Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Leadership wrangles at the University of Nairobi took a twist yesterday when lecturers turned the heat on the council chairman Amukowa Anangwe, accusing him of running down the institution.

Appealing for urgent government intervention to resolve the matter, the UoN chapter of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) accused Prof Anangwe of running the institution unprofessionally.

“The university will be and should be run as a respectable corporate entity,” said the union secretary general (UoN chapter) Maloba Wekesa.

The council, the union claims, has been abusing its powers and victimising university staffers and officials.
The union questioned Anangwe’s leadership credentials and capability.

‘Non-existent positions’

Addressing reporters at the union’s offices at Uniafric House in Nairobi yesterday, Wekesa also faulted the replacement of Prof Stephen Kiama with Prof Margaret Chesang’ Hutchinson as the university Vice Chancellor, arguing that it was not procedural.

“Respect the university structure and stop appointing anyone to non-existent positions. Follow the law just as you demand others to do the same,” Wekesa said, in an apparent reference to the council decision to send Kiama packing.

Accusing Anangwe of micromanaging the university’s affairs and causing confusion in its management and operations, UASU gave the government a seven-day ultimatum to intervene and find a lasting solution or it would resort to industrial action.

The union claimed the council has flouted the University Act and statutes in its operations.

“This great institution should NOT be left to spiral down any further. As we did last month, we call on the government to intervene immediately. Let leadership rise and show the lodestar for the University of Nairobi,” Wekesa warned.

The union cited incidents that it said showed the council had flouted regulations, including salary delays.

“To cause such instability that affects salaries to be delayed is a slap on the face of hardworking Staff. The disruption caused further affects various financial instruments that Staff use and erodes their already low morale,” he says.

Salary delays

UASU also warned the University Council that it would take action if salaries were not paid immediately and consistently in subsequent months.

“A [salary delay] signals an inconsistent and unstable future, which we, as UASU, do not take kindly [to]. We demand that salaries be paid immediately and consistently every month,” Wekesa said.

“We want to remind the council that it exists to ensure a smooth running of the institution, now and in the future,” he added.
Wekesa also dismissed Anangwe’s claim that staff complaints had led to Kiama’s suspension, stating that the union had not been consulted.

“As UASU-UoN, we are not privy to such complaints and have no records of [them], even as we struggle to understand how a body tasked with policy was commiserating with staff through means unknown to UASU,” he said.