DON'S STRIKE CONTINUES UNABATED - KUSU SEC. GEN AFFIRMS UNION'S STANCE.

The underway public varsities lecturers' strike that has seen education suffer paralysis in our Kenya's institutions of higher learning is still very far from ending.

UASU secretary general affirms that the strike is very much on. He blames the government  for acting unscrupulous, causing unrest and torment to over  0.6 million university students.

" The strike is still on. We highly empathize with students affected. However we have made our demands, the government has not come up with a counter offer. Something that shows they are not taking this matter with the seriousness it deserves. The strike will continue until the 2017 - 2021 CBA is negotiated, implemented and money banked. " Reiterated Mr. Constantine Wesonga few minutes shy of 11: 00 pm Monday April 10.

The dons  staged  4 strikes in the year 2017 alone. The current stalemate has seen the semester dated from February 19 disrupted for close to two months now. Students who were set for internship no longer know of their fate as issues stand.

One Mr. Charles Godfrey Mukhwaya, who signs off as KUSU secretary General also expressed his sentiments towards campus students' misfortune. Albeit his sympathetic ambience, he ratifies that lecturers shall not be cowed. Neither shall they relent in their quest to have government hear them out.

" The strike was on. Is on. And will remain on. Only one university (U.O.N) had their staff exempted from lawfully exercising the strike. The campus had their staff  working despite the union's strike through a court order - one which we appealed and their staff too have now joined in the Nationwide university lecturers' strike."  Mr. Mukhwaya stated.

It is somewhat lackluster of the government. They have not negotiated nor tabled a counter proposal, something that much irks the union.

Both UASU and KUSU delegates adsorbed their dissatisfaction towards central government. The manner by which government is handling matters salaries and renumeration of their members somehow baffles the unions' leaders. The ministry earlier yesterday via Cs Amina Mohammed unleashed placement of the 2017 KCSE graduates.
It ironically dismays the state when the affected ministry directs vitality  in other issues while completely doing zero to rectify the don's incessant and unending now and then go slows.

According to the union, until government tables a counter offer, the strike shall continue valid and unscathed. Mr. Wesonga further advised students to go home, give the lecterers 2 years to sort out issues with the authorities.

" Students, go back home, give us one year, two years to sort out our issues with the government. We shall have no other strike. We want our issues cemented once and for all. No longer shall we go back to the streets again. We want an array of well - calculated strategies that will cement the issue permanently.

However it has come to mind that we have a very shoddy and uncouth system as government. Uhuru seems to be touring other states, as if Kenya has no internal problems and externalities affecting her. And worst as if the people he put in place to watchdog Kenya's interests are doing so well.

Pathetic they are. We have very high professionals as cabinet secretaries. Very learned. With multiple degrees to their credit. Master -  at story telling But who know not what they are doing.

"STRAIGHT OUTTA CELLS" - MORE THAN 5000 INMATES TO WALK FREE BY END MAY.

More than 5000 petty offenders shall smell not of prison medieval levels of squalor come end may.

This is after High court judge Luka  Kimaru; who signs off as national chairman of the Community Service Orders (CSO) ruled in favour of prisoners in a  lubber measure to see prison circles decongested.

The affected inmates shall be released from the period dating 15th April to end May.

Only petty offenders and those with  long term sentences but have served to see off a huge chunk of their sentences reduced to three months or less shall be considered.

"These are basically petty offenders serving a sentence of three years and below. Or who were sentenced to longer periods but have a sentence of 3 years or less remaining," said Justice Kimaru.

Privy, the one month long exercise shall be undertaken by CSO officers, probation and aftercare service officials, as well as those from the prisons and Judiciary.

The  "men who appeared atop the scaffold" that are deemed beneficiaries of the above action  will be released and integrated into community work.

Counties that are to witness highest numbers of convicts released within the aforementioned time span include Nairobi county (624), Eldoret ( 429), Mombasa county (336), Kiambu county (288), Nakuru (282), Kisumu (204), and 199 convicted individuals from Kisii, Bommet and Trans Nzoia.

Lowest number of petty offenders emanate from counties including Migori (49), Siaya (45), Tana River (44), Vihiga county (40), Garissa (40) and Marsabit which will see 26 individuals off penal institutions' perimeters.

Cringe worthy it is to note that none in this bracket of offenders shall be set free from Nyamira and TaitaTaveta counties.

The above set of individuals once released from prison will be sent to their homes. The government lobbies for national unity  as well as family unity through such a programme. Albeit fostering unity alone, the measure shall see the released individuals clear rifts and reconcile with the offended community.

One consortium dubbed Criminal Justice System Audit (CJSA)  carried out  a retrospective survey and published its report in 2017. According to their findings, every two years, more than four million netizens are arrested and detained.

32% of these arrests are converted to charges in courts of law. 70% of the above charges are related directly to petty offences.

The CSO Act was adopted and established by legislators through an act of parliament. Its reason for set up largely being to find a way of addressing challenges in prison, most significantly on matters congestion.

Our Kenya  is hugely affected as far as accomodation of prisoners is concerned. Penal institutions are brimming with an astounding number of 55,000 prisoners against a possible holding capacity of only but 32,000.

        Photo courtesy; prisoners being released from Nakuru prisons. File AFP.

The programme to offset cells of inmates has largely helped the government in saving cash it would have otherwise used to cater for prisoners' welfare. It is also a wide measure in curbing contagious illnesses that normally cause chaotic stumbles within prison walls.

PUBLIC UNIVERSITY DONS VERY UNSCRUPULOUS AND SELFISH.

