A power struggle is brewing at the University of Nairobi (UoN) following the appointment of Chancellor Patrick Verkooijen, who has launched an ambitious two-year overhaul plan aimed at revitalizing the institution. Verkooijen’s transformation blueprint, endorsed by the UoN Council and President William Ruto’s Cabinet, seeks to address several longstanding issues, including mounting debts, frequent student unrest, labor disputes, and low global rankings.
Verkooijen describes the plan as a necessary intervention to “save the university from a blazing fire,” comparing it to the radical reforms undertaken in the judicial sector in 2003. “Piecemeal fixes won’t cut it,” he said in an interview with The Star. “I see my tenure as a moment to save the university from a blazing fire.” Central to his vision is a strategy to optimize UoN’s extensive land holdings to raise funds, an idea he argues is crucial to clearing the university’s reported KSh20 billion debt. Verkooijen plans an independent audit of the university’s properties to determine which assets may be sold, leased, or involved in public-private partnerships.
However, this proposal has raised concerns among some academic staff. Professor Peter Wasamba, chair of the UoN professors’ association, has expressed skepticism over the plan, particularly the sale of university properties. “They want to sell university properties and the land in an unaccountable manner,” Wasamba said. “This is unacceptable.” He also criticized the chancellor’s approach, suggesting that the real issue lies with management, not faculty. “University of Nairobi’s problem is with management, not the teaching fraternity,” he insisted.
In addition to land sales, Verkooijen’s overhaul aims to tackle other institutional failings, including unpaid statutory deductions and over 200 pending court cases. He acknowledges that UoN’s declining reputation, both locally and internationally, is linked to these persistent issues.
As tensions rise, the university community remains divided over the path forward, with some supporting Verkooijen’s drastic changes and others voicing concerns about the long-term impact on the institution’s integrity. The unfolding saga promises to shape UoN’s future in the years to come.
