Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has maintained that their strike is still on despite accepting the Ksh4.3 billion from the government.
This afternoon, UASU National Organizing Secretary and Multimedia Chapter Secretary Onesmus Maluki Mutio told Education News that unless the government commits on how it will pay the balance of Ksh5.4 billion in the Ksh9.7 billion demand, they will not call off the strike.
He added that the moment they get that commitment, they will start the conversation on ending the strike which has paralyzed operations in all public universities.
“…the strike is on because they have only given us Ksh4.3 billion; they’ve not told us (anything about) the Ksh5.4 billion. We want to know, if we get this Ksh4.3 billion, when a you paying us the balance?” posed Maluki.
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His position concurred with that of UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga who maintained that the strike is on.
“The strike is on until we get the Ksh9.7 billion. We will take the Ksh4.3 billion and in turn the government must tell us how we are getting the Ksh5.4 billion and it must be done voluntarily,” said Wasonga after being pressed by reporters on the status of the strike in light of the offer moments after appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee today.
Appearing before the committee, Wasonga accepted the offer but demanded that the remaining Ksh5.4 billion be paid over two financial years.
“UASU accepts the Ksh4.3 billion, but the government must commit to pay the Ksh5.4 billion in two installments: half in the 2025/2026 financial year and the remainder in 2026/2027,” he said.
By our reporter
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