Government Says Permanent And Pensionable Terms Of Employment For University Lecturers Will Stop

The Kenyan government has aounced it will stop hiring university lecturers on permanent and pensionable terms with immediate effect.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i made this known on Wednesday while opening a forum for public university chiefs in Nairobi. He said that new staff will from January, get contracts.

Read Also: Lecturers Embark On Third Strike This Year Over KSh10 Billion CBA

“[We have stopped the] hiring, especially of support staff, on PP. We will recruit on contractual basis,” he said.

“The proposal to introduce contract-based employment in varsities will start in the next financial year…Time has come when we must reflect on how to run universities.”

The minister, however, clarified that university lecturers already in employment will not be affected by the new system.

Matiangi further aounced that the setting up of new satellite campuses will stop.

“We have closed all campuses of public universities outside Kenya. We will not open any more satellite campuses for we will concentrate on improving existing ones.”

He said the ministry has embarked on reforming universities, which he advised to analyze staff and skills needed.

These recent remarks from the CS comes days after the Universities Academic Staff Union launched scathing attacks on the government for laxity in paying lecturers’ allowances and pensions as their strike enters its third week.

“You will negotiate the CBA. You will pay the arrears plus our pension,” UASU secretary general Constantine Wasonga said.

Lecturers are pushing for higher perks as stated in their 2013-17 collective bargaining agreement drafted by universities, unions and the government.

The strike has paralyzed institutions and resulted in uncertainty on whether graduations will take place in December.

Read Also: Public University Lecturers Strike Over CBA Implementation

This has prompted university student bodies to call on the government to end the lecturers’ strike or have them take to the streets.

Technical University of Mombasa student leaders gave Matiang’i 72 hours to negotiate before he calls for protests. They promised to mobilize their colleagues across the country for daily demonstrations until the government acts.

TUM student union president Daniel Otieno said they caot accept the government’s unwillingness to engage with the dons.

“Comrades’ patience is at the elastic limit and very soon it will break….we promise,” he said at the campus on Wednesday.

Otieno added that Matiang’i should “abstain from politics as a plague” and end the crisis which has affected learning in universities countrywide.