Muga Kolale is the spokesman of the university lecturers’ union. Photo/ File
NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 12 – University staff have vowed to boycott work from Tuesday should a meeting between them and the government scheduled for Monday fail to resolve their pay dispute.
University Academic Staff Union Secretary General Muga K’olale said the implementation of their Collective Bargaining Agreement for 2012 was not honoured.
K’olale explained that the agreement settled for a total of Sh7.8 billion for the increment salaries and house allowance for lecturers, which is yet to be awarded.
“It is our position that the CBA agreement has been flawed terribly and in order for justice to be visited on the university staff it must be implemented immediately.”
“If this is not done with immediate effect the universities will be plunged in industrial action and the university management and the ministry of education will be held responsible,” explained K’olale.
Addressing journalists on Sunday afternoon, Secretary General of Kenya University Staff Union Charles Mukhwaya also blamed top management of public universities of embezzling funds.
Mukhwaya added that they have reported the matter to the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission for action to be taken.
“The Vice Chancellors are to blame for the current crisis that we are having because they are the leaders in our universities. They have given a go-ahead for the allocation of money to people who do not qualify because they were not included in the CBA agreement that we had.”
“Further they have embezzled funds for their own selfish gains, some universities have received money but they have no disbursed it to the workers but have instead chosen for it to line their pockets,” added Mukhwaya.
In August last year, University lecturers called off their planned strike after the government agreed to release Sh3.9 billion to pay their salaries and house allowances.
Education Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi announced the decision after holding a consultative meeting with officials of the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).
The funds are part of the Sh7.8 billion that was committed to pay the allowances of public university staff under the collective Bargaining Agreement signed last year.
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