An Employment court sitting in Nakuru has directed the Maasai Mara University to pay Vice Chancellor Mary Walingo Sh81 million owed to her in salaries after she was wrongfully dismissed from office.
In issuing the directive, Justice Hellen Wasilwa said the university and the council were reluctant to file any response regarding the amount payable to Walingo despite several orders.
Walingo had made her computation of the figures payable to her but the respondents listed as the University, the school's council, CS Education, the Public Service Commission and the Attorney General omitted to respond to the computation.
At the time, they insisted that the Maasai Mara University Council was not in place.
But the Judge said when it was finally appointed in May 2023, no action was taken by the respondents.
As a result, the Judge said:
“It is my finding that the respondents are duly bound to implement the decision of the PSC as adopted by this court and as computed by Walingo to the tune of sh 81 million in the absence of any rejoinder.”
Walingo was interdicted on May 12, 2020, and suspended on August 28, 2020, after she was charged in a Sh177 million corruption case.
Following her interdiction, her salary stopped reflecting.
She subsequently filed a complaint before the PSC which ultimately reinstated her but directed that she be paid her salary in half until the conclusion of the court case.
However, the University did not pay her dues.
They stated that the figure by Walingo “has been plucked from the air as it is not supported by any documents”.
The institution argued that the allowances she is seeking have gone beyond the orders of the Public Service