Ndiege returns official Kyambogo VC vehicle

By Innocent Anguyo

Outgoing Kyambogo University Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Isaiah Omolo Ndiege has returned the official VC vehicle.

Ndiege’s driver parked the vehicle in front of Kyambogo’s administration block by 7:00pm on Wednesday.

Acting Kyambogo University Secretary Patrick Madaya Wednesday wrote to Ndiege, asking him to hand over all university property in custody immediately.

Under section 33 (2) of the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act, the University Secretary is responsible for the general administration of the university, including the custody of the seal and administration of its assets.

The university ordered Ndiege to officially return her properties by the closure of business on Wednesday , but by press time, Ndiege was yet to comply with the directive.

Kyambogo spokesman Lawrence Madete revealed that if Ndiege does not return the university properties in his custody by the stipulated time, the institution will use all legal means including requesting involvement of the police to recover them.

 “By the end of Wednesday, we expect him (Ndiege) to return the vehicle, the keys to all university facilities, the laptop among other things he was entrusted with when he assumed office,” said Madete.

In Ndiege’s appointment letter dated 4 December 2008 signed by the then Kyambogo Council Chairman James Kalebbo, he was also given a fully furnished house, a vehicle and driver, three domestic servants, a security guard, payments of utility bills of water and electricity and a mobile telephone and airtime worth sh150,000 per month.

According to Kyambogo University, since Ndiege’s contract expired on January 11 2014, the institution has no obligation to continue footing his bills. The police have also withdrawn the personal body guard given to Ndiege.

However, Kyambogo staff remained pessimistic as to whether Ndiege would hand-over the universities properties as required, since he did not comply with the first deadline of January 13 2014.

Kyambogo also stated that the University Council will not be rushed to deliberate on Ndieges’s latest requests including being given more time to handover to acting VC Associate Prof Fabian Nabugomu and being appointed as acting VC while a substantive office bearer is sought.

The response follows Ndiege’s letter to Madaya dated 13 January 2014, where he asked the university to react to his requests (the above) “as soon as practically possible, but not later than seven days from receipt of the letter.”

This would literally imply that, the council would convene and discuss Ndiege’s requests between January 13 and 20 2014, a call the university has termed as “ad-hoc-ing the supreme decision making body.”

“The council will only sit when it is deemed appropriate. The council will not be marshalled into addressing the issues raised by Ndiege,” said Madete.

Four days ago Ndiege asked the council to appoint him acting VC based on among other things the precedence set by Justice Benjamin Odoki.

Nevertheless, Madete says since Odoki first handed-over office of Chief Justice before being appointed an acting Supreme Court judge, Ndiege should equally hand-over office of the VC before asking to be appointed to any acting position at the University.