Garissa University is facing scrutiny following an audit by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu that highlighted various administrative and operational lapses. The report, which reviewed the university’s financial and governance practices up to June 30, 2023, flagged the institution for using unapproved systems to collect tuition fees, lack of substantive leadership, and violations of human resource policies.
Unapproved Mobile Money Fee Collection
One of the critical issues raised was the university’s reliance on mobile money for fee payments, despite the absence of policy approval. According to the audit, Garissa University utilized mobile money as a convenient mode of revenue collection, contravening its Fee Policy 2018, which mandates fee payments through bank accounts.
“The regularity of the mobile money as a mode of receiving revenue could not be confirmed,” Auditor General Gathungu stated, emphasizing that the management had failed to revise the fee policy to include mobile money. This lapse raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the institution’s revenue collection processes.
Leadership Crisis: Six Years Without a Substantive VC
The audit also revealed that Garissa University operated without a substantive vice chancellor (VC) for six years, a violation of the University Act, 2012. The institution received its charter on October 23, 2017, officially becoming a full-fledged university. However, by February 2024, it had yet to appoint a substantive VC. Instead, the Cabinet Secretary for Education repeatedly extended six-month renewable contracts to an acting VC.
This extended interim arrangement contravened legal requirements. “The Cabinet Secretary was in breach of the law,” the report noted. It further highlighted that the positions of deputy vice chancellors (DVCs) were also vacant, leaving critical leadership roles unfulfilled. Efforts to fill these posts, including advertisements and interviews conducted in 2019, were halted by court orders, leaving the matter unresolved.
Recent Appointment Faces Resistance
In response to the audit, the university recently appointed Osman Warfa as its vice chancellor following interviews conducted in July 2024. However, this move has faced opposition, with critics questioning the delayed process and the university’s governance during the interim period.
The audit also flagged irregularities in acting allowances. Over KSh 2.4 million was paid to the acting VC and DVC over three years, violating the Public Service Human Resource Policies and Procedures, 2016, which cap acting allowances at six months.
Governance and Payroll Lapses
The report highlighted further governance issues, such as the absence of a council member. The post became vacant on November 8, 2022, after a member’s three-year term expired, but the Cabinet Secretary had not appointed a replacement at the time of the audit. This omission left the council improperly constituted, undermining effective oversight.
Payroll management controls were also found wanting. The audit uncovered cases of employees sharing tax PINs and identity card numbers, raising concerns about payroll system integrity. “The effectiveness of the controls of payroll management could not be confirmed,” the report said, calling for strengthened oversight to eliminate discrepancies.
Moving Forward
The findings have placed the university’s management and the Ministry of Education under significant pressure to address systemic issues. Auditor General Gathungu has recommended prompt action to regularize fee collection methods, ensure substantive leadership appointments, and strengthen governance structures.
These steps are crucial not only to restore confidence in Garissa University but also to ensure compliance with laws and policies governing higher education institutions in Kenya. As stakeholders await resolutions to these challenges, the focus will remain on how the university and the Ministry of Education address the audit’s recommendations.
