By TIMOTHY MBAYA
Kisii University Migori campus risks closure if lecturers are not paid, part time lecturers union has said.
The lecturers said they are claiming millions from the institution after having taught at the campus from the year 2016.
Speaking to the press in Migori, the lecturers who have downed their tools said they are living in fear after they came forward to demand their salary arrears from the Institution.
A petition signed by 28 lecturers seen by Migori News shows that Kisii University owes the lecturers Kshs. 19,356,300 million.
Led by their Secretary General Jude Mroso, the lecturers alleged that they had tried to contact the institutions top management to sort out their payments in vain.
“Following unfulfilled promises to pay salaries, we invite the management to a meeting on 09/02/2018 to explain why the salaries have not been paid. They promised to follow up with the Finance officer for according to them, the schedules were ready, even though we were aware payment for 2017 and 2018 were not at the claims office main campus,” Mroso said.
Mroso alleged that the institution had resorted to frustrate their efforts of following up their payment issue.
According to Mroso, the institution had refused to issue part time lecturers with contract letters to help them follow up their payment.
The Secretary General also said that some part time lecturers were exempted from teaching after they came out to demand for their pay.
“We have noted that most lecturers who taught in 2016, 2017 and 2018 have either left teaching or have been exempted from teaching as a trend to divert the push for payment,” the Secretary General said.
The group’s chairperson Fredrick Ojode claimed that they had been forced to go into hiding after they came out to demand for their pay.
“Lecturers lives are at threat. You are followed and threatened whenever you try to air your grievances,” Ojode said.
Ojode said a section of the executives of their Union reported to the police on OB No: 59/31/01/19 after they were threatened for planning demonstrations against the Institution in Migori town.
The lecturers said the quality of education at the institution risked being compromised if the situation at the campus is not addressed ones and for all.
The lecturers added that the Migori Campus risked being closed down like the Isebania and Kehancha campuses if their plight was not addressed.
But when Contacted, Kisii University Migori Campus Director Dr. Omare Mong’are said the University had begun paying the lecturers.
“I think they got some money 3 weeks ago. They were fully paid their 2015 money and have been partly paid money for 2016 for one semester,” Dr. Mong’are said.
Dr. Mong’are said that the University was organizing to finalize the payment to the lecturers.
