Among the contenders eyeing the position is Prof Laban Ayiro who has been heading the institution in an acting capacity since September last year.
Interviews have been scheduled to take place next Monday.
Last year, the institution closed the Kericho and Nakuru campuses to comply with a government directive.
Eldoret-based Moi University is a step closer to getting a new Vice Chancellor after eight candidates were shortlisted for the position.
Among the contenders eyeing the top job is Prof Laban Ayiro who has been heading the institution in an acting capacity since September last year.
Others who have made the shortlist include Prof Isaac Kosgei, Prof J Chacha, Prof Ann Nangulu, Prof Samuel Gudu, Prof Joseph Rotich, Prof Maurice Amutabi and Prof Isaac Kibwage.
Interviews have been scheduled to take place next Monday.
Contract extended
The process to recruit a new Vice Chancellor has been slow with Education Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i extending Prof Ayiro's contract for another six months for the third time in September.
Prof Ayiro, a one-time director of quality assurance at the institution, was appointed to the position last September following the expiry of Prof Richard Mibey’s term.
He was first appointed to act for three months, sparking uproar as two County Governors and some MPs from the region stormed the university in protest.
According to the politicians, the Education ministry had overlooked three finalists to pick the soft-spoken Prof Ayiro who had not applied for the post.
The leaders had claimed that Prof Isaac Kosgei should have been given the position since he had come out tops during the interviews.
Prof Kosgei has also been shortlisted for the post, according to a notice published in the dailies Tuesday.
Moi University acting Vice-Chancellor Laban Ayiro. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Cost cutting
Last month, Moi University announced a planned shutdown of some campuses in Eldoret Town including Kips and Kiptagich Plaza in a move aimed at cutting down on costs.
Last year, the institution closed the Kericho and Nakuru campuses to comply with a government directive.
“We must make tough decisions on how big the university should be. If we decide to concentrate on just four or five campus - Annex, Main Campus, Nairobi campus, Kitale — what you see in Kenyatta or other universities will be achieved not in 10 years but next three years,” said Prof Ayiro said at the time.
The university was rocked by claims of poor management by the previous administration that saw three top managers suspended over financial malfeasance in 2016.
