Moi University medicine lecturers have called off their strike. This comes after extensive talks with the management.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the State department of University Education and Research were also involved in the talks.
The strike had lasted for a staggering 77 days.
According to KMPDU Secretary General Dr. Davji Atella, all salaries that were withheld in the month of December and January will be remitted immediately.
Dr. Atella said that disciplinary proceedings that had been instituted by the university management against the lecturers and union officials will be withdrawn immediately.
He said that they agreed on a framework to have all matters resolved amicably by Monday 14th February.
“The doctor lecturers will resume their duties immediately the money hits their accounts,” said Dr. Atella.
He noted that about Ksh.240 Million has to be remitted to the lecturers’ accounts before they resume their work.
“Doctor lecturers are expecting Ksh. 81 Million for arrears. The amount of unpaid salaries now stands at about Ksh. 150 Million,” he noted.
“We have signed the agreement that this money will get into the doctor lecturers’ accounts and are ready to resume their work,” added Atella.
All learning activities which had stalled at the university’s school of medicine will now resume.
Most of the fundamental issues that were looked at by the union include the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), statutory deductions and promotions.
He said they are going to deposit the agreement in the court as a consent.
Addressing the press in Eldoret town, Principal Secretary in the State Department of Education and Research Amb. Simon Nabukwesi said the amicable resolution to end the close to three-month strike was a bold step.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Education and particularly the Cabinet Secretary for Education Prof. George Magoha, I thank the University council, the university management led by Prof. Isaac Kosgey and all the Professor lecturers and doctors of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital for coming with the right attitude to resolve the issue that has kept the medical school paralyzed for close to three months,” said Amb. Nabukwesi.
He added that dialogue plays a critical role in solving issues amicably.
“Other universities should emulate the step which Moi University has taken,” he said.
He also noted that frequent and long closures of institutions affect their reputation.
“I hope that students will come back immediately and resume studies,” added Amb. Nabukwesi.
Moi University Vice Chancellor Prof. Isaac Kosgey said they will clear the payments of the doctor lecturers amounting to about Ksh. 240 Million before Monday as per the agreement on Friday 11th February.
He said that the university management will soon be recalling the students to resume studies.
The VC also noted that they are going to have long term solutions to the problems which have been affecting the university.
Dr. Darwin Ambuka, the Chairperson of North Rift KMPDU branch said the strike had crippled learning activities.
“We have ended our strike and we shall go back to class once the money is in the accounts,” said Dr. Ambuka.
