MPs Want Varsity Bosses Sent Home Over Strikes

The Education ministry has been asked to dissolve the University of Eldoret Council over failure to contain strikes by students. The National Assembly Education Committee said of all the public universities in the country, the institution had experienced the highest number of strikes.

Vice-Chairman Julius Meli said the committee wants Vice-Chancellor Teresa Akenga sacked over what he called failure to provide quality leadership. He said that the committee was investigating claims of bias in the staff recruitment at the institution.

“The entire leadership of the University of Eldoret should be dissolved. The standoff at the institution is affecting service delivery,” said Mr Meli.

He said a new management team should be put in place at the institution.

“There is a need to appoint a new vice-chancellor, one who can unite all the stakeholders,” said Mr Meli.

“Complaints of biased staff recruitment from the local community and staff should not be ignored so as to save the university from collapse,” he added.

He spoke at Gotenel Secondary School during the Tindiret Sub-County Education Day on Saturday.

Mr Meli said his team would summon Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi and Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang to explain why no action is being taken yet the situation at the university is getting out of control.

Since the University of Eldoret was recently given a charter, Prof Akenga has been facing resistance from some community leaders who want the institution to be headed by “one of their own”.

Uasin-Gishu Senator Isaac Melly, who has been vocal on the issue, recently led demonstrations in a bid to eject the VC for alleged corruption and nepotism. Many people sustained injuries in the melee that ensued.

Prof Akenga has since dismissed the allegations that the institution is dominated by members of her community by releasing a report indicating that 75 per cent of the top officials are from the Rift Valley.

Last week, students went on the rampage and barricaded the busy Ziwa-Eldoret road as they complained that the university management had recently increased fees. However, the VC has dismissed the students’ claims, saying they were “fabrications to win somebody’s sympathy”.

Reference : www.nation.co.ke