This archive report was first published on 24 August 2021.
On August 24, 2021, a court in Kenya made a significant ruling regarding the Kenyatta University lecturers' union election.
According to reports, 147 members of the University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) at Kenyatta University had been excluded from the voters' register, sparking a court case.
Justice James Rika of the Employment and Labour Court ruled that the elections held in March 2021 were not fair due to the exclusion of these members.
He noted that the officeholders had rejected the advice of the Registrar of Trade Unions and the election board, resulting in the disenfranchisement of legitimate members.
The judge also pointed out that the officials had closed the office on December 17, preventing members from updating their subscription and participating in the elections.
Justice Rika emphasized the importance of embracing democratic culture in trade unions, stating that no candidate could claim success under a flawed approach.
He directed the Registrar of Trade Unions not to register the poll results and ordered the update of the voters' register with the concurrence of the UASU chairman and the Registrar of Trade Unions, ahead of fresh elections within 60 days.
