The Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, has been accused of meddling with the affairs of the University of Nairobi.

The Standard has established that at the centre of the standoff is the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor for the university.

It emerged that Public Service Commission (PSC) conducted interviews and subsequently forwarded the shortlist of candidates to the University Council chairman Amukowa Anangwe.

In accordance with Section 35 (1)(a)(v) of the Universities Act, 2012, the Council was to convene a special meeting to deliberate and appoint the new Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs).

In a letter dated March 28, 2025, Prof Anangwe formally wrote to the Cabinet Secretary requesting permission to hold the special meeting on April 2.

According to the letter, the agenda was to deliberate and appoint the new VC and DVC-AA.

However, CS Ogamba declined the request.

In a response dated April 1, Ogamba cited pending investigations into alleged irregularities raised in the Auditor-General’s report for the year ending June 30, 2024.

“In light of the reported irregularities, we are unable to approve the proposed special meeting, pending further review and investigation. The Council will be advised appropriately once the review is complete,” Ogamba wrote.

Insiders at the university tend as baseless, the argument fronted by Ogamba on declining to grant special council meeting.

“Audit queries are done for all parastatals in kenya and then institutions are called to defend themselves at the parliamentary committee. There is nothing like operations being stopped in any institution until Public Investment Committee (PIC) finishes its work. Ogamba can’t be judge on an incomplete a PIC matter,” said a council member.

The refusal, however, coming just a day before the planned meeting, sparked allegations that the Ministry of Education is actively interfering with the university’s internal affairs to influence the appointment of the next Vice Chancellor.

It emerged that after the deadline to grant the special meeting, the council committees scheduled meetings that would culminate in the council full meeting.

The Hunan Resources committee was scheduled to meet to deliberate on the staffing matters, just before Ogamba degazetted the council.

On Friday, Ogamba dissolved the university governing council. In a Gazette Notice, the CS revoked the appointments of four council members who includes Sally Toroitich, Ahmed Abdullahi, Parmain Ole Narikae, and Carren Kerubo Omwenga.

Their sudden removal leaves the Council without quorum, effectively paralyzing its operations.

Only the Council Chairman, Prof. Anangwe, remains, protected for now by a court order that suspended his removal.

This is not the first time the University of Nairobi has found itself embroiled in leadership turbulence. The institution has seen the unceremonious exits of its last two Vice Chancellors; Prof. Peter Mbithi and Prof. Stephen Kiama.

Student leaders at the University have now waded into the crisis, accusing the Ministry of orchestrating chaos to manipulate the VC appointment.

“Why did they have to degazette the four Council members and transfer them to other universities? “If they were incompetent, why do you transfer them to other universities?” posed Michael Soi, a student leader with the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA), during a press briefing on Sunday.

Soi claimed the Cabinet Secretary has a vested interest in who becomes the next VC, and the recent moves which includes blocking the Council meeting are designed to delay the appointment until a more pliable council can be installed.

“The appointment of the Vice Chancellor is vested in the Council, not the Ministry. This is clearly laid out in Section 35 of the Universities Act and the University of Nairobi Charter. But the Ministry is now manufacturing chaos to prevent the current Council from executing its legal mandate,” he said.

The student body further argued that Ogamba’s actions mirror a pattern of interference that has destabilized the university in the past.

They cited past episodes, including the revocation of Prof. Kiama appointment by then Education CS George Magoha, which was later overturned by the courts.

“What we are seeing is a repeat of that same script. The Ministry is once again trying to bulldoze a decision that rightfully belongs to the Council,” Soi said.

Responding to questions about the legality of the CS’s actions, the student leader argued that while the Cabinet Secretary has the power to revoke council appointments under certain provisions of the Universities Act, the timing and circumstances surrounding the latest actions suggest ulterior motives.

“The PSC has already done its part by conducting interviews and forwarding the names. The Council is simply supposed to pick from that list and forward the name to the CS for appointment. But now, the Council has been crippled,” Soi said.

With the term of acting Vice Chancellor reportedly nearing its end, the absence of a functioning council to either renew her mandate or appoint a substantive replacement has thrown the institution into deeper uncertainty.

“We are standing up now because in the next few years, we will be the ones running these institutions. We must fix the rot before it consumes everything,” Soi said.