Over 500 Kenyan university lecturers protest low pay

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya

More than 500 lecturers from 31 public universities in Kenya on Wednesday brought traffic to a standstill in capital Nairobi following a protest demanding the government to honor a pay hike negotiated in 2017.

Police also fired tear gas on the protesters after they refused to turn back after submitting their petition at the Education Ministry.

The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed between the government and lecturers in 2017 was supposed to harmonize the salaries of varsity dons from 2017-2022.

So far, students have stayed out of class for close to a semester as both the government and the protesting lecturers maintain their stances.

Universities Academic Staff Union Secretary General Muga K'Olale called for the resignation of Education Minister Amina Mohammed and accused him of not implementing the CBA.

“She [Mohammed] made promises that she has not fulfilled that is why we are going to her office to remind her that she has failed universities and that the state is responsible, we are victims of state ineptitude, inefficacy, and irresponsibility,” K'Olale said.

Lecturer Joseph Mberia accused the government of intentionally ignoring them pointing out that other public workers such as High School and Primary School teachers among other Civil servants are receiving their salary increment as negotiated in the 2017-2021 CBA.

Meanwhile, students like Charles Omondi from Kenyatta University said the salary dispute started was affecting his education immensely.

“I am in now in third year, and I could have graduated next year but now due to all this it is not possible, and I cannot cheat myself that I can go to school for one month and then assume that I have done a unit, that is a big lie, the government must act this time around and take back lecturers to class.”