By CYRUS OMBATI and AUGUSTINE ODUOR
Learning in all public universities is set to resume after university lecturers and allied workers signed a return-to-work agreement with the Government.
This is after the Government offered Sh7.8 billion towards their salary raise.
University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Universities Non-Teaching Staff Union (Untensu) said the figure translates to a 33 per cent salary raise and 14.2 per cent rise on house allowances.
Higher Education minister Margaret Kamar asked lecturers to report to their stations immediately and noted that more study time should not be lost.
This happened as a planned demonstration by University of Nairobi students to push for better pay for their striking lecturers turned bloody as they robbed, blocked and stoned motorists and pedestrians.
Scores of people were injured in the chaos that lasted almost two hours stalling traffic along the busy Uhuru Highway. The students planned to march to Ministry of Higher Education offices at Jogoo House to register complaints that they have not been taught for almost two weeks.
Lazy decision
They started their protests at the main campus and on reaching the University Way/Uhuru Highway roundabout they turned rowdy.
Police had to use teargas canisters to disperse the students who also stoned some road users and placed boulders on the road.
Uhuru Highway was turned into a battle zone for a while before police overpowered the students and drove them to their campus hostels later in the afternoon.
The students said they wanted to push the Government to listen to the lecturers’ demands and that they had been idle for long. “Why does the Government pay Permanent Secretaries a lot of money and leave out lecturers and teachers who are doing much in this country,” shouted some of the protestors.
