Moi University is set to reopen on Thursday following a month-long strike involving over 4,000 employees due to delayed salary payments and concerns related to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
State Department for Higher Education and Research PS Dr. Beatrice Muganda issued a detailed schedule for meetings and negotiations designed to facilitate a seamless return to regular operations.
As stated in a notice from Vice-Chancellor Prof. Isaac S. Kosgey, consultative meetings with the university’s staff unions, specifically the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), commenced on Saturday, November 2, 2024, and will extend until Wednesday, November 6, 2024.
These discussions will conclude with the official reopening of the university on Thursday, November 7, 2024.
This series of meetings will feature high-level dialogues among university management, union representatives, and the governing bodies of the institution.
The schedule indicates that consultative meetings with UASU and KUSU were held on Saturday, November 2, and Monday, November 4.
Negotiation meetings with the unions are set to continue on Tuesday, November 5, culminating in a final negotiation meeting and the signing of the Return to Work Formula (RTWF) on Wednesday, November 6.
The University is slated to reopen on Thursday, November 7, with students expected to return on Friday, November 8.
The extended industrial action and the ensuing unrest among students resulted in the suspension of all academic activities at the institution, necessitating that students vacate the university premises.
This closure followed escalating tensions related to unpaid salaries and the institution’s difficulties in fulfilling the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which led to violent protests last month.
Students took to the streets of the university, resulting in some individuals requiring hospitalization due to clashes with riot police.
Union leaders and students have called for intervention from President William Ruto, seeking assistance to address what they characterize as a crisis that threatens the university’s very existence.
