Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium Bitange Ndemo has rejected his appointment as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, citing concerns over the process used to select him.
The university Council, headed by Prof Amukowa Anangwe, had confirmed Prof Ndemo as the substantive VC. He was set to succeed Prof Margaret Jesang Hutchinson at the end of his diplomatic assignment in Brussels, within the next six months.
Hutchinson has been acting VC and the appointment of Ndemo was meant to preempt an administrative vacuum in the office of at the end of her tenure.
In a letter dated May 5, 2025, the Council had also named Prof Francis Jackim Mulaa as Acting Vice Chancellor for a six-month interim period to allow for a smooth transition.
But in a statement, Prof Ndemo referred to the process of his appointment as unprocedural and as he sought to dissociated himself from the role.
"The announcement triggered a flood of congratulatory messages on social media. However, I dissociate myself from this unprocedural process and have withdrawn my candidacy for the position," the statement read in part.
Ndemo's appointment was confirmed by the University Council on Thursday. The council announced that he would succeed Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Margaret Jesang Hutchinson upon completing his diplomatic posting.
Citing inconsistencies in his appointment, the professor acknowledged receiving the appointment letter from the chairman of the University Council, Prof Anangwe, but sought confirmation on whether the appointment had received the legally required concurrence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education.
The chairman reportedly assured him that the concurrence had been sought and the necessary documents submitted.
"On May 5, I received a letter from Hon. Prof Amukowa Anangwe, Chairman of the University Council, appointing me as Vice-Chancellor. I sought confirmation from the Chairman regarding the Minister for Education's concurrence, as required by law. Prof Anangwe assured me that it was being addressed and that he had submitted the necessary documents an hour earlier," Ndemo said.
According to Ndemo, Anangwe had already issued a letter to Prof Mulaa to act as the VC until he is released from his current ambassadorial position.
Prof Ndemo maintained that due process was not been followed and immediately withdrew his candidature.
The head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy, Dennis Itumbi, hailed Prof Ndemo's move, congratulating him for championing the right process and rule of law.
"Thank you, Prof Bitange Ndemo, for insisting on the right process and the law. Thank you for rejecting the push by some who wanted to act against the law," Itumbi wrote.
The appointment was seen as a step toward restoring stability at the institution after nearly two years of internal wrangles.
