The entrance to Moi University's main campus in Kesses, Uasin Gishu County on February 8, 2024.
Moi University is in the spotlight again after the management and workers’ unions took their dispute over retrenchment and compensation to the National Assembly.
Acting Vice-Chancellor Kiplagat Kotut appeared before the National Assembly Education Committee yesterday and dismissed claims by unions that the rightsizing was biased.
Moi University Acting Vice-Chancellor Kiplagat Kotut.
The VC said that a scientific evaluation was done before effecting the downsizing, in which nearly 900 members of staff were left jobless.
Prof Kotut told Parliament that PKF Consulting Limited — the firm hired to oversee the process — used criteria that considered staff qualification, experience and years in service.
“The university confirms that the relevant provisions of the Employment Act section 40 regarding such an exercise were duly followed including issuance of notifications and meetings with respective staff,” Prof Kotut told the committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly.
The Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu), Moi University Chapter has accused the management of unfairly targeting union officials, describing it as an act of malice and a political witch-hunt.
Last week, the union said that all their elected officials were terminated on May 13 except for their secretary, Mary Chepkemoi.
They claimed that all Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) leaders were also sent home.
“This was not just a redundancy, it was a purge,” said Ms Chepkemoi. “How do you explain a situation where departments such as ICT, Reconciliation, and even the mortuary were wiped clean—yet the process went on without prior consultation with unions as required by law?”
Prof Kotut told MPs that the university management held a series of consultative meetings with Kusu, Kudheiha and the Universities Academic Staff Union concerning the rightsizing.
Data tabled in Parliament shows Moi University has declared 886 of its 2,058 union staff redundant. This includes 390 of the 765 Kusu members, 120 of the 675 Uasu members and 376 of the 618 Kudheia members.
Kenya Universities Staff Union Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya addresses workers at Moi University on April 3, 2018. They vowed to paralyse learning in all public universities until their pay demands are met. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The cash-strapped university in May gave the affected staff members termination letters as part of cost-cutting measures.
The university is looking to save Sh120 million per month in payroll costs, and a total Sh757.05 million annually.
Ms Chepkemoi said the right sizing was done irregularly because technical departments — which are critical for students’ practicals— were left without lecturers and technicians. In some cases, even heads of departments, many of them Kusu members, were sent home.
Ms Chepkemoi said that at the School of Law, the Dean was forced to resign after several lecturers were declared redundant. She said that it had become difficult to continue with lessons due to a shortage of teaching staff.
The union further alleged that the redundancy process violated the return-to-work agreement signed after a three-month industrial action, which had paralysed operations until November 30, 2024.
The union said that the deal addressed all the issues raised during the strike period and provided a strategic staggered intervention plan for the financial years 2026/2027 and 2027/2028.
The points of contention are; unpaid pensions, welfare contributions, benevolent funds, and salary arrears totalling Sh1.5 billion under the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Only the gross salary component had partially been honoured, union officials said.
Kusu said that before the layoffs proceed, the return-to-work deal must first be honoured in full.
“The report of the local implementation committee for the 2017/2021 CBA shows the University management agreed they owed us money, saying they would pay it in due time. But with the issue of the redundancies, it’s like they are trashing everything,” noted KUSU Moi University branch treasurer Andrew Kipchoge.
Prof Kotut admitted that the University still owes the trade unions money while urging the Committee to implore upon the National Treasury to release the funds to settle the arrears.
Union trustee Racheal Kosgey told MPs that some of the terminated staff, including PhD students, were replaced by individuals holding only certificates and diplomas.
“If a fair tool was used in the right-sizing exercise, how did people who joined recently and belong to our age group remain while those who have served for over 15 years were axed,” she posed.
Kusu officials also accused the university administration of disabling internal systems to prevent affected staff from applying for leave or accessing services at the time the exercise was being carried out.
Committee chairman Melly directed the Moi University Management to give an assurance in writing that the affected staff would go home with their paycheque without delay.
“Ensure that the dues for these employees are paid as they leave the gate of Moi University and the whole process is very transparent so the affected don’t end up being tormented people,” said Melly.
In 2022, Moi University reviewed its resources against its payroll and concluded that the staff right-sizing exercise was necessary to enable it stay afloat.
The university’s revenue and expenditure for the financial years 20152026 to 2023/2024 show the personnel costs to revenue averaged 75 percent which is way above the 35 percent envisioned.
Moi University, which has been facing acute financial challenges, issued redundancy notices in May—just three months after a new management team was appointed to salvage the institution.
The Union claims the university had 2,237 permanent employees on the payroll at the time, contrary to claims of 3,000–4,000.
KUSU maintains that if the university must proceed with layoffs, it should first honour the return-to-work agreement in full.
