Learning in public universities is set to be paralysed from today as lecturers embark on a strike, which will be the third this year, over failure by the government to implement the 2013/2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) secretary-general Constantine Wasonga said the strike will be launched at the University of Nairobi grounds Wednesday morning.
Dr. Wasonga asked all lecturers at the 31 public universities to keep off the institutions until the government addresses their demands for increased pay.
The strike comes after the expiry of a 21-day notice the lecturers had issued in October.
Whereas I do not dismiss the wage injustice visited on teachers in general and university dons in particular it is my considered opinion that this is not the right time for a strike. We all know that our problems emanate from bad politics but then political systems and ideologies come and go but our youth cannot re-live the past. It is time UASU gave thought to the plight of their clients political injustice notwithstanding. I know of students from the 2015 KCSE cohort who are their second semester of second year in private universities. Many of their school mates in public university are yet to clear first year! One (very well known) university is closed because of its proximity to politically sensitive institutions so why does UASU want to exacerbate the misery of its students? That salary component UASU is fighting for will have to be paid eventually even if later than sooner. Dons ought to be patient. The year 2022 is only 5 short years away. The political class will be bending over backwards as they beg for votes and dons will be laughing all the way to the bank courtesy of the accumulated arrears! This will be especially advantageous for those who will have retired by then.