By Bob Waswani
VIHIGA, June 3, 2025 – The Employment and Labour Relations Court has blocked the controversial appointment of Prof. Peter Nyamuhanga Mwita as Vice-Chancellor of Kaimosi Friends University, plunging the institution’s leadership into uncertainty. Justice Hellen Wasilwa’s ruling on May 29, 2025, nullified the appointment pending a full hearing, marking another twist in the university’s ongoing leadership saga.
The court’s interim stay orders suspend a university council circular dated May 14, 2025, announcing Prof. Mwita’s five-year term. “Having considered the application supported by the annexed affidavit herein, I grant interim stay orders suspending the decision of Kafu Council conveyed in the internal memo/circular dated the 14th May 2025 purporting to appoint the Prof. Mwita as the VC of Kaimosi Friends University,” Wasilwa’s order stated. The case, certified as urgent, is set for hearing on June 12, 2025.
The petition, filed by Fred Muka, names Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos, the Kaimosi Friends University Council chair Dr. Bernadette Mungai, and Prof. Mwita as respondents. Muka alleges the recruitment process lacked transparency and that the council overstepped its mandate. A prior ruling at the Labour Court, Nairobi by Justice Matthews Nduma had ordered the appointment of Public Service Commision mandated Prof. Jack Nandi as Vice-Chancellor, raising questions about why the council bypassed this directive to select Mwita in utter contempt.
On May 14, the council, led by its chairman, had touted Mwita’s appointment as the outcome of a “competitive recruitment process” in consultation with the Ministry of Education. “In accordance with the law, [the council] has appointed Prof. Mwita to the position of Vice-Chancellor of Kaimosi Friends University with effect from 14 May, 2025,” the notice to staff, students, and stakeholders read. The court’s intervention now casts doubt on this claim.
The legal standoff disrupts Kaimosi Friends University at a pivotal moment, as it seeks stable leadership to drive academic and infrastructural growth. With Mwita’s appointment on hold, it remains unclear whether he will act in the role, given his previous term’s expiration, or if Prof. Jack Nandi or another interim leader will step in. The interim orders hold until the case’s resolution, intensifying scrutiny on Kenya’s higher education governance and transparency in leadership appointments.