This archive report was first published on 24 May 2020.
Published on May 24, 2020
Pan Africa Christian University has joined the list of institutions that have announced pay cuts for their staff due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The university has announced an 80% pay cut for its staff from May to August, citing the impact of the pandemic on its revenue collection.
The pay cut is part of a series of measures the university has taken to manage its activities during the pandemic. The institution has also suspended the recruitment of new staff until the end of December 2020 and has suspended the payment of leave allowances.
According to a memo by Vice-Chancellor Prof Margaret Muthwili, the pay cut will affect all staff members, with those who are not able to join in the teaching staff in May-August being assigned a minimum workload and paid 20% of their salary each month.
Prof Muthwili said that every member of staff will be required to sign an acceptance letter, indicating their willingness to work under the terms and circumstances laid out. The university has also announced that it will continue to pay pensions at the basic pay applicable per month from April to December 2020.
Private Universities Staff Workers Union Secretary-General Peter Owiti has criticized the move, saying that private universities should look at ways of sustaining their staff during the pandemic. He noted that universities should look beyond payment of fees by learners as the only source of income.
Other universities that have announced pay cuts include Egerton and Kisii universities, which have announced salary reductions of 30-40% due to non-receipt of funds from the National Treasury. Maseno University has also asked employees to take voluntary pay cuts from this month.
