Maasai Mara scam: Kusu tells varsity council to step aside

The Kenya Universities Staff Union officials at a Nakuru hotel on September 21, 2019. They have demanded the resignation of Maasai Mara University Council following financial misappropriation at the institution. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The union also called on the government to address the graft that is killing public universities.

  • Kusu said financial misappropriation at the Maasai Mara university cannot entirely be blamed on the vice-chancellor Prof Mary Walingo.

The Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) national governing council has asked the government to sack Maasai Mara University Council following financial misappropriation at the institution.

The union said the recent financial scam at the institution was as result of failure of the council to do its oversight role. The union warned that if the council members fail to resign, it will take a “drastic” action against them.

“If we don’t see any arrests, the union will act to salvage the face of Maasai Mara University,” said Kusu Secretary-General Charles Mukwaya.

INVESTIGATIONS

 “We shall be cheating the public if the council remains in office as investigations are being conducted,” Dr Mukwaya on Saturday during Kusu governing council meeting in Nakuru.

The union feared that the council could interfere with investigations.  

“The council members must step aside as we fear they might interfere with the investigations and cover up corruption that has bedevilled Maasai Mara University,” said Dr Mukhwaya.

The union also called on the government to address the graft that is killing public universities.

 “We urge the government to take its war on corruption to other public universities where misuse of public funds have been reported,” said Dr Mukhwaya.

The union said it had raised a red flag over financial misappropriation at Masinde Muliro University in a report in 2015 but no action was taken.

Kusa had also raised cases of abuse of office at Embu University and Jaramogi University of Science and Technology.

ABUSE OF OFFICE

“We have made written reports on a number of issues bordering on abuse of office and misuse of public resources in public universities but the government has not acted,” said Dr Mukwaya

The union official, however, said financial misappropriation at the Maasai Mara University could not be blamed entirely on the vice- chancellor Prof Mary Walingo.

He added: “As a union, we find it difficult to believe that the former VC would have engaged in such reckless plunder of resources without the blessings of the council.”

However, he said if the council was not aware of the plunder, it has no moral obligation to stay in office. 

Some of the top Kusu officials who attended the governing council included Mr Cyrus Wakaro (chairman), Mr James Magoka (treasurer) and Mr Ernest Wayaya (organising secretary.

INTIMIDATED

Others were Mr Aggrey Osogo (deputy secretary-general), Mr Philip Onyango (vice chairman) and Ms Lyn Kipkosgei (deputy treasurer).

“The union’s members who work at Maasai Mara University are being intimidated any time they volunteer to give more information on the financial impropriety,” said Dr Mukwaya.

He claimed that some of its members were now fearing for their lives.

“The staff with information that could help the government arrest more suspects are not ready to volunteer information as long as the university council is still in office,” he said.