Wrangles rock UASU leadership at University of Nairobi

What you need to know:

  • The bone of contention was the planned use of Sh185, 000 for a luncheon which Mr Omondi wanted it to be held next year in February but Dr Bosire wanted it to be held this month.
  • Mr Omondi is accusing the chairman for making a unilateral decision to proceed with the luncheon without the mandatory ratification from the elected officials as required by UASU constitution.

Leadership wrangles have hit the University of Nairobi chapter of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU).

The row is between chairman Richard Bosire and Secretary George Omondi.

The bone of contention is the planned use of Sh185,000 for a luncheon that Mr Omondi wanted held next year in February but that Dr Bosire wanted held this month.

The two have written two separate letters to members of the union, each explaining his side of the story.

Mr Omondi is accusing the chairman of making a unilateral decision to proceed with the luncheon without the mandatory ratification from the elected officials as required by UASU constitution.

Dr Bosire on the other hand has asked members to pray that they stay on course and together fight for their rights as employees of University of Nairobi.

“The Secretary and other forces outside the Union are determined to derail our reform agenda and agitation for our rights. Together, we shall defeat these forces,” he said.

However, Mr Omondi insisted that a committee was mandated to organise the luncheon and which was also to be used for the launch of the union’s strategic plan for the term of the current office, as well as launch a website and present reports to members.

“The said committee had not completed its preparations and had requested that the meeting and the luncheon be postponed to February 2017. All the elected officials had agreed to meet and approve the plan for the luncheon,” he said.

He added that a cheque was brought to him written in the name of Dr Richard Bosire without any explanatory note on how the expenditure was to be distributed and he sought clarifications and compliance with basic procurement procedures before appending his signature to the cheque.

The Secretary said he expected the cheque to be accompanied by an invoice from Chiromo Club indicating the items, quantities to be procured, costs per item and terms of payment (contract) as well as the minutes from the select committee deliberations to be attached and that the cheque be made payable to Chiromo Club which has an operating Bank Account and not in Dr Bosire’s name.

He said none of these mandatory items, document and requirements was made available by the chairman and after consultations with officials from Chiromo Club they confirmed that they would have had no difficulty with the union writing the cheque payable to the Club.

“These compliance issues took a while to be sorted out leading to the postponement of the luncheon. These are normal procedural challenges in any institution and we must be bold enough to confront and resolve them,” said Mr Omondi.

He said the union has adequate internal structures and mechanisms to handle such matter.

“I must apologise for the inconveniences caused to the members. You elected all of us to work for you. We commit ourselves to do exactly that,” added Mr Omondi.

However, Dr Bosire said the move was a calculated scheme to disable the union and forestall progress.

“I plead for your understanding on matters relating to UASU Secretary’s letter to you. It is unfortunate that matters in our union have got to this point,” he said.

The chairman went on: “However, all is not lost. Change comes in a hard way and anti-change forces have ganged up, both from within and outside the union, to create and deepen a rift between progressive forces and you, members.”

Dr Bosire explained that the executive committee met in the presence of Mr Omondi and decided that the luncheon should go on as scheduled, despite Mr Omondi’s unconvincing objection.

“The Executive Committee asked the Treasurer, Secretary and Chairman to facilitate payments to Chiromo Club for catering services,” he said.

Dr Bosire explained that Chiromo Club asked the union to make payment in cash because the cheque could only mature after the function, and explained that they did not have enough resources to cover the expenses.

“As it is the practice of many institutions, to obtain cash from the bank, an open cheque was to be cut in the name of one of the signatories. Omondi left the meeting to invigilate an examination, while Kerubo (treasurer) was leaving town and I was the only one available to complete the transaction,” he said.

The Chairman went on: “With the concurrence of the three of us (with Omondi on phone and SMS, which I could forward to you) the cheque (Sh185, 000 which was 75 per cent of the total cost) was cut in my name, signed by two signatories present and sent to Omondi to sign for us to pay the club before close of business. As you are aware, he refused to sign the cheque.”

He said Mr Omondi’s level of dishonesty is demeaning and annoying.

“No one, in my entire life, has accused me of financial impropriety. I shall remain faithful and truthful in carrying out my mandate. We have already stopped the looting which has been going on in the Union for almost a decade,” said Dr Bosire.