This archive report was first published on 9 July 2021.
On July 9, 2021, the University of Nairobi (UoN) announced a major overhaul of its structure to reduce costs and eliminate duplication.
The university has scrapped eight colleges and collapsed faculty functions from 35 to 11, streamlining its operations and reducing bureaucracy.
According to Vice-Chancellor Stephen Kiama, the reforms aim to align staff competencies with the university's core functions, resulting in cost savings in the long run.
"We are aligning the competencies of staff with the university's core functions which will result in cost-saving in the long run," said Vice-Chancellor Stephen Kiama.
The university currently has a workforce of 4,000, comprising 1,500 academic and 2,500 non-teaching staff. The reforms will not result in job losses for both academic and non-teaching staff, officials assured.
UoN is grappling with cashflow challenges following dwindling government funding and a sharp fall in the number of self-sponsored students. Unremitted statutory deductions for the universities currently stand at Sh34 billion.
