The Ministry of Education has reinstated Prof Margaret Jesang Hutchinson as the acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi (UoN), just a day after the  university council named Prof. Francis Jackim Mulaa as her replacement.

Prof. Jesang’s six-month term as acting VC is set to expire next week. However, the Ministry, through the Principal Secretary for Higher Education, Dr. Beatrice Inyangala, has disowned two letters from UoN Council Chairperson Prof. Amukowa Anangwe that appointed Prof. Mulaa as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and acting VC.

The Ministry has also rejected all recent council appointments, maintaining the current leadership with Prof. Ayub Gitau as DVC (Academic Affairs), Prof. Francis Mulaa DVC (Research, Innovation and Enterprise), Prof. John Demesi Mande – DVC (Human Resource and Administration) and Prof. Jackson Maalu – DVC (Finance, Planning and Development).

PS Inyangala said the council acted without consulting the Cabinet Secretary for Education, as required by law. “The purported appointments were done without any consultation with the Cabinet Secretary, as required by law. No Council meeting was convened to approve these decisions. This is a blatant disregard for due process, and such actions will not be condoned,” the PS stated.

The Ministry cited Section 35(1)(a)(v) of the Universities Act, 2012, which requires public university councils to consult the Cabinet Secretary when appointing Vice-Chancellors and Deputy Vice-Chancellors. Such appointments must also follow a competitive process led by the Public Service Commission.

The Ministry further hinted at possible action against the university’s leadership, warning of “egregious violations” of the Universities Act. “Leadership must be exemplary—our universities shape Kenya’s future,” the statement read.

Efforts to reach Council Chairperson Prof. Anangwe for comment were unsuccessful.

The row escalated just hours after Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium, Prof. Bitange Ndemo, officially withdrew from the race for the Vice-Chancellor position, citing irregularities in the selection process.

In a statement posted on LinkedIn, Prof. Ndemo said he had been among five shortlisted candidates and emerged as one of the three finalists after interviews held on March 21, 2025. He added that he received an appointment letter from Prof. Anangwe on May 5, but noted that the appointment lacked the mandatory concurrence of Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba.

“Despite assurances from Prof. Anangwe that the necessary documents had been submitted, I dissociate myself from this unprocedural process and have withdrawn my candidacy for the position,” Ndemo stated.