Daystar University VC Timothy Wachira sent home

Suspended Daystar University Vice-Chancellor Timothy Wachira has been dismissed.

Prof Wachira’s tenure was marred by frequent student unrest. 

The university council, chaired by Prof George Krhoda, appointed Prof James Kombo to replace Prof Wachira in acting capacity.

PROBE

“Professor Wachira is in the process of handing over and clearing from the university,” said Prof Krhoda in a communication to students and employees.

Prof Wachira was sent on leave in December when students staged demonstrations demanding his immediate resignation.

On Monday, Daystar University said Prof Wachira was dismissed following an audit commissioned by the council.

However, details of the investigation have not been made public.

The Commission for University Education also conducted its inspection in December.

It recommended that the university align its governance structures in compliance with the law.

“Governance organs should be well spelt out without ambiguity,” CUE said.

It also called for regular review of the university programmes, compliance with the universities standards and guidelines on full-time to part-time academic staff ratio, adherence to university policy in the number of students that constitute a class and rationalisation of the workload for academic staff.

POLICY

The commission added that Daystar should formulate and implement a maintenance policy.

CUE said the role of the parents association in the welfare of students should be limited to the organisation’s objectives and be demarcated from university governance and management.

The report by CUE revealed that the Daystar University had only one professor and nine associate professors.

The management promised to make improvements.

“In view of the stature of Nairobi Campus, the management should set up a suitable structure such as the appointment of a campus leader to enable it to operate fully from the seat of the university,” added the report.

Daystar’s Law programme is yet to be accredited by the Council for Legal Education.

“Though we have hired staff for this programme, we do not have students,” said the university to the commission.