Striking Moi University lecturers vow to stay put over broken promises

Moi University lecturers demonstrate in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, on September 3, 2024. [File, Standard] Lecturers at Moi University have vowed to continue with their strike after the management failed to address their grievances. The lectures' union has accused the management of failing to honour a return-to-work formula signed last year after a three-month industrial action. Addressing the media on Tuesday, University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Uasin Gishu Chapter acting chairman Richard Okero, said the issues that triggered last year's strike remain unresolved due to misunderstanding by the institution's leadership. "This should come out very clear to Kenyans. Moi University academic staff are still on strike because the return-to-work formula we signed has been discarded by the University Council. We are not demanding anything else but the issues that led us to put down our tools from last year," said Okero. He said the grievances include lack of a medical scheme for the past three months and the non-remittance of staff loan deductions that has led to blacklisting by financial institutions. Other issues are delayed pension payment for retirees and failure to remit group life insurance premiums since 2017, which the lecturers claimed has seen more than 80 families of deceased staff uncompensated. Okero emphasised that before the strike began last year, after lodging complaints to the management, the lecturers continued working under outdated terms of service to date. "By the way, even after raising all these issues, we are still operating under a 2012-2013 CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), which provides commuter allowances that cannot meet today's fuel costs. Most staff live about 35 kilometres from Eldoret, yet they cannot commute on 2012 rates.But let them know that in case they fail to meet the demands, things will not be the same," he added. However, the lecturers said they are ready to resume duty once the management implements last year's agreement and urged the University Council to act swiftly so that they do not interfere with the learning programme. Dr Duncan Mukhwana, UASU acting branch secretary Moi University Chapter, accused the council of disregarding signed agreements. Dr Mukhwana regretted that some employees who were due for retirement had been granted an additional four years of service under the deal, but the council failed to implement it. He criticised the issuance of redundancy letters, despite a court ruling declaring the process unlawful. "Let us follow rules and regulations as they are before making any decision. If you expelled employees without following due process, how do you expect them to return to work without reversing the same process through which they were dismissed? We are all the same when it comes to terms of service delivery," He posed. Dr Mukhwana urged management to resolve the stalemate, warning against intimidation and threats targeting union members without proper explanation and guidance. "This is not a threat but a matter of clear information that we are dealing with an elite squad. We stayed out for 98 days before, and we are ready to surpass that mark if need be. If the council cannot address our issues, we will take it right to their doorsteps and even move beyond their expectation," he said. UASU chapter organising secretary Nyabuta Ojuki clarified that the strike is not about fresh demands but about unpaid salaries and arrears dating back to 2020 and, in some cases, as far as eight years ago. These, he said, are tied to the return-to-work formula, and portions of gross salaries are never disbursed, leaving staff with only net pay. "What we want is very simple: to be paid what we are owed. You know very well that, some of it dating back nearly a decade, Moi University's Sh8.6 billion debt is owed directly to staff, unlike other universities whose debts involve government agencies. And for that reason, make it or expect an explosion," Ojuki warned. He said that while the union has sought dialogue, management has remained silent, leaving staff with no choice but to stand firm in their demands despite intimidation and threats.

Striking Moi University lecturers vow to stay put over broken promises

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