ELDORET, Kenya – Moi University has suspended officials from the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), escalating an already tense standoff that has disrupted learning at the institution for two months.
The university management has barred the officials from accessing campus grounds, with gates locked to prevent entry.
The suspended officials, led by UASU branch secretary Ojuki Nyabuta, confirmed receiving suspension letters signed by Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Professor Kirimi Kiriamiti.
Speaking outside the university’s main campus, where they had been forced to convene after being blocked from entry, Nyabuta emphasized their resolve to continue the strike until outstanding salary dues are fully settled.
“We remain steadfast in our demands and will not return to class until all our dues are paid,” Nyabuta stated.
He disclosed that over 1,000 lecturers have been served with show-cause letters as the university grapples with the prolonged strike and pressure mounts to resume academic activities.
Despite an attempt to reopen last week, classes have yet to resume effectively, as UASU members have refused to abandon the strike.
Vice Chancellor Professor Isaac Kosgey had directed a campus-wide reopening scheduled for Monday, November 11, but UASU maintained its stance, citing unpaid salary arrears and mismanagement of pension and loan schemes amounting to over Sh11 billion as central grievances.
These include Sh5 billion owed to the workers’ pension fund and another Sh1.2 billion in unresolved bank loans.
Efforts by the university to negotiate a return-to-work formula have repeatedly fallen through.
According to Nyabuta, the latest attempt by Kosgey and the university management to invite UASU representatives for weekend meetings was rebuffed, with union leaders asserting that only the university council holds the mandate to negotiate terms with them.
“The management lacks the authority to negotiate our terms. Only the council can do that, so we cannot engage in unauthorized meetings,” Nyabuta said.
The parliamentary education committee recently intervened, convening a crisis meeting at Moi University amid rising tension between the lecturers, support staff, and university management.
Led by Nandi Hills MP Julius Melly, the committee advised the administration to establish a swift return-to-work agreement.
However, UASU leaders have called the directive unrealistic, pointing out that labor disputes, especially ones involving such substantial arrears, cannot be easily resolved.
Melly acknowledged the scale of challenges at Moi University and suggested that changes to the institution’s leadership might be necessary to restore stability.
“The university is dealing with significant issues that may require a leadership overhaul to bring back normalcy,” he remarked after a meeting with university representatives and union leaders.
The university management has barred the officials from accessing campus grounds, with gates locked to prevent entry.
The suspended officials, led by UASU branch secretary Ojuki Nyabuta, confirmed receiving suspension letters signed by Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Professor Kirimi Kiriamiti.
Speaking outside the university’s main campus, where they had been forced to convene after being blocked from entry, Nyabuta emphasized their resolve to continue the strike until outstanding salary dues are fully settled.
“We remain steadfast in our demands and will not return to class until all our dues are paid,” Nyabuta stated.
He disclosed that over 1,000 lecturers have been served with show-cause letters as the university grapples with the prolonged strike and pressure mounts to resume academic activities.
Despite an attempt to reopen last week, classes have yet to resume effectively, as UASU members have refused to abandon the strike.
Vice Chancellor Professor Isaac Kosgey had directed a campus-wide reopening scheduled for Monday, November 11, but UASU maintained its stance, citing unpaid salary arrears and mismanagement of pension and loan schemes amounting to over Sh11 billion as central grievances.
These include Sh5 billion owed to the workers’ pension fund and another Sh1.2 billion in unresolved bank loans.
Efforts by the university to negotiate a return-to-work formula have repeatedly fallen through.
According to Nyabuta, the latest attempt by Kosgey and the university management to invite UASU representatives for weekend meetings was rebuffed, with union leaders asserting that only the university council holds the mandate to negotiate terms with them.
“The management lacks the authority to negotiate our terms. Only the council can do that, so we cannot engage in unauthorized meetings,” Nyabuta said.
The parliamentary education committee recently intervened, convening a crisis meeting at Moi University amid rising tension between the lecturers, support staff, and university management.
Led by Nandi Hills MP Julius Melly, the committee advised the administration to establish a swift return-to-work agreement.
However, UASU leaders have called the directive unrealistic, pointing out that labor disputes, especially ones involving such substantial arrears, cannot be easily resolved.
Melly acknowledged the scale of challenges at Moi University and suggested that changes to the institution’s leadership might be necessary to restore stability.
“The university is dealing with significant issues that may require a leadership overhaul to bring back normalcy,” he remarked after a meeting with university representatives and union leaders.
