NAKURU, Kenya, Dec 8 – Egerton University Vice Chancellor Prof Isaac Kibwage and University Council members get a 30 day jail term for contempt of court.
Justice David Nderitu imposed an alternative Sh100,000 penalty for Kibwage and the eight council members.
On Wednesday, Justice Nderitu of the Employment and Labour Relations court in Nakuru found them guilty of contempt by ignoring court orders on lecturers’ salary cut.
The nine failed to implement a court order directing them to pay the lecturers a hundred percent of their salaries.
Egerton University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Chapter had filed for contempt after the university imposed a 40 percent pay cut in 2020.
This was said to be to a stop-gap measure at the advent of COVID-19 pandemic.
Nderitu said the cut was said to be occasioned by the effects of Covid-19 but the council failed to produce evidence.
“The university council could not produce audited accounts to support their claims,” said the judge.
He added that the pay cut was breach of the rights of the dons and a violation of the constitution on fair labour practices.
“Why was it that only Egerton among all the other public universities effected a pay cut on its employees during the pandemic” he wondered.
The judge said Kibwage, and the nine council members choice of ignoring court orders was prejudicial to lecturers.
The others are council chairperson, Hukka Wario, Paul K’Angira, Julius Mutua, Wilson Ronno, Charity Nyaga, John Ondari, Esther Wabuge, and Joshua Otieno.
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