Relief for Presbyterian University as Uhuru reinstates letter of interim authority

Presbyterian University of East Africa (PUEA) received a major boost on October 21 after President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the reinstatement of the institution’s letter of interim authority.

Speaking when he joined congregants for a Sunday service at PCEA St. Andrew’s Church in Nairobi, President Kenyatta said that the government was satisfied with the university’s management efforts to correct the issues facing the varsity.

“Your commitment to establish the Presbyterian University of East Africa as a top notch institution of higher learning is a reflective of your enduring spirit, action to progress the training of our people. The Government of Kenya is cognisant of these efforts and commends you,” said President Kenyatta.

This comes after Business Today on October 17 reported that the Presbyterian Church sponsored university had began the process of transferring students to Mount Kenya University (MKU).

PUEA denied the authenticity of this Business Today report on October 18 with Acting Vice Chancellor John Mungania writing in a memo to staff and students that the government was in the process of reinstating the university’s letter of interim authority “as soon as practical.”

Prof. Mungania also called on stakeholders to look out for media reports pertaining to the reinstatement, even as Business Today further learnt on October 19 that a section of the government-sponsored students had rejected the varsity’s proposal to transfer credits to MKU and The University of East Africa Baraton respectively, preferring to join public universities instead.

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On January 25, 2018 then Ministry of Education Acting Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i had revoked the letter of interim authority and ordered the Commission for University Education (CUE) to begin the process of winding up the university.

Matiang’i was acting on the recommendations of CUE that had raised the red flag on financial woes at the institution stating that the university had defaulted in paying salaries and allowances to its staff for a period of two years.

CUE stated that the defaulted amount by PUEA stood at Ksh611 million as of January 23, 2018.

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