- Newly installed Vice-Chancellor Prof Ayub Gitau pledged to reunite staff within a year, ending a decade of internal wrangles.
- He promised to rebuild UoN’s reputation and reclaim its position as Kenya’s leading research institution after recent declines.
The University of Nairobi (UoN) Vice-Chancellor Prof Ayub Gitau has pledged to restore unity among staff and rebuild the institution’s reputation after years of internal wrangles that he says have weakened Kenya’s oldest university.
Speaking before his installation as the university’s ninth vice-chancellor, Prof Gitau admitted that UoN has experienced a decade of instability, describing the current situation as one of the institution’s lowest moments. However, he expressed confidence that the university can recover within a year.
“The University of Nairobi is heavily divided. That is the reality. In the last 10 years, I have witnessed a lot of turbulence,” Prof Gitau said.
He said bringing staff together would be his immediate priority, noting that motivated employees are key to restoring the university’s performance.
“I know that within one year we shall have united all the staff. Once they are motivated, they will give their best,” he said.
Once recognised as Kenya’s leading institution in global university rankings, UoN has in recent years fallen behind competitors, including Kenyatta University (KU). In the 2024 and 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, KU ranked ahead of UoN in several areas.
ALSO READ:
KCA University hosts third AAU workshop on positioning African universities for global visibility
KU also enrolled the highest number of students from the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) cohort, admitting 11,224 students compared with UoN’s 8,604.
Prof Gitau recalled the concern that arose when KU overtook UoN in the rankings, although he maintained that the situation was temporary.
“At one point we got a scare when we were told KU was number one, and we were number two. But I think it was just a one-off because after that KU has gone back to where they belong,” he said.
According to Prof Gitau, restoring the university’s image and reclaiming its position as a leading research institution will be among his top priorities as he assumes office.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
