Lecturers’ Strike at Moi University Affects Learning at Main and Satellite Campuses
“We have deliberated, discussed, and resolved as academic staff that no teaching, be it online or physical, shall take place at Moi University and its satellite campuses spread across the country until our demands are addressed by the concerned authority,”
Academic staff at Moi University stage a strike, demanding fair promotions and the resolution of salary disputes.
Online and physical learning at Moi University’s main campus and its satellite campuses in Nairobi and Mombasa have been disrupted following a lecturers’ strike that began yesterday. The lecturers, members of the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Moi University chapter, decided to down their tools after a four-hour meeting in Eldoret town.
The meeting, described as charged, was led by UASU Chapter Chairman Richard Okero and Secretary Ochuki Nyabuta. Over 900 lecturers resolved to boycott all teaching activities, both online and in-person, until their grievances are addressed by the university’s top management.
“We have deliberated, discussed, and resolved as academic staff that no teaching, be it online or physical, shall take place at Moi University and its satellite campuses spread across the country until our demands are addressed by the concerned authority,” stated Okero.
The lecturers’ demands include the timely payment of salaries, non-discriminatory promotion of teaching staff, and the remittance of their deductions to the pension scheme. Okero criticized the university management for allegedly using deans from various schools, including the School of Information Science, to intimidate and threaten the striking lecturers.
“We are aware of a scheme being employed by the university management to curtail our strike by using deans of various schools and colleges to intimidate and threaten our members from joining in the strike that has officially kicked off,” Okero added.
Okero further revealed that lecturers have been receiving half salaries for several months, and their attempts to meet with the Vice-Chancellor to discuss their grievances have been unsuccessful. “The VC has refused to engage us in talks over our plight despite several requests. It is now time to show him that we also matter,” he decried.
Highlighting the financial struggles faced by the lecturers, Okero claimed that 53 members have been flagged by Faulu Bank for defaulting on their loans. He questioned why the university was deducting loan repayments from their salaries but failing to remit these payments to the bank, leading to embarrassment and financial distress for the affected staff.
“Some of our members have had their movable and immovable assets, including land and vehicles, auctioned by the bank for failure to service their loans, which is not their mistake,” lamented Okero.
According to Okero, union members owe various banks loans amounting to KSh 1.1 billion, yet the university has been deducting repayments from their salaries without remitting the funds. “We are calling on investigative agencies to move with speed and probe the matter because we have been wondering where the monthly deductions that are made from our members’ salaries are going,” he stated.
About Author
