Striking workers clash with students at Egerton University

Multimedia University staff converge to declare the start of their strike Wednesday.  [PHOTO: Nicanor Ndiege/STANDARD]

By STANDARD TEAM

Nakuru, Kenya:  Learning in public universities was paralysed as lecturers and non-academic staff downed their tools over Sh3.9 billion pay dispute.

Striking staff at Egerton University, Njoro campus, had an altercation with students as they boycotted work to press for higher pay.

The clash was prompted by striking workers who ejected a student who was recording speeches of officials of the Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu), Egerton chapter.

Lecturers and non-teaching staff converged at the Graduation Square where they vowed not resume work until the management of the university pays the 33.2 per cent salary increase and the 14.1 per cent for house allowance as agreed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Kusu officials, led by the Egerton chapter chairman Fred Esaboke and his Secretary General Ernest Wayaya, warned those who had not joined them would be forced out of the offices and classrooms.

Esaboke said the union members would press on until the university management yields to their demands.

The strike, however, failed to make an impact at the Nakuru Town Campus where a few lecturers and staff went on with their work.

Security personnel were deployed at University of Nairobi yesterday morning as the strike began.

And at Kenyatta University, striking workers locked lecture halls and assembled outside the administration block where they sang and danced.

Speaking to the Press, Treasurer of Kenya Universities Staff Union, UoN Chapter, George Kariuki demanded vice chancellors be investigated for corruption and economic crime.

“This matter has been in the public domain for a long time now. We call on all the ethics institutions to step in, investigate and take action against the vice chancellors for what can only be described as a grand corruption scheme,” said Kariuki.

At Moi University, National Organising Secretary of Uasu Musalia Edebe led the lecturers and other staff to officially launch the strike.

“We have officially downed our tools and will remain so until our heads give us what is rightfully ours,” he said.

Edebe accused Cabinet Secretary for Education Jacob Kaimenyi of protecting the corrupt VCs.

Programmes at Pwani University in Kilifi and Technical University of Mombasa in Mombasa were also disrupted when lecturers, support staff and students joined the nationwide  strike. 

 “What we are demanding is absolutely ours and we will not be intimidated,” said Patrick Ogutu, Kusu secretary, TUM chapter.

Ogutu said the striking workers had not received any orders that stipulated that the strike was illegal.

Striking Maseno University lecturers and non-teaching staff marched from the institution’s main campus to Siriba to express their dissatisfaction with the management over raging pay dispute.

The workers insisted they will fight for their demands and will not resume work until their demands are met.

“Even if they were to close down the institution, we will still call another strike on re-opening. We are demanding 33.1 per cent for salaries and 14.2 per cent house allowance to be paid in full,” said Martin Owidi, the chairman of Kusu.

The workers called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to resolve the stalemate.

Learning at Masinde Muliro University was also paralysed after lecturers and non-teaching staff boycotted duty at around 11am.

The nationwide protest went on despite a court order obtained by Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum stopping the strike in order to allow for dialogue.

On Tuesday, the Federation of Kenya Employers obtained orders on behalf of the university councils compelling the parties to negotiate.