The High Court has temporarily stopped Kenyatta University from appointing a new Vice-Chancellor after a senior official challenged the integrity of the recruitment process.
Justice Njoki Mwangi issued orders barring the university and relevant authorities from filling the position, directing that no appointment be made pending the hearing and determination of the case.
The orders followed an application by Prof. Waceke Wanjohi, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, who has moved to court contesting the outcome of interviews conducted in March 2026.
In her ruling, Justice Mwangi directed that the leave granted operate as a temporary injunction restraining the respondents from filling the Vice Chancellor position or appointing any other person other than the applicant, pending the hearing of the case.
Wanjohi has filed judicial review proceedings against the Cabinet Secretary for Education, the Public Service Commission, the Office of the Attorney General and the university council, accusing them of failing to act on the recommendations of the interview panel.
According to court filings, she claims she emerged the top candidate in the competitive process but alleges that the authorities have neither implemented the panel’s decision nor released the interview results, including candidates’ scores.
She further argues that instead of finalising the appointment, the university council, in collaboration with the Public Service Commission, has initiated disciplinary proceedings against her actions she says are aimed at undermining her candidacy.
In the case, Wanjohi is seeking court orders to compel the Education Cabinet Secretary to implement the panel’s recommendations and formally release the recruitment results. She is also seeking to block the appointment of any other candidate and to stop any disciplinary action against her.
Additionally, she wants the court to quash a decision contained in a letter dated April 16, 2026, which allegedly authorised disciplinary proceedings.
Justice Mwangi also issued interim orders suspending any disciplinary proceedings against Wanjohi pending the determination of the case.
The court directed that Wanjohi file and serve the substantive motion within 14 days from April 23, 2026, with the matter scheduled for mention on May 20, 2026.
In her filings, Wanjohi argues that the actions taken against her violate her constitutional right to a fair hearing under Article 50, warning that failure to intervene could render the case futile if the position is filled before the dispute is resolved.
The university has been under acting leadership since January 2026, with Prof. John Okumu serving as Acting Vice-Chancellor following the retirement of Prof. Paul Wainaina after a tenure marked by leadership disputes.
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