By Enock Okong’o
Kisii University Vice Chancellor Prof.John Akama has refuted claims he used striking staff’s money for his own benefit.
His message comes one day after more than 200 workers in the university downed their tools because of failure by the university to pay them their salary arrears for the last six months.
They said the government increased their salaries as they had agreed in the CBA, but the VC allegedly sat on the money. Led by the University’s registrar, Mr George Andama, they vowed to paralyse the institution’s services unless their demands were met. “We shall not give the final examinations to the students unless we are paid our money” Andama stated.
However, the CV clarified that government remitted Sh80 million for the 2018-2019 financial year. “We paid Sh20 million to staff by following the law,” he explained.
“Sh20 million was paid in July 2019 and another sum in May 2020,” he added. He asked the staff to return to work as the university’s management sought ways of solving their problems internally.
“Violence is not the best way of solving our problems, I call for calmness to prevail among our staff,” he appealed.
The VC said Kisii university is one of the fast growing universities in the world, adding that any internal squabbles might lead to the tainting of its name and such acts must be shunned in all ways.
