It is disgraceful that despite a court order issued on May 22, 2025, by Justice Mugambi in the case HCCHRPET/E197/2023 Nyambura Kimani vs Kenyatta University and Dr. Linda Kimencu, the Acting Registrar – Academic, Prof. Bernard Muthiani Kivunge, continues to block Nyambura Kimani from graduating.
The court gave a clear Order of Mandamus compelling the university to include Nyambura in the July 2025 graduation list and to compensate her Sh850,000 for damages caused by missing CAT marks.
The court called the university’s actions irrational, unconstitutional, illegal, an abuse of power, and a violation of her legitimate expectation.
Yet Prof. Kivunge insists she will not graduate, simply because he personally does not agree with the ruling and claims the university will appeal. This is a blatant display of arrogance and impunity.
Even more worrying is the fact that this same registrar called Nyambura using the school line and threatened her life after she sent a letter of complaint to the DVC Academic.
That threat forced her to report the matter to Nanyuki Police Station the same night. These are not the actions of a responsible academic leader. They are the actions of a man who has chosen to misuse power to intimidate a student who dared to demand justice.
It is shameful that instead of respecting the court and correcting the wrongs committed by the university, Prof. Kivunge has resorted to threats and defiance.
Now he claims that the court order cannot be implemented because he disagrees with it and that the university is planning an appeal. But the law is clear an appeal does not suspend a court order.
Until and unless the order is set aside by a higher court, it must be followed.
Prof. Kivunge’s refusal to obey it is not just contempt of court it is a direct attack on the rule of law. He is not a judge. He has no right to decide which rulings he will follow and which ones he won’t. His position does not place him above the law.
What we are witnessing here is the deeper crisis of impunity in Kenya. People in power are so used to operating without consequences that they now believe they can defy courts, intimidate citizens, and manipulate institutions without being questioned.
But this case has touched a nerve. Kenyans are watching. Social media is amplifying Nyambura’s story. Public outrage is building. And it is no longer just about graduation it is about whether any Kenyan, especially a student, can get justice in a country where court orders are openly ignored.
Prof. Kivunge’s profile, contact information, and professional background have been widely shared by concerned citizens demanding accountability.
As chairman of AIC Syokimau Church Development Committee, he presents himself as a religious leader. Yet his actions contradict everything that leadership and faith should stand for. How can someone who threatens a young woman, blocks justice, and trashes court rulings be trusted to guide others morally?
Nyambura, however, is not backing down. She has made her position clear: “Despite the 22nd May Order of Mandamus issued by Justice Mugambi in the matter HCCHRPET/E197/2023, Nyambura Kimani vs Kenyatta University and Dr. Linda Kimencu, the Registrar Academic Prof. Bernard Kivunge is insisting they will not put me on the July 2025 Graduation list.
Prof. Kivunge is also the same person who called me using the school line to threaten my life when I sent the letter of complaint to the DVC Academic. Necessitating me to make a report at Nanyuki Police Station that night.
Today now he claims they can’t follow the court order because despite the court finding that what they did is irrational, unconstitutional, illegal, an abuse of power & breach of my legitimate expectation, he doesn’t agree with the ruling and KU told him they will appeal.
The impunity in Kenya is a daily affair. Because people aren’t used to being held accountable. Anyway, justice will be served ONE WAY or the OTHER and lessons will be learned. I am a patient woman. Let’s dance.”
Those words carry the pain of injustice and the power of resilience. Nyambura’s courage should be met with immediate action.
The university should be compelled to comply with the court order without any further delay. The Ministry of Education must take disciplinary action against Prof. Kivunge. Law enforcement must investigate the threats. The judiciary must enforce its ruling firmly to prove that justice in Kenya cannot be bent by one arrogant registrar.
This is no longer just about one student. It’s about the future of fairness in Kenya’s institutions. If a university can ignore a court and a registrar can threaten a student with no consequence, then no one is safe.
Nyambura’s case must set an example an example that will remind every public official that power has limits, and that justice will always have the final say.
