Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium, Prof. Bitange Ndemo, declined his appointment as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi (UoN).

He issued a statement to reject the appointment citing procedural irregularities.

Prof. Ndemo’s appointment was confirmed by the University Council on Thursday, which announced that he would succeed Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Margaret Jesang Hutchinson upon completion of his diplomatic posting.

In a letter dated May 5, 2025, the Council appointed Prof. Francis Jackim Mulaa as Acting Vice Chancellor for a six-month period, effective immediately, to allow time for Prof. Ndemo’s transition back to the country.

However, in a statement released on Thursday, Prof. Ndemo distanced himself from the appointment, describing the process as “unprocedural.”

He said he had consequently withdrawn his candidacy for the position.

“I wish to make it unequivocally clear that I dissociate myself from this unprocedural process. In light of these circumstances, I have formally withdrawn my candidacy for the position of Vice Chancellor at the University of Nairobi,” he stated.

Prof. Ndemo revealed that upon receiving the appointment letter, he sought confirmation from Council Chairman Prof. Amukowa Anangwe on whether the appointment had received the legally required concurrence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education.

The Chairman reportedly assured him that the concurrence had been sought and the necessary documents submitted.

Despite an outpouring of congratulatory messages on social media following the Council’s announcement, Prof. Ndemo maintained that due process had not been followed.

Anangwe, in the memo copied to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, invoked a prior council resolution to justify the appointment.

“Prof Elijah Bitange Ndemo is in the process of handing over his current position as Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium… This is in exercise of the council authority granted to the undersigned,” the letter reads.

The fallout highlights persistent governance challenges in Kenya’s public universities, especially the University of Nairobi, where political influence, opaque procedures, and factional maneuvering often cloud merit-based appointments.

Whether the Education Ministry steps in to resolve the process or rubber-stamps the council’s earlier move remains to be seen.

For now, Kenya’s premier public university is once again at the centre of a leadership vacuum and a credibility test.

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