NAIROBI, KENYA — Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have apprehended four senior officials from the University of Nairobi (UoN) concerning the allegedly irregular appointment of Daniel Brian Ouma Okeyo as Acting Chief Operations Officer.
Those taken into custody include Professor Amukowa Anangwe, Chairperson of the University of Nairobi Council; Daniel Brian Ouma, and two other council members, Dr. Ahmed Sheikh Abdullahi and Carren Kerubo Omwenga.
Vivid Voice News has learned that the arrested individuals face charges of abuse of office related to the controversial hiring of Brian Ouma, purportedly in contravention of a court judgment issued on April 8, 2024.
Professor Anangwe was reportedly apprehended by EACC investigators at Kisumu International Airport and subsequently transported to Nairobi for questioning at the integrity centre.
The EACC asserts that the implicated officials overstepped their authority within the council, disregarding a communication from the then-University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor, Stephen Kiama, and proceeded with the appointment of Mr. Ouma as COO.
Mr. Ouma separately faces allegations of academic document forgery and the unlawful acquisition of public funds exceeding Ksh.32 million, representing the salary he received for the position between 2015 and 2025.
He is alleged to have received this remuneration while holding positions such as Deputy Director (Fundraising, Donor Relations and Partnership), Director Advancement, and acting Chief Operations Officer, roles for which he was allegedly unqualified.
The suspects are currently undergoing processing at the EACC offices at Integrity Centre before their anticipated arraignment in court this afternoon.
The UoN Council has previously faced scrutiny for allegedly disregarding an advisory from the EACC regarding Mr. Ouma’s appointment and after the commission raised concerns about his academic credentials.
In July of the previous year, the University Council proceeded to appoint Brian Ouma as the institution’s Acting COO, a role with responsibilities encompassing the oversight of all administrative non-academic departments and the management of the university’s daily operations.
The EACC declared the position irregular and advocated for its revocation, publicly notifying the University Council and calling for the dismissal of Mr. Ouma following the commission’s findings that Mr. Ouma possesses a bachelor’s degree not recognized in Kenya.
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“The tenure of Brian Ouma as acting chief operations officer at the University of Nairobi is irregular. The Bachelor of Philosophy degree certificate from Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy, which Ouma used to secure employment at the university, is not recognised in Kenya,” the EACC stated in a letter addressed to the UoN Council.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) also corroborated this, confirming that Pontifical Urbaniana University is not accredited in Kenya, rendering its degrees unrecognized.
Despite this, the university reportedly extended Mr. Ouma’s contract by six months, urging the EACC to provide all relevant evidence to ensure Mr. Ouma receives fair administrative justice.
