Workers threaten to strike after KRA freezes Moi University bank accounts

Moi University staff, demonstrate at the institution's main campus in Eldoret Uasin Gishu County. They were protesting over the delayed salaries and other emerging issue caused by the management. August 6, 2024. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

Moi University workers have threatened to down tools to protest the decision by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to freeze the institution's bank accounts.

The Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) said they will take to the streets if KRA does not rescind the decision.

They said the move has occasioned delay in payment of salaries for workers and other operations at the Eldoret-based university.

The union said the university bank accounts were frozen three weeks ago.

The workers vowed to go on strike and stage protests in solidarity with the institution.

Kusu branch chairman Bob Odhiambo said staff have faced delays in salaries.

"We want all the university bank accounts unfrozen because there is monies for running the institution, including our salaries," he said.

Odhiambo said workers were suffering because of delay by the government to release capitation.

However, the workers said they were opposed to management challenges that have previously bedeviled the institution, resulting in non-remittance of Pay As You Earn to KRA and other statutory deductions as well as loans.

"We demand early release of monies meant to pay workers and pending bills for public universities. The government had promised that it will clear all the pending bills in public universities," said Kusu branch chairman.

Speaking to The Standard in Eldoret yesterday, the workers said the new university Funding model was crippling operations in the institution.

"We want President William Ruto to understand the situation we are going through at Moi University because monthly capitation has been reduced from Sh203 million to Sh89 million. The money is not enough to pay full salaries of staff. There is eminent threat of scaling down workforce or paying quarter salaries University Staff," said Odhiambo.

The chairman said that other public servants get salaries on time and wondered why Moi University was facing challenges.