Moi University students are facing further disruptions to their academic schedules as lecturers resume their strike action, less than a month after agreeing to suspend it. This fresh industrial action, led by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), comes after the university failed to honor the terms outlined in the Return to Work Formula signed in November 2024.
The unions, in a joint statement released on Friday, directed their members to withdraw their services indefinitely, citing the university’s failure to comply with the agreements made under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) valued at Ksh.9.7 billion for the 2021–2025 period. The implementation of this CBA was supposed to occur in tranches, with the first Ksh.4.3 billion meant to cover a nine-month period up to June 2025. However, lecturers are still waiting for several payments to be processed.
The university has also accumulated a significant debt to its academic staff, amounting to Ksh.8.6 billion. This figure includes unpaid loans, pensions, union fees, welfare societies, and unremitted insurance premiums, all of which have been building up since 2016. Specifically, the breakdown includes Ksh.4.2 billion for unremitted pension, Ksh.1.2 billion for unremitted bank loans, Ksh.1.2 billion in salary arrears, and additional payments for welfare and gratuity funds.
The lecturers’ strike originally began in August 2024 due to the university’s failure to pay its debts and implement the agreed-upon CBA. Despite an initial resolution in November, when the staff agreed to return to work under the promise of payments, the ongoing failure to settle financial obligations has forced them to resume their strike.
The situation remains dire for Moi University students, who now face uncertainty regarding the continuation of their academic programs as the strike enters its indefinite phase. Students are calling for a swift resolution, as this prolonged strike threatens to further delay their education.
