Public universities in Kenya have less than three weeks to return Sh1.6 billion they diverted to ineligible expenditures to avert a staff strike.
The money is part of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed in mid-March with the Public University Vice-Chancellors’ Committee to end a strike the workers had called.
According to details on reimbursement obtained of the funds to a common bank account, only a sum of Sh625 million had been returned by the time of writing this article, out of the required Sh2.2 billion.
Only 10 institutions had cleared their balances by last week. The money was to be paid to the more than 30,000 workers allied to the Universities Academic Staff Union, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Education Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers.
Last week, Kusu secretary-general Charles Mukhwaya warned that the unions would go on strike if the money is not paid by May 30.
Sunday, he maintained the position, accusing university management of ignoring their warning.
“The agreement as we signed stated that the money should be paid not later than May 30," he said.
“We expect that they will meet their side of the bargain but so far they have not reached out to us to indicate they will.”
“We are aware that they have been holding meetings among themselves and consulting with the Ministry of Education but as unions we have not seen signs of that money coming through,” he added.
In response to the workers’ threats, Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi argued that the universities were well within the grace period given to them in the agreement.
“The bottom line is that they should wait until the end. The CBA says the money should be paid by the end of May. The end of May has not arrived. When it finally comes and the money hasn’t been paid, we shall know how to cross the bridge,” he said.
The details contained in a document titled 2010-2013 Funds Transferred to JAB indicate that only Sh625, 871,728 had been remitted to the common account agreed in March by May 9. That amount is from the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Garissa University College, Chuka University, and Moi University.Others are Multimedia University of Kenya, Technical University of Mombasa, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Maseno and Kisii University College.
Kibabii, Taita Taveta, Embu, Rongo and the University of Eldoret have remitted some money, but they cumulatively still owe workers Sh443 million from the March CBA.
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Maasai Mara owe workers Sh71 million, but had not paid a cent by May 9. It means 19 institutions have two weeks to pay up Sh1,644, 810,084 to workers or face indefinite closure.
In March 2014, more than 500,000 regular and self-sponsored students were forced to miss out on classes for 10 days after the unions went on strike over what they said was the diversion by vice-chancellors of money meant for allowances to other programmes.
Adapted from Daily Nation
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