Dons want President Ruto to disband Egerton council in pay row – Business Daily
Egerton University lecturers launch their strike at Njoro Campus on October 17, 2022, over pay. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NMG
The Universities Academics Staff Union (Uasu) has asked President William Ruto to look into the financial crisis at Egerton University.
National secretary–general Constantine Wasonga said what is happening at the university’s Njoro campus is a national crisis.
“I want to tell the Kenya Kwanza government that if there is anything that they should deal with as a matter of urgency, it is the Egerton University financial crisis,” he said.
Dr Wasonga said all Uasu chapter secretaries would tomorrow mobilise their members and converge at Jogoo House in Nairobi to petition the government to intervene in the Egerton University crisis. “This crisis at Egerton University has persisted for more than three years. I want the whole country to know that there is a crisis here,” he said.
“From [Monday], all lecturers must not attend classes. If you are a serious lecturer, you will go to class once the union has permitted you. Learning has been stopped until the union calls off the strike.”
He said it was a shame that only at Egerton University were dons paid 57 percent of their salaries.
He called on students to pack their bags and go home, saying “there will be no learning here [Egerton] until this pay row is resolved conclusively”.
Dr Wasonga hit out at the university council for “sleeping on the job” and urged it to step aside, claiming it had failed in its mandate.
“This council should be dissolved immediately. What has the council been doing since 2020 when the crisis started?.” he asked.
“The union has given the council ample time to resolve the pay row but it seems it has been defeated. Why should this council be in office? It is now time for the council to honourably resign and pave the way for a new council. The government should dissolve this council because it is not adding any value to this institution.”
More than 600 members of the Uasu Egerton chapter downed their tools after the launch of the strike by the national office.
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