The Ministry of Education is under under pressure to appoint an independent Vice-Chancellor to manage Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

Staff at the university have issued a strike notice threatening to stay away from the institution to push Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha to look into the matter.

In the past 15 months, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology has been running without an official appointed Vice-Chancellor. According to the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu), Masinde Muliro chapter, the condition is a major problem in implementing key projects.

Prof Asenath Sigot, as been serving as the acting vice-chancellor, this is after she took over from Prof Joseph Bosire who was in that position for only seven months.

The push by the workers at the institution wants Prof Sigot confirmed as an official Vice-Chancellor by the Ministry of Education so that she can take full charge of the running of the institution.

Appointment of the new VC has delayed after one of the interested candidates moved to court after his name was removed from the list of shortlisted candidates for interviews by the Public Service Commission (PSC)

KUSU, through their secretary Ronald Wamalwa and Chairman Mulongo Onzere, has said that the delay has really affected academic programmes negatively.

Mr. Onzere added that staff’s medical cover expired in January and nothing has been done to ensure its renewal. He blamed this on lack of a manager to implement administrative decisions to ensure the smooth running of the university

KUSU is pointing a finger at the management for failing to promote harmony and peaceful coexistence at the university.