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people DAILY
Mombasa varsity
students urged
to apply for UK
scholarships
UK Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya
Susie Kitchens with TUM Vice Chancellor Prof
Laila Abubakar (left) briefs the media during
a visit to the institution by a UK delegation.
PHOTO: BONFACE MSANGI
by Reuben Mwambingu
@reubenmwambingu
The British Government has assured Kenya
of its commitment towards uplifting skills of
local university students through quality post-
graduate scholarship programmes in the UK.
Deputy British High Commissioner Susie
Kitchens, who visited Technical University of
Mombasa (TUM), said through the UK govern-
ment’s Chevening scholarship programme,
bright students have an opportunity to apply
for fully-funded scholarships to study in some
of the world’s leading universities.
Speaking at a media briefing at Tum soon
after addressing over 500 Final Year students
from various departments, Kitchens said Mom-
basa and UK share a historical relationship,
hence the delegation at Tum was aimed at
creating awareness about Chevening scholar-
ships. Last year, 24 Kenyan students benefited
from the fund and this year, UK is targeting 25.
Chevening is a fully funded post-graduate
UK Government’s International Scholarship
Awards Scheme aimed at developing global
leaders offering a unique opportunity for future
leaders and influencers globally. “Bright stu-
dents who want to be future leaders seeking
scholarship can apply for fully-funded schol-
arships to study in one of our world leading
universities,” said the envoy.
Besides academia, the UK delegation is
keen on trade between the two nations, focus-
ing on opportunities provided by devolution.
“Mombasa is a port city that is relied upon for
trade throughout Kenya and across the region.
We would like to help the skills sector to con-
tinue being sustainable,” said Kitchens.
The envoy had a closed-door meeting
with Tum’s management and senior staff led
by council chairman Dr Kevit Desai, Acting
Vice Chancellor Prof Laila Abubakar and her
two deputies Prof Joseph Rasowo and Prof
Raphael Mutuku.
Future of Base Titanium’s Sh160m scholarship project uncertain
by Njonjo Kihuria
@PeopleDailyKe
The fate of a Sh160 million Base Titanium
scholarship programme in Kwale county
hangs in the balance due to imminent clo-
sure of the firm’s operations at the Maumba
mines in the next five years.
Collins Forbes, the company’s Environ-
ment and Community Affairs manager says
their operations here could close by 2022
after exhausting the minerals at Maumba.
“But we are looking to extend to adjacent
areas and further afield,” he said.
The education programme has supported
more than 1,000 Kwale students to date. The
firm also offers an external training package
that includes an 18-month transfer of knowl-
edge and experience programme for univer-
Monday, October 16, 2017
Strike looms as
State delays to
pay additional
remuneration
to lecturers,
administration
staff and
junior workers
by Winstone Chiseremi
@Wchiseremi
T
he government has
been asked to hasten
the implementation of
a Collective Bargain-
ing Agreement (CBA) it
signed with lecturers in 31 public
universities to forestall a looming
national-wide strike set for end of
this month.
The Universities Academic
Staff Union (Uasu) officials,
Moi University Chapter leaders
have warned the government,
through the Inter-Public Universi-
ties Council Consultative Forum,
to take the matter with the seri-
ousness it deserves, saying the
coming industrial unrest will be “a
mother of strikes”.
Unions negotiated a salary
increment with the government
early this year backdated to 2013,
which was, however, only partially
honoured by the State. The lec-
turers have argued that the Sh10
billion released by government in
February was only used to pay ar-
rears for the 2013/2017 CBA ar-
rears. Salaries were not increased
from July this year, sparking fresh
threats by dons to paralyse learn-
ing and other academic activities
at the universities.
Uasu Moi University Chapter
chairman George Kegode says
the government has the respon-
sibility to meet its obligation by im-
plementing the CBA to the letter,
which he said is a legal binding
document that has already been
deposited in court. “We are hop-
sity graduates, attachment and internship,
an apprentice scheme, high school training
and community skills development project.
All these would also have to come to an end.
But all is not lost as the mining company,
whose 21- year contract ends in 2024, is ex-
ploring for minerals in areas adjacent to the
current mining fields. Management is hoping
to discover viable deposits although explora-
tion efforts in the nearby Magaoni area were
frustrated by what Base officials believe
were politically instigated roadblocks.
