UASU Appeals to DP Ruto to Intervene in Pay Stalemate

The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has Appealed to the Deputy President William Ruto to intervene in the lecturers’ pay stalemate

Our prayer is that the parties involved are sincere this time round. We wish them luck in their attempt to reach the DP whom we hope will point them in the right direction on this sticky matter.

The attempt by the Inter Public University Consultative Council Forum (IPUCCF) to divert a portion of the offer into pensions is nothing short of self-incrimination.

Are they telling us that each time the Government remits capitation the pensions component disappears into some dark hole?

I thought the employer contributes a certain percentage and so does the employee. Is IPUCCF negotiating as an employer or has it morphed into an employee?

In any case when, some 4 or 5 years ago, universities were awash with cash courtesy of Self Sponsored Students (PSSP) what did Councils do with the huge percentages they retained?

I know of two universities which used to retain 65% of PSSP funds which could have been used partly to enhance pension funds.

There is no development (infrastructure or otherwise) to justify how these funds were used. No wonder the President's spokesperson Manoah Esipisu is crying wolf!

I speak in the past tense because these PSSP funds have dried up for lack of self-paying students in several universities.

Someone high up in authority thought dons were making so much money and reduced the preferential rates paid to them to zero.

 The result was not unexpected. Through a series of negative campaigns by dons students simply stopped enrolling in these universities. Talk of killing the goose that lays the golden egg!