Once a beacon of hope for higher education in Kenya, Umma University now finds itself entangled in a crisis of leadership and competence under the stewardship of its current Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Halima Saado.
With each passing year, the institution’s reputation continues to plummet.
This culminated in its ignominious inclusion among the country’s ten worst universities for the past three years.
Lack of Professors
The Commission for University Education has chartered Umma University. @CUE_Kenya but shockingly operates without a single professor.
This glaring deficiency raises serious questions about the institution’s adherence to basic regulatory standards and underscores a fundamental failure in academic leadership.
Abolition of the Research Department
Upon assuming office, Dr. Saado made the controversial decision to dismantle the research department.
This move flies in the face of contemporary educational principles.
Research forms the cornerstone of academic progress, and the absence of a dedicated research arm renders the university ill-equipped to meet the challenges of the modern academic landscape.
Disruption in Schools
Dr. Saado’s restructuring has caused important academic units like the School of Sharia and Law to disintegrate.
This school, once a prestigious institution within the university, suffered a devastating blow when Sharia and Islamic Studies took over.
The arbitrary reshuffle of departments has led to the forced resignation of esteemed faculty members and a mass exodus of talent.
Staffing Shortages
Across various schools, staffing shortages have reached critical levels, with an alarmingly low ratio of full-time lecturers to part-time instructors.
The School of Education, for instance, grapples with an inadequate cadre of only six full-time lecturers to cater to nearly 1,000 students.
Such disparities not only compromise the quality of education but also reflect a systemic failure in workforce management.
Meritocracy under Siege
Loyalty appears to dictate promotion criteria at Umma University rather than merit, leading to widespread allegations of favouritism and discrimination.
Lecturers report that the administration has denied them advancements based on subjective assessments of their loyalty.
This is a practice that undermines academic excellence and erodes morale.
Stagnation in Course Development
Dr. Saado’s tenure has been characterized by a conspicuous absence of new academic offerings, despite the university’s expansive infrastructure and charter status.
While her predecessors left indelible marks through the introduction of innovative courses and programmes, Dr. Saado’s legacy pales in comparison, characterised by administrative minutiae rather than substantive academic achievements.
Behind the veneer of administrative minutiae lies a more sinister truth.
Recent revelations suggest that the Vice-Chancellor herself, Stella Migide, was complicit in a corrupt scheme.
According to reports, Dr. Saado directed Migide to demand a staggering 10% commission from vendors supplying the university with essential materials.
These unethical practices resulted in a gross misappropriation of funds, with the cost of academic resources inflated to exorbitant levels.
One egregious example of this corruption is the purchase of Falcon East Africa’s “Fasihi ya Uhakiki,” for which the university paid a staggering eight times the market value, resulting in significant financial losses.
Suppliers who refused to comply with these demands faced punitive measures, including bans on providing materials to the university.
The coercive tactics employed by university officials not only undermined fair competition but also victimised whistleblowers who dared to expose these corrupt practices.
Learning that whistleblowers brave enough to speak out against institutional wrongdoing faced retaliation such as dismissals and unwarranted transfers to other campuses is deeply sickening.
How many more committed teachers and staff members have faced silence or marginalization because they dared to question the status quo?
The Board of Trustees must launch a thorough investigation into these allegations.
Vice-Chancellor Dr. Halima Saado and her cohorts have evidently transformed Umma University into a cesspool of corruption and incompetence, sullying the institution’s reputation with their self-serving agendas and disregard for ethical standards.