“We approached the local community
just before the General Election which could
have been bad timing for us, but we will go
back and hopefully convince them on the
benefits of the project,” says Pius Kassim,
the firm’s community relations manager.
“We hope to discover viable mineral
No respite in university
staff salary crises
Moi University staff in a demonstration over delayed salary increases and non-implementation of
their 2013-2017 CBA , in January this year. The State affected the CBA and paid Sh10 billion salary
increase arrears but no salary hikes were effected. INSET: Universities Academic Staff Union Moi
University Chapter chairman, George Kegode, during an interview at union’s Eldoret town office.
PHOTOS: WINSTONE CHISEREMI
ing that the government will address
the lecturers’ grievances without fur-
ther delays in the wake of the impact
the strike is going to cause on thou-
sands of learners and other academic
programmes,” said Kegode.
According to Inter-Public Univer-
sities Councils Consultative Forum
chairman Paul Kanyari, the institu-
tions are still waiting for communica-
tion from the Ministry of Education
on the issue. “We are still waiting and
once we get the feedback, we will
engage the teaching staff,” said Prof
Kanyari.
Kegode argued that poor pay and
low moral was causing lecturers in
public institutions of higher learning
to leave the profession at an alarm-
ing rate in search of greener pastures
in foreign nations.
The chairman said the situation
in public universities continues to
worsen due to the government’s
failure to enhance capitation despite
several reminders by education
stakeholders on the matter. “We are
deposits in which case we will renew our li-
cense and continue mining for several more
years. This will extend the life of the scholar-
ship programme together with other com-
munity benefit activities,” he added.
The scholarship programme has so far
benefited 600 youth from poor backgrounds
in Kwale and given scholarships to 400 stu-
dents in tertiary institutions. Company of-
ficials also visit local secondary schools to
encourage students to take science sub-
jects, especially mining. The firm also offers
life skills including electrical welding to Form
Four leavers then arranges for them to sit
State trade tests.
Kenya Land Alliance chief executive Lu-
mumba Odenda, whose group toured the
mine recently, said training in mining could
be building false hopes as mining is finite.
tired of the government response to
the effect that it has no money to pay
us our enhanced salary and allow-
ances every time we demand for our
rights,” said Kegode.
The university’s union chapter sec-
retary Prof Jack Abok says they are
preparing their members at the main ing lecturers’ issues and warned that
campus and constituent colleges it was courting trouble that will take
spread in North Rift and Western re- long to end in the universities once
gions to withdraw their services if their they down their tools. “The job boy-
issues are not addressed adequately cott by lecturers will have far reach-
by the government. “We are more ing effect on the academic calendar
than ever prepared to take to the of the universities and asked the gov-
streets to push the State to effect the ernment to engage the unions before
CBA,” said Abok. the situation gets out of hand.
He lashed out at government for He said the union has reached a
only reacting with threats and intimi- point of no return and will not engage
dation against the lecturers whenever the government and the manage-
they demand their rights. “The only ment of public universities any more
language the government under- regarding the implementation of the
stands is industrial action and that CBA. “The government’s silence over
is why we have resolved to halt all our demand for full implementation of
academic programmes to press for the signed 2013-2017 CBA is a major
implementation of the CBA,” he said. cause of concern among the lecturers
Abok castigated the government and stakeholders in education,” said
over its lack of commitment in resolv- Abok.
However, Forbes said apart from plans to
extend operations nearby, becoming a min-
ing expert opens many opportunities. “We
had to source skilled mining workers from
Zambia and other countries. Trained and ex-
perienced Kenyans can work in other mines
or even outside Kenya,” he said.
Lumumba said although those who were
relocated to pave way for the mining of ti-
tanium were compensated, there was need
for them to benefit more through enhanced
Base Titanium Scholarship Programme officials during a
education opportunities and in other areas. fact-finding visit to a home of a scholarship applicant. All
He said there was also need for a meaningful applications are strictly vetted. PHOTO: NJONJO KIHURIA
platform to discuss what would happen once
the operations at Maumba came to a halt. Forbes said discussions about closure and what
“Mining is lucrative and the firm and the would happen to the structures have started. “We are
government are benefiting through profits also in the process of rehabilitating mined areas and a
and revenues respectively. But have the lo- process to prepare local communities for post-mining
cals been affected?” period has been put in place,” he added.