Students in public varsities feel pinch of dons’ strike

Students in most public universities are learning on their own as the lecturers strike which is in its second week continues to bite.

The government and university lecturers Tuesday continued to pull in different directions, a move that is likely to see some institutions closed.

At the Labour Court, public universities sought to block lecturers and other staff from downing their tools over stalled salary review talks.

The universities have sued the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) in a case where the ministries of Education and Labour, the National Treasury, the Attorney-General and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission are listed as interested parties.

Through lawyer Ruth Kirwa, the forum accuses Uasu of issuing fresh demands with an ultimatum that they must be met within seven days or else its members would not resume duty.

INJUNCTION

“It is imperative and of urgency that this court issues an injunction against the industrial action called for by Uasu as it is unlawful and will disrupt the forum’s operations unjustifiably as well as set a bad precedent for industrial relations,” said Ms Kirwa.

Employment and Labour Relations Court judge Onesmus Makau said the matter will be heard on Friday before he issues any temporary orders.

At Kenyatta University, most students under the government sponsored programme have turned to the library while their colleagues under self-sponsored programmes, especially those at Law School in Nairobi, are attending classes.

Students who spoke to the DailyNation said most lecturers have declined to teach. At the University of Nairobi, only postgraduate students are taught while undergraduate students have been abandoned by lecturers.

EXAMS ONLY

At Egerton University, lecturers are only administering examinations.

The lecturers insist that they will only go back to class once their demands have been met.

At Moi University, some lecturers are teaching under cover after being threatened by their striking colleagues.

At South Eastern Kenya University in Kitui, no learning is going on and students spend most of their time in the library. The case is the similar at Kabianga, Rongo and Machakos universities.

Most students have since been asked to go home as they wait for the crisis to be addressed.

Students at Masinde Muliro and Technical University of Kenya told the Nation that lecturers were not attending classes.

“Since the lectures went on strike, learning has been paralysed, we fear if the strike continues, our academic calendar will be interrupted like it happened last year,” said one of the students.

Education Cabinet Amina Mohamed Tuesday said the government was determined to solve the issue.

“The government is working round the clock to find a credible solution,” said Ms Mohamed.

Reporting by Ouma Wanzala, Faith Nyamai, Maureen Kakah and Wachira Mwangi