Magoha pledges Sh8bn dons pay increase in mini-budget

The Education Ministry has ruled out the January 20 lecturers’ strike, saying it plans to request additional cash from the Treasury to honour the outstanding pay deal.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said the ministry “is engaging positively” with the lecturers on the Sh8.8 billion pay offer, and that money would be made available in the next supplementary budget.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) said its members will withdraw services on January 20 if the government does not honour a 2017-21 collective bargaining agreement (CBA). “The government is capable, able and willing to go ahead and pay after thorough due diligence and process,” Prof Magoha told journalists yesterday at Moi Girls Nairobi.

He said the ministry would negotiate with other arms of government to have the CBA cash included in the second supplementary budget.

This comes amid a Sh1 billion slash on the first supplementary budget of the Higher Education Department where dons fall to Sh57.97 billion in the current financial year.

The university lecturers issued a seven-day strike notice after the State went mum on the fate of the Sh8.8 billion pay offer.

At the centre of the new standoff is the release of Sh8.8 billion for new salaries that was to be effected from last November under the 2017-21 CBA.

The deal signed last October was supposed to be implemented from last month.

Last week, Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said they were dismayed when they learnt that the Sh8.8 billion pay had not been factored in the budget.

During the issuing of the strike notice, Dr Wasonga said the union would shelve the planned boycott if the government releases the Sh8.8 billion agreed last year as it addresses other issues that have arisen as a result of the CBA.