Uasu moves to court to stop universities merger bid
Uasu chairman Muga K'Olale (left) and secretary-general Constantine Wesonga at a past event. The union went to court on July 26, 2019 to stop universities merger bid. PHOTO | KEN KIMANTHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Last week, the union sought the intervention of Parliament to stop the merger saying it is being done without proper consultation.
Uasu says some public universities have already started eliminating some disciplines, departments and schools in anticipation of the proposed mergers.
University lecturers on Friday moved to court to stop the planned merger of 31 public universities by the government.
Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), through Koceyo & Company, filed the case at the Labour Court ahead of the submission of a report by Commission for University Education (CUE) to Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha on Wednesday.
Uasu has sued Prof Magoha and Attorney-General Kariuki Kihara in the case that will be heard on August 1.
“University academic staff are therefore extremely concerned that the proposed merger of public universities in Kenya is neither aligned with any national educational policy goal nor principal and is being undertaken by the Respondent unilaterally without due regard to other stakeholders,” argues the union.
MERGERS
The union says some public universities have already started eliminating some disciplines, departments and schools in anticipation of the proposed mergers. They said that the institutions were doing this yet the law relating to restructuring, under Section 40 of the Employment Act, has not been complied with.
Last week, the union sought the intervention of Parliament to stop the merger saying it is being done without proper consultation.
Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga asked Parliament to intervene. He recommended the establishment of an educational commission or taskforce on university education.
“Universities academic staff are extremely concerned that the proposed merger of public universities is neither aligned with any national educational policy goal nor principle,” said Dr Wasonga in the petition.
