
Varsity Lecturers Issues List Of Demands To Presidential Hopefuls
Varsity lecturers have issued a list of demands to the new government, which will take over after the August elections.
Onesmus Mutio, organizing secretary of the Universities Academic Staff Union, spoke to the Star, pleading with the government to address the university crisis.
“Within the first 100 days the next government should think of how to deal with the situation facing our universities,” Mutio said.
He stated that the next administration should train lecturers, fund research, assist students, and expand the type of support provided to primary and secondary schools.
According to Mutio, higher education is underfunded and underserved.
“If the next government does not take universities seriously, then we are likely to close down many universities and the current crisis might escalate,” Mutio said.
In the fiscal year 2019-20, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu declared 12 universities technically insolvent.
Concerning dons’ salaries, he chastised the current administration for failing to fully implement the 2017-21 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“They need to ensure the current and the next agreement that is the 2021-2021 CBA are full implemented,” he said.
Mutio went on to say that the current government has failed to support universities financially.
He said the current CBA is not fully funded; universities are paying lecturers and staff only 57% of what they are supposed to.
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The unionist, on the other hand, did not state which camp he supports, only that whatever alliance wins, the demands must be met.
Raila Odinga, president of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition, and his Kenya Kwanza counterpart, William Ruto, met with the dons to hear their demands.
In response to the CBA issue, Odinga stated that remuneration is not always based on agreed-upon percentages between the government and civil servants.
He stated that salary increases are determined by the cost of living rather than the CBA.
Ruto met the dons behind closed doors at his Karen home.
Ruto pledged to increase plans to promote higher education while presenting his manifesto.
He promised to create a National Skill & Funding Council that would combine HELB, TVET, and the University Funding Board and increase funding to close the current 45 percent gap.
Ruto stated that within the first two years, the Kenya Kwanza government will have fully equipped TVETS in the remaining 52 constituencies.
He also promised to establish Kenya’s first National Open University.
The university’s goal is to increase access and lower the cost of university education while ensuring a complete transition to higher education.
Varsity Lecturers Issues List Of Demands To Presidential Hopefuls