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UASU UoN Chapter, has thrown its support behind Moi University lecturers following controversial remarks made by that institution’s Acting Vice Chancellor
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The union has accused Prof. Kotut of insulting and defaming academic staff by allegedly describing them as parasites living off the work of others.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), University of Nairobi Chapter, has thrown its support behind Moi University lecturers following controversial remarks made by that institution’s Acting Vice Chancellor before Parliament.
In a solidarity message addressed to UASU’s Moi University Chapter, the University of Nairobi union condemned remarks allegedly made by Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Kiplagat Kotut during a parliamentary appearance on July 2, 2026.
The union accused Prof. Kotut of insulting and defaming academic staff by allegedly describing them as parasites living off the work of others.
UASU UoN Chapter Secretary Prof. George Osanjo called the remarks offensive and unjustified, arguing that lecturers in Kenya remain among the most overworked and under resourced professionals despite the mounting challenges facing public universities.
“We stand firmly with UASU Moi University Chapter in rejecting these deeply offensive remarks,” Osanjo said.
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The union said staffing shortages in Kenyan universities have been repeatedly flagged by professional regulatory bodies and education agencies, warning that the crisis continues to undermine the quality of higher education.
According to the statement, concerns raised by Moi University lecturers over severe understaffing at the institution’s medical school mirror similar challenges at UoN and other public universities across the country.
The lecturers also referenced ongoing calls by the UASU national office urging the Commission for University Education (CUE) to significantly raise academic staffing levels amid growing pressure within universities.
Separately, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has reportedly directed CUE to conduct quality audits in some public universities over concerns about lecturer shortages.
In its statement, the UoN chapter questioned the accountability of university leadership, arguing that vice chancellors should also account for their own academic workload before criticizing lecturers.
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The union posed a pointed question about how much teaching happens in a vice chancellor’s office, if the argument is that all staff are funded by the students they teach.
The union further criticized what it described as a tendency by university leadership to blame lecturers for institutional failures rooted in poor leadership and inadequate government funding, invoking a paraphrased line from author Chinua Achebe about failures of leadership.
UASU UoN warned that public attacks on lecturers risk demoralizing academic staff and eroding confidence in the higher education sector. The chapter closed its statement by assuring Moi University lecturers of its continued solidarity in the ongoing dispute.
By Benedict Aoya
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