Bomet University College UASU Chapter Secretary General Obala Musumba has criticized the government over failure to implement the 2021-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that would have seen University dons and the non-teaching staff salaries increased to suit the high cost of living.
Musumba emphasized that while negotiations with the government continue, the strike would not be called off until a deal is reached.
“I woke up very early today and have coordinated with all our members, and I want to thank them because they have responded to the call of the union. We are ready for talks, but we will strike until we strike a deal,” said Musumba.
He underscored the unions’ resolve to push the government to the bargaining table, accusing it of being “elusive, cunning, and uncooperative”.
In an interview with KNA, Musumba insisted that the strike would persist until the CBA is concluded, to allow university staff to receive their long-awaited pay rise.
“We are going to paralyze studies in universities until they sit down with us and sign the bargaining agreement,” he declared.
In addition to the unresolved CBA, Musumba raised concerns over the government’s new funding model for universities, which he described as “punitive, unfriendly to students, and hostile to parents”.
He urged the government to revert to the previous funding model, blaming the current financial difficulties in universities on the government’s failure to remit funds on time.
“The dropped funding model was on point. The government is the problem—it failed to remit its per capita funding in time, which plunged universities into a financial crisis, drowning them in recurring debts,” Musumba explained.
Learning in all public universities across the country has ground to a halt after lecturers and non-teaching staff went on strike, demanding the implementation of the CBA.
The strike, led by the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu), began on Wednesday and affects 35 public universities and three constituent colleges.
Both unions have vowed to continue with the strike until their demands are met.
At the center of the dispute is the delayed negotiation and implementation of the CBA, which the unions argued was crucial for securing better pay and improved working conditions for university staff.
Despite ongoing discussions with the government, no agreement has been reached, prompting the unions to take industrial action.
The strike came after UASU and KUSU issued a strike notice on September 11. The unions launched the strike at the Technical University of Kenya, announcing plans for a “mega-demonstration,” in Nairobi on Monday if their demands are not addressed.
University staff have been waiting for over three years to negotiate the CBA, having first tabled their proposal on September 4, 2020.
With no resolution in sight, learning remains paralyzed as the two unions stand firm in their fight for better pay and working conditions.
The strike has already drawn widespread concern from students, parents, and university administrators, as it threatens to disrupt the academic calendar further, leaving students in limbo.
By Lamech Willy.A
