Online and physical learning at Moi University main campus and its satellite campuses in Nairobi and Mombasa have been disrupted after lecturers downed their tools yesterday.
The decision to boycott teaching was arrived at during a four-hour charged meeting convened by the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Moi University chapter in Eldoret town.
Led by the UASU chapter chairman Richard Okero and Secretary Ojuki Nyabuta, the more than 900 lecturers resolved to keep off from lecture rooms until their grievances are addressed by the university top management.
Some of the demands they want sorted out by the university include delayed salary payments, discrimination in promotion of teaching staff and non remittance of their deductions to the pension scheme.
“We have deliberated, discussed and resolved as academic staff that no teaching, be it online or physical, shall take place at the Moi University and its satellite campuses spread across the country until our demands are addressed by the concerned authority,” stated Okero.
He criticized the university management for using the deans of various schools including that of information science to intimidate and threaten lecturers who are on strike.
“We are aware of a scheme being employed by the university management to curtail our strike by using deans of various schools and colleges to intimidate and threaten our members from joining in the strike that has officially kicked off,” added Okero.
The union chairman said the lecturers have been earning half salaries for several months and that their efforts to seek an audience with the Vice chancellor over the matter has hit a snag.
“The VC has refused to engage us in talks over our plight despite several requests. It is now time to show him that we also matter,” decried Okero.
He claimed that 53 lecturers from the university have been flagged by Faulu Bank over default in servicing their loans. He wondered why the university was deducting money from the affected.