For years, concerns about financial discipline and leadership at the University of Nairobi have been growing, and the latest revelations have brought those worries back into sharp focus.
Fresh scrutiny has fallen on the institution after it emerged that the university has not paid Ksh7.4 million in rent to the Kenya Medical Training College, a debt that has remained unsettled for seven years.
The issue has ignited questions about how such a prominent university allowed the arrears to accumulate while continuing to occupy the property.
Details shared with the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration, and Agriculture show that UoN rented 96 rooms from KMTC for its medical students but failed to make payments. Despite being issued with an eviction notice in July 2018 and receiving several reminders afterward, the university remained in the buildings without addressing the outstanding rent.
KMTC leadership told Parliament that they eventually escalated the matter to the Attorney General and the Head of Public Service, submitting documents that confirmed their ownership and seeking government intervention.
Lawmakers pressed KMTC to explain whether all available options had been explored, noting that the debt, although small compared to UoN’s total annual budget, exposes deeper governance challenges.
Members of the committee indicated they would summon UoN to explain why a major university ignored eviction orders for years and failed to settle a debt that should have been easy to resolve.
The dispute comes at a time when UoN is already struggling with a prolonged leadership crisis that has stalled key decisions. Tension began in late 2024 after the removal of former Vice Chancellor Stephen Kiama.
The university council appointed Margaret Jesang Hutchinson as Acting VC, a move later supported by the Ministry of Education.
Confusion deepened in May 2025 when the council attempted to appoint Bitange Ndemo as the substantive VC, only for the process to be challenged over procedural issues. Ndemo later withdrew, and the ministry insisted Hutchinson remained the legitimate office holder.
This conflict has left the institution divided, weakened oversight structures, and slowed decision-making.
Lawmakers said the leadership paralysis may have allowed problems such as unpaid rent to go unchecked, and they now want the council to explain whether the management standoff contributed to financial lapses.
KMTC also told the committee that UoN’s arrears are part of a wider financial strain. The college is still waiting for approval to write off old debts, including Ksh21.8 million owed by Kenyatta National Hospital and Ksh19.8 million from the former Ministry of Medical Services.
In addition, KMTC faces a Ksh2.125 billion pension deficit, a problem that has forced it to use student fees for corrective measures.
Lawmakers described this as a sign of a deeper crisis across public institutions and said they would summon the Treasury and the Retirement Benefits Authority for further inquiry.
Parliament now wants a full explanation from UoN about the seven-year delay in paying rent, why eviction notices were ignored, and how the leadership dispute may have contributed to the situation. With the Ministry of Education and the university council still at odds, the unresolved arrears have become a symbol of the larger challenges facing UoN.
Lawmakers plan to summon all involved parties as they seek answers on how the debt will finally be settled and whether the university can restore public confidence in its governance.
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