Medicine lecturers down tools over allowances

Medical lecturers at the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta National Hospital campus have withdrawn teaching services over pay dispute.

The lecturers downed their tools yesterday over what they termed a unilateral decision by UoN to stop payment of clinical allowances. 

While announcing the strike notice, University Academic Staff Union UoN chapter Secretary George Omondi said the lecturers want the clinical allowances to be reinstated unconditionally and paid immediately.

“In May this year, the clinical allowances were enhanced through Supplementary Budget II passed by Parliament with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic rescue package,” Omondi said.

During the same month, Education Principal Secretary Simon Nabukwesi wrote to the UoN vice chancellor, informing him of the government’s allocation of enhanced clinical allowances for medicine lecturers with an accompanying schedule of those eligible.

“In June 2020, the funds for payment of clinical allowances were received in the accounts of the UoN. In July 2020, additional funds were allocated to the UoN to sustain the payment of the clinical allowances. Some doctors-lecturers were in deed paid the allowances with the salary of last month,” Omondi said.

However, this month, lecturers at the College of Health Sciences were dismayed that clinical allowances were not paid with their salaries.

“The non-payment of the allowances is an unlawful slap in the face of lecturers. The lecturers and their students have kept essential services running at the KNH and other public facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic despite the challenges,” Omondi said.

“Uasu is calling upon the UoN to immediately release clinical allowances to academic staff at the College of Health Sciences immediately to avert a crisis. The effects of any withdrawal of labour will be devastating.”