President Uhuru Kenyatta has named Narendra Raval Guru, one of Kenya’s most successful entrepreneurs, as Egerton University’s chancellor for the next five years.
He will taker over from Prof Shem Oyoo Wandiga following the announcement in the Kenya Gazette of February 22.
Mr Raval, a steel tycoon, is the founder of the Devki Group of Companies, a Kenya conglomerate that manufactures steel products, roofing sheets and cement.
The group is made up of companies including Devki Steel Mills Limited, Maisha Mabati Mills Limited, National Cement Companies Limited and Northwood Agencies Limited.
DEBT
The businessman’s appointment comes as the institution grapples with heavy debt, with suppliers owed millions of shillings.
In addition, Egerton, like several other universities, has been hit by a cash crunch. It was reported in May 2018 that the university had collected Sh122 million from staff as sacco savings but had not made the submissions.
A don at the university, who sought anonymity for lacking authority to speak on its behalf, said, “The university is struggling to clear its huge debts. Although the new chancellor’s duties are more of ceremonial, we hope we shall tap into his business acumen and look beyond Treasury allocations to boost our cash flow.”
EX-CHANCELLOR
Mr Wandiga had served since 2013.
The 80-year old don is a distinguished scholar who was appointed a professor of chemistry at the University of Nairobi in 1984.
He has represented Kenya in the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and in several World Bank projects.
Locally, Mr Wandiga has chaired several policy projects in the Education ministry, including one on university education in Kenya, and has also conducted research in his area of specialisation.