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UoN Vice-Chancellor Stephen Kiama sent on compulsory leave again

University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Prof Stephen Kiama. (Photo: UoN)

By Lucy Mumbi | 21 Apr 2024

The University Council has appointed the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Ayub Gitau to act as the Vice-Chancellor with effect from April 19, 2024.

The Council of the University of Nairobi has placed Vice-Chancellor Prof Stephen Kiama on compulsory leave, effective April 19, 2024.

The decision was announced in an internal memo following the council's 144th meeting. The memo, however, did not specify when Prof Kiama would return to his duties.

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In his absence, the Council has appointed Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Ayub Gitau to act as the Vice-Chancellor with effect from April 19, 2024.

“The University fraternity is called upon to support Prof. Ayub Njoroge Gitau as he discharges his new responsibilities as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi,” Chairperson of the council Amukowa Anangwe said.

The university has in the past experienced ongoing leadership challenges, marked by frequent changes in its top administration.

On July 7, 2023, the council approved Prof Kiama’s six-month leave request starting from August 1, 2023.

During this period, the Deputy VC in charge of Academics, Julius Ogeng'o, was appointed as the acting VC.

Unexpectedly, Kiama ended his leave early and resumed duties on September 1, 2023.

He declared himself "well-rested and rejuvenated" on social media platform X.

"Unprocedural"

However, the council quickly responded with a letter dated September 22, instructing him to continue his leave as previously scheduled, emphasising that his early return was unprocedural and not approved by the council.

"Your letter referenced under the rubric, 'notice of resumption of duty', that was addressed and delivered to the chair of the council on September 1, 2023, at about 5 pm, when you had already spent the day visiting campuses and discharging duties in the vice chancellor's office without prior variation/cancellation of your six-month leave by the council was unprocedural, untenable and not acceptable to the council, “the UoN council stated.

Kiama’s initial request for leave, filed with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission on July 18, 2023, cited an intense schedule since taking office on January 20, 2020, and the need to exhaust all his leave days before his contract ended in 2025.

He had been discharging his official duties despite having not exhausted 161 of his 180 days.

However, his decision to take leave did not sit well with the University of Nairobi Students Association, leading to student protests on August 7, 2023.

The students expressed concerns that his leave was poorly timed, given the university's upcoming activities including two graduation ceremonies, the resumption of classes, the admission of new students, and the implementation of the New Universities Funding Model.

"The university is readying itself for two graduation ceremonies, resumption from recess, admission of the first-year class of 2023 and the implementation of the New Universities Funding Model and hence the leave the VC took was untimely," the students said.