University of Eldoret defends Vice-chancellor over jobs bias claims
What you need to know:
- The regional composition of the university council has Kajiado, Machakos, Embu, Kitui, Homa Bay, Siaya, Kisii, Keiyo and Vihiga each taking 11.1 per cent, with at least one member from the listed counties.
- Deans of Schools has Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Keiyo, Siaya, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia and others.
- Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago supports the idea to grill the management and forge ways of bringing to an end the stand-off.
The University of Eldoret has defended its vice-chancellor against claims of employing people from her ethnic group.
The accusations were spearheaded by Uasin Gishu Senator Isaac Melly who led protests that caused the closure of the university last week.
The university’s senate in an advert in one of the dailies yesterday dismissed claims of “tribalism thriving in employment” propagated by Mr Melly.
The senator claimed that Prof Akenga was employing “people from her tribe” and short-changing the locals.
The demonstrators demanded that 70 per cent of all jobs should go to locals.
But in the advert, the senate showed staff composition at the Eldoret-based University had Rift Valley at the top with 56.5 per cent, Western region 18.4 per cent, Nyanza 13.5 per cent, Central region 5 per cent and Eastern region 4.2 per cent.
North Eastern, Coast and Nairobi regions made up 1, 0.2 and 0.1 per cent of staff respectively.
COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL
The regional composition of the university council has Kajiado, Machakos, Embu, Kitui, Homa Bay, Siaya, Kisii, Keiyo and Vihiga each taking 11.1 per cent, with at least one member from the listed counties.
The percentage of the university management board has Nandi contributing three members to the board which is 37.5 per cent whereas Vihiga, Bungoma, Baringo, Keiyo and Pokot were all at 12.5 per cent having produced one person each.
Deans of Schools has Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Keiyo, Siaya, Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia and others.
The university has 352 employees on contract, all from Moi University, when it was upgraded to a fully-fledged university in February 2013, the senate communiqué further stated. The university has not been granted more money it has been asking from the government.
“The university needs slightly over Sh164 million more to absorb the said staff,” the statement says.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago supports the idea to grill the management and forge ways of bringing to an end the stand-off.
Mount Kenya University chairman and founder Mr Simon Gicharu said, “Institutions and locals are meant to co-exist and issues which may corrupt that should be ironed out amicably.”
