This archive report was first published on 28 July 2019.
On July 28, 2019, a Labour Court case challenging Prof Peter Mbithi's exit from the University of Nairobi was withdrawn, dashing his hopes of returning to the institution.
Mr George Baraza, the petitioner, told the Employment and Labour Relations court that he was no longer interested in pursuing the case.
Lady Justice Maureen Onyango allowed the petitioner to withdraw the case, with Prof Mbithi, the former vice-chancellor, being an interested party.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) had also applied to be enjoined in the case.
Prof Mbithi had left the institution on July 6, and Prof Isaac Mbeche was appointed as acting vice-chancellor.
Prof Mbithi's five-year term as vice-chancellor was set to lapse in January 2020, after he was appointed on December 1, 2014, and took up the position on January 6, 2015.
The Statue Law (Miscellaneous Amendment) 2018 Act, signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta earlier in the year, had taken away the power of university councils to advertise, interview, and recommend for appointment top university managers.
However, Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha had announced that the power would be reverted to university councils in an amendment to be presented to Parliament soon, following protests from the vice-chancellors' committee.
Already, the Public Service Commission had advertised for the recruitment of vice-chancellors and deputy vice-chancellors at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
