A whistleblower identifying themselves as a long-serving employee of the United States International University Africa has raised serious claims involving procurement interference, favouritism, questionable contract extensions and unfair termination of employees at the institution.
The complaint, sent on July 8, 2026, states that several procurement processes may not have been conducted fairly and transparently, even after tender committees completed their work and identified successful bidders.
The employee, who says they have worked at USIU for 15 years, claims that attempts were made to influence some tender outcomes in favour of preferred suppliers after the formal evaluation process had ended.
The complaint places Vice Chancellor Prof Mwenda Ntarangwi at the centre of the procurement concerns, with the whistleblower claiming that he interfered with some tender processes and favoured suppliers he had worked with in previous institutions.
The report does not identify the affected tenders, the preferred suppliers or the value of the contracts involved.
It further claims that contracts belonging to some service providers were extended after their original terms had expired, creating room for preferred companies to remain in place or benefit from new procurement decisions.
The whistleblower has asked the USIU Board to review tender committee minutes, evaluation reports, contract extension approvals, supplier communications and conflict of interest declarations covering the past year.
The complaint also raises claims of kickbacks and improper benefits linked to major tenders, though no amounts, payment records or names of suspected recipients were included in the report.
The employee wants investigators to examine financial and administrative records to establish whether university officials or suppliers received improper benefits during procurement processes.
According to the complaint, Prof Ntarangwi has attempted to bring suppliers and employees he previously worked with into USIU.
The whistleblower claims that some new employees were brought into the institution to support procurement malpractice, though the report does not name the employees or connect them to specific tender decisions.
The complaint further raises concerns over recent termination of employees, with the whistleblower claiming that some staff members were dismissed without proper procedures being followed.
The report states that the dismissals have contributed to a growing number of court cases involving the university and may have weakened internal checks around procurement and major institutional decisions.
Staff members are said to fear that employees who question procurement processes, contract extensions or management decisions could face dismissal, transfer or disciplinary action.
The whistleblower has asked the Board to review termination records and establish whether employees who raised governance or procurement concerns were later removed or targeted through internal disciplinary processes.
The report also refers to unconfirmed concerns about governance and procurement matters during Prof Ntarangwi’s previous institutional and public sector roles.
It mentions his connection with the Commission for Higher Education and his service from 2022 as Deputy Principal for Academics, Research and Student Affairs at the National Intelligence and Research University College, a constituent college of the National Defence University Kenya.
The whistleblower says those earlier concerns have not been verified and has asked the Board to examine his previous governance and procurement record as part of a wider investigation.
The complaint lists procurement malpractice, unfair staff dismissals, favouritism, conflicts of interest, misuse of contract extensions, kickbacks and failure to protect staff raising concerns as the main issues requiring urgent investigation.
It asks the USIU Board or another oversight body to appoint an independent team to review procurement records, supplier communications, financial documents, contract approvals and employment files.
The whistleblower further requests that staff members providing information be protected against retaliation and that their identities remain confidential throughout the process.
The complaint warns that failure to investigate the claims could damage USIU’s reputation, weaken staff morale and raise wider questions about governance at the institution.
The claims contained in the complaint have not been independently verified, and no official findings have been made against Prof Ntarangwi, other university officials, employees or suppliers named or referred to in the report.