NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 3 – The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has called on the Public Service Commission to withdraw a controversial circular on the retirement age of university professors, warning it could cripple public universities.
The University of Nairobi Chapter Secretary-General Prof. George Osanjo says the policy could result in the loss of up to 70 percent of the institution’s academic staff, threatening teaching, research and innovation.
According to UASU, the PSC overturned an earlier agreement reached between university councils, represented by the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), and the union on the retirement age for professors without consulting universities or academic staff.
“The Public Service Commission has now overturned that consensus without consulting academic staff or the universities themselves,” the union said.
The union also highlighted conflicting rulings by the Employment and Labour Relations Courts in Nairobi and Eldoret over the retirement-age provisions, saying the decisions have created legal uncertainty for universities.
Beyond the legal dispute, UASU said Kenya continues to suffer a shortage of professors and specialists in key disciplines, with professional bodies repeatedly calling for more lecturers to be recruited.
The union argued that retiring experienced academics at a time when universities are preparing to receive the first cohort of Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) Senior School graduates would undermine the government’s plans to expand access to university education.
UASU wants the government to develop retirement policies tailored specifically for universities while allowing institutions to retain experienced professors and recruit younger academics.
