Prof. Julius Omondi Nyabundi has been the vice chancellor of Maseno University since March 2016 when he replaced Dominic Makawiti through an announcement made by then council chairperson Rosalind Mutua.
Nyabundi came from Murang’a University College which had been closed indefinitely following the killing of a student during riots. His tenure at Murng’a was entirely marked with turmoil and a million challenges.
He had also served as Chemelil Sugar Company managing director between 2007 and 2012 with his name featuring in mega scandals that led to collapse of the once vibrant miller.
Nyabundi employed his relatives at Chemelil and mismanaged the factory by awarding tenders to shady firms associated with his relatives and close friends for kickbacks.
And the professor of horticulture has imported the same culture of backwardness to Maseno University which has not registered any change since his arrival.
Staff and students of the institution have misgivings on his administration as they accuse him of highhandedness and shrouding operations in secrecy.
Prof. Nyabundi is surrounded by a clique of his Luo tribesmen who have reduced him to a stooge as they micromanage the university and treat it as a tribal institution.
The staff and students are now pleading with the university council chairman Abdullah Said to move with speed and save the situation before it gets worse.
Nyabundi’s poor leadership was exposed when the university was shut down indefinitely following students’ riot over increased insecurity in and around the institution.
Students took to the streets after the VC and security personnel failed to address several thefts in their halls of residence, and chaos by unknown machete wielding gangs which beat and raped female students.
But Prof. Julius Omondi Nyabundi’s appointment at Maseno was not welcome at all following his records at Murang’a University and Chemil Sugar which he grounded through massive corruption.
A section of staff allied to the former CV, Prof Makawiti, described Nyabundi as dreaded man with dangerous cards under the table.
And true to the allegations, Maseno University is no longer offering quality education but is instead featuring on the limelight over exchange of sex for exams.
Nyabundi has failed to identify critical areas, and move them to higher levels by channeling adequate resources to them. In fact, things have gotten worse after the departure of deputy vice chancellor, Partnerships, Research and Innovations, Joseph Chacha, from Maseno.
Prof. Chacha was in January appointed the acting vice-chancellor of Maasai Mara University to replace Kitche Magak who temporarily held the position after former VC Mary Walingo was sent on compulsory leave over looting scandals in 2020.
Prof Nyabundi favors his Luo tribesmen in plum appointments at the Maseno University where Catherine Muhoma the DVC administration, finance and development and Mari Kipsat (DVC academic and student affairs have been sidelined for belonging to other tribes.
ButJoseph Omondi (finance officer) and Joy Akinyi (legal officer) are key players in the VC’s inner-circles where they execute mega scandals including illegal awarding of tenders and skewed filling of vacancies.
