Learning at Moi University will resume today after the lecturers union and two workers’ unions called off their three-month strike after signing a return-to-work deal.
The more than 900 lecturers and 2,300 other workers are expected to resume duty. Education CS Julius Ogamba and Higher Education PS Beatrice Inyangala were at the university to witness the signing of the deal.
Vice-chancellor Isaac Kosgey and council chairman Humprey Njuguna led the university in signing the deal. The deal was signed by Universities Academic Staff Union, Kenya Universities Staff Union and Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels and Education Institutions and Allied Workers Union.
In the deal, the government will immediately provide Sh500 million to carter to some of the demands by the workers.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga and KUSU National Secretary James Mogaka said they had negotiated and agreed the demands would be met halfway.
Wasonga said the government had given a roadmap on how it would provide the Sh8.6 billion demanded by the workers.
“To the workers, let’s go back to work on Monday and although we did not get all that we wanted, at least we got something. Even the tail is meat,” Wasonga said.
He said the lecturers and other workers will work to recover lost learning time. Ogamba said the government will take remedial action to rectify the problems at Moi University.
The CS said there will be management changes. He said those in decision-making positions were to blame for the problems facing the university.
“The students and workers have suffered because of wrong decisions they did not participate in making,” Ogamba said.
He said the mistakes made at Moi University should never be allowed to recur. Ogamba said the university is in a mess that could have been avoided.
“We will make necessary decisions to rectify the situation at Moi University. The decisions will have to be made no matter how difficult they are,” the CS said.
VC Kosgey said the university will resume full operations, including plans to host this year’s graduation for more than 6,000 graduands. He said the university will work hard to restore its lost.
Njuguna said, “I promise you that we will turn this university around. Let’s forgive each other because of the differences we have had so that we move forward.”
The CS also met with medical students and expressed his anger that some have been at the college for nine years. Ogamba said it is unacceptable that students are taking more than nine years to complete a six-year medical course.
“It’s unforgivable that students are taking nine years for a programme that should take six years. That is not the space we want to be now or in future,” the CS said.
He instructed the university management to forward to him a plan on
how the medical students will be
assisted to complete their education.
