Vice Chancellors now agree to return misdirected funds

By RAWLINGS OTIENO

Vice Chancellors have eaten humble pie and agreed to return the misdirected funds meant for university workers.

They agreed to refund the monies after the striking workers stood their ground and vowed that they will not end the boycott of duties that begun last week.

The Government was forced to intervene in the row between Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) and University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the VCs.

The VCs have been forced to refund the monies owed the striking workers and deposit the same  to a new bank account opened by the Education Ministry.

This transpired after a day-lomg meeting under the chairmanship of Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi who has been an arbitrator in the ongoing standoff.

Details from the meeting indicated that the parties Inter-Public University Council Consultative Forum, the two unions and officials from the Labour Ministry agreed to have a technical committee to draft modalities of how the money will be paid.

Kusu Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya said the unions agreed to the idea of forming a joint technical committee to find out how much money has been deposited into the new account.

“We as the union agreed that we form a technical committee to find out the modality on how best the money owed to the workers is going to be paid. The VCs are supposed to start depositing the unaccounted money we bargained for in the new bank account,” said Mukhwaya.

Last week, the VCs said they owe the workers Sh2.2 billion and not the entire second tranche of Sh3.9 billion as claimed by the union officials.

“We have tabled our demand and agreed to form a joint technical committee to look for a modality on the payments. But we will not relent until the Sh7.8 billion is fully accounted for. This is our right,” added Mukhwaya.

Education CS Jacob Kaimenyi admitted that the parties agreed to the formation of the committee to find an amicable solution, but was non-committal on the new bank account.

 Kaimenyi was however optimistic that a solution to the stalemate would be found so that students can go back to class. “There was a meeting yesterday (Monday) between the Unions and the VCs and we are still dialoguing to find a solution. We pray this issue concluded,” said Kaimenyi.