Donkeys purchased for training, not lack of machinery, says Moi University

In a statement released on Monday, the university's leadership disputed claims of delayed salaries to staff members noting that all payments are up to date. 

The leadership however added that there has been a delay in remitting some statutory deductions before September 2024 owing to inadequate capitation to the University.

"Moi University has paid all salaries up to the end of September 2024. Salaries for October 2024 will be released this week, subject to staff resuming work," read the statement in part.

They further denied claims that the university has been operating with 1,800 ghost workers on its payroll, noting that the institution has a workforce of 2,960 comprising 821 teaching staff (102 on contract), 1,501 non-teaching staff (29 on contract) and 638 contract staff (formerly employed as casual labourers). 

The leadership also stated that "factors beyond the University's control" have still denied the 2016 cohort of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery students an opportunity to graduate.

These factors include the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted learning activities for 6 months and the three nationwide strikes by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU).

KMPDU occasioned an industrial action for 100 days in 2017, a 78-day-long strike in 2018, and a 100-day-long strike in 2021. 

Moi University added that the programme was affected by the MoH-KMPDU strike for internship placement that lasted 58 days from April to July 2024 and the ongoing UASU strike that started on September 23, 2024.

"These factors have interrupted learning at the College of Health Sciences for 21 months. The students in the 2016 cohort are remaining with 3 months to complete the course, and the University has put in place remedial steps to ensure the students graduate by February 2025," the statement added.

Following reports that the university purchased donkeys due to a lack of farm machinery, the leadership argued that the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources purchased the animals for training purposes together with cows, sheep and pigs. 

They maintained that the university has serviceable tractors for use on its farm.

As part of the income-generation measures the university said it planted 100 acres of Apples in 2021 with the first harvest being done in 2023 and generated an income of Ksh.300,000, projecting an increase in production in subsequent harvests.

This comes as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Corruption Commission (EACC) has summoned the university's Vice-Chancellor Isaac Kosgei to respond to graft allegations involving fraudulent infrastructural projects worth Ksh.2,189,659,497.

This is part of ongoing investigations into reports of massive corruption and theft of public funds at the university.

The institution has been bedeviled by a Ksh.8.6 billion debt owed to its lecturers that has been accruing since 2016. 

According to Dr. Paul Busolo Wegesa, the Secretary General of the University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Moi Chapter, the debt is inclusive of unremitted loans, pensions, union fees and other deductions. 

Moi University owes its academic staff Ksh.4.2 billion from unremitted pension, Ksh.1.2 billion from unremitted bank loans, Ksh.1.2 billion as salary arrears, Ksh. 85 million union fees, Ksh.85 million union fees and Ksh.100 million for their welfare societies.