Public university lecturers have forcefully rejected Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba’s directive to end their strike, declaring that threats of dismissal will not coerce them back into classrooms.
Responding directly to the Cabinet Secretary’s statement at Kasarani, union representatives maintained that highly qualified scholars cannot be pressured or intimidated into ending legitimate industrial action.
Academic staff union leaders criticized the ministry’s approach to the standoff, asserting that the government must address their core labor grievances through genuine dialogue rather than public ultimatums.
“You cannot joke with people who have gone to school; lecturers have gone to school, you cannot teach them,” union officials asserted in response to CS Ogamba’s address.
The Public University Lecturers affirmed their decision to stay away from public universities nationwide until all contractual terms and welfare matters are conclusively resolved.
“We have refused to go to class as you are scaring us with sacking; lecturers can teach anywhere in the world and we are very few,” union representatives declared.
The defiant stance sets up a major standoff between the Ministry of Education and university staff unions, threatening further paralysis across public higher learning institutions.
Public University Lecturers Vowing to Stand Firm Despite Govt Threats
Union leadership urged the government to abandon high-handed tactics and focus on fulfilling all operational conditions required to restore normalcy in universities.
The academic staff stressed that university lecturers possess global mobility and specialized expertise that cannot be easily replaced through threats of disciplinary action.
Educators reiterated that their strike remains legally grounded and called on their membership across all public universities to remain firm until official union directives advise otherwise.
Students across public universities face prolonged academic delays as both government officials and academic staff unions hold unyielding positions.
The crisis in higher education continues to draw widespread concern from parents, students, and education stakeholders calling for an immediate and amicable solution.
