Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has urged lecturers not to go on strike but to give negotiations a chance so that all parties can reach an amicable settlement.
Last week, 35 public universities announced that learning in their institutions could come to a standstill from September 18, 2024, following the breakdown of negotiations between the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) over the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Their grievances include delayed salaries, non-payment of their full salaries, and non-remittance of statutory deductions and third-party deductions, including loans, insurance premiums and pension contributions.
Mr Ogamba said disruptions caused by the planned industrial action could seriously affect academic programmes, including graduation ceremonies scheduled for the next three months.
“Given that most of the universities are just beginning the 2024/2025 Academic Year’s first semester, which is expected to end by December 2024, I look forward to a sober approach to the issue of labour relations between the teaching and non-teaching staff of universities,” the CS said.
Speaking during the inauguration of the 1st chancellor of Tharaka University, Prof Ratemo Michieka, on September 13, 2024, the CS acknowledged that the staff have genuine grievances regarding their CBA.
“I am aware that the unions representing the staff of universities have issued a strike notice to their employers. I urge them to give the process of negotiations a chance,” said Mr Ogamba.
At the same time, he urged education stakeholders to work with the government to curb the worrying insecurity in learning institutions.
“I believe that we can prevent such spate of school fires if each of us plays our role in enforcing the government’s Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya, which has formidable measures to ensure that our institutions are safe spaces for our children,” he added.
The CS said the state had embarked on an inspection of all schools to assess the status of safety standards.
Mr Ogamba warned that government would not spare any officer, teacher or school administrator found to be flouting the measures put in place to safeguard the lives of learners.
On the new funding model for higher education institutions, the CS said the joint engagement between the state and students will specifically review and analyse the progress and effectiveness of the funding model and assess the veracity and effectiveness of the Means Testing Instrument (MTI). Following a recent consensus between students and the government, the CS said his ministry will this week form two committees to engage in robust discussions on how to ensure that the funding model does not disadvantage any student in their quest to access higher education.
According to the Mr Ogamba, the discussions will also look at the cost of courses at universities, as well as evaluating the student appeals mechanism to ensure that banding under the funding model accurately reflects the economic realities of households.
The parties will analyse the structure of loans, including interest rates, grace and repayment periods.
However, Mr Ogamba said so far this financial year, the state has disbursed Sh4.2 billion for loans and upkeep for students under the student-centred model.
