CS Amina settles on Prof Kosgey as Moi University VC

Moi University in Eldoret. Education CS Amina Mohamed has settled on Prof Isaac Kosgey as the new vice chancellor. FILE PHOTO |

What you need to know:

  • He will replace Prof Laban Ayiro who has been acting in the position for more than a year.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has settled on Prof Isaac Sanga Kosgey as the new Moi University Vice Chancellor.

He will replace Prof Laban Ayiro who has been acting in the position for more than a year and whose term expires at the end of business on Monday.

APPOINTMENT

The appointment brings to an end a protracted search for a vice chancellor following two interviews that were marred by allegations of tribalism in the award of marks.

The CS is allowed to select one individual from a list of three presented to her by the university council.

In the last interviews held last year, Prof Ayiro was awarded substantially low marks by some council members while he scored higher from other panel members.

Ms Mohamed was confronted with tough options over the appointment immediately she joined the ministry in January and the Nation has learnt that she spent more than a month considering the legal and administrative implications of picking any of the two top contenders for the position – Prof Kosgey and Prof Ayiro.

INTERVIEWS

So bad was the situation that former Education CS Fred Matiang’i did not appoint the Moi University VC when filling eight vacant positions of vice chancellors of other universities in January.

The council, whose chairperson is Mr Jeremiah Ntoloi Koshal, was heavily criticised over the award of marks during the interviews.

Prof Kosgey was in 2016 at the centre of protests after local leaders in the North Rift demanded that he be appointed the vice chancellor.

He had topped in the first interview in which council members were accused of leaking the results to local political leaders and candidates.

Dr Matiang’i cancelled the exercise and appointed a new council with the hope of conducting a credible recruitment in March last year.