The lecturer’s strike has halted learning at Moi University.
The students were recalled to the university last week and hoped to resume learning but continued efforts to resolve the strike over salary-related demands have failed.
For the second time in two months, the Moi University students are pleading with President William Ruto to intervene and save the institution from collapse due to the prolonged strike by workers.
It has debts of more than Sh12 billion and is plagued by mismanagement. Officials of the Moi University Students Organisation (Muso) said they have written to the President through Education CS Julius Ogamba seeking urgent intervention to resuscitate the college that they say is on its deathbed.
Student leaders Cornelius Kipkoech, who is the Muso secretary general, and president Vincent Tarus, said Ruto should take keen interest in whatever is happening at the university in his home county of Uasin Gishu.
“We are again asking the President not to watch as Moi University collapses, causing suffering for many students, lecturers, other workers and the community that has for many years benefitted from the university,” Kipkoech said.
He said frequent learning disruptions have forced some medical students to remain at the college for more than eight years without completing their courses.
Last week, the university suspended officials of Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) due to the prolonged strike.
The union officials said they were also blocked from accessing the university’s main campus due to strict instructions to security officers not to let them in.
The officials led by UASU branch secretary Ojuki Nyabuta said they had received the suspension letters signed by deputy vice chancellor for administration Kirimi Kiriamiti.
“We have received the suspension letters and we have been blocked from entering the main campus of the university,” he said.
Ojuki said they had been forced to meet outside the university gate.
“We will not be shaken and we remain on strike until we are paid all our salary related dues,” Ojuki said.
More than 12 union officials received the suspension letters from last week.
He said the university had also sent show-cause letters to more than 1,000 striking lecturers.
The government has pledged to release Sh4.5 billion to help rescue the university but UASU said that amount is inadequate.
“We want full payment of our dues because we have suffered enough and it seems the management thinks they will force us to resume work. Never!” Ojuki said.
UASU has declined to attend meetings with Moi University management in attempts to end strike Attempts by Moi University management to reach a return-to-work formula with striking workers again failed.
Learning has stalled.
VC Isaac Kosgey had issued a circular directing that learning would
resume at the college on November
11 but UASU declared that its members would remain on strike until
their salary arrears were settled.
