Varsity students cry foul as dons skip class in pay protest

Jane Akinyi, a fourth-year education student at Kenyatta University was to start her final semester in March, but that has not happened.

A few days after reporting back, lecturers went on strike. She stayed in the university for two weeks without learning and she is now at home as she awaits a solution, which might not come soon due to the hard-line positions taken by the government and the lecturers’ union.

This is the fourth time she has been affected by strikes in one academic year; first was in March, then July, and in December last year.

Last month, a student identified as Joy Kinya took to social media to appeal to President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and end the strike that has paralysed learning in the 31 public universities.

“Mr President, this should have been my last month studying on campus. I should have done my final exams in April. It is the 29th day of March and I am yet to start my January semester,” said Ms Kinya.

PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

She is among thousands of students in the public universities who have been forced to stay idle due to the strike.

And the standoff may not end soon as lecturers have lined up several protests to push for negotiations of the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), while the government insists on a staff audit and job evaluation.

University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Peter Mbithi told the Nation that the strike had badly affected learning in the institutions.

The university has about 300 international students, who have had to stay around or go back to their countries as they await the end of the strike.

Despite threats by vice-chancellors to discipline lecturers for participating in the strike, they have remained defiant.

 At Kisii University, Richard Muthii, a third-year student of software engineering, said the strike had turned he and his colleagues into idlers.

“Since we have not been attending classes, most of us have been forced to go back home,” he said.

STAYING AT HOME

The student’s union president, Peter Kuria, said they were tired of staying at home as they wait for their tutors’ pay crisis to be resolved.

Samuel Wasike faulted the government for ignoring the dons’ plea, saying they should be paid well as they play a big role in shaping professionals.

On Egerton University’s Main Campus at Njoro and the Nakuru Town campus,  more than 90 per cent of the students are away.

Those remaining on the campuses are only participating in co-curricular activities.

 “I should have completed my third year and would be on industrial attachment, but we hadn’t even started the second semester. We are being told we will go for the field attachment after completing the fourth year,” Esther Nyamoita told the Nation.

 “The fourth-year group has not gone for attachment and they are expected to graduate. We are yet to receive our second-year transcripts, despite being half way through third year. We are afraid our graduation might be pushed longer,” Loventer Ochari said.

RESOLVE IMPASSE

At Maseno University, a third-year student, Denis  Jade, from  Taita-Taveta County, said he would not go back home as he called on the government to resolve the impasse.

 “It is unfortunate that we have faced four major strikes in a span of one year. I hope that the ongoing strike will not result in us staying longer than scheduled,” he said.

Ms Mercy Atieno, who sells food at Maseno shopping centre, lamented poor business due to the strike.

At Karatina University, both the students and the lecturers have stayed away from the lecture halls save for a few students.

Calvin Omollo, a third-year agriculture student, is one of those who have not gone home.

 “The cost of transport is high and it is better to save the money as we do not know when the strike will end,” he said.

Some students have resorted to picking tea on farms surrounding the school, while others are working as casuals for the contractor building the access road to the university for their upkeep.

DISRUPTED LEARNING

Universities Academic Staff Union Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said thought the strike had disrupted learning, the government must negotiate with them.

Last month, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich told the National Assembly’s Education Committee that talks with lecturers could only take place once a jobs evaluation had been conducted.

He dismissed the talks between union and universities management that started last December and collapsed in February.

The CS said they were not of any value as the lecturers had stopped job evaluation through a court and yet it  was to guide the negotiation.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) Secretary General Francis Atwoli asked the government and trade unions to embrace dialogue to avert strikes.

DIALOGUE

Mr Atwoli attributed the increased strikes to lack of understanding between unions and the government.

He spoke in Nairobi, after meeting Public Service Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia.

“Dialogue is an international phenomenon that people engage in where there are differences. When we embrace dialogue, we will minimise these strikes,” he said.

The Cotu boss defended the trade unions against claims that they were quick to call strikes before engaging the government in dialogue, and sometimes walking out on the government during negotiations.

“Trade unions are not keen on their members going on strike. We are always open for dialogue,” he said.

 Reports by Irene Mugo, Ndung’u Gachane, Alex Njeru, Victor Raballa, Peter Mburu, Ouma Wanzala and Silas Apollo