Uasu boss turns down promotion

• Professor refuses to take up job as head of department after he is told to ditch activities of academic staff union

A university is threatening to take disciplinary action against a senior Universities Academic Staff Union official for declining a management position.

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology vice-chancellor Barasa Wangila wrote to the national chairman of the union, Prof Sammy Kubasu, informing him that he had been appointed chairman of the Department of Biological Sciences for three years with effect from July 12.

He listed the allowances and benefits that go with the position and told the lecturer that he was not supposed to engage in union matters.

“The position of chairman is a management position and you are not supposed to actively participate in trade union matters,” Prof Wangila’s letter said.

The don was also told to sign a performance contract with the dean, Faculty of Sciences, clearly spelling out his annual, half yearly and quarterly targets during his tenure as departmental chairman.

The VC also asked him to familiarise himself with the policy and regulations governing the university operations and asked him to sign the letter if he accepted the terms.

However, Prof Kubasu declined the appointment, saying he was the Masinde Muliro University’s Uasu chapter secretary and national chairman apart from his teaching and research work at the institution.

Detrimental to the activities

“Given the critical role I am playing in the union negotiations and activities which are on-going in various chapters and nationally I find that taking up the position immediately would be detrimental to the activities,” the letter to Prof Wangila said in part.

The deputy vice-chancellor, Prof S. Makhanu, then wrote to Prof Kubasu giving him seven days to show cause why he should not be disciplined for declining the job.