University students will continue to stay at home after efforts to resolve the ongoing university lecturers’ strike faltered on Tuesday.
A meeting convened by the National Assembly Committee on Education was called off after the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) failed to provide documents proving that the government is ready to invest Sh4.3 billion to facilitate the reopening of universities and bring students back to class.
The committee was forced to summon three Cabinet Secretaries to address the issue.
A move by some universities to force the lecturers to resume classes was rescinded hours later.
According to Committee Chairman Julius Melly, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Magoha, Labour CS Alfred Mutua, and National Treasury’s John Mbadi will appear before the committee next week to explain the government’s efforts to end the strike.
A meeting attended by the committee, the IPUCCF, and the striking Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the university council failed to demonstrate that the Sh4.3 billion, which is critical to resolving the strike, was available.
Chairman of the IPUCCF Fred Simiyu Baraza explained that the council had only managed to secure Sh1.6 billion to offer the university lecturers in an attempt to resolve the dispute. However, the unions rejected this amount, insisting on Sh9.6 billion to implement the “Back to Work” formula.
“What we had available as a council was Sh1.6 billion, but when UASU walked out on us, they went to the inter-ministerial committee, and that’s where the figure of Sh4.3 billion was raised,” Baraza explained.
As the IPUCCF, we are under the Ministry of Education and do not issue commitment letters like the one you are requesting.”
This explanation angered members of the committee, who accused the council of stalling the resolution process and causing unnecessary delays.
“It is very disrespectful that we have met more than three times and still have no documentation on what we need. If they don’t have the documents, then let’s end this meeting. Why are they even here?” asked Igembe North MP Julius Taitumu.
Nabii Nabwera, the MP for Lugari said any government agency negotiating on matters that commit the government financially must have prior approval.
“This approval cannot be verbal. We are essentially asking the officer to provide us with a document they do not have.”
Melly ended the meeting and announced that the three Cabinet Secretaries would be summoned to appear before the committee on Tuesday, November 19, to respond to the concerns raised by members regarding the ongoing strike.
The strike has entered its second week with no solution in sight.
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