MEDICAL STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE OVER CLASS BOYCOTT

By Kirong Shadrack

Various activities came to a standstill at the Administration Block Main Campus this afternoon as a group of students from School of Medicine demonstrated over the boycott of classes by their lecturers over arrears amounting to 118 million.

The pay which backdates to December 2011 was released by the Government. However the amount is yet to be reflected in the staff pay slips, according to the lecturers from the school. Students from both schools, the School of Medicine and that of Dental Surgery, have missed lectures for two weeks and six weeks respectively.


The MUSO Chairperson (School of Medicine), Mr. Betwel Aiwo, sought answers over the delay in reimbursement of the funds. He expressed his disappointment to the administration for not addressing the matter urgently after it failed to address the matter during a previous visit. The ad hoc meeting was chaired by the DVC in charge of Finance and Administration, Prof Chepkuto and DVC in charge of Students Affairs, Prof Ogechi, at the Senate Chambers.

Earlier on, drama ensued as the students demanded audience with the Vice Chancellor, Prof Richard Mibey, who is on an official visit in China. Prof Chepkuto however assured the students that they were going to implement the payment, adding that they had received a government circular over the same.

However this could not assuage the students, as they demanded an immediate formal agreement between the two administrators, the lobby groups (lecturers) and the Chairman of the Clinical Division, Dr Nyongesa. They demanded for the presence of the chairman who would verify whether the money had been disbursed.
Speaking during the meeting the University Chief Accountant, Mr. George Olwada, assured the staff that all the outstanding allowances would be reflected in their May pay slips.

At the time of going to press, representatives of the lobby groups led by Dr Oyungu had confirmed that the money had been disbursed. However it remains unclear if the lecturers will go back to class, pending an ongoing meeting at the School of Health attended by the Principal, Dean School of Medicine, Dean School of Dental Surgery and the student leaders.