Staff at the University of Nairobi will get this month’s salary late due to the Treasury’s delay in releasing funds amid austerity measures.
Finance and Planning Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Isaac Mbeche in a note to the workers said the university has not received the Treasury’s allocation for September.
“The management is working in close consultation with relevant authorities to ensure that this capitation is urgently released,” said Prof Mbeche.
“In this regard, therefore, September salaries will be released immediately upon receipt of capitation from the government. Let us be patient as we await the release of the funds.”
The situation was the same last month at the university, which raised concern over reduction in capitation from the government.
The government’s revenue collection for the fiscal year starting July was below target by Sh29 billion with the Treasury blaming it on prolonged electioneering.
Adding to the squeeze, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission requested Sh12 billion for the repeat presidential election, but the Cabinet approved Sh10 billion.
This has led to budget cuts with travel outside the country allowed only after clearance by the president and domestic travel being reviewed.
Staff pay costs the university about Sh770 million per month. Public universities are also supposed to pay their staff higher salaries from this month following an earlier deal with the government.
Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), the workers’ representative, gave the government until the end of this month to implement the pay increase deal.
The government had released Sh10 billion to pay for arrears but later reverted to old salaries.
Public universities have more than 27,700 staff with 9,000 being lecturers. Uasu Secretary General Constantine Wasonga yesterday said lecturers were waiting until end month to see if the government will implement the agreement.
“We gave them until end of September and after that we will decided on the next course of action if they will not have respected the agreement,” said Dr Wasonga.
Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum Chairman Paul Kanyari said universities were still waiting for the funds from the government.
“We made our request and its being worked on by the ministry,” said Prof Kanyari.
He said failure to implement the new salary scales is due to a financial shortfall.