Embattled former Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina has issued tough conditions in a legal dispute with the university, seeking either his reinstatement or compensation for the remainder of his contract, which runs until January 2026.
Wainaina, who was sent on compulsory leave in January 2024, filed a case at the Employment and Labour Relations Court challenging the decision by the University Council. In his submission, he insists on returning to office or being paid his full salary and allowances for the remainder of his term.
Conciliator David Njagi, who is mediating the matter, wrote to the court indicating that discussions with the university’s council had been held and that there was a positive response, though the council requested more time to consult fully. “The matter was discussed with the University Council and they were positive but requested more time so that the same can be discussed by the full council,” Njagi said in a letter dated March 28.
The mediation process was ordered by Justice Hellen Wasilwa in March, who described the case as a dispute between “children of the same mother” and encouraged an amicable resolution between Prof. Wainaina and the university.
Prof. Wainaina was initially sent on leave in April 2024, with Prof. Waceke Wanjohi appointed as the acting VC. His leave was to end in January 2025, but the council extended it, citing accumulated sabbatical and annual leave days, claiming he needed to exhaust them before the end of his term in July 2025.
According to the university council, chaired by Dr. Ben Chumo, Wainaina has accrued 30 months of sabbatical leave since 2010, 22 days of annual leave, and 30 days of terminal leave.
The court has allowed the mediation to continue and directed that the matter be mentioned today for an update on the progress. The outcome could determine whether Wainaina returns to KU or walks away with a substantial payout.
