The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has asked the Ministry of Education to investigate the standard of teaching at Kirinyaga University in regards to the alleged overwork of teachers.
Speaking to the press, Secretary General Constantine Wasonga called for an investigation stating that lectures are teaching 7 classes in a semester yet they are also expected to teach mandatory part time lessons.
“Academic staff on January 6, 2022 were asked to teach mandatory part time classes, if it is part time how can it be mandatory? they are expected to teach two more additional units,” Wasonga said.
“ Our members are also forced to teach five units while even in private Universities the standards set are for three Units and we have learnt Ndungu now has increased to seven units hence the standoff ,” he added.
He further said the university is running without a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), stating that the union has severally requested the management to convene a meeting but they declined with no response.
“We have contacted the management several times to convene a meeting to negotiate CBA but the vice chancellor has developed her own in the name of terms and conditional service yet CBA is supposed to be between union and employer,” Wasonga said.
Education Cabinet secretary George Magoha said lecturers and Professors should be allowed to work freely without compulsion.
Magoha spoke during an inspection tour of the construction of classrooms in preparation of CBC learners in Junior High School at Mutira Girls, Kirinyaga County.
“If a lecturer decides to teach many units he is very much encouraged to do so, forget about the politics,” Magoha said.
Kirinyaga University Vice Chancellor Professor Wambui Ndungu stormed out of a meeting with UASU on learning the agenda the trade unionists had on the table.
Ndungu, who was accompanied by her VC told the trade unionists she was busy with other urgent matters.
She had earlier on called in the police from the nearby Kutus Police station to come and eject the trade unionists but the law enforcers came and left on learning there was neither a commotion nor any unrest.