EMBATTLED Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Prof Paul Wainaina is asking for his reinstatement as part of a deal in a case he filed in court challenging his sacking in January.
Alternatively, Wainaina wants to be paid all his salaries and allowances for the remaining period up to January 2026 when his term as VC would have ended.
“The matter was discussed with the University Council and they were positive but requested for more time so that the same can be discussed by the full council,” conciliator David Njagi said in a letter to the Employment and Labour Relations Court deputy registrar.
Prof Wainaina was sent on compulsory leave in January with the council saying he had pending leave days to be utilised.
The VC was first sent on leave in April 2024 with Prof Waceke Wanjohi appointed acting vice chancellor.
The leave was initially meant to end on January 30, 2025, with Prof Wainaina expecting to resume his duties the following day.
But the council in December 2024 sent Wainaina on extended compulsory leave, saying he had accrued months of sabbatical leave.
The council chaired by Dr Ben Chumo argues that Wainaina must take his pending leave days before his term comes to an end on July 15, 2025.
According to the council, Wainaina has 30 months of sabbatical leave accrued from October 2010 and 22 days of annual leave with another 30 days of terminal leave.
Wainaina moved to the Employment and Labour Relations Court on January 30 seeking orders for his reinstatement as vice chancellor.
The court then referred the matter to mediation with the Ministry of Labour tasked with the process.
Wainaina had sued the university council, Ministry of Education, Public Service Commission and the Attorney General.
“You are children of the same mother…This is a matter of children fighting and only the mother or the father can help,” Justice Hellen Wasilwa said in March when she directed the parties to mediate.
The judge directed Prof Wainaina and the Kenyatta University Council discuss and agree on how to resolve their differences, failing which the court will handle the dispute.
In his letter dated March 28, Conciliator Njagi asked the court for an additional two weeks to enable him to conclusively conciliate the issues in the dispute.
He said they needed to give the university council time to look at Wainaina’s proposals before the same are forwarded to the ministry of Education for further advice and consideration.
The court granted more
time and directed that the matter be
mentioned today for a report on the
mediation process.
