Nairobi — Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested four senior officials from the University of Nairobi over the controversial appointment of Daniel Brian Ouma Okeyo as Acting Chief Operations Officer.
Those arrested include University Council Chairperson Prof. Amukowa Anangwe, council members Dr. Ahmed Sheikh Abdullahi and Carren Kerubo Omwenga, and Ouma himself. Prof. Anangwe was apprehended at Kisumu International Airport and airlifted to Nairobi for interrogation at the Integrity Centre.
The arrests follow a court judgment issued on April 8, 2024, which declared Ouma’s appointment irregular. EACC alleges that the officials abused their office by ignoring advice from both the then Vice Chancellor Prof. Stephen Kiama and the Commission, which had questioned Ouma’s qualifications.
Ouma is accused of forging academic documents and unlawfully receiving over Ksh.32 million in salaries between 2015 and 2025 for various senior roles he allegedly wasn’t qualified to hold. These included Deputy Director of Fundraising and Donor Relations, Director of Advancement, and Acting COO.
The Commission for University Education (CUE) confirmed that Ouma’s Bachelor of Philosophy degree from Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome is not recognised in Kenya. Despite this, the University Council appointed him in July 2024 and later extended his term by six months, disregarding EACC’s recommendation to revoke the appointment.
All four suspects are being processed at the EACC offices and are set to be arraigned in court this afternoon. The case has reignited scrutiny over governance and integrity at Kenya’s top public university.
