The University of Nairobi (UoN) has issued a strong directive for its academic staff to return to their duties without delay, as the nationwide strike by lecturers continues to unfold.
Since October 29, public university faculty have ceased work to demand overdue salary payments and a pay increase. In a statement released on Tuesday, acting vice-chancellor Margaret Hutchinson highlighted the significant disruption the strike has caused not only to teaching and learning but also to crucial operations like research and community engagement across Kenya’s largest university.
We fully recognize the legitimacy of the concerns raised by our academic staff, and we are committed to collaboratively addressing these issues with all involved stakeholders,”
Prof Hutchinson
She urged all academic personnel to resume their responsibilities “immediately,” specifying that deans and department chairs would oversee daily attendance checks and report findings to university management.Hutchinson warned that any faculty member who fails to fulfill their professional obligations will face necessary consequences as outlined in their employment contracts and under applicable laws.
“No individual will be allowed to intimidate or dissuade those who wish to continue performing their duties during this period,”
Prof Hutchinson also reiterated last month’s ruling from the employment and labor relations court, which declared the ongoing strike unprotected.The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has initiated this strike until all lecturers’ demands, as specified in the 2021-2025 collective bargaining agreement, are fully satisfied.
The proposed plan for returning to work includes a basic salary increase of 7% to 10%, depending on faculty job classifications, along with a 4% annual increment on base salaries. However, while lecturers argue that Ksh.9.7 billion is necessary to implement this plan, the Ministry of Education has only allocated Ksh.4.3 billion for the implementation.
In a related development, UASU and the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) are set to attend a session with the National Assembly Committee on Education on Tuesday to further discuss the ongoing dispute.
As the situation unfolds, the UoN community remains hopeful for a swift resolution that addresses the needs of academic staff while restoring normalcy to university operations.
