Moi University lecturers vow to stay off duty until Sh8.6 billion debt is settled

Moi University lecturers have vowed to remain off duty, despite the nationwide strike being called off by the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) on Saturday.

The lecturers are demanding the settlement of a Sh8.6 billion debt owed to them by the university, which includes unremitted loans, pensions, union fees and other deductions.

The dons first downed their tools on August 26, 2024, in protest of the outstanding payments.

UASU Vice Chair for Moi University, Linda Khaemba, stated that the university's management has yet to commit to paying the debt, making it impossible for the staff to return to work.

“It is hard to say we are going back to work before the employer commits to paying the amount,” Khaemba told Citizen Digital on Sunday.

She further explained that the university management has instead issued warning letters to staff participating in the strike.

Khaemba added that new staff members, hired within the past seven years, have been denied pension benefits, and long-serving staff members are missing nearly 30 per cent of their pensions.

Among the unpaid dues is the group life cover, meant to support the families of staff who die before reaching retirement age.

Khaemba revealed that over 70 staff members have passed away in service, with no funds being provided to their families.

“The management is refusing to commit to when this money will be paid,” Khaemba, also a lecturer at the Moi University School of Law, said.

The lecturers, who are struggling financially, said they are also facing penalties from banks due to unpaid loans, with debt collectors actively pursuing them.

In addition to the financial issues, the lecturers are calling for governance reforms at the university, including their non-representation in the institution’s top policy-making body and the process for electing deans.

While UASU called off the nationwide strike on Saturday, citing a return-to-work agreement with the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), the deal focuses primarily on the full implementation of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), worth Sh9.7 billion.

The implementation will occur in three tranches, with the first tranche of Sh4.3 billion covering nine months up to June 2025. The remaining Sh5.4 billion will be disbursed in two instalments of Sh2.7 billion each.

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