Cabinet Approves 24-Month Strategy Developed After Ruto Directive

President William Ruto’s Cabinet on Tuesday, December 17, announced that the University of Nairobi (UON) had launched an ambitious 2-year plan to transform the institution following the recent financial challenges threatening to derail its operations.

According to details contained in the Cabinet dispatch, the university currently owes unpaid statutory deductions of Ksh4.1 billion, pension arrears of Ksh7 billion, and pending bills amounting to Ksh13.2 billion.

To solve these financial issues, the Cabinet announced that the university had launched the ‘Big 5′ transformational initiatives focusing on five major sectors to generate more revenue and align the institution with future workforce demands.

These sectors include a focus on green jobs, innovation, artificial intelligence, leadership, and health research.

Over the next 24 months, the university will embark on implementing a strategy that outlines eight strategic objectives with clear action plans and timelines.

They will leverage available resources and partnerships to restore the University to its leading position in higher education and research. 

“This marks a critical step in revitalising the university and ensuring it continues to produce top-tier graduates and groundbreaking research,” the statement read.

The decision was arrived at by the Ministry of Education and the University Council following a directive by President William Ruto.

Despite being the oldest institution of higher education in Kenya, these financial challenges have threatened to dim the legacy of the institution with both staff and students constantly demonstrating policies put in place.

Frequent leadership conflicts and a decline in academic and support services have also led the former giant to rank lower than ever before.

In the most recent ranking by Times Higher Education, Kenyatta University took UON’s crown as the top university in Kenya after it fell 20 places in just 12 months.

If the new strategy is implemented, UON will evade the fate that seems to have befallen another former giant, Moi University, which has been plagued with unending financial and leadership disputes in recent months.