Varsity denies instigating arrest of four lecturers

Maasai Mara University has denied allegations that it caused the arrest of part-time lecturers who were protesting over non-payment of salaries amounting to Sh100 million.

Four lecturers and 21 students were arrested last Sunday and locked up at Narok Police Station for allegedly holding an illegal meeting and planning a demonstration.

They were accused of planning a week-long protest that would have affected learning at the institution, said a senior police officer who did not want to be named.

For the past seven weeks, a group of part-time lecturers have boycotted classes, accusing the management of failing to come up with a plan on how to settle their dues that have been pending for the last two years.

On Monday, a group calling itself Part-Time Lecturers Association led by Joshua Bore (Chairman), Anthony Pareiyo (Vice Chair), Josephat Ogega (Organising Secretary) and Robert Naija (Secretary General), claimed the institution was using police to intimidate them.

But the university's Registrar, Academic Affairs Otieno Fredrick Onyango denied this, saying the arrests were made by police which is an independent agency.

"As university, we are doing our work within the university. Whatever someone does outside the institution that warrants one to be arrested should not be blamed on the university," Dr Onyango said.