Cabinet Approves New UoN Strategy After Conflicts, Strikes & Drop In Rankings
Established in 1970, the University of Nairobi is Kenya’s oldest institution of higher learning, with 10 faculties, 312 academic programmes, and an enrollment of 46,946 students.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
On Tuesday, December 17, the Cabinet approved the University of Nairobi (UoN) Transformation Strategy, designed to address the institution’s challenges and restore its academic and operational excellence.
Established in 1970, the University of Nairobi is Kenya’s oldest institution of higher learning, with 10 faculties, 312 academic programmes, and an enrollment of 46,946 students.
Despite its rich legacy, the university has faced financial challenges, including unpaid statutory deductions of Ksh4.1 billion, pension arrears of Ksh7 billion, and pending bills amounting to Ksh13.2 billion.
These challenges have resulted in staff and student strikes, leadership conflicts, and a decline in academic and support services, consequently causing a drop in global rankings.
President William Ruto and other Cabinet members during a Cabinet meeting at State House Nairobi on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. /PCS
"To tackle these issues, the university has launched the ‘Big 5’ transformational initiatives focused on Green Jobs, Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Leadership, and Health Research. These initiatives aim to enhance the university’s resilience and align it with future workforce demands," a despatch from Cabinet read in part.
Following a directive from President Ruto, the Ministry of Education and the university leadership have developed an ambitious 24-month Transformation Strategy, which has been approved by the University Council.
This strategy outlines eight strategic objectives with clear action plans and timelines, leveraging available resources and partnerships to restore the University of Nairobi to its leading position in higher education and research.
"This marks a critical step in revitalising the university and ensuring it continues to produce top-tier graduates and groundbreaking research," added the despatch.
Numerous challenges have hit the institution of higher learning of late. Earlier this month, more than 400 students from the university's School of Business, Kabete campus vowed to disrupt the varsity's 72nd graduation ceremony set for the following day, despite the university previously dismissing claims that 200 students were removed from its graduation list.
The students had demanded answers as to being excluded from the graduation list, claiming that it was a deliberate move by the administration. They issued an ultimatum to the university to have their names included on the list or face protests at the main campus in Nairobi.
On October 15, the University announced the termination of Professor Stephen Kiama as its Vice-Chancellor. While the reasons for his ouster were not openly disclosed by the council, the ouster is the culmination of a row between the professor and the university.
In August, the University Council suspended Kiama for three months, stating his failure to meet the requirements for a second term, which the council argued was not suitable for him to remain in office. The Council went ahead and appointed Prof. Margaret Hutchinson as the acting vice-chancellor.
The following month, UoN's prestigious image took a hit after the Universities of Embu and Murang’a overtook the institution of higher learning among Kenya's top universities, according to recent Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings 2024.
The ranking, published by Time Higher Education on Wednesday, November 27, featured 129 universities across 22 African countries.
