NAIROBI (AEA) — The University of Nairobi Council on Thursday appointed Professor Ayub Gitau as the institution’s 9th Vice-Chancellor, a move aimed at ending a three-year cycle of leadership instability and governance disputes that have threatened the reputation of East Africa’s premier academic hub.
The appointment, announced by Council Chairperson Chacha Nyaogotti, concludes a contentious search process to replace Professor Stephen Kiama. Kiama’s tenure was defined by a public and protracted legal tug-of-war with the council and the Ministry of Education over administrative autonomy and financial management.
By installing Gitau, an agricultural engineering expert and former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, the council signals a “return to order” for an institution currently grappling with a $28 million (KES 3.7 billion) debt.
“Professor Gitau brings a rare combination of academic excellence and administrative pragmatism,” Nyaogotti said during the press briefing at the university’s Main Campus.
“His immediate mandate is to restore the university’s financial health and ensure that our research output remains globally competitive.”
The University of Nairobi (UoN) has faced a tumultuous period since 2023, characterized by frequent student protests, staff strikes over delayed salaries, and a crumbling infrastructure that faculty members say is a result of years of “political interference and fiscal mismanagement.”
The institution’s reliance on dwindling state capitation and a controversial new funding model introduced by President William Ruto’s administration has left the university struggling to meet its basic operational costs.
Economists and education experts suggest that Gitau’s appointment is a calculated move to align the university with the national government’s “Bottom-Up” economic agenda.
However, student leaders have already expressed skepticism, demanding a clear roadmap for the reduction of tuition fees and the improvement of campus security.
“The new Vice-Chancellor is walking into a storm,” said Dr. Silas Okumu, a regional analyst for higher education. “He must manage a disenchanted faculty, a restless student body, and a government that is increasingly demanding that public universities become self-sustaining. It is a mathematical puzzle as much as it is a leadership challenge.”
Gitau is expected to take office officially on June 1, with his first task being the presentation of a comprehensive debt-restructuring plan to the Ministry of Education.
