The race for the Vice Chancellor position at the University of Nairobi (UoN) has reached a critical stage, with five candidates making the shortlist. The Public Service Commission (PSC) announced that Professors James Njiru, Duke Orata, Bitange Ndemo, Ayub Njoroge Gitau, and Francis Jackim Mulaa will compete for the top job at Kenya’s premier university.
The search for a new Vice Chancellor follows the controversial departure of Prof. Stephen Kiama in late 2024. The PSC confirmed that only six candidates applied for the position, which was advertised on January 21, 2025, with Professor John Demesi Mande failing to make the final cut. Interviews for the shortlisted candidates are scheduled for March 21, 2025, at the PSC offices along Harambee Avenue, Nairobi. Candidates are required to arrive at least 20 minutes before their respective interview sessions.
The PSC has outlined strict requirements for the interview process. Candidates must present original national ID cards, academic and professional certificates, transcripts, and other supporting documents. Those with degrees from foreign institutions must provide recognition letters from the Commission for University Education (CUE). Additionally, the commission has invited members of the public to submit any credible information regarding the shortlisted candidates. Such information must be submitted via sworn affidavits to the PSC offices or through the provided email by March 19, 2025.
Prof. Kiama’s tenure as Vice Chancellor was marked by leadership wrangles between him and the university’s council, led by Prof. Amukowa Anangwe. The council placed him on compulsory leave multiple times, but he fought back, asserting his authority. Eventually, in October 2024, a memo from the council chair confirmed Kiama’s dismissal, effective September 27, 2024. The reasons behind his termination were not publicly disclosed but were communicated directly to him.
Kiama had taken over as UoN’s Vice Chancellor on January 5, 2020, succeeding Prof. Isaac Mbeche, who had been serving in an acting capacity after Prof. Peter Mbithi’s removal in 2019. As the recruitment process advances, the University of Nairobi community now awaits the appointment of a new leader to steer the institution forward.
