The Mountain Journal
Controversy is brewing at Multi Media University following the appointment of Prof Rosebella Maranga as the acting Vice-Chancellor.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) wants Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to revoke the appointment of the Vice Chancellor and two Deputy Vice-Chancellors.
Photo/ Prof Paul Mbatia
The Union has also written to Head of Public Service Felix Koskei and Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on the illegal and irregular appointments at Multi Media University as Maranga’s tenure expired on January 17, thus ceased being an employee thus can not be appointed to any acting position.
MultiMedia University UASU Secretary General Onesmus Mutio also demanded the revocation of the appointment of the university council chairman Moses Ole Sakuda which was effected on January 2, 2024.
On January 9, Ole Sakuda convened a council meeting that appointed Prof Maranga as acting VC and her deputies Prof Geoffrey Kihara, (Administration and Finance) and Prof Livingstone Ngoo ( Academic Affairs/ Research) for six months.
Photo/ Moses Ole Sakuda
The union is questioning why it has taken so long to publish the names of the shortlisted staff who went through the interview panels.
Prof Paul Mbatia and Maranga had not applied for. the renewal of their term but both had applied for the position of the VC after their two terms as DvCs expired.
The appointment of Maranga has provoked anger among the stakeholders as she is no longer an employee of MMU, while she is investigation.
“The CS should ensure the university has a substantive chairman to the council and a Vice-Chancellor to end the chaos in the management,” said the Secretary-General.
Mutio reads mischief after Maranga was appointed leaving behind Prof Paul Mbatia with whom they had served together as deputy vice-chancellors.
Last week, The Mountain Journal revealed there were several unsuccessful meetings chaired by Sakuda designed to iron out the differences between the university and the UASU.
Photo/ Prof Rosebella Maranga
Mutio, speaking to The Standard, said the action by Machogu to appoint Sakuda to act as the chairman of MMU council was an error.
“The appointment of Sakuda violates the Universities Act of 2012 and has also thrown the entire MMU community into chaos as members of the council and unit managers are in an acting capacity. The entire process is skewed to favour certain persons which is unfair,” said Mutio.
The former DVCs’ Prof Mbatia (Academic Affairs, Research, and Innovation) and Prof Maranga( Administration, Finance, and Planning) terms ended on December 17, last year.
Both had applied to retain their positions through the Public Service Commission (PSC) and were to be interviewed afresh.
Mbatia was from the University of Nairobi (UoN) and Maranga was from JKUAT before they were appointed at Multi Media University.
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