The proposed merger of 38 public universities will take longer after the court halted the process until different stakeholders agree over certain issues.
While delivering the ruling on the halting of the process, Lady Justice Maureen Onyango on Friday asked the Ministry of Education to consult Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) before the process can continue as planned.
Onyango said that the lack of involvement of various stakeholders is likely to affect the education sector in the long run.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha, who is pushing for the merger, has, however, remained optimistic that the process will continue no matter how long it will take his docket to do it.
Justice Onyango, however, said that she was not stopping the process but giving the stakeholder’s time to agree over the issues that have caused a rift in the sector before the process can proceed.
Through lawyer Titus Koceyo, Uasu wanted the idea reconsidered before the implementation of the same.
"A conservatory order as prayed by lawyer Koceyo for Uasu is hereby issued against the respondents whether by themselves, their servants and or agents or whomsoever is acting on their behalf from implementing the budget statement for the year 2019/2020 on merging and shutting down of public universities without the inclusion of the union,” read part of the Justice Onyango’s ruling, as quoted by Daily Nation.
Onyango also raised concerns over the loss of jobs once the merger takes effect.