NAIROBI, Kenya June 19 – Moi University is facing the prospect of a lecturers’ strike that could disrupt the September academic reopening if a long-running dispute over salary arrears remains unresolved.The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has accused the university of failing to settle outstanding payments despite a Sh1.2 billion government allocation intended to clear arrears accrued between 2017 and 2022.According to the union, the funds have become the centre of a dispute amid claims that the money was instead used to settle older obligations dating back to the 2013–2017 period.UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga and union official Robert Oduori have demanded accountability for the funds and called for the immediate settlement of what they describe as pending obligations amounting to Sh500 million.“Now that they have money, they should release the Sh1.2 billion from the Sh6 billion and pay the arrears. We do not want industrial action when students return in September. Can all these issues be settled before the students come back in September?” Wasonga said.The union maintains that the university administration has acknowledged the availability of the funds but argues that payment priorities have been mismanaged, raising fresh concerns about financial accountability within the institution.Oduori warned that failure to resolve the dispute before students return for the new academic term could leave lecturers with no option but to down their tools.“Warnings of industrial action are now tied directly to the reopening of universities in September,” he said, adding that the union would be forced to take action if the matter remains unresolved.The dispute comes at a time when pressure is mounting on university management to stabilise operations and avoid disruptions to the academic calendar.Lecturers argue that delayed payments have persisted for years without a lasting solution, despite repeated engagements with the university administration and government officials.If the standoff is not resolved, the union warns that it could escalate into another major disruption within the public university sector, potentially affecting thousands of students expected to resume studies in September.