ELDORET, Kenya – The three-month-long strike at Moi University has officially ended following the signing of a return-to-work deal between university management, staff unions, and the government.
The agreement, witnessed by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala, paves the way for over 900 lecturers and 2,300 non-teaching staff to resume duties.
The strike, which had paralyzed operations at the university, was spearheaded by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals, and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA).
Under the deal, the government has committed an immediate injection of KSh 500 million to the cash-strapped institution.
CS Ogamba also outlined a roadmap to address the workers’ broader demands, estimated at over KSh 8.6 billion.
“Although the agreement does not meet all our demands, we’ve secured a partial solution. As they say, even the tail is meat,” said UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga.
He urged staff to resume work on Monday and pledged cooperation with the university to recover lost academic time.
Vice-Chancellor Isaac Kosgey assured stakeholders that the university would return to full operations, including hosting a delayed graduation for over 6,000 students in December.
He emphasized restoring Moi University’s reputation through quality education.
Council Chairman Humphrey Njuguna echoed this commitment, acknowledging the damage to the university’s image.
“We must forgive past differences and work together to turn this institution around,” Njuguna said.
CS Ogamba criticized past mismanagement at Moi University, calling it a “deathbed situation” caused by poor decisions at the leadership level.
He announced ongoing efforts to implement management changes at the institution through due process.
“We cannot allow the mistakes made here to recur. This agreement is a significant step in addressing the university’s challenges, and we will closely monitor public universities to prevent similar crises,” Ogamba said.
PS Inyangala reassured students that the disruption caused by the strike was temporary and urged them to view the resolution as a foundation for stronger progress.
The agreement, witnessed by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala, paves the way for over 900 lecturers and 2,300 non-teaching staff to resume duties.
The strike, which had paralyzed operations at the university, was spearheaded by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals, and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA).
Under the deal, the government has committed an immediate injection of KSh 500 million to the cash-strapped institution.
CS Ogamba also outlined a roadmap to address the workers’ broader demands, estimated at over KSh 8.6 billion.
“Although the agreement does not meet all our demands, we’ve secured a partial solution. As they say, even the tail is meat,” said UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga.
He urged staff to resume work on Monday and pledged cooperation with the university to recover lost academic time.
Vice-Chancellor Isaac Kosgey assured stakeholders that the university would return to full operations, including hosting a delayed graduation for over 6,000 students in December.
He emphasized restoring Moi University’s reputation through quality education.
Council Chairman Humphrey Njuguna echoed this commitment, acknowledging the damage to the university’s image.
“We must forgive past differences and work together to turn this institution around,” Njuguna said.
CS Ogamba criticized past mismanagement at Moi University, calling it a “deathbed situation” caused by poor decisions at the leadership level.
He announced ongoing efforts to implement management changes at the institution through due process.
“We cannot allow the mistakes made here to recur. This agreement is a significant step in addressing the university’s challenges, and we will closely monitor public universities to prevent similar crises,” Ogamba said.
PS Inyangala reassured students that the disruption caused by the strike was temporary and urged them to view the resolution as a foundation for stronger progress.
