Uasu officials
at Moi
University, led by branch
chairman
Richard Okero, address the
press in Eldoret
/MATHEWS
NDANYI
The University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) has called off a
three-week lecturers’ strike at Moi University following lengthy negotiations
with the university council and management on Tuesday.
Moi University Uasu chapter secretary Busolo Wekesa said the
parties reached an agreement on most of the union’s 25 demands.
Among the key issues resolved was the immediate withdrawal
of redundancy letters that had been issued to about 200 lecturers.
“We had gone to court over the matter, and the council has
now withdrawn the letters,” Busolo said.
Speaking at the Moi University main campus, Busolo added
that the council had also agreed to address the release of more than Sh9
billion owed to lecturers for pensions, union dues and salary arrears. The
university further issued promotion letters to some lecturers who had been
waiting for years.
He said the council also agreed to amend statutes to allow
dons elect deans at the institution.
Uasu branch officials, led by chairman Richard Okero,
assistant secretary Dr Dan Mukhwana and organising secretary Nyabuta Ojuki, had
insisted that the university must honour all their demands for the strike to
end.
Learning had been completely paralysed during the strike,
but lessons are expected to resume immediately.
Student leaders, led by Pauline Jeruto, welcomed the return
to class and urged the Ministry of Education to dialogue with Uasu to prevent
further strikes. She accused the government of dragging its feet in addressing
the financial and management crisis facing the institution.
“As students, we go to the university to learn and nothing
else. Our lecturers have genuine demands which must be addressed. They cannot
teach without being paid their dues,” she said.
Vice Chancellor Prof Kiplagat Kotut confirmed the agreement
with Uasu, while Wekesa emphasised that the Return-To-Work Formula signed
between the union and the Moi University Council on November 30, 2024, had 25 clauses
which the management had largely ignored until now.
He expressed hope that ending the strike would pave the way
for full implementation of the deal to ensure smooth operations at the
university.
Moi University has over 1,000 lecturers who are UASU members.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The end of the three-week lecturers’ strike at Moi
University marks a significant breakthrough in the standoff between Uasu and
the institution’s management. The withdrawal of redundancy letters, release of
long-overdue funds and issuance of promotion letters signal rare goodwill from
the council, but also underscore the depth of the university’s financial
crisis. While learning resumes, the deal’s sustainability remains in question
given the Sh9 billion debt and recurring salary arrears. Students’ frustration
reflects broader systemic challenges in higher education financing. The
government’s role is central—without timely intervention, Moi University risks
sliding back into crisis despite this temporary reprieve.
