Release all our money, varsity dons tell State

Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General, Constantine Wasonga (seated centre) flanked by National Chairman Muga K'Olale (seated 2nd left) Vice chair Joseph Mberia (seated 2nd right) and other officials address the media at Best Western hotel, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Lecturers have asked the government to release 100 per cent capitation for payment of workers in public universities.

The University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) said the government has released only Sh6 billion out of Sh8.8 billion for the 2017/21 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

“The government said out of their own volition that they have Sh8.8 billion to implement the 2017/2021 CBA. We want immediate release of Sh2.2 billion so that our members’ salaries can be effected as per the court order of July 3, 2020 and September 1, 2020,” said Constantine Wasonga, the UASU Secretary General, yesterday.

“What the government is releasing is only 70 per cent. Where do they expect us to get money to complement the 70 per cent given to the university?” he posed.

Court orders

Wasonga asked the Ministry of Education to audit how the Sh6 billion was spent since the majority of the universities were remaining with only half of the money.

UASU said its concern is how public universities have not correctly implemented the CBA, resulting in disparities, confusion and lack of uniformity in payment of basic salaries.

The union demanded that public universities comply with court orders to ensure a harmonious implementation of the CBA.

“If the salary is not implemented as per the court orders, you know there will be consequences. We cannot have two systems of pay, some are earning higher salaries while others are getting a salary of 2013/2017. That is unjust, and must be rectified,” Wasonga said.

He called out the University of Nairobi for continuously failing to pay clinical allowances to staff at the college of health sciences.

Wasonga said academic staff in other universities who earn the same allowances are being paid without the kind of hurdles experienced at the University of Nairobi.