University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constantine Wasonga has urged the government to be fair when it comes to dealing with the state of Universities and the quality of services on offer. This comes after acting Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i revoked the operation license of Presbyterian University of East Africa (PUEA). In a report to the CS from the Commission for University Education (CUE), it was stated that the staff at the University (PUEA) were on arrears spanning two years, and there are unpaid salaries and allowances. Among other issues, the report also stated the University lacked adequate resources to meet its obligations given the deficit realized in four years under review, spanning financial years from 2012 to 2016.
However, UASU Secretary General Wasonga said the government should treat all universities equally, whether public or private, “If the same mirror used in that case was used in other public Universities, no University would remain open,” he said. While addressing the press in Nairobi during an UASU press briefing, he said public Universities don’t even pay the part time lecturers, accruing unpaid arrears in the process, “They like using part-time lecturers but they don’t pay them,” he said, citing the issue of salaries and financial management. He was quick to point out though, that UASU supports quality education, and there stand doesn’t mean they support substandard education,” We won’t tolerate substandard education,” he said.