UoN cuts travelling allowance for staff

The University of Nairobi has suspended per diems for some foreign trips months after it abolished lunch allowances in tough austerity measures.

An internal communication from the acting university registrar Peter Muturi (administration) to all staff announced that there shall be no per diems paid for foreign travels not sponsored by the institution.

The memo dated February 26 makes reference to the National Treasury circular on austerity measures that directed Education ministry's chief administrative officers and principal secretary to cut costs.

“The executive office of the president/head of public service has directed that all travel requests that are sponsored by the organisers will be treated as such and hence no quarter per diem will be approved,” it states.

The memo is copied to the vice chancellor, all deputy vice chancellors, all principals, directors and heads of departments.

Lunch allowance

The new development comes months after the university issued another circular suspending lunch allowance for all its staff.

The internal memo signed by Madara Ogot, the acting deputy vice chancellor in charge of finance and planning, said the move was in line with the government’s austerity measures.

“As the University of Nairobi implements the government directive on austerity measures, all lunch programmes have been stopped,” reads the memo dated January 13.

The memo, however, exempted the office of the vice chancellor, deputy vice chancellors and college principals from the lunch allowance ban.

Last year, the university outlined elaborate cost-cutting measures.

Universities have been struggling to keep afloat amid diminishing funding and revenue.