University strike on as staff claim not yet served with court order

By Rawlings Otieno

NAIROBI, KENYA: University staff have vowed to continue with strike despite court order stopping their industrial action over pay dispute

The Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) and University Academic Staff Union (UASU) said they have not been served with the court order barring the strike.

 “The strike is still on as earlier planned, we have not received any document stopping us,” said Charles Mukhwaya, KUSU secretary general.

Earlier spot check by standard confirmed strike with many lecture halls at University of Nairobi being empty.

At the center of the dispute is full payment of the second phase of the Sh7.8 billion salary award that the lecturers negotiated in 2012.

The cash was to be paid in two phases. Half of the negotiated money was paid in December 2012.

The remaining Sh3.9 billion is what the lecturers and the non-teaching staff are now demanding for.

The two unions said on Tuesday the Treasury had released the monies and accused the VCs of squandering their negotiated ‘sweat.’