Kenyatta University VC Olive Mugenda to retire Friday

Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Prof. Olive Mugenda has announced that she will finally retire from her post on Friday, March 18th.

Speaking during a ground breaking ceremony for the International Language and Culture Center at the Kenyatta University main campus, Prof. Mugenda said she will be exiting from her post after serving for a decade.

Prof. Mugenda was the first woman to lead a public university in 2006 when she was appointed the Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University by former President Mwai Kibaki.

Prof. Mugenda had been reinstated by the Labour Relations Court early this year after an activist moved to the High Court seeking for her retirement.

Early March, the Employment and Labour Relations Court had ordered Mugenda to produce her contract letter and present it in court.

This came after human rights activist Okiya Omtata filed an application in court seeking an indefinite termination her contract.

Omtata had initially filed a case complaining that the Vice Chancellor had overstayed in office at Kenyatta University.

In January, the Employment and Labour Relations court reversed orders sending Mugenda on terminal leave pending hearing of a case challenging her ouster filed by Omtata.

In his ruling, Justice Nduma Nderi suspended the orders initially granted by Justice Helen Wasilwa and further directed Mugenda to resume office.

Justice Wasilwa had also stopped the ongoing recruitment of Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor pending hearing of the petition.