Top UASU Officials Joins Moi University Staff in Eldoret Protests
On Thursday, national officials of the University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) joined the lecturers of Moi University in demonstrations held in Eldoret town, advocating for their demands to be met.
The lecturers are primarily seeking the payment of delayed salaries and the full implementation of their 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Uasu’s national leadership, represented by chairperson Grace Nyongesa and secretary-general Constantine Wasonga, issued a stern warning that they may call for a general strike across all universities if the lecturers’ grievances are not promptly addressed.
They criticized the government for its apparent neglect of higher learning institutions.
Wasonga expressed frustration over the situation, stating that the lecturers at Moi University would not return to work until their concerns are fully resolved by the management.
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He questioned the government’s insistence that the new university funding model was effective, despite lecturers and other staff going unpaid for an extended period.
In his remarks, Wasonga raised concerns about the inconsistency in how different sectors are treated regarding salary payments. He wondered why lecturers should have to wait for student fees payments to receive their salaries when judicial officers are never asked to wait for court fines to be paid before they are compensated.
Local Strike Actions and Financial Concerns
Over 1,000 lecturers at Moi University have been on strike since Monday, pressing for the payment of their July and August salaries as well as the full implementation of the CBA.
Local Uasu branch officials, including chairman Richard Okero and secretary Ojuki Nyabuta, pointed out that the university had failed to remit over Sh4.2 billion deducted from workers’ salaries for their pension scheme.
Nyabuta emphasized that the lecturers would not resume work until all their demands are met, stressing that no return-to-work formula would be signed unless all issues are resolved to their satisfaction.
According to Wasonga, the university council chairman, Dr. Humphrey Njoroge, had written to him with a promise that the lecturers’ demands would be addressed. However, Wasonga expressed skepticism about such promises, urging Dr. Njoroge to refrain from making commitments if there is no intention to fulfill them.
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Last week, Dr. Njoroge met with Uasu officials to discuss the deadlock at the university, but the meeting did not result in any significant progress.
Dr. Njoroge acknowledged that Moi University, like other universities, was facing challenges but affirmed the management’s commitment to resolving the issues raised by the lecturers.
In response to the unresolved grievances, the lecturers have pledged to continue their protests in Eldoret until their demands are met.
Top UASU Officials Joins Moi University Staff in Eldoret Protests
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