Pay row sees Kenyan universities hit by third strike in a year

A strike by lecturers at Kenya’s 31 public universities looks set to continue, according to a report by Capital News.

Teaching staff nationwide walked out on 1 November over pay, in the third strike to hit universities this year.

As a result, the University of Nairobi has moved exams to January, and several institutions, including Kenyatta University and Pwani University, have been closed.

Although the National Treasury approved the release of KSh5.2 billion (£37.7 million) to enhance the remuneration of staff earlier this month, a union boss said that no meetings about returning to work will take place until institutions receive the money.

Constantine Wasonga, secretary general of the University Academic Staff Union, said: “We will not attend any negotiation meeting until money is wired to university accounts.”

A collective bargaining agreement reached in March that covers 2013-17 resulted in government awarding lecturers a 17.5 per cent increase on basic salary and a 3.9 per cent increase on housing allowance after a 44-day strike earlier this year, according to a separate report.

holly.else@timeshighereducation.com