Former Kenyatta University Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Olive Mugenda on December 3, 2024, tendered her resignation as the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral, and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) Board Chairperson with immediate effect.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed announced that President William Ruto has officially received the resignation.
Consequently, the head of state went ahead to disband the entire KUTRRH Board.
The President further acknowledged Professor Mugenda’s significant contributions to the growth and development of KUTRRH during her tenure and extended his gratitude for her service.
Mugenda’s resignation as KUTRRH board chair means that the former KU Vice-Chancellor has lost one of the high-profile positions that she currently holds within different institutions.
Prof. Mugenda, who is the immediate former KCA University Chancellor, is a Commissioner of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), an Independent Non – Executive Director and Chairperson of the HF Group PLC Board and a Non-Executive Director of UBA Kenya Bank Limited, a multinational financial institution.
She also sits in the Daystar University board.
Mugenda nominated to JSC
The seasoned academic researcher has been at JSC after she was nominated to the Commission by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in February 2018 alongside current Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei and former Public Service Commissioner Patrick Gichohi.
Former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi confirmed receipt of the names from the Presidency and forwarded them to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee for vetting.
The Constitution of Kenya empowers a President to nominate one man and woman, who are not lawyers, to represent the public on the Judicial Service Commission.
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The JSC is mandated to recommend to the President persons for appointment as judges, receive complaints against, investigate and remove from office or otherwise discipline registrars, magistrates, other judicial officers and other staff of the Judiciary.
On the other hand, Mugenda was appointed as HF Group Plc‘s Independent Non – Executive Director and Chairperson of the Board with effect from October 21, 2021.
Past roles and education
Previously, Prof. Mugenda has been Chairperson of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and Vice-President of the International Association of Universities (IAU).
She has also served as a Board member of the African Centre for Transformative and Inclusive Leadership Initiative (ACTIL), a member of the Steering Committee for the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), and a Board member of Global Training and Research Program, an NGO owned by the University of California.
Recently, Mugenda left her role as KCA University Chancellor on November 28, 2024.
The Alliance Girls High School alumnus earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) at 33 in 1988 from Iowa State University, USA where she also attained her Master of Science (M.Sc.).
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She holds a Master of Business Administration, Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute, (ESAMI), Arusha, Tanzania and Bachelor of Education (First Class Honours) from the University of Nairobi.
She attended the University of Nairobi (UoN) where she graduated with a Bachelor of Education (First Class Honors) degree.
The academic researcher, who is also a seasoned administrator with specialization in Women/Girl’s Education, Research Methods & Statistics, Leadership and Governance- went on to become the first woman to head a public university in Kenya and the Great Lakes region.
She became Kenyatta University VC in March 2006 and is credited with increasing its budget from a low of Ksh1.5 billion to a high of Ksh9 billion by the time she left in 2016.
Besides the excellent financial score, the University also grew its stature during Mugenda’s tenure.
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