Learning at Moi University remained disrupted after lecturers and workers at the institution vowed to continue with their strike on Monday despite the government striking a deal with the University and Academic Union(UASU) staff for a return to work formula.
University staff from Moi revealed that they would continue the strike as the university was yet to address some of their concerns in their demands.
According to Busolo Wekesa, the UASU Secretary General Moi University chapter, the deal to end the national strike did not in any way affect theirs.
''We began our strike on August 26 and we will continue because we have our demands that we gave to the management of Moi University and we want to let you know that we have not received any solutions to them,’’ Busolo told the media.
''So the industrial action of Moi University staff will be ongoing up to when we will get a solution. Just to let Kenyans that there were two strikes, a national one and ours here,’’ he added.
Some of the issues that the dons want resolved include pension funds, bank loans, and the arrears on their Collective Bargaining Agreements.
The lecturers add that their demands have not been met for the past 7 years despite them engaging the management of the varsity to address them.
The dons added that they had in the past shown a willingness to reach a deal with the varsity which is currently shrouded in a lot of management controversies but to no success.
The Moi University strike will enter its third month this week despite President William Ruto and Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba promising that the issue will be resolved.
While delivering his State of the Nation address at Parliament, Ruto blamed the events that have transpired at Moi University on internal administration and governance issues. He added that he had issued instructions to fix the mess.
“The challenges in Moi University are related to internal administrative and governance issues which I have given firm instructions that should be addressed,” he asserted.
Moi University was closed indefinitely on Thursday, October 3, 2024, over student unrest after industrial action by university staff crippled operations at the university.
The fate of thousands of students studying at the University remains unknown as the standoff is set to paralyse their learning and upcoming graduation ceremony.
