Striking Moi University dons and other workers have rejected a plan to reopen the institution on November 4 before they are paid all their salary-related dues amounting to more than Sh10 billion.
They have pledged to remain on strike and asked parents not to release students because their will be no learning at the institution.
The more than 3,000 lecturers and other workers have been on strike for the last 70 days demanding payment of delayed salaries, release of pension scheme dues amounting to more than Sh5 billion and withheld money for servicing their bank loans amounting to more than Sh1.5 billion.
Universities Academic Staff Union officials at the college, led by Nyabuta Ojuki, and Mary Chepkwemoi, secretary of the Kenya University Staff Union, said the university management had ignored their plight and resolved none of their grievances.
“They have not talked to us nor made efforts to pay our demands, yet they plan to reopen the university. They are courting chaos,” Ojuki said.
He said the university had gone a full semester without lessons and the same would continue unless lecturers and other workers are paid their dues.
“We have made it clear that we will not do anything even if they reopen the college because they cannot expect us to work without our basic needs, including food and clothing. We have not been paid salaries for over three month now,” he said.
The union blames management and council for the ongoing state of the university, which is on the verge of collapse due to bad governance and corruption.
The situation is worsening with more than Sh10 billion urgently required to rescue the institution from total collapse.
The university, which was shut down three weeks ago, is yet to pay three-month salaries to its workers and two banks have now moved to attach property of employees who are unable to service loans.
Vice chancellor Isaac Kosgey shut down the college due to students’ unrest and said a new date for reopening would be announced.
The university council has planned to reopen it on November 4.
“Since the closure, the situation at the university has worsened because there is no communication from the management and yet we have gone now gone three month without pay. Our members are also being hunted and their property attacked by two banks over non payment of loans,” Ojuki said.
He accused the management of running down the university, which was subjected of debate in Parliament two weeks ago.
Ojuki accused university
council of misinforming Parliament on the actual situation at the
institution by claiming they only
needed Sh400 million to revive its
operations.
