No more overtime allowance for University of Nairobi staff, orders VC

UON vice chancellor Prof. Stephen Kiama. [Wilberforce Okwiri]

The University of Nairobi has suspended payment of overtime allowance and directed heads of department to comply.

In a circular dated January 14, Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Human Resource and Administration Enos Njeru said no claims on overtime allowance will be honoured. Njeru makes reference to a circular issued on August 2, 2018 suspending the allowance and reminds staff to take note.

“The University Executive Board resolved to stop payment of overtime allowance to staff. Further, that only deserving cases would be approved and in any case prior approval must be sought from DVC HR,” said Njeru.

In the new circular to enforce the existing directive on the allowances, Njeru advised heads of departments to avoid cases of staff working overtime.

“Make use of a shift rotation system and off days in offices that have to be opened beyond working hours in compliance with the human resource policy and provision of the law,” said Njeru.

He said the Covid-19 impact and the resultant financial challenges the university is experiencing do not allow for payment of the allowances.

“All staff are hereby guided that no claims for overtime allowance will be honoured by management,” said Njeru.

The directive comes months after the university suspended per diems payable to its staff. This also comes after the institution excluded lunch allowance in tough austerity measures to remain afloat.

An internal communication from university registrar administration on February 26 to all staff said there shall be no per diems paid for foreign travels not sponsored by the institution.

The memo by Peter Muturi, acting registrar administration, made reference to the National Treasury circular on austerity measures that directed Education Chief Administrative Secretary and Principal Secretary to cut costs.

“The executive office of the president/head of public service has directed that all travel requests that are sponsored by the organisers will be treated as such and hence no quarter per diem will be approved,” reads the memo.

Another circular dated January 13 issued by Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance and Planning Madara Ogot stopped lunch allowance.

“As the university of Nairobi implements the government directive on austerity measures all lunch programmes have been stopped,” reads the memo.

The office of the vice chancellor, deputy vice chancellors and college principals were, however, exempted from the lunch allowance ban. The raft of austerity measures of the university comes after the institution in November 2019 released an elaborate roadmap outlining its cost-cutting plan.