Task force formed to investigate senior lecturer accused of soliciting funds unlawfully

A public university has launched investigations against a senior lecturer accused of soliciting funds unlawfully.

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has formed a task force to grill the lecturer over claims that he has been using the institution's name to solicit cash from individuals and organisations.

The probe team is expected to hold its first meeting tomorrow.

It is claimed that the lecturer usually channels funds acquired into a Community Based Organisation (CBO) where he is a trustee.

Exact projects

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The university Senate reportedly acted on inquiries from several organisations and individuals demanding to know exact projects the funds were being collected for.

A member of the task force, who sought anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, confided that when the matter was brought before the university Senate sitting, the accused lecturer stormed out of the meeting in protest.

“He refused to shed light on the matter and just walked out. That was disobedience of the highest order. These prompted Senate members to recommend that he (lecturer) be investigated for purportedly using the name of the institution to solicit cash,” said the source.

But information available on the CBOs website states that its core objective is provision of healthcare services, and the university’s Medical School is one of their projects.

According to the Senate, the information on the CBO’s website has caused confusion at the university and that the lecturer would be punished if found culpable.

The lecturer is also being investigated for allegedly giving himself the title of a professor against the law.

The university has denied elevating the lecturer to the status of a professor. The task force has 14 days to come up with its findings.

Vice Chancellor Fredrick Otieno said for the past one year, the university has been concerned about reports that the CBO had partnered with the institution to raise funds for putting up the medical school.

Prof Otieno said there was no connection between the CBO and the university, adding that the School of Medicine is a structured Senate project whose academic programmes were discussed, enacted and forwarded to Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board for accreditation.

The vice chancellor added that the lecturer has never been appointed to the position of professor. “His correct title should be Dr," he said.

Divert attention

But Charles Chunge, the current dean of the medical school, said Western Community Health Association (Wecohas) was planning to start a school of medicine in Western, but the university was opposed to it.

“All sorts of stories are being created to divert attention and frustrate these efforts. I have a five-year contract given to me by the University Council to start the School of Medicine. I am a specialist doctor with very many genuine qualifications,” said Chunge.

“MMUST School of Medicine is not related to Wecohas but the CBO intends to create facilities that will support any university in training medical students, including MMUST,” he added.

Chunge said he has seven university degrees from internationally recognised universities, and claims that he is not a professor are pure witch-hunt.