The Ministry of Education has told Parliament it is working with university councils to replace acting vice-chancellors with substantive appointees by June 2027, as MPs raised concern that long-running acting arrangements are weakening leadership in public universities.

Higher Education and Research Principal Secretary Dr Beatrice Inyangala made the commitment before the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at Bunge Towers, Nairobi, where the ministry was answering audit queries on the 2024/2025 financial year, The Eastleigh Voice reported.

'What is the ministry doing?'

PAC chair Tindi Mwale, the Butere MP, pressed the ministry on why several universities have been run by officers in acting positions for long periods.

"What is the Ministry doing to address this matter?" he asked, warning that acting officials may hesitate to make major decisions because their positions are not secure.

Dr Inyangala said the ministry was fast-tracking the process with councils and was optimistic it would be completed by the end of the current academic year, with June 2027 as the target. Uasin Gishu News, which also covered the session, reported the ministry's pledge to fast-track the appointments but did not cite a date.

Among the heads at the session was Moi University Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof Kiplagat Kotut, alongside Co-operative University Vice-Chancellor Prof Kamau Ngamau and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology Vice-Chancellor Prof Emily Akuno.

Strikes and debts in the background

The committee also asked for a lasting solution to recurring strikes in universities. Dr Inyangala said the Government remained committed to dialogue with staff unions, and that some of the grievances were being handled in parallel with the Public Service Commission.

The session came shortly before the month-long strike by university lecturers ended with a Sh20 billion deal, and as universities face MPs over unpaid pensions, taxes and pending bills that have passed Sh100 billion.

Leadership wrangles have dogged several institutions in recent years. The University of Nairobi went through a prolonged crisis before Prof Ayub Gitau was confirmed as substantive vice-chancellor in May, while Kenyatta University's recruitment of Prof John Okumu was briefly halted by a court case before he was confirmed in July.

Why it matters

Vice-chancellors are picked through competitive recruitment involving university councils, with the Public Service Commission running the process in some cases. Delays have left several institutions under interim heads for extended periods, at a time when the sector is moving to a new funding law and grappling with deep financial problems.

Photos: Parliament of Kenya via The Eastleigh Voice (PAC session with Ministry of Education officials); Jorge Láscar via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) (Parliament Buildings, Nairobi). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.