Makau Mutua calls for removal of Anangwe as UoN Council chairman

President William Ruto’s Senior Adviser of Constitutional Affairs Makau Mutua has called for the removal of Prof Amukowa Anangwe as University of Nairobi’s Council Chairman.
Makau’s call comes after Prof Bitange Ndemo was appointed as the new vice chancellor but declined the offer, citing procedural issues in the recruitment process.
“Prof Amukowa Anangwe must be IMMEDIATELY removed as Chairman of the Council of the University of Nairobi.
“He’s completely failed to lead Kenya’s iconic institution of higher learning. Our university lies in ruins. The man can’t even get the appointment of the vice chancellor right.
“Bure kabisa!” Mutua said in an X post made on Friday, May 9, 2025.
Ndemo’s appointment
The University of Nairobi’s council revealed the appointment of Ndemo via a notice released on May 5, 2025. Ndemo had been chosen to replace Prof Margaret Jesang Hutchinson, whose term as acting VC concluded the same day. The council’s decision was communicated by its chairperson, Anangwe, who noted that Ndemo had emerged among the top three candidates following interviews conducted by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
However, Ndemo, who is Kenya’s ambassador to Belgium, declined the appointment.
“I was one of the five shortlisted candidates for the vice chancellor position at the University of Nairobi. After the interviews on March 21, 2025, I emerged as one of the three finalists.
“On May 5, 2025, I received a letter from Prof Amukowa Anangwe, Chairman of the University Council, appointing me as Vice Chancellor. I sought confirmation from the chairman regarding the Minister for Education’s concurrence, as required by law.
“Prof Anangwe assured me that it was being addressed and that he had submitted the necessary documents an hour earlier. Additionally, the chairman had already issued a letter to Prof Mulaa to act as VC until my release from my current post.
“The announcement triggered a flood of congratulatory messages on social media. However, I dissociate myself from this unprocedural process and have withdrawn my candidacy for the position,” Ndemo explained.
His withdrawal adds another twist to the leadership saga at Kenya’s oldest public university, which has faced internal tensions and administrative shake-ups over the past year.