Eldoret: As universities in Kenya prepare to welcome new students for the 2025/2026 academic year, the University Academic Staff Union (UASU), Moi University Chapter, has reiterated its commitment to maintaining a conducive learning environment despite ongoing financial and non-financial disputes with the institution's management.
According to Kenya News Agency, this declaration follows a recent industrial action launched by the union to compel the employer to adhere to the terms specified in the Return-To-Work Formula (RTWF) signed in November of the previous year. The union's Secretary, Busolo Wekesa, disclosed during a press briefing that a meeting held in Nairobi on August 22 failed to yield any concrete commitments from the employer regarding the agreement.
Wekesa emphasized the staff's dedication to their responsibilities at Moi University, highlighting their role in fostering innovation and talent in fields such as science and technology. He urged the university management to fulfill the 25-clause RTWF agreed upon on November 30, 2024. "We are not going on strike because we enjoy it or want a salary increase. Salaries are already determined. We are striking because this is the last option left to us," he stated.
Key grievances include delayed and incomplete salaries, the alleged misappropriation of a Sh500 million bailout fund, a lack of staff promotions for over seven years, pension arrears exceeding Sh4.6 billion, and the suspension of medical coverage, which has forced lecturers to pay out-of-pocket despite deductions. The union has also raised concerns over non-financial issues, such as governance matters like the appointment of Deans and the freedom for academic staff to engage in union activities without coercion.
UASU Moi University Chapter Vice Chairperson Linda Khaemba criticized the management for neglecting the union unless compelled by industrial action, which she claims has diminished staff morale. She noted an unlawful redundancy exercise attempted by management last year, stopped by the union through legal channels, yet the financial dignity of staff has not been restored.
The union insists that they are not requesting new benefits but merely seeking the enforcement of previously signed agreements. Members have fulfilled their part of the RTWF, which involved not intimidating management, recovering lost time by sacrificing holidays to complete the syllabus, among other obligations.
"The university was also to do the other part. We did our part 100 percent. The university has done nothing. Things have worsened because we are still in CRB. No loan has been paid. The money that we have been deducted is still there. This year, it is even worse. People are going home without pension," stated Okero Richard, the chairman of the UASU Moi University branch.