Articles · Vol. 18 No. 2 (2020): Journal of Higher Education in Africa: Special Issue on Middle-level Academics and Leadership in African Universities · Pages 147 - 166

8 - Leading an Academic Staff Union as a Middle-level Academic (2003–2013)

  • Richard Makhanu Wafula
    Richard Makhanu Wafula
    School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: wafula.richard@ku.ac.ke; rnamwinguli@gmail.com
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Vol. 18 · 2020 No. 2 Journal of Higher Education in Africa: Special Issue on Middle-level Academics and Leadership in African Universities JHEA

Abstract

This article examines the emergence of the author as a leader of the Universities Academic Staff Union at a university in East Africa. Using the role, resource and constraint-based theories as well as autoethnography, which is a sub-category of qualitative research, the author traces the intellectual and political ferment that enabled him to become a unionist. From the discussion that emanated from the data he collected, from memos, newspaper articles and personal memories, it became increasingly clear that as a unionist his story demonstrates tensions, contestations and in some cases expensive trade-offs. Overall, there were actions that he performed well and others that he would implement differently were he given a second chance to lead the union.

Keywords

autoethnography Universities Academic Staff Union protest literature

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Author Biography

  • Richard Makhanu Wafula

    School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: wafula.richard@ku.ac.ke; rnamwinguli@gmail.com

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