The University of Nairobi (UoN) has been ordered to pay a former student Sh3 million after the High Court found that it violated her constitutional rights by removing her name from the graduation list on the graduation day.

Justice Lawrence Mugambi ruled that Marceline Murono was subjected to humiliation, psychological distress and indignity after the university excluded her from the final graduation booklet without informing her or giving her an opportunity to explain herself.

The court found that the university had, in fact, cleared Murono for graduation. She had been issued with a graduation gown and attended the official rehearsal on December 14, 2023, a day before the ceremony.

Murono only learnt that she would not graduate when a soft copy of the final graduation booklet was circulated in her class WhatsApp group on the morning of the ceremony.

Justice Mugambi said the university’s conduct amounted to a serious breach of her legitimate expectation, given that all indications before the ceremony were that she had been cleared to graduate.

“It is crystal clear from the record that for purposes of complying with the process of graduation, the respondent (UON) and for all purposes cleared the way for the petitioner to graduate on the 15th of December 2023,” the judge said.

The university argued that Murono had used an incorrect form during the clearance process and had also deposited money into the wrong university account.

The judge, however, rejected the explanation after examining evidence presented by Murono and another student.

The court found that Murono had contacted a university finance officer on November 22, 2023, providing her registration details in an attempt to resolve the payment issue.

Justice Mugambi held that the university should have communicated with her before taking the drastic step of removing her name from the graduation list.

The judge ruled that the university had violated Article 47 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to administrative action that is lawful, reasonable, efficient and procedurally fair.

He also found that Murono’s rights to human dignity and protection from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under Articles 28 and 29 had been breached.

The impact of the decision was particularly severe because Murono had already invited family members, friends, relatives and colleagues to celebrate her graduation.

Instead of celebrating her academic achievement, she was left to explain why she would not graduate after those close to her had gathered for the occasion.

Justice Mugambi described the experience as a major blow to her dignity, noting that the humiliation she suffered in front of her family and friends had turned what was supposed to be a milestone into a painful disappointment.

“The totality of what the petitioner came to endure is enough to break even the strongest of spirits,” the judge said.

The court also dismissed UoN’s argument that Murono should have exhausted the university’s internal dispute-resolution mechanisms before filing the case.

Justice Mugambi found that although such mechanisms existed formally, they had not offered Murono a meaningful avenue for resolving her grievance.

“In my view, the respondents’ (UON) claim to the existence of alternative remedies in the circumstances of this case only exists on paper,” he said.

The judge consequently issued declarations that Murono’s constitutional rights had been violated and awarded her Sh3 million as compensation.

The university was also ordered to issue Murono with an unqualified written apology within 30 days.

Justice Mugambi warned that failure to apologise within the stipulated period would attract an additional Sh1 million, raising the compensation to Sh4 million.

Murono was further awarded Sh24,000 in special damages.

The university was granted a 30-day stay of execution after its lawyer told the court he needed to obtain instructions on whether the institution would appeal the judgment.

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KCB Group shares have inched closer to a historic high of Sh100 apiece at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). This follows the release of the banking group’s half year financial results and the declaration of a bumper interim dividend.

A spot check by Bizna Kenya on Thursday showed that at the end of trading at the NSE, KCB shares settled at an average trading price of Sh93 per share with a traded volume of 2.71 million. This was a gain of Sh3.33 percent which was equivalent to Sh3 per share from the previous day’s trading price of Sh90 per share. The shares had touched a high of Sh94 per share and a low of Sh90.25 per share.

With these gains, KCB Group saw its 52 week run on the NSE settle at a high of Sh94 from a low of Sh50 per share. This means that investors who took position on the counter at a low of Sh50 per share one year ago and are still holding onto their shares have gained by as much as Sh43 per share. For instance, before deducting statutory and service charges, an investor who invested Sh250,000 for around 5,000 shares was looking at a gross gain of Sh215,000 in under one year.

This bullish run by KCB shares is being largely influenced by the banking group’s financials. For instance, the bank declared that during the first six months of the current financial year, net profit increased by 15 percent to Sh36.1 billion from the Sh31.5 billion net profit that was recorded in the same period the previous year.

This net profit was derived from a profit before tax of Sh49.3 billion which represented an increase of 20.8 percent driven by strong income growth and cost management. This performance saw the lender recommend an interim dividend of Sh3 per share. This dividend will be paid out on or about November 10 this year.  This will be the second year that the bank is rewarding its shareholders with high dividends.

In the full year results released in March of this year, the bank proposed to pay a final dividend of Sh3 per share. This dividend meant that for the full year 2025, KCB Group had paid out a total of Sh7 per share to shareholders.

“The business across markets remains resilient despite the tough operating environment in key markets like Kenya. Despite this, we have placed our customers at the fore, to ensure we meet their needs in a timely manner,” said KCB Group Finance Director Lawrence Kimathi.

During the first six months of this year, customer loans increased by 13.3 percent to Sh1.24 trillion while customer deposits went up by 15.1 percent to Sh1.7 trillion. In the same period the previous year, customer loans and advances stood at Sh1.1 trillion while customer deposits were Sh1.5 trillion.

According to Mr. Kimathi, the bulk of deposits in the first half of 2026 came from current accounts which accounted for 15 percent growth. The banking group’s total assets went up by 16.8 percent to settle at Sh2.3 trillion in the first six months of the financial year.

Total income went up by 9.5 percent to Sh108.1 billion. In the same period, the lender’s stock of gross non-performing loans (NPLs) reduced by Sh17.3 billion to close at Sh203.8 billion from Sh221.1 billion that was recorded in the same period the previous financial year.

“Our strong half-year performance reflects the resilience of KCB Group’s diversified business model, the strength of our regional footprint, and the confidence our customers continue to place in us,” said KCB Group chief executive officer Paul Russo.

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“Despite a tough operating environment, we remain committed to supporting businesses and households, accelerating digital transformation and creating long-term sustainable value for our shareholders and the communities which we serve.”

The Karen Hospital is one of the most popular medical facilities in Kenya, better known as a major regional hub for cardiac care, cardiovascular treatment, and specialized medical training.

The 120-bed facility located in the leafy Karen suburb of Nairobi is linked to the Gikonyo family, whose members have played prominent roles in building and running the institution since its establishment.

At the centre of the hospital’s day-to-day leadership is Dr. Juliet Gikonyo Nyaga, who has served as its Chief Executive Officer since 2020.

Juliet is the daughter of Dr. Dan Gikonyo and Dr. Betty Gikonyo, two prominent figures in Kenya’s medical sector and the co-founders of The Karen Hospital.

Her father, Dr. Dan Gikonyo, is a cardiologist who has been associated with the hospital since its inception, while her mother, Dr. Betty Gikonyo, is a paediatric cardiologist who also played a central role in establishing and developing the institution.

Dr. Betty later served as the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer before moving to the position of Chairperson of the Board.

The medical profession has also remained a strong family tradition. Juliet’s brother, Dr. Anthony Gikonyo, is an interventional adult cardiologist and serves as Medical Director at The Karen Hospital.

He studied medicine at Howard Medical School and followed his parents into the field of cardiology.

Growing up in a family deeply involved in medicine and healthcare management gave Juliet a close view of both the clinical and institutional sides of running a hospital.

Her eventual rise to the chief executive position, however, was preceded by academic training and years of experience in healthcare administration.

Juliet Gikonyo’s education background

Juliet pursued her undergraduate studies in the United States at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she earned two Bachelor of Science degrees.

Her first degree was in Biology, while her second was in Psychology. The combination gave her an academic foundation spanning the biological sciences and human behaviour.

She subsequently advanced her studies at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she earned a Master’s degree in Public Health, specialising in Epidemiology.

Building a career within The Karen Hospital

Unlike some executives who join institutions after establishing careers elsewhere, Juliet developed much of her leadership experience within the organisation founded by her parents.

She served as Chief Operations Officer at The Karen Hospital from 2012 to July 2015. In that position, she was exposed to the operational and administrative demands involved in running a private healthcare institution.

The experience provided a foundation for her eventual transition into the hospital’s top executive position.

After leaving the operations role, Juliet returned to the hospital in July 2019 as CEO-designate. She spent a year in that position, preparing to assume overall responsibility for the institution.

In August 2020, she took over as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding her mother, Dr Betty Gikonyo, who moved from the executive office to chair the hospital’s Board.

As CEO, Juliet is responsible for overseeing the hospital’s operations and providing strategic direction for the private healthcare institution.

Her responsibilities extend beyond the provision of medical care to include the management of hospital operations, administration and the broader institutional priorities required to run a modern healthcare facility.

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