NAIROBI, KENYA: Public university staff have accused vice chancellors of their institutions of embezzling some Sh3.9 billion salary award by the government last year.
Uasu officials in a past meeting
The University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Kenya Union of University Staff Union (KUSU) jointly claimed yesterday that they have incriminating evidence that point at “gross misuse” of monies meant to settle their negotiated salary deal.
“We have enough documents to show that the money was not properly used in the respective universities,” said KUSU secretary general Charles Mukhwaya.
He said after a through analysis of documents from all the public universities, it is now clear that the second tranche released by the Treasury to public universities was not disbursed.
Nationwide strike
The government agreed to release some Sh7.8 billion after a protracted strike by university staff in 2012.
The cash was to be paid in two phases with the first tranche of Sh 3.9 billion released in December 2012.
The remaining amount was released September last year. Kusu and Uasu claim this money never reached their members and now want the anti-corruption agency to institute investigations. “We want a thorough investigations into these transactions because it is clear that the money from government was not put to good use,” said Mukhwya.
He said some of the monies were used to recruit new staff, something the money was never intended for.
This latest claim by Uasu and Kusu is likely to sour relations between the unions and the public university management, just months after the unions called off a nationwide strike that paralysed learning in public universities last year.
Public universities Vice-Chancellors’ Committee chairperson Mabel Imbuga was not available for comment by the time of going to press last evening.
Numerous phone calls and texts sent to her mobile phone were not replied to either. Speaking on Saturday, Mukhwaya and K’Olale said they had done analysis of the documents from all the public universities.
“We have looked at the payrolls they claimed to have used to pay the monies, we have also looked at the vice chancellors’ explanatory notes but it all points at wastage,” said Mukhwaya.
K’Olale said the scrutiny was also extended to disbursement letters to ascertain how much money was received by each university. “We are utterly disturbed that senior public servants in institutions of higher learning, persons who should be the custodians of high moral standards can also embezzle salary money,” said K’Olale.
Mukhwaya also said vice chancellors used part of this money to recruit more staff. “We have the needed evidence to this effect and we shall present this to the anti corruption agency” he said.
By AUGUSTINE ODUOR, The Standard