Without scruple, public university  lecturers' are holding staunch stances on matters  strike. The Kenyan gentry dons are exercising an underway strike that has seen education in public campuses paralysed for almost 2 months now.

Most if not all would concur that the higher education practitioners are unorthodox and uncouth, especially after judge Makau termed the ongoing strike as illegal, unlawful and unprotected.

Photo courtesy; Education Cs. Amina                            Mohammed AFP.


Notwithstanding, the 22 public campuses' staff have since held their grounds and are still yelling solidarity, thinking not of Students nor their parents.

Have you thought of parents, the figures they've had to part with while settling their kids for school? The numbers  of hours wasted for public campus students. The humongous dreams you squash and  stacks of ambitions you make crumble with your shoddy unprecedented  now and then strikes. Oh I forget, you have your lives all worked out, and not for a second do you relax to think of other persons' ?

An array of strikes blossomed  the academic year 2016/2017. With lecturers' holding a duo- go slow during the aforementioned year. This has translated to the current 2018 now, with the dons issues proving cringe- vital as it stands.

Barely less than 3 weeks ago, University Academic Staff Union (UASU) alongside other affiliate bodies denounced a court order. The "teachers by profession" guys had no scruples about muttering a loud bewildering NO to judge Makau's verdict. An action they feel no sorry about. One they executed without compunction whatsoever.

 Constantine Wesonga, who signs off as secretary general UASU reiterates that the union should not be confused for being egocentric, but the guy feels public campus lecturers' are suffering a disorder best known to him as " discrimination".

"Why are the highest and most learned academic staff (professors) not in the highest job group? So who is supposed to be there if the most learned aren't there?" Wesonga lamented.

Privy, Cs Amina Mohammed feels there exists a lot of creepy issues which overwhelm  and continue to cripple smooth operation of public university academics. She too feels lecturers' are behaving in  somewhat of an unorthodox and archaic manner.

" When the country set up the SRC, it was agreed that it will be the guiding pillar in salary determination. But the lecturers don't want to be guided by the same body, " she said.

It has come of wind that some public universities actually implemented the CBA 2017 - 2021  in full, but then others didn't comply with the Collective Bargaining Agreement's set codes of conduct, such including submission of payroll data to the ministry by all public campuses. Now, Amina Mohammed is aware and promises to get to the seabed of the issue through look and crook.

Ms. Amina has sprung up some measures including the  establishment of a probe which will dig into the matter and  issue out a concise report within a month dating from 18th March 2018.

Suffice is to say things will remain as they stand on matters education in public universities at least until 20th April 2018, a point at which the ministry will decide on the most possible option going forward.

Comrades are vacating university premises, leaving them vacuum- empty with the aforementioned eluding pangs of academic hunger that has left their hopes of clearing higher learning as per their admissions' stipulations grow leaner by day.

KALONZO MUSYOKA; THE BIGGEST LOSER WITHIN NASA'S CRUMBLED WALLS.

Wiper Democratic Movement has witnessed its chief Mr. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka's political career suffer the worst of drubbings in history.

The aforementioned individual has watched his visions as far as Kenyan politics is concerned maimed. Something that has left him crippled if not wounded and he would never fancy extending not even an ounce of forgiveness nor pity towards his perpetrators. Especially one Mr. Raila Odinga.

With the traitor- effect of  Mr. Raila Odinga;  the ex chief of the National Super Alliance, it almost beats logic to think of  the former vice president rekindling his hopes of ever becoming politically viable in a more unprecedented yet conspicuous political front.

So what next for the former deputy president? What can be his best strategy on matters charting his political agendas going forward? With Raila Odinga off his shadows's proximity, and Moses Wetangula having job security to his claim, is it any wrong terming the " watermelon"  nicknamed guy the loser?

We wouldn't go down the road comparing and contrasting Kalonzo and Mudavadi. This is because the latter has never had any serious political ambitions since time in memorial.

 Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula was irked by a weird and unorthodox move opposition leaders took early march. The outspoken  senator was dropped as leader of minority and Siaya senator James Orengo replaced at the helm of corridors of opposition's power.

"The shepherd has turned wolf to his flock. Instead of protecting them, " this were Wetangula's grievances as he bemoaned Raila's misdeeds.
I opine that Wiper leader ought to be singing a similar aubade. Grieving and mourning for his political career is just but close to hitting the wall head on.

The guy is victim of making wrong choices time and again. It is worthwhile to note Mr. Kalonzo made the best decision only once in his political life to date. This was in 2007 when he ganged up with retired president Hon. Emilio Mwai Kibaki to become Kenya's  tenth vice president.

In 2013 general elections, the guy did choose his cards bad, teaming up with Raila in CORD. The two lost this time round to UHURUTO, and this was the focal point from which Mr. Musyoka should have stood on his own.A way from Raila's ghosts.

Notwithstanding, the guy went ahead in 2017 to support Raila Odinga as his running mate yet again. And their ambition to land in Statehouse was once again botched.

The guy he almost but all  put his faith in has now crossed over to reconcile with president Uhuru Kenyatta. This was a good move on matters national unity. Albeit the merits of such an action by Raila, the act comes as awful and so irritating in Kalonzo's ear.

Could Mr. Musyoka ostensibly revamp his  status on matters Kenyan politicking? Could the guy surprise us come 2022 general elections? Is this the end of former Dp's political future? Do Kenyans still fancy the guy as staunch and rigid enough to spearhead the country  as state's president? Personally I doubt.

Either way, only time would tell. However as things stand, Mr. Musyoka's hopes along the corridors of power are very meagre and continue to grow dismal and minute  by day. Only seconds, minutes and piles of hours would tell  how far the guy could possibly chart his political foci in the foreseeable future.