Moi University Staff Strike Resumes After Government Breach.
Learning at Moi University faces disruption yet again as university staff declared a renewed wave of protests on Friday, January 10.
The announcement was made in a notice signed by the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Chapter Secretary and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) Branch Secretary, stating that the strike’s resumption follows the government’s failure to honor the return-to-work formula agreed upon previously.
The unions have instructed all workers to abstain from their duties until further notice. The notice emphasized that following a staff meeting, it was resolved that the industrial action, which initially began in August 2024, would recommence immediately.
The strike’s resumption comes just weeks after Moi University had seemingly resolved the previous impasse.
On November 30, 2024, the university signed a deal with the government in the presence of Education CS Julius Ogamba and Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala. This agreement, which ended a three-month strike, included a commitment from the government to immediately release Ksh500 million.
The deal was also signed by KUSU and the Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels, Education Institutions, and Allied Workers Union (KUDHEIHA), enabling over 900 university heads and 2,300 other workers to return to their posts.
Vice Chancellor Isaac Kosgey and Council Chairman Humphrey Njuguna led the university’s delegation in the negotiations.
Unresolved Demands
Despite this, UASU’s Moi University Chapter Secretary General, Busolo Wekesa, clarified that the national agreement did not address their specific grievances.
He reported that their strike, which began on August 26, remained in effect due to unresolved demands presented to the university’s management. Wekesa underscored that no solutions had been provided for these local issues.
Moi University staff have a history of protesting against poor working conditions and unpaid debts. During the August strike, both staff and students staged demonstrations in a rare show of solidarity against the administration.
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The university’s response was to close the institution and issue hiatus letters to over 1,000 academic staff who failed to report to work.
The ongoing disruptions have significantly affected students. Prolonged strikes have resulted in delays, with some medical students staying enrolled for over nine years without graduating.
If the government fails to address the workers’ grievances promptly, students face another prolonged absence from classes, marking the second such instance within two months.
Moi University Staff Strike Resumes After Government Breach.
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