The Vice Chancellor of Egerton University has announced his departure from the helm of the Njoro based institution. Prof. James Tuitoek told staff and students on Sunday that he will resume his duties as a lecturer in the department of animal sciences once his second term as the Chief Executive of the university ends in January next year.
“The vacancy will be announced in August this year,” he told staff students attending a thanks giving service to bid farewell to finalist students.
“All my three deputies qualify for the position and I will encourage them to apply for the position once it is announced.”
Prof. Tuitoek took over from Prof. Ezra Maritim in January 2006. Before that he worked as a Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Administration and Finance.
He said he was proud of the achievements he had achieved since he assumed office. These he pointed out as managing to cut down the long time it took students to finish their programmes as well as finishing stalled projects at the university some which dated to the start of the 1990’s.
“We are not yet there but we will get there,” he said.
He announced that the university was working towards ensuring that students could register online from September this year.
In response to the security threat facing universities in the country at the moment he said, the university would set up a perimeter wall that would be done by July this year.
“We will have only three official gates at which everyone will be scanned. We are committed to improve standards and I request you to give the administration cooperation. To improve your security report any suspected strangers,” he requested.
Reverend Eddie Kakande a lecturer at Daystar University who gave the homily told congregants to improve on their relations with all the people they interact with.
While the post of the Vice Chancellor at any public university is usually assumed after a competitive process, other considerations such as regional balance are known to influence the selection.
Being at the Rift Valley region, Egerton University for instance, is known to have Vice Chancellors from the Kalenjin community.
Prof. Ezra Maritim who handed over to Prof. Tuitoek took over Prof. Japheth Kiptoon. All three are from the Kalenjin community, and this means, the University which is usually feted as the oldest institution of higher learning in Kenya, has been led by people from one community in at least three successive terms.
Thus in the upcoming search for a new Chief Executive of the University, one might expect to see a change on this, perhaps for a change or perhaps for a new interpretation of what regional balance on taking up lucrative parastatal jobs means.
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