Corporate

Isaac Kibwage named sixth Egerton University vice-chancellor

 Prof Isaac Ongubo Kibwage

Egerton University Vice-Chancellor Prof Isaac Ongubo Kibwage. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The acting Egerton University Vice-Chancellor Prof Isaac Ongubo Kibwage has been confirmed as the substantive head of the Njoro-based institution.

He becomes the sixth VC of the university after a competitive recruitment exercise by the Public Service Commission (PSC) on August 24.

Prof Kibwage beat six other candidates, including Egerton's former deputy VC Academic Affairs Prof Alexander Kigunzu Kahi and acting DVC Research and Extension Prof Bockline Omedo Bebe.

Others are Prof Peninah Aloo Obudho, the Karatina University DVC Academic, Research and Students Affairs, and her counterpart Prof Prisca Tuitoek at the Murang'a University of Technology, Prof Benedict Mwavu Mutua of Kibabii University, and Prof Douglas Shitanda, the DVC Administration, Planning and Finance at Machakos University.

Prof Kibwage's appointment was announced through a memo on Wednesday by University Council acting chairman Wilson Kipruto Ronno.

"Following the interview process carried out by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and after consultations with the Cabinet Secretary for Education, in exercise of the provisions of section 35 (10 (a) (v) of the Universities Act, 2012 we, the Egerton University Council, have on October 5, 2021 appointed Prof Isaac Ongubo Kibwage as the new Vice-Chancellor of Egerton University," said Dr Ronno in the memo sent to all staff and students.

Retirement

Prof Kibwage was serving as the deputy VC in charge of Administration, Planning and Development before his promotion to acting VC in January.

He takes over from Prof Rose Mwonya, who retired on January 12, 2021, after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.

The professor of pharmaceutical chemistry joined Egerton from the University of Nairobi (UoN), where he lectured at the School of Pharmacy.

He previously served as the principal of UoN's College of Health Sciences and as the academic research, financial and administrative head of the college for 10 years, from May 2007 to May 2017.

He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Nairobi, a masters degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmaceutical Analysis) from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and a Doctoral Research Fellowship in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the same university.

Debt

Prof Kibwage has the daunting task of turning around the 82-year-old financially strapped institution grappling with a massive debt of more than Sh6 billion.

The public universities have outstanding remittances to the Kenya Revenue Authority, the National Hospital Insurance Fund, the National Social Security Fund, pension schemes, insurance companies, and saccos.

Cash flow challenges for public universities have been made worse by the sharp decline in students enrolling for the parallel or self-sponsored degree programmes over the past four years that in the past generated billions of shillings for the institutions.