Crisis Looms In Public Universities As UASU Issues 7-Day Strike Notice: "Until Demands Are Met"

• UASU secretary-general Constantine Wesonga said all lecturers from public universities will down their tools beginning September 18
• Wesonga stated that they will only engage in talks with gazetted university council members and not vice-chancellors
• The lecturer's grievances include reduced funding to universities, delayed salaries, unremitted statutory and third-party deductions

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

University Academic Staff Union (UASU) secretary-general Constantine Wesonga has announced that all lecturers at the over 35 public universities will go on strike starting September 18.

This action follows the expiration of a seven-day strike notice related to the stalled 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

"The 30,000 employees in all public universities and colleges shall withdraw their labour on September 18, 2024, until their demands are met. There will be no teaching or any work activity in the universities," he announced.

UASU to engage only council members

Speaking at an NEC meeting at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega, Wesonga stated that future negotiations will not involve vice-chancellors but will be conducted exclusively with gazetted university council members.

He emphasised that salary discussions among colleagues cannot lead to a satisfactory resolution.

"Can SRC be consistent in giving advisory and independent from the influence of vice-chancellors? Going forward, we are not going to negotiate with the VCs because they are our colleagues. Even tomorrow if they call me, I will only want to meet with gazetted university council members," Wesonga stated.

Further, Wesonga criticised the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) for delaying progress since September 4, 2020, when pay proposals for the CBA were first submitted.

What demands does UASU want fulfilled?

Their grievances include reduced funding to universities, delayed salaries, unremitted statutory and third-party deductions (such as loans, pension contributions, and insurance premiums), and opposition to the newly introduced university funding model.

As per Wesonga, banding students according to their backgrounds is discriminatory.

Why Moi University lecturers went on strike

In other news, over 900 lecturers from Moi University were frustrated after receiving only half of their July salary.

Wesonga, who led the protests, blamed the varsity vice-chancellors for failing to address the concerns of their staff.

He advised that the lecturers be paid directly through the exchequer to avoid issues of ghost workers.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke