- Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba makes appointments and a reappointment affecting six public institutions.
- Mercy Kanyara joins the JKUAT Council after her appointment at Machakos University is revoked.
- The three-year appointments take effect on October 2, 2026, changing the institutions’ existing council membership.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has triggered a fresh shake-up in the governing councils of six public universities and university colleges, replacing some members, appointing new ones and moving Mercy Kanyara from Machakos University to JKUAT in a round of changes taking effect immediately.
The changes, gazetted on October 2, 2026, affect Turkana University College, Machakos University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenyatta University, Koitaleel Samoei University College and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.
Kanyara moves from Machakos to JKUAT
At Turkana University College, Ogamba appointed Evelyne N. Kyendo to the council for a three-year term.
At Machakos University, Lazarus Kipichii Tanui takes up a three-year council position, replacing Mercy Kanyara, whose earlier appointment has been revoked with immediate effect.
But Kanyara’s exit from Machakos has been followed by a new appointment at another major public university. Ogamba appointed her to the JKUAT Council for a fresh three-year term, also effective October 2.
The move makes Kanyara the most notable figure in the latest changes, with her council appointment at one university revoked as she is appointed to another.
Kanyara had joined the Machakos University Council in January 2024 after being appointed by former Education CS Ezekiel Machogu for a three-year term.
New appointments and a reappointment
At Kenyatta University, Ogamba appointed Wilson Kipruto Ronno as a council member for three years.
The changes extend to Koitaleel Samoei University College, where John Kamanga Ole Ntetiyan has been reappointed for another three-year term.
At Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Abdihakim Guhad Gabow has been appointed to the university council for three years.
The changes therefore comprise a combination of new appointments, a replacement, a revocation and a reappointment, rather than the wholesale dissolution and recreation of the affected university councils.
The changes come as university councils continue to play a critical role in the governance of Kenya’s public universities, providing oversight on institutional strategy, financial management, senior leadership and implementation of university policies.
The timing is significant for a sector facing mounting pressure over funding, staff welfare, student support, institutional sustainability and accountability.
Public universities are also operating within a changing higher education policy environment, with the Government pursuing reforms touching on university financing, access and institutional management.
For the affected institutions, the incoming council members will therefore take up their responsibilities at a time when university governance is under increasing scrutiny and institutions are expected to demonstrate stronger financial and administrative accountability.
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The latest Gazette notices do not establish entirely new councils for the six institutions. Instead, they change the composition of their existing governing structures by bringing in new members, retaining one through reappointment and replacing another.
By Hillary Muhalya
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