EACC Arrests UoN Council Chairperson & 3 Others
Reports stated that the four were taken to EACC’s Integrity Centre headquarters for questioning on Friday, May 16.
Marvin Chege 
Four members of the University of Nairobi (UoN) Council — including chairperson Prof. Amukowa Anangwe — were arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on suspicion of abuse of office.
Reports stated that the four were taken to EACC’s Integrity Centre headquarters for questioning on Friday, May 16.
Prof. Anangwe was arrested on Friday at Kisumu International Airport and flown to Nairobi for questioning.
Fired University of Nairobi (UoN) council chairperson, Professor Amukowa Anangwe during a past event. /UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
EACC officers also picked up Dr. Ahmed Sheikh Abdullahi, Daniel Brian Ouma, and Carren Kerubo Omwenga — all members of the UoN Council.
The four are being interrogated at EACC’s Nairobi headquarters over alleged abuse of office and are expected to be charged in court.
Reports also revealed that the arrests have been linked to the questionable appointment of Ouma as Acting Chief Operations Officer (COO).
This crackdown came as UoN continues to face internal power struggles over the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor. Just a day earlier, the Public Service Commission (PSC) announced it had completed a competitive recruitment process for the VC and Deputy VC roles at the university.
“The Commission advertised the vacancies, shortlisted qualified applicants as per the requirements set out in the advert, and interviewed candidates accordingly. The top candidates were ranked based on their performance in the interview process and the merit list forwarded to the Chairperson of the Council of the University of Nairobi for appointment in consultation with the Cabinet Secretary in line with Section 35(1)(a)(v) of the Universities Act, Cap 210,” PSC stated.
The drama revolving around the leadership changes began after Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium, Bitange Ndemo, on Thursday, May 8, declined his appointment as the next Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, raising concerns about the selection process.
The university’s Council, led by Anangwe, had officially named Prof Ndemo as the incoming VC, set to take over from acting VC Prof Margaret Jesang Hutchinson after concluding his diplomatic duties in Brussels within six months.
In a public statement, Prof Ndemo criticised the selection process as irregular and distanced himself from the position.
"The announcement triggered a flood of congratulatory messages on social media. However, I dissociate myself from this unprocedural process and have withdrawn my candidacy for the position," the statement read in part.
