Peninah Aloo-Obudho (left) takes over from Prof Joseph Chacha as the new acting vice chancellor of Maasai Mara University.
Prof Peninah Aloo-Obudho has been appointed Vice Chancellor of Maasai Mara University. She takes over from Prof Joseph Chacha, who retired on 1 June.
Prof Chacha has been at the helm of the Narok-based institution for the past year after taking over from Prof Kitche Magak.
Prof Obudho, who was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic, Research and Student Affairs at Karatina University, will now take over as VC, albeit in an acting capacity.
Welcoming the new VC, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr Kennedy Ole Kerei, expressed confidence in her performance based on her experience.
"Prof Obudho brings a wealth of experience in management, leadership and general operations of a university," Dr Kerei said in a statement.
He added: "We congratulate Prof Peninah Aloo-Obudho on her appointment to steer the university to greater heights".
The last substantive VC, Prof Mary Walingo, was ousted two years ago amid allegations of corruption in the infamous 'Mara raid'.
After Prof Walingo's departure, the council chose Prof Kitche Magak, who led the university for two years before he was forced out when his PhD from Washington University came under scrutiny.
Prof Chacha has been at the helm of the university since January last year.
Sh77 million scam
In 2019, the university was thrust into the limelight in the infamous 'Mara robbery' involving Sh177 million in an investigative piece by a local television station.
On 20 February 2023, the Employment and Labour Relations Court ordered the reinstatement of the suspended vice-chancellor and directed that she be paid half of her salary accrued since her suspension.
However, Prof Walingo is yet to report back to the university as an acting VC is in place.
Judge Hellen Wasilwa said the university should abide by the Public Service Commission's September 2022 decision, which overturned Maasai Mara University's decision to terminate her employment.
Prof Walingo was sent home in 2019 after a Citizen TV expose, dubbed the 'Mara Heist', implicated her in Sh177 million corruption scandal.
Prof Walingo appealed to the Public Service Commission, which ordered her reinstatement pending the conclusion of the anti-corruption case against her.
Despite attempts to enforce the PSC's decision, the university remained adamant and refused to enforce the decision, prompting her to take the case to court.
Defendants in the case included the Maasai Mara University Council, Mara University and the Cabinet Secretary for Education.
Prof Walingo told the court that the Maasai Mara University Council had continued to intimidate, harass and discriminate against her by implying that she was incapable of carrying out her duties.
The court noted that the Public Service Commission had not objected to the implementation of the orders, and thus adopted the PSC's decision to reinstate Professor Walingo.
The court ordered Mara University, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Public Service Commission to begin implementing the PSC's decision.
The new VC comes at a time when university staff have been complaining about unpaid arrears, forcing the university and unions into lengthy court battles.
The Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) claimed that the university had spent a total of Sh30 million defending a case in which the unions were demanding Sh62 million, questioning the wisdom of the university management.
The unionists also decried the suspension of the 2017/2021 CBA and its implementation in October 2021, forcing three unions, Kusu, Uasu and KUDHEIHA, to go to court.
As arrears, KUSU is demanding a total of Sh26 million, KUDHEIHA (Sh6 million) and UASU Sh30 million, which the university is yet to pay.
The union also condemned the alleged staggering of job grades over the past 13 years, which it says is demoralising staff.
The unionists, through their General Secretary, Mr Galfen Omuse, had called on the Ministry of Education, the EACC, the DCI and the SCAC to act swiftly to investigate and conduct a serious forensic audit of the university's accounts.
This, they said, was to rule out cases of possible money laundering and illegal bulk transfer of university funds to private accounts, lawyers' accounts and contractors who at some point provided services to the university.
Earlier in the day, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu also picked a new council but retained Dr Kerei as chairman.
