Hi my name is Jane. Valedon let me write this on his blog coz I felt it necessary. And yes I do not have a blog of my own, yet. (scandalous, right?)
I want to talk about the university lecturers strike. Needless to say, it affects me directly; I’m a student at JKUAT . Its been coming for months, the guys who teach us started talking about it aroung July….So the government was just waiting for the big day?
So this week they started, literally dancing around the school on Monday. Today, they disobeyed a court order and went on with their strike; 10 Egertion lecturers and 2 KU lecturers were consequently sacked. Here, we woke up t two rival notices on the notice boards: one warned us not to miss ANY lectures and report any missing lecturers., the other declared the strike successful and in full swing countrywide.
Having barely digested this, other notices appeared in the papers and elsewhere: ODM supporting the striking lecturers and of Nick Wanjohi’s (jkuat VC) supposedly milking and looting the university (this was published in the Citizen Weekly). Government types condemn the lecturers-some KU lecturers had to record statements on the Police’s courteous request. Lecturer-types declare their undying commitment to the strike!
Its all political!
What about us? The tension on campus is almost liquid. Huku ni kumoto. Its just a matter of time before a mini hell breaks loose-people right now are all outside, in small groups, with loud chants breaking the silence once in a while. Considering the much more volatile nature of akina KU, I shudder to think what’s gong on there!
I’m only an insignificant fresher but I’m going to throw my two cents worth of advice into the soup-pot…….when people come together to ask for their rights, you have to respect them and engage them in reasonalbe dialogue, not sidetrack them (perhaps illegally-as Kulundu did) into the industrial courts.
But are they clamoring for their rights? Is a 600% increment in salary too much? Think twice. The six VCs in the country earn more than 8 times what their lecturers earn. The VCs earn more than most people, even MPS and who knows who else. Incidentally it is these same VCs who claim that the lecturers are just another pack of hyenas. I bed to differ. Who teaches?
If 600% is too much, then dialogue and work it out. Playing hard ball wont do anyone any good.
It’ll just make the ground where two elephants collide et more and more eroded-its us who get hurt not them in their offices and fancy cars!
You know what they say in that methali about the grass when two bulls fight…
Stay up girl.
Income disparities between the elite and the commoners in Kenya will continue to persist until by some miracle the leaders realize leadership isn’t about getting paid.
It’s about helping others get paid.
unfortunately as makanga said, nyasi huumia…
In the 80’s, my folks insisted that I move from a Kenyan Uni to a foeign one coz of Students stike. I therefore graduated 2 years before my peers. Not many people can have such priviledges..now the same scenario is repeating itself: My nephew keeps insisting he gets moved abroad because of this lecturers strike which he has been in the offing for a while.
It has come at the worst time as politicians are bound to milk this for all the political mileage they can score.
I feel for you and what you are going thru Jane.
I feel u Jane. I was in JKUAT, 4 WEEKS before finishing my 5 years in campus when we got sent home during the last lecturers strike.
Seems the Gova hasn’t managed to solve the problem, and is taking the usual Us vs Them attitude to solving the problem.
Sacking people enyewe is not going to help anyone nor is it going to solve the problem.
Meanwhile I suggest you start doing something else with the free time… might as well study or do work, volunteer somewhere if (unfortunately) u get sent home.
There is a report today showing the lecturers earn quite well compared to the rest of us suckers.
All the same, it is very frustrating when lecturers strike, you delay so many things like finishing campus.
They should sit down and talk to them and come up with a lasting solution.But for sure, we cannot compare ourselves with the western world.
The VC’s and so are many managers paid much higher for the added responsibilities. And paid for the donkey years they worked with little pay.Thats how it works
If us lawyers could strike, we would do it every day. Even an intern in the western world earns almost 10 times what we do here. So…
And anyway some of those uni lectures are crap. They used to come to class twice a semester. To introduce the class and to serve the exams. Such are our lecturers.
All the same, they have rights to demonstrate for better pay. But also they should do their work properly. Anyone who has been to public uni can tell you
Hi guys!
Thanks for all your comments guys.
Blogging is so cool…….so many nice people care about what you write!
I guess the strike won’t last much longer, going by UASU’s weakening as reported in today’s papers.
Anyhoo, I’m now heading home (all the way in Western) w8n for this whole mess to isha.
Do you guys know that students at K.U. and Egerton have been getting free food? They threatened to strike coz of spending money in school without learning.
I think the lecturers are asking for too much but the government is offering too litlle, the courts aren’t doing much to help, some students are cashing in (we at JKUAT plan to demand monetary compensation when learning finally resumes), polticians are politicians and the police shouldn’t have got involved. But who cares?
Jane