MOI UNIVERSITY LECTURERS THREATEN STRIKE OVER UNPAID WAGES AND BROKEN AGREEMENTS

Lecturers at Moi University have given the institution seven days to meet their demands or face a shutdown of learning, escalating a long-running dispute over pay and labour rights.

In a letter dated August 12 and addressed to University Council Chair Prof. Noah Midamba, the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) accused the administration of breaching multiple agreements, including the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The union says the university failed to pay June and July salaries at the agreed rates, did not implement a return-to-work formula signed last November, and ignored provisions on staff promotions and retirement age.

“The strike shall commence on Wednesday, August 20, 2025,” UASU National Secretary General Constantine Wasonga wrote, warning that members will “down their tools” if the issues remain unresolved.

This latest dispute follows several strikes in recent years that have repeatedly disrupted studies at the Eldoret-based institution.

Adding to student frustrations, the university has separately announced increases in hostel fees. Male hostels A, B, and C will now cost KSh5,000, KSh5,000, and KSh7,000 per year, respectively. Female hostels E and G will cost KSh5,000, while K will be KSh6,500. Single rooms at Ngeria Hall will rise to KSh8,000, and rooms in Hostels H and J will be KSh13,000 annually.

Moi University officials have not publicly commented on the strike threat.

Kenya’s public universities have faced mounting financial pressures in recent years, with staff citing delayed salaries and unmet contractual obligations. Education experts warn that another walkout could derail academic calendars already strained by past disruptions.