The Employment and Labour Relations Court has halted the University of Nairobi’s recruitment of a new vice-chancellor, further deepening a leadership crisis that has plagued the institution for years.
Justice Jorum Abuodha on Friday issued orders suspending all stages of the exercise, including advertising, shortlisting, interviews and appointment pending the hearing of a petition filed by Professor Duke Omondi Orata.
Orata, who ranked second in interviews conducted by PSC in early 2025, argues the Council acted unlawfully by discarding a concluded process and re‑advertising the post. He insists that, following the withdrawal of the top candidate, Professor Bitange Ndemo, in May 2025, he had a legitimate expectation of being appointed.
“The discontinuation of the recruitment flies in the face of the law, university statutes and PSC guidelines,” his petition states.
Court filings show PSC had already submitted a merit list to the Council. In November 2025, Orata wrote to the Council warning that its failure to act amounted to “a glaring irregularity in a senior public appointment.” He later sought intervention from Parliament’s Education Committee and the Ethics and Anti‑Corruption Commission, accusing the Council of silence despite the completed process.
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Former UoN vice-chancellor Professor Stephen Gitahi Kiama was forced out in October 2024 after clashes with the Council and allegations of misconduct. His removal led to the appointment of Professor Margaret Jesang Hutchinson in an acting capacity, but staff unions have since warned of “governance paralysis” as the substantive appointment remains unresolved.
The court’s intervention now places the university’s leadership transition squarely in the hands of the judiciary, with the outcome likely to set a precedent for how senior appointments in public universities are handled.
The matter will be mentioned on January 26, 2026, while the Education Cabinet Secretary, the University Council chairperson and the Public Service Commission (PSC) have been directed to respond within two weeks.
By Masaki Enock
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