The University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) has called off a three-week lecturers’ strike at Moi University following lengthy negotiations with the university council and management on Tuesday.
Moi University Uasu chapter secretary Busolo Wekesa said the parties reached an agreement on most of the union’s 25 demands.
Among the key issues resolved was the immediate withdrawal of redundancy letters that had been issued to about 200 lecturers.
“We had gone to court over the matter, and the council has now withdrawn the letters,” Busolo said.
Speaking at the Moi University main campus, Busolo added that the council had also agreed to address the release of more than Sh9 billion owed to lecturers for pensions, union dues and salary arrears. The university further issued promotion letters to some lecturers who had been waiting for years.
He said the council also agreed to amend statutes to allow dons elect deans at the institution.
Uasu branch officials, led by chairman Richard Okero, assistant secretary Dr Dan Mukhwana and organising secretary Nyabuta Ojuki, had insisted that the university must honour all their demands for the strike to end.
Learning had been completely paralysed during the strike, but lessons are expected to resume immediately.
Student leaders, led by Pauline Jeruto, welcomed the return to class and urged the Ministry of Education to dialogue with Uasu to prevent further strikes. She accused the government of dragging its feet in addressing the financial and management crisis facing the institution.
“As students, we go to the university to learn and nothing else. Our lecturers have genuine demands which must be addressed. They cannot teach without being paid their dues,” she said.
Vice Chancellor Prof Kiplagat Kotut confirmed the agreement with Uasu, while Wekesa emphasised that the Return-To-Work Formula signed between the union and the Moi University Council on November 30, 2024, had 25 clauses which the management had largely ignored until now.
He expressed hope that ending the strike would pave the way for full implementation of the deal to ensure smooth operations at the university.
Moi University has over 1,000 lecturers who are UASU members.
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