By Our Reporter
Moi University is facing mounting backlash following its decision to declare 899 teaching and non-teaching staff redundant, a move that has triggered an outcry from university unions, who have threatened legal action if the decision is not reversed.
Union leaders from the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) have condemned the redundancies as improper, unfair, and ill-timed, alleging they were carried out without proper consultation or clear criteria.
Speaking in Eldoret, UASU Secretary General Dr Constantine Wasonga questioned the university’s rationale, particularly as 13,000 new students are expected to enrol in September. “Some departments have been left without teaching staff, while others are operating with a skeleton workforce,” said Wasonga. “Who will teach the learners pursuing degrees in Education when they report in September?”
He further decried the dismissal of long-serving lecturers and called for the immediate withdrawal of the redundancy letters to prevent escalation. “We want the management to act before this gets out of hand,” he warned.
KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya also strongly opposed the move, accusing the university of using redundancies to mask deeper institutional problems. “There’s no evidence of a bloated workforce. The real issues are corruption and poor governance, not staffing numbers,” he said.
Mukhwaya also challenged the university’s claim of financial constraints, pointing to plans to open a new campus in Baringo County. “How can you sack nearly 900 workers citing lack of funds, then proceed with expansion plans? We will not allow this impunity to go unchallenged.”
The union has vowed to take the matter to court, demanding justice for affected workers. “If the acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kotut Kiplagat, does not withdraw those letters, we will face him in court until our members are reinstated,” Mukhwaya declared.
The standoff underscores growing tensions within Kenya’s public universities, many of which are grappling with financial instability, governance issues, and staff dissatisfaction. With September fast approaching, Moi University now faces pressure to resolve the impasse swiftly and ensure academic operations are not paralysed.
