KU Vice Chancellor Quits After Uhuru Attacks Him In Public
Wainaina revealed to students on Tuesday, July 12 that he was forced to quit the institution and...
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Kenyatta University Vice-Chancellor, Paul Wainaina, has resigned.
Wainaina revealed to students on Tuesday, July 12 that he was forced to quit the institution and the University Council had dissolved after refusing to give up the land for the World Health Organization (WHO) project.
According to preliminary reports, Wainaina had held a meeting with the university's staff where he had informed them that he would be leaving the prestigious Vice-Chancellor positon.
Kenyatta University Vice-Chancellor Prof Paul Wainaina. /NAIROBI NEWS
He had initially indicated that the parcel of land which would have sat at the WHO hub was to host a business school, a student recreation centre and hostels.
“We want to reduce the number of students staying off-campus who are exposed to crime and even death and provide accommodation for them. The taking of our land for other purposes is not in the interest of our students or the university,” Prof Wainaina said in a statement.
He faulted the government of using the National Youth Service (NYS) to invade the land and prepare it for the WHO groundbreaking ceremony.
“They overwhelmed our security team and proceeded to demolish the temporary perimeter fences and other structures on the land.
“They also brought in an excavator and bulldozer and in the morning the group proceeded to clear the land. I have not been informed by anyone what the activity on KU land is about,” he stated.
His sentiments drew the anger of President Uhuru Kenyatta who declared that the land was owned by the people and that the facility would bolster healthcare not just in Kenya but across the continent.
He specifically dedicated the last weeks of his 10-year tenure to solving the dispute with the urgency it deserves.
"Kenya is a respected member of the global community and we are recognized as a very strong supporter of multinational institutions. We led UN-Habitat and UNEP and that is why we want WHO here.
“This land belongs to Kenya and what this facility is going to do to help us improve healthcare, to help us meet emergencies, not just in Kenya but throughout the entire African continent and you want to put the brakes…any way, I still have three weeks left, we shall deal with those individuals swiftly and effectively. I will go home with them,” he said.
The disputed area is located between the Kenya University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) and the university’s economics and engineering campuses.
Wainaina had stated that he was not against the construction of the facility but urged the government to involve the university’s management before carrying out the activity.
