We demand: Moi University lecturers threaten strike days after 1st years joined

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Moi University lecturers have threatened a fresh strike over plans to declare 75 academic staff redundant while recruiting part-time lecturers

- UASU questioned the decision, saying lecturers are already overwhelmed by large classes and warning of legal action and industrial unrest

- The dispute comes as Moi University continues efforts to recover from a deep financial crisis

Moi University lecturers have threatened to resume industrial action, accusing the institution's acting management of planning to declare some academic staff redundant while simultaneously recruiting part-time lecturers.

The warning came just days after first-year students reported to the university on Thursday, August 20, raising fears of another disruption to learning at the institution.

Addressing journalists in Eldoret on Monday, August 24, Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Moi University Chapter Secretary General Robert Oduori said the union had rejected the proposed redundancy of 75 lecturers.

The union questioned why the university would seek to reduce its permanent teaching staff while advertising vacancies for part-time lecturers in some of the same departments.

“We register our strongest displeasure and total rejection of the decision by the university's acting management to declare 75 of our members redundant while simultaneously advertising for part-time lecturers to fill the same positions,” Oduori said.

Why are Moi University lecturers threatening to strike?

UASU said the proposed redundancies were contradictory and would worsen the workload facing lecturers at the institution.

Oduori questioned whether the university had conducted a comprehensive financial assessment to justify sending the lecturers home, particularly when it was simultaneously seeking additional teaching staff.

“We find serious contradictions in the university management's notice of redundancy. You fire and hire at the same time? How does this address the purported financial challenges that the university is allegedly facing?” he asked.

The union official further demanded to know whether a financial audit had been conducted to establish the need for the planned redundancies and, if so, what its findings were.

UASU also claimed that lecturers were already overwhelmed, with some handling classes of up to 1,000 students in a single session.

The union argued that reducing the number of permanent lecturers would put further pressure on the remaining academic staff and potentially affect the quality of teaching.

What demands has UASU issued?

UASU demanded that the university immediately withdraw its advertisement seeking part-time lecturers in the affected departments.

Oduori warned that failure to do so would trigger industrial action and possible legal proceedings at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

“We demand the immediate withdrawal of the advertisement for part-time lecturers in the affected departments. Failure to do so, we shall instruct our members to cease teaching activities, decline to conduct handovers and commence industrial action, including a strike, alongside legal action at the Employment and Labour Relations Court,” he said.

The union also questioned why Moi University is reducing its workforce at a time when other public universities are reportedly preparing to increase their teaching capacity to accommodate rising student numbers, including new cohorts under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

Another UASU official accused the acting management of repeatedly resorting to redundancies instead of exploring alternative ways of reviving the institution.

“We are saying enough is enough with this issue of redundancy. We cannot have an acting management sacking permanent and pensionable members. Let Moi University recover the way other universities are recovering. We have better strategies that can be used instead of redundancy every now and then,” the official said.

Did Moi University recently face a major financial reprieve?

The latest dispute comes weeks after Moi University secured a significant reprieve in a long-running financial dispute with Vishva Builders.

The contractor withdrew a court case seeking to recover more than KSh 1 billion from the university after a decades-old construction dispute was settled. The original award of KSh 185.3 million had accumulated interest over the years, ballooning the financial claim.

Despite the reprieve, the university remains under significant financial pressure. In July, its management told parliament that pending bills had reached about KSh 9 billion, while the institution was seeking an additional KSh 1.9 billion in recurrent funding for the 2026/27 financial year.

Who is currently running Moi University?

The current administration was installed after a major leadership shake-up in January 2025.

The university's then vice chancellor, Professor Isaac Kosgey, was sent on an eight-month leave effective January 30, 2025, while other senior officials were also sent on leave or sabbatical.

Professor Kiplagat Kotut was appointed acting vice chancellor, with Professor Khaemba Ongeti taking over as acting deputy vice chancellor for Academic, Research, Extension and Student Affairs.

In July, the management told parliament that academic operations had stabilised and students were progressing through their programmes, although the university continued to face a heavy financial burden.

The threatened strike now places the institution's recovery efforts under fresh pressure, coming at the beginning of a new academic cycle and shortly after the arrival of first-year students.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.