There are still many unresolved issues bedeviling Egerton University following a stalemate between the broke administration and members of staff over looming layoffs and the planned restructuring process that is targeting some marked heads.
The war will feature many court battles after it emerged that those who are targeted with the planned layoffs are considered anti-establishment and allied to former VC Rose Mwonya who was against the current VC Isaac Kibwage succeeding her.
Kibwage who was aided to beat Alexander Kahi, Peninah Obudho, Prisca Tuitoek, Mwavu Mutua and Douglas Shitanda, has fallen out with the institution’s community due to his poor management style has pocketed the council.
“The university must pay the deferred salaries because the Employment and Labour Relations Court found that the move to reduce workers’ pay was unlawful,” Uasu chapter secretary Grace Kibue stated.
Kibue challenged the university council to avoid petty politics and direct its energy in deploying all the available means possible to get money and pay the staff. The redundancy memo was released by deputy vice-chancellor administration and planning Richard Mulwa after the Labour Court sentenced the institution’s vice chancellor and eight council members to a one-month jail term over contempt of court.
The nine were given an alternative penalty of Sh100,000 each after they were found guilty of defying court orders to produce evidence to back their move to reduce employees’ salaries by 40% during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The nine then resorted to witchhunt with the VC forging medication report to claim that he was sick to avoid attending the court ruling. Kibwage and eight council members were jailed for 30 days for failing to comply with the May 30 2022 order which directed them to pay lecturers full salaries.
The university’s internal memo dated December 21 2022 addressed to staff showed that the university council made the redundancy decision due to the difficulties the institution has been going through.The redundancy notice will affect the university staff in all departments.
