KUSU welcomes ruling nullifying the sacking of 204 Kisii Uni staff

Officials of the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), Kisii University branch have welcomed the ruling by the Kisumu Employment and Labour Relations Court which nullified the sacking of more than 204 workers at the university.

Speaking to the press in Kisii town, KUSU Kisii University Branch Secretary, Moses Nyandusi thanked the court for fast-tracking the matter saying that the ruling comes as a sigh of relief to the workers who lost their jobs unexpectedly.

“We take this opportunity on behalf of the union to say thank you to the court for fast-tracking this matter within one and a half years. Thank you to Judge Stephen Radido for giving our colleagues fair justice,” Nyandusi said.

The Secretary pointed out that the orders given by the court to the university included paying the 204 grieved workers an equivalent of 18 months’ gross benefits and computing terminal benefits for them.

Nyandusi called upon the university administration to expedite the process of computing the proceeds of the workers and asked the institution to involve them in the process for transparency purposes.

He added that the union is available for dialogue during this process and has no personal grudges with the institution.

Nyandusi also urged the aggrieved workers to exercise patience as the university works to implement the compensation orders saying that he does not expect the institution to appeal the decision.

On his part, KUSU Kisii University Branch Vice-Chairperson, Rodgers Mokandu also urged the union to move with speed and pay the benefits of the workers within 60 days as ordered by the court.

“Our members have suffered for a long time now. People lost jobs suddenly and a number of them have even passed on. We require the university to pay these members,” said Mokandu.

The case challenging the dismissal of the workers was filed by KUSU on the 13th of October 2020 at the Kisumu Employment and Labour Relations Court after attempts to solve the matter out of court proved futile.