By John Majau
Meru University of Science and Technology Vice Chancellor, Prof. Romanus Odhiambo, has been ousted from the helm of the institution due to poor performance.
The university council has consequently sent the VC on terminal leave after refusing to renew his five-year contract over underperformance.
The council said it was not convinced Prof. Odhiambo deserved a second term and has since appointed his deputy, Charity Gichuki, to take over on an acting capacity.
The move comes barely a few days after the university staff members staged a demonstration protesting against mismanagement of the institution and misappropriation of funds.
“The university council in its meeting held on February 27, 2023, evaluated your performance and found it to be below expectations. Therefore, the council declined to renew your contract as requested in your letter dated 20th December 2022.
“You are not authorized to transact any capital project in the university but restrict your transactions only to personal emoluments and recurrent expenditure. You are required to proceed on your pending leave of 121 days once a suitable replacement has been identified,” wrote the Council Chairman, Prof. Bosire Mwebi, in a letter dated February 27, 2023.
Prof. Odhiambo’s term was set to expire in July 2023.
In a quick rejoinder, Prof. Odhiambo said the decision was political because the university had recorded tremendous developments during his tenure with the student population doubling.
He wondered what the council meant by ‘performance below expectation’ yet he had positively transformed the university and the neighboring community.
“This decision is political because when I joined the university, there were 4,000 students and now we have 11,000. The farm was lying idle but it is a beehive of activity now while Nchiru market was a slum yet it is now a vibrant shopping centre. One wonders what measurement they are using,” he said.
Before the council decided to send Prof. Odhiambo on terminal leave, members of staff recently demonstrated outside the university protesting against mismanagement of the institution, alleging he embezzled funds.
The University Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDDHEIHA) alleged that Prof. Odhiambo had run down the institution and that it was sliding down to its death bed.
They also claimed the management had ‘politicized’ the institution, and cited an incident that occurred before last year’s August 9 General Election when Mr Odinga addressed a rally inside the campus at the graduation.
Victor Mugambi, chairman of UASU’s Meru branch vowed to demonstrate until the Education Ministry fired him, noting that they would not sit back and watch the institution being run down.
Mr. Mugambi claimed Prof. Odhiambo wasted funds by opening a ‘non-functional’ office in Nairobi and that he hired staff irregularly.
“The university is spending a lot of money, paying rent and salaries for staff manning the office, yet we have no programmes running there. The VC has also employed a chief medical officer at our health facility yet there are two doctors there, which is a waste of resources for an institution that is struggling financially,” he said.
However, Prof Odhiambo dismissed the protests as ‘politics’ and accused people he did not name of sponsoring the demonstrations to ‘whip emotions’ against him.
“For instance, the office in Nairobi is meant to market the university. We are not opening a campus there but we need a presence in the capital city so that we can attract the rest of the world. That is the purpose of the liaison office,” said Prof. Odhiambo.
He said the chief medical officer was complaining about a lecturer who was seconded to the health facility.
“We are planning to upgrade the health centre and since these are plans on the pipeline, we have strategically seconded the officer there. His core job is that of a lecturer,” he said
He also dismissed claims that he was planning to shut down the Meru town campus.
