Auctioneers on Tuesday stormed Egerton University's main campus and impounded several vehicles including Vice-Chancellor Rose Mwonya's official car over a Ksh15 million debt.
Workers were shocked when the auctioneers confiscated car keys from them and drove away with the vehicles that included two buses.
An employee of the auctioneering firm who did not want to be named said they were executing a court order in a matter between James Mwathi Nguri, who had moved to court and filed a suit on September 20, 2012, against the institution.
“We are acting on orders of the court in case No. 97/2013 that was heard and determined by the Employment and Labour Relations Court,” he told The Standard.
When contacted for comment, Prof Mwonya, who was last month reinstated by the court after being irregularly suspended by the University Council, responded that she could not comment on the matter.
The debt burden of public universities has caused outrage after it emerged that Kenyatta University owes the Chinese Government Ksh1.6 billion.
University managers have warned that such institutions of higher learning might shut by end of next year due to rising debt.
The vice-chancellors said the institutions were in the grip of a financial crisis by owing various regulators more than Ksh7 billion in agency fees and Ksh4 billion owed in salary arrears.
“As we speak, we are waiting for the shut-down because the red line was long crossed and all universities are operating in a,” stated Francis Aduol, Chairman of the Vice-Chancellors Committee.
The university dons proposed to Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed and the National Assembly Committee of Education and Budget that increasing fees and the government's contribution would help ease the burden.
