By Azael Masese
The appointment of six Vice Chancellors to the country’s public universities is set to hasten decision- making exercise and enhance good corporate governance.
Some of the appointments have been held back by court cases, a development the Government decried as it is hurting the institutions’ operations.
Prof Paul Wainaina who has been Kenyatta University acting Vice Chancellor takes over from Prof Olive Mugenda.
The new VC is expected to keep pace and take the institution to greater heights after his predecessor transformed it into a top institution in the country and beyond.
Prof Dickson Nyariki, who has been acting Murang’a University College since the institution was given a charter, now, becomes the substantive VC.
Acting Rongo University Prof Samuel Gudu has now been confirmed as the new VC while Prof Mary Ndung’u is the new Kirinyaga University Vice Chancellor.
Only Prof Francis Mathooko who has been acting Machakos University was not confirmed as the Government settled on Prof Lucy Irungu as the new Vice Chancellor.
Prof Irungu was formerly the University of Nairobi deputy vice-chancellor in charge of research.
Prof Daniel Njiiri Mugenda is the new University of Embu Vice Chancellor.
Except Kenyatta University, the other five vice chancellors whose institutions were upgraded recently are expected to initiate key development projects and turn the institutions into centres of academic excellence.
It also comes at a time when the VC’s are expected to explore other ways of generating revenues to reduce dependance on the Government to finance every bit of their budget expectations.
Some of the institutions also got chairmen of the university councils; Dr Joyce Mutinda (Machakos), Dr Shem Adhola (Kenyatta) and Dr Margaret Mumbi Guchuhi (Embu).
Dr Joachim Osur, renowned sexual and reproductive health clinician, sexologist and sex coach is the new Murang’a University council chairman.
However, Moi University, Taita Taveta, and Co-operative University will have to wait for longer.
For the new Education CS Amina Mohamed, appointing a substantive vice-chancellor of Moi University will be highly watched.
Interviews to fill the position and whose outcomes have been illuminated into a tribal perspective were conducted last year.
The new CS who took over from Dr Fred Matiang’i is required by law to pick a candidate for the position from the three names presented by the council, after the conclusion of the exercise in 2017.
