The Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a fresh seven-day strike notice to Moi University over what it terms as persistent delays in salary payments and failure to honor signed agreements.
In a statement dated August 12, UASU Secretary General Constatine Opiyo announced that all union members at Moi University will withdraw their services from August 20, 2025, unless the institution implements the Return-To-Work Formula agreed upon with the University Council on November 30, 2024.
The union is demanding the immediate payment of June and July 2025 salaries in line with the negotiated 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) rates. Additionally, UASU insists that clauses on staff review, promotions, and retirement age in the national CBA be fully honored. The union also called for the protection of workers’ rights and freedoms as enshrined in Article 41 and Chapter 4 of the Kenyan Constitution.
“This strike is not just about salaries. It is about the integrity of agreements and the dignity of the teaching staff,” Opiyo stated, urging the university’s management to act swiftly to avert a total shutdown.
Moi University has in recent years faced severe management challenges, with recurrent financial crises and strikes that have disrupted academic programs. The institution’s troubles have been a source of frustration for both students and parents, with prolonged instability affecting learning schedules and graduation timelines.
In January 2025, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba inaugurated a new university council, expressing confidence that the fresh leadership would restore the institution’s lost glory. The move came after the government dissolved the previous council, citing mismanagement, poor governance, and leadership failures.
“The decision to overhaul the council was necessary to bring order and ensure normal learning,” Ogamba said at the time, pledging reforms that would address Moi University’s deep-seated challenges.
However, with UASU now threatening industrial action, it appears the reforms have yet to resolve key staff grievances. Unless an agreement is reached within the next week, Moi University could face yet another academic paralysis, further compounding its ongoing crisis.
