University of Nairobi to lay off lecturers on cash crunch

University of Nairobi vice-chancellor Peter Mbithi. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

By OUMA WANZALA

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Summary

• Vice-chancellor Peter Mbithi said on Tuesday the institution would not renew contracts for staff hired on temporary terms.
• Last month, Treasury Cabinet secretary Henry Rotich asked 31 public universities to consider sacking some of their workers to cope with reduced funding as part of proposed austerity measures.
• Since 2016, the government has been funding universities based on courses they offer, which has reduced capitation for universities.

Lecturers and non-teaching staff working on contract at the University of Nairobi (UoN) look set to lose their jobs as the institution struggles with cash flows hitch following a dip in private student enrolment and State funding.

Vice-chancellor Peter Mbithi said on Tuesday the institution would not renew contracts for staff hired on temporary terms.

“Module II programme or self-sponsored students have reduced at the university to almost half.

“There have been requests from the departments to reduce staff that have been working under this programme and we are looking at them,” said Prof Mbithi.

Admission to public universities of nearly all students who scored C+ and above over the past two years has reduced the pool of learners available for private programmes.

This has cut the cash flow of universities such as the UoN whose parallel programme has in the past been a key source of revenue.

The university is also grappling with funding cuts by the government.

The Treasury slashed allocation to the institution by Sh1.7 billion in the current financial year to Sh4.5 billion.

Prof Mbithi, however, did not disclose the number of staff whose contracts would not be renewed —  a move that is likely to create panic at the institution that has the highest number of employees both teaching and non-teaching.

READ: Cash crunch: Universities struggle to stay afloat

A joint report by universities and workers union leaders, which was released last year revealed that the institution had 4,945 staff.

“We get money from the National Treasury but it’s not even enough to pay our staff and we have to use our internal revenues to top up,” said Prof Mbithi.

Last month, Treasury Cabinet secretary Henry Rotich asked 31 public universities to consider sacking some of their workers to cope with reduced funding as part of proposed austerity measures.

Since 2016, the government has been funding universities based on courses they offer, which has reduced capitation for universities.

The University of Nairobi also warned that it would not pay more than 500 lecturers for participating in the ongoing lecturers’ strike.