Lecturers at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology have called for the closure of the institution as their strike enters its third week.
The dons also appealed to President Kenyatta to intervene and end the stalemate that has so far seen some public universities shut down.
Officials of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) led by the JKUAT chapter secretary general Prof Peterson Hinga and chairman Naftali Rugara said the strike has paralyzed teaching at the university.
“We cannot continue wasting students’ time many whom are loitering in the hostels doing nothing. The management should stop burying their heads in the sand and pretending all is well,” said Rugara.
The unionists dismissed as mere propaganda reports in sections of the media that JKUAT lecturers had resumed work and vowed to continue with the strike until their demands are met.
“The only place where teaching could be taking place is in the JKUAT campuses in Nigeria, Rwanda or Somalia where the union has no representation but not in Kenya,” Rugara said.
He also refuted claims that the union was sabotaging government and instead blamed the universities management and Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) for failing to negotiate an agreement.
Prof Hinga said the union rejected an offer of 3 per cent salary increment brokered by the IPUCCF which they said was too little.
The unionists are demanding salary increments for the last four years saying the last collective bargaining agreement for university workers was signed in 2010/2012.
JKUAT has more than 500 lecturers and an additional workforce of about 2,000 non-teaching staff who have gone on strike.