Students at Egerton University have been urged to stay at home after lectures and university staff defied a court order that directed them to end their strike and resume duty.
Activities at the Nakuru-based varsity remained paralyzed after three unions representing the universities workers vowed to proceed with their strike despite the court order.
Addressing the media at the university’s graduation square, union leaders from the University Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya university Staff Union (KUSU) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) said that the strike by their members is still on and no court order will stop them from bargaining for what is rightfully theirs.
KUSU Egerton University treasurer Kennedy Mongale said the government and the management of public universities is to blame for the deadlock saying that the unions played their part by submitting their collective bargaining agreement proposal in March 2017 and up to now the public universities managements have not submitted a counter proposal to the CBA presented by the unions.
Mongale blamed the court claiming it favored the government and universities managements when it issued orders directing lecturers in public universities to resume work.
He said the strike will proceed until the government heeds to their demands.
KUSU organizing Secretary Ernest Wayaya called on the government to step in and save the situation saying parents and students are suffering even after paying thousand of shillings for fees.
“The government must step in to save over the 600,000 students who are suffering due to this strike. Parents have paid fees and some of us are parents and we also feel the pain these parents are feeling,” he said
He called on students not to be lured into returning to campuses until the strike issue is sorted fully.
UASU Egerton University chapter chairman Fred Mwangangi said lecturers are agitating for their rights.
He asked lecturers not to be intimidated by court orders adding that their strike was legal and that UASU had already applied for a stay of the ruling which ordered the dons to go back to lecture rooms.
The unions further warned their members who are secretly reporting to work that they will be ejected from their work stations.