Vice-chancellor Salary In Kenya And Allowances 

By Collins Njoki

The position of a vice-chancellor in a public university in Kenya is lucrative and highly competitive. In terms of salary, the VC is on the same level as a cabinet secretary.

The 2017 guidelines by Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) would have seen VCs from top tier universities-University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Moi University, Egerton University, Kenyatta and Maseno-paid more than their counterparts in the newly chartered higher education institutions.

VCs in top universities had been graded in job group E5 and the rest bundled in job group E4, same as a DVC in a top university. 

This proposal by SRC seems to have been defeated as adverts on the public service commission website have the same salary for VCs in all public universities with the only difference being house allowance. 

Here is what WoK has compiled.

Salary

VC salary in the University of Nairobi, for example, takes home a basic salary of  Ksh.420,567.00 – Ksh.744,078.00 p.m. and a house allowance of kes120,000.  VC in Taita Taveta University pockets the same basic salary with the difference in house allowance at Ksh.86,650.00 p.m. 

Medical cover and other allowances are determined by individual universities. 

Requirements of being a VC

To be considered for this position one must be a full professor with a Doctorate degree earned from a University recognized in Kenya; 

Candidates must have at least fifteen (15) years of academic, research and managerial experience at a senior level in a University or equivalent institution with demonstrable leadership and management capacity. 

Pay of Former VC Who Return to Teaching 

Former VCS who return to the lecture halls will continue to enjoy the same perks-including salary-as when they were at the apex of the higher learning institutions. This followed a ruling by Labour Court judge Hellen Wasilwa that reinstated the package negotiated by the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).

Those benefits include:

• Monthly basic salary of up to Sh740,000
• Allowances payable monthly at the time of exit
•  Membership to a club of choice
• Office with a secretary and research assistant,
• Official car fuelled and serviced by the university and a driver
• Fully paid for international conference and one local conference per year
• One housekeeper
• One gardener
• Two security guards