The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) is now calling on the Ministry of Education to appoint new management at Moi University.
KMPDU officials led by the national chairman Dr. Abidan Mwachi and North Rift regional officials accuse the university’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Isaac Kosgey of running down the Kesses-based institution.
In a media briefing in Eldoret town, Dr. Mwachi blamed Prof Kosgey for the current financial woes that Moi University is facing.
“We must and shall decent on this university’s leadership like anthrax on a wound. Moi University is now in a sorry state, money is being pilfered, it is the epitome of bad choices, bad decisions, nepotism, cronyism, and every other thing that is bad. We cannot allow the university to deteriorate just because of one person,” noted the KMPU chairman who was in Eldoret town to check on the union members who are currently on strike.
The doctor-lecturers at the Moi University School of Health Sciences have been on strike since November 28, 2021, demanding payment of clinical allowances arrears amounting to over Ksh200 million.
They accuse the institution of diverting the cash received from Treasury to pay for their salaries and insist they will remain on strike as long as it takes until their demands are fully implemented.
“We hereby state that the strike will go on and doctor-lecturers will stay away until the money is in their pockets and statutory deductions implemented,” noted Dr. Dawin Ambuka, chairman KMPDU North Rift region.
The strike is also seeking to ensure Moi University officially recognizes KMPDU as a union for the doctor-lecturers.
With the ongoing strike, medical students at the institution now fear that they will be forced to stay longer in school.
They have called on the Ministry of Education to intervene and end the impasse between KMPDU and Moi University management.
“Currently I’m a fifth-year medical student but this is my 8th year of study, all because of mismanagement of the university. Moi University was and is a big university and if we don’t take care of it, it will go down to shelves. The government must move with speed and save this university,” said Jean Ryan Wandia.
Over 150 doctor-lecturers have been on strike, with each of them demanding up to Ksh1.5 million of unpaid allowances and salaries.
They also accuse the University of failing to remit statutory deductions.
