Why Reinstated VC Will Not Surrender KU Land To WHO and KUTRRH.
The vice-chancellor of Kenyatta University has been reinstated.
Prof Paul Wainaina has returned to the office after being replaced following a dispute over the institution’s land.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court yesterday barred Crispus Kiamba, the new chairman of the university council, from suspending the VC.
Prof Wainaina, speaking at the university, stated that the institution is willing to hand over the land to the World Health Organization (WHO) if the proper acquisition procedure is followed.
“We are not opposed to the construction of the centre, but can we get our land, then we can decide how much will be given to WHO? Even if we were to cede the land, there is a process that should be followed.”
He, however, refused to give up the land, claiming that the university requires every inch of the 410 acres required by WHO, the proposed Africa Centre for Disease Control, and the Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH), and the Lands ministry.
According to the VC, the land will be used for a business school, a recreational center, and a hostel.
In the case before the court, the VC blames his problems on Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.
“The first respondent (Kinyua) wrote to the applicant herein unilaterally ordering the surrender of the said parcel of land.
“The applicant has since been placed under immense pressure to honour the said illegal directives that are outside his mandate and terms of employment,” said his lawyer Manwa Hosea.
“The hospital was constructed specifically for the university. It was not supposed to be a referral hospital like other national hospitals, but a training and research hospital ran by us, but it was made a corporation,” claimed the VC.
As a result, he claims that no medical students have been placed at the hospital in the last three years.
The university has approximately 720 acres of land, according to the VC. Prof Wainaina also claimed that influential people are behind the push to give squatters 30.2 acres of the institution’s Kamae land.
“The Kamae land is occupied by illegal people whom we know and some of them are in the government. About 140 acres have been trespassed even after we won a case against the squatters in a 19-year court battle. We have already planned for the land but we are being asked to surrender the land,” he said.
Kinyua had written a letter on July 4 instructing the council to hand over the institution’s title deeds, a request that was turned down, resulting in Wainaina’s troubles.
However, the court has now issued an order suspending his dismissal pending the outcome of the case.
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“This honourable court is pleased to issue a temporary order suspending the implementation of the decision contained in the letter dated July 12 by Professor Crispus Kiamba into suspending, terminating and/or dismissing the petitioner from the Office of the Vice Chancellor, rendering his position vacant and/or revoking his salary,” judge Jacob Gakeri said.
The court barred the institution from advertising the VC position until the case was resolved.
Jane Wamoko, Simon Nbukwesi, Major Gen (Rtd) Bashir Yussuf, Andrew Nyanchoga, Julius Muia, and Alice Muita make up the new council.
The changes were made to allow the transfer of the land in question to take place.
Former KU council chair Shem Migot Adhola clarified in a statement that dealing with university assets is the council’s responsibility.
Why Reinstated VC Will Not Surrender KU Land To WHO and KUTRRH
