Nairobi, April 24 -- The leadership tussle at the University of Nairobi has escalated further after the vice chancellor, Prof Stephen Kiama, defied an earlier communication by the university council that he would proceed on leave.

The council, chaired by Prof Amukowa Anangwe, had in a communication to the university community indicated that the VC should go on leave and Prof Ayub Njoroge, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, should take over as VC.

The appointment sidestepped the university's deputy vice-chancellors.

"I'm not on leave. I'm working as expected. We have an audit by the Commission for University Education going on and our chancellor is also visiting soon, so we are busy," Prof Kiama told Nation.

"It'd be an abdication...