Piece by: LAURA SHATUMA

07 March 2023

• The council said it was not convinced former VC Odhiambo deserved a second term.

• The move to suspend Odhiambo saw students stage protests that led to the closure of the institution on Monday.

Education CS Ezekiel Machogu has ordered the reinstatement of ousted Meru University VC Romanus Odhiambo.

In a statement on Monday, Machogu termed the move to suspend Odhiambo as ill-termed.

The move also saw students stage protests that led to the closure of the institution on Monday.

“The ministry directs the university council to rescind the decision to send Odhiambo on terminal leave and to appoint an acting VC,” Machogu said.

“The university council is directed to facilitate the resumption of Odhiambo as VC with immediate effect, in any case before the closure of business on March 7."

The council said it was not convinced that the former VC deserved a second term.

“The university council in its meeting held on February 27, 2023, evaluated your performance and found it to be below expectations. Therefore, the council declined to renew your contract as requested in your letter dated 20th December 2022,” chairman Prof Bosire Mwebi says in a letter dated February 27, 2023.

On Monday students claimed the university council’s decision was politically motivated and demanded that the VC be immediately reinstated.

Students’ organisation president Kariuki Wachira, backed by his predecessor Hunnington Oguk, led students in a demo and engaged police in running battles for the better part of Monday morning.