Kenyatta University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Paul Wainaina has this afternoon resigned, just three days after receiving threats from President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In his fiery speech on Tuesday, July 9, Mr Kenyatta blasted the Kenyatta University Administration for complaining over the World Health Organization hub that is set to be built on the institution’s land.
He said that the last weeks of his 10-year tenure would be dedicated to solving the dispute “swiftly and effectively”.
H.E Uhuru Kenyatta: Unaenda huko na kusema kuwa shamba ni lako. Shamba lako kutoka wapi? Shamba hilo ni la Wakenya. Lakini, bado nina wiki tatu zilizobaki. We shall deal with those individuals swiftly and effectively. We operate on behalf of the people.#K24NewsCut pic.twitter.com/tuSDFqanya
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) July 9, 2022
How it all began…
Kenyatta University had lamented that the WHO emergency hub had been built without the university’s permission and the 200 acres had already been set aside for other development projects.
Prof. Wainaina raised issues saying the higher learning institution had already planned to build a business school, a recreation center for students, and hostels on the same parcel.
The disputed area is between the Kenya University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital and the university’s economics and engineering campuses.
Prof. Wainaina termed the takeover of the land as an invasion who accessed the land through the gate of the nearby Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital.
He complained that the government sent excavators and bulldozers to clear the contentious land, informing nobody in the Kenyatta University administration.
They overwhelmed the security team and demolished the temporary perimeter fences and other structures on the land.
According to emerging reports, Prof. Wainaina held this unbreakable stance until his last day in office.
Writing to us just moments before news of his resignation broke out, a tipster, whose identity we shall keep anonymous, gave brief details of his last meeting with the Kenyatta University staff.
Prof. Wainaina reportedly told employees that his sudden exit was due to pressure from forces above his head who are hellbent on arm-twisting him into giving up the land – which he actually revealed to be over 410 acres, almost double the previously mentioned size.
He also confided to the staffers that a section of senior members from the university’s council will also tend their resignations.
The President is already in the process of appointing a new council that will take over the campus as soon as the process is completed.
“Hi, Nyakundi,
There is a crisis at Kenyatta University.
So, during the launch of a project at the KU referral hospital on Saturday, the president announced that they would donate some land to WHO to build a facility for the hospital.
The story is, Uhuru is arm twisting the current Vice chancellor of Kenyatta university and the university council to hand over the said titles of 410 acres of land.
The council and vice-chancellor have refused and as of a few minutes ago, the vice chancellor of Kenyatta university has addressed staff and said he is resigning as the vice chancellor.
He also said the council has resigned and as of now, the same president is in the process of appointing a new council,” the source writes.
Below is a full video of Prof. Wainaina’s resignation speech.
