A wave of discontent is quietly building within a well-known private medical training institution, with serious concerns emerging over alleged autocratic management and a deteriorating work environment under the current leadership.
The institution, Commonwealth College of Medical and Related Studies, which operates campuses in Kisumu, Nairobi, and Bungoma, has reportedly seen rising frustration among both staff and students.
At the center of these grievances is the institution’s principal, who also serves as the chief executive officer.
According to insiders, her leadership style has cultivated a culture of fear, where dissent is met with threats rather than dialogue, and decision-making is centralized and rigid.
Multiple staff members, speaking under strict anonymity, describe an atmosphere where intimidation has become routine, and where employees, regardless of rank or contribution, feel constantly at risk of abrupt termination.
The absence of proper grievance mechanisms and what they term as “leadership by decree” has resulted in the steady departure of skilled educators who opt out rather than endure a hostile working environment.
Students, too, have not been spared.
There are growing murmurs of concern among the learner population regarding the prevailing climate at the institution, with some reportedly transferring to neighboring colleges in search of stability and better academic support.
These internal tensions, while not always visible from the outside, paint a picture of an institution at risk of losing both its human capital and public confidence.
Observers say that unless urgent measures are taken to restore accountability, professional respect, and inclusive governance, the long-term reputation of the college could face irreversible damage.
“Hello Nyakundi. Kindly hide my identity. Thank you for always highlighting issues that affect our people, especially the marginalized. I work at Commonwealth College of Medical and Related Studies. It has its main branch here in Kisumu, and another campus in Nairobi and Bungoma. The issue here is the College Principal who doubles up as the CEO. This lady is very arrogant towards all her employees. She doesn’t listen to anyone, any advice, but instead she would address you with a lot of pride. In fact, she tends to work like Kasongo. All employees work with fear of being retrenched. She also issues threats of sacking without a formally agreed procedure. She has always lost good trainers who choose peace of mind over abuse and disrespect. There is growing tension also among the students and staff who question her character, that leads to other students looking for nearby colleges to continue with their studies. Kindly expose these issues so that she can be tamed and sanity of the institution can be brought back.”
