Two injured as Maseno University staff protest

By Kevine Omollo

Kisumu, Kenya: Two people were seriously injured after scuffle erupted between Maseno University staff and the neighbouring community during the university’s staff demonstration.

Activities were paralysed at the institution’s Main and Siriba Campuses as over 2,000 staff members who were demonstrating over delayed signing of a Collective Bargain Agreement by the institution’s management.

Members of Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) Maseno Chapter had boycotted duty on the Wednesday and demanded that the Vice Chancellor address them.

KUSU Organising Secretary Peter Liseno said a group of 12 strangers stormed the university and attacked the staff that had surrounded the VC’s office.

“We were in a meeting to put down all the issues that we wanted the university management to address but when our members accompanied us to the VC’s office, we were met with a battle,” said Liseno.

The staff then responded with a fight, seriously injuring two among the strangers.

Two were cornered by students who responded to the scuffle and handed them over to Maseno Police while those injured were rushed to Chulaimbo Hospital.

The University’s Vice Chancellor Professor Domnic Makawiti had rough time addressing the staff and students who claimed he had hired goons to cause mayhem and disrupt the meeting with the staff.

Strike notice

Last week, the staff who include a section of teaching and non-teaching staff under the banner of KUSU presented a strike notice to the institution’s management.

In a memorandum presented on Thursday to the institution’s Vice Chancellor, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and University Academic staff Union (Uasu) members accused the University of misusing their funds.

The workers demand for Sh16.5 million owed to them by the University.

The funds in question are part of 2010-2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) where the Government gave Universities Sh7.8 billion to enhance their basic salaries and house allowances.

They also called upon the institution’s management to confirm on permanent basis all the casual employees who have served in the institution for more than ten years.

The Institution’s Public Relations Officer Josephat Otieno said the staffs’ plight had been received by the institution’s management.

“The institution’s management is concerned and considers some of the plight issues by the staffs as valid but we will engage their representatives as soon as possible,” he added.

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