A court battle over the leadership of Kenyatta University has stalled the search for a new Vice Chancellor, after the High Court stepped in to block any appointment until a dispute over the recruitment process is heard and decided.
The intervention follows a case filed by Professor Waceke Wanjohi, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who has challenged both the outcome and the manner in which the selection exercise was carried out.
In interim orders, Justice Njoki Mwangi barred the relevant authorities from proceeding with the appointment.
“That the leave hereby granted shall operate as a temporary injunction barring the respondents… from filling the position of Vice Chancellor, Kenyatta University, or appointing any other person than the applicant,” Justice Njoki Mwangi ordered.
Wanjohi has moved to court through judicial review proceedings targeting the Cabinet Secretary for Education, the Public Service Commission, the Office of the Attorney General, and the university council. Her petition arises from interviews conducted in March 2026 to fill the top post.
According to her filings, she topped the list of candidates after a competitive process but says no action has been taken to implement the panel’s recommendation.
"The interviewing panel recommended the appointment of the applicant (Waceke) as Vice Chancellor, Kenyatta University, but this notwithstanding the Applicant is unaware of any steps taken by the 1st, 3rd or 4th Respondents to act upon the said recommendation," her court papers state.
She further claims that instead of finalising the appointment, the university council and the Public Service Commission initiated disciplinary action against her, which she argues could affect her chances.
Through the case, Wanjohi is seeking orders to compel the Education Cabinet Secretary to act on the panel’s decision and to make public the interview results, including how all candidates were scored.
She is also asking the court to stop any move to appoint another candidate and to halt the disciplinary process. In addition, she wants a decision contained in a letter dated April 16, 2026, said to have authorised disciplinary proceedings, to be nullified.
Justice Mwangi also directed that any disciplinary action against her be suspended as the matter proceeds.
“THAT the leave hereby granted shall operate as a stay of any and all Disciplinary Proceedings… pending the hearing and determination of these proceedings,” the judge directed.
The court has given Wanjohi 14 days from April 23, 2026, to file and serve the main application, with the matter set for mention on May 20, 2026.
In her argument, Wanjohi says the steps taken against her go against her right to a fair hearing as provided for under Article 50 of the Constitution.
"Every person has the right to have any dispute that can be resolved by the application of law decided in a fair and public hearing before a court or, if appropriate, another independent and impartial tribunal or body," she states, citing the Constitution.
She warns that failure to intervene could render the case pointless if the position is filled before the dispute is resolved.
“If the Applicant is unfairly shut out of the position, the substance of this dispute… will be permanently alienated… rendering these proceedings nugatory,” the application adds.
The orders now put the university’s leadership transition on hold, with the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor remaining uncertain until the case is concluded.
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