Staff unions demand reinstatement of 900 Moi University workers, warn of academic crisis

The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) have called for the withdrawal of all dismissal letters issued to 900 Moi University employees, terming the layoffs unprocedural and unfair.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, the unions warned that the move risks crippling academic departments just as thousands of students are expected to report for the new semester, jeopardising both staff welfare and the quality of education.

Led by UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga and KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya, the unions accused the university of rendering well-trained and skilled workers jobless without engaging in meaningful consultation with their representative unions.

Wasonga demanded that the university revoke all redundancy letters and reinstate the affected workers, noting that Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba had previously assured that no academic staff would be affected by any layoffs.

“We have professors, senior lecturers, and assistant lecturers being declared redundant while others remain. Students are still here, and we are informed that the number of students has increased. Who will teach them?” he posed.

He questioned the university’s criteria for declaring staff redundant, stressing the need for transparency and fairness in such a significant restructuring process.

Wasonga pointed out that it was absurd for the university to undertake mass dismissals at a time when thousands of students from across the country are set to join Moi University in September.

He expressed concern that several departments have been left without lecturers, while others are now operating with skeletal staffing, a situation he said would directly impact students’ learning experience.

For instance, he highlighted the case of the Economics and Planning of Education department, where all lecturers, including long-serving faculty, have been dismissed.

“Who will teach the learners pursuing mandatory courses in Economics and Planning when most of the faculty have been dismissed? Those remaining do not specialise in these subjects. We will not allow our lecturers to be overworked. We demand that management withdraw the redundancy letters before the situation spirals out of control,” he warned.

Wasonga further revealed that the only lecturer handling German language studies had also been declared redundant, despite active student enrolment in the course. He added that nearly three schools offer French at the institution, yet only two lecturers remain to teach the language.

He urged the university to adhere to the required student-to-teacher ratio, cautioning that current staffing levels would force lecturers to handle more than three units per semester.

The unions also criticised the government for failing to hold university administrators accountable for financial mismanagement, arguing that workers were being punished for failures stemming from corruption and poor leadership.

Mukhwaya accused Moi University management of ignoring multiple requests for dialogue on the issue and dismissed claims that the workforce was bloated.

“We are asking the acting Vice Chancellor to retract those redundancy letters sent to workers last week, or we will take legal action to seek justice for our hundreds of members,” Mukhwaya said.

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• warn of academic crisis

He questioned the rationale behind the mass dismissals, saying it was unreasonable for the university to claim financial constraints while simultaneously planning to open a new campus in Baringo County.

Meanwhile, Moi University Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Kiplagat Kotut, speaking during the launch of the second phase of the university’s green energy project, acknowledged the institution’s financial struggles but defended the ongoing reforms.

“When we have our issues, some people believe we are heading for disaster. Some think that Moi University is dying, or that we ceased to exist a long time ago. We have challenges, but the most important thing is that we have recognised them and are on the path to finding solutions,” Prof Kotut said.

“We will not wait for anyone else to fix the problems at this university. As a community, we will do it ourselves. This process may be painful at times and might affect some of us, but if it is essential for saving everyone involved, then it is worthwhile.”