Talks to end the lecturers’ strike at Moi University have failed, as the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the university council could not reach an agreement on the workers’ demands.
The reconciliation talks, facilitated by the Ministry of Labour in Eldoret and chaired by Labour Officer Carolyne Chemursoi, did not result in a resolution. Chemursoi will now issue disagreement certificates to both parties, in accordance with labor laws. This indicates that the strike involving 900 lecturers will escalate further.
Uasu Secretary for the Moi University chapter, Nyabuta Ojuki, stated that the talks collapsed because the university council, the lecturers’ employer, did not address any of the issues raised.
“The university council failed to commit to any of the issues we brought up,” Ojuki said. “We will now proceed with the legal provisions related to the strike.”
The lecturers’ grievances include the failure to implement Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) terms, particularly those for the 2021-2025 period. The union is also demanding the release of Sh5 billion that was deducted from lecturers’ salaries for their pension scheme but was not remitted to the scheme.
Richard Okero, the union chairman at Moi University, emphasized that the release of the funds was a key condition for negotiations.
“We will not stop the strike until we are assured of our pension funds,” Okero said. “If we are not guaranteed our pensions, it means a future of misery, and that is unacceptable.”
Additionally, the union wants Sh1.3 billion deducted from workers’ salaries for bank loan servicing to be returned. Okero noted that 53 employees have been sued by a bank for loan defaults, despite the deductions made by the university.
The lecturers are also demanding payment for their delayed salaries for July and August. The strike, which has now entered its fourth week, was aimed at resolving these issues but remains unresolved despite the Ministry of Labour’s efforts.
The collapse of talks to resolve the lecturers’ strike at Moi University followed a request for mediation from university council chairman Humphrey Njoroge. Labour Officer Carolyne Chemursoi chaired four meetings, but no agreement was reached. Njoroge and Vice Chancellor Professor Isaac Kosgey were present at the final meeting on Tuesday when the talks failed.
Uasu Secretary Nyabuta Ojuki stated that the union will not end the strike until their demands are met. “They have continued to give us false promises,” Ojuki said. “Unless they pay, we will not resume work.”
Two weeks ago, Njoroge wrote to Uasu Secretary General Constantine Wasonga, urging the lecturers to return to work while their issues were being addressed. The union, however, declined this request.
Wasonga emphasized that the university must meet the lecturers’ demands, warning that failure to do so could lead to a full-scale strike involving all workers. He criticized the government for neglecting higher education institutions and indicated that the union might call for a strike across all universities.
Last week, Uasu’s national officials led demonstrations in Eldoret town, demanding payment of delayed salaries and the implementation of the 2017-2021 CBA. The union has also declared a dispute over the 2021-2025 CBA, adding to the ongoing tensions.
