- Parliament has summoned former JKUAT officials to explain suspicious transactions linked to the Kigali Campus, including land purchases and loans without approval.
- The Auditor-General had flagged irregularities such as unapproved land acquisitions worth Ksh19.7 million, loans exceeding Ksh80 million, and alleged fraudulent fund transfers.
- The current university management has distanced itself from the decisions, saying it has dismissed the former campus director and reported the matter to the EACC for investigations.
The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education (PIC-G&E) has summoned former senior officials of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) to explain a series of controversial transactions after the current university management distanced itself from the decisions under scrutiny.
The committee, chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, issued the summons while reviewing the Auditor-General’s report for the financial year ending June 30, 2025, maintaining that the officials who authorised the transactions must personally account for their actions.
The session was attended by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, Deputy Vice-Chancellors Prof. Robert Kinyua, Prof. Bernard Ikua and Prof. Jackson Kwanza, Chief Finance Officer Mary Ngugi, Chief Legal Officer Wokabi Kariuki, alongside other senior university officials.
Lawmakers are probing several audit queries, including the acquisition of land in Kigali, the procurement of a loan without the required approvals, the alleged irregular transfer of university funds, legal disputes with landlords of the former Kigali campus, and the failure to account for university assets following the campus’s closure.
The Committee directed former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mabel Imbuga, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Finance) Prof. Bernard Otoki, former Head of Finance Anthony Luvanda, who also served as Director of the Kigali Campus, to appear before it, saying it could not establish accountability without hearing from the officials directly responsible.
“There are a lot of illegalities as pertains to the procedures, acquisition and use,” said Central Imenti MP Moses Kirima, arguing that the inquiry could not be concluded without hearing from the former officials.
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Kilome MP Thaddeus Nzambia questioned why the former campus director appeared to have acted without the involvement of the university council or the Ministry of Education.
“We need to know who this director was and where he is so that he can shed some light,” he said, adding that it would be unfair to expect the current management to answer for decisions made years before they took office.
Lunga Lunga MP Chiforomondo Mangale described the matters under review as “weighty”, pointing to concerns over land acquisition, alleged fraudulent fund transfers and loans exceeding Ksh80 million. Igembe Central MP Daniel Karitho, meanwhile, cautioned against allowing public officials to escape accountability after leaving office.
The Auditor-General also questioned the acquisition of two parcels of land in Kigali valued at more than Ksh19.7 million, noting that sale agreements were executed before the Ministry of Education approved the purchase. The audit further flagged the absence of procurement plans, tender documents, valuation reports and budgetary approval for the transaction.
In addition, the report revealed that the former campus director obtained a loan from I&M Bank Rwanda before securing the required approvals from the University Council, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury.
The Inspectorate of State Corporations also recommended the recovery of Ksh8.06 million that was allegedly transferred irregularly from the campus account.
Appearing before the committee, Prof. Ngumi said the current university administration inherited the challenges and took immediate action after uncovering the irregularities.
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She told MPs that the former campus director was suspended, subjected to disciplinary proceedings, summarily dismissed and reported to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for further investigations.
Chief Finance Officer Mary Ngugi and Chief Legal Officer Richard Wokabi Kariuki informed the committee that one dispute with a landlord had been resolved, while another involving landlord Martin Higiro is still pending before the Court of Appeal.
Committee Chairperson Dick Maungu said Parliament would not conclude its inquiry until the former officials implicated in the matter appear before the committee.
By Frank Mugwe
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