The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) has taken eight universities to court over the non-remittance of close to Sh200 million in subscription and agency dues deducted from lecturers.
The union has filed different cases against the public universities demanding the millions, which it says it needs for the smooth running of its operations and to offer services to members.
The universities owing dues include Technical University of Kenya (TUK) at Sh108 million, Kenyatta University (Sh8.7 million), Rongo University (Sh1.3 million), Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (Sh2.9 million), Moi University (Sh25 million) and Egerton University (Sh14.7 million).
Others are Jomo Kenyatta University of Agricultural Technology (Sh15.7 million), Kisii University (Sh3.1 million) and Maasai Mara University.
“The petitioner states that it is aggrieved in that the respondent’s action of denying and or refusing to remit its members’ subscriptions and agency fees that they have already deducted from members has brought the operations of the union to financial difficulties contrary to Article 41 of the constitution and in violation of the labour rights,” the union says through lawyer Titus Koceyo.
Rongo University did not remit the dues for January to March 2022 and also February to March this year. The union says TUK has been having remittance problems since 2015.
Most public universities are struggling to fund daily operations amid a significant drop in students taking up parallel degree programmes and delays in Treasury disbursements.
The union says it signed collective bargaining agreements with the universities through the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum.
Mr Koceyo said the universities have to deduct subscriptions as union dues and agency fees from its members and remit the same to Uasu under section 50 of the Labour Relations Act. The funds should be remitted within 10 days of deduction.
Uasu secretary-general Constantine Wasonga says despite several reminders to the universities, they have refused to remit the subscription and agency fees.
“The petitioner states that it is in the interest of justice that the respondent be compelled to remit its members’ union dues and agency fees that they have already deducted from the members as required by law,” Dr Wasonga says in an affidavit.
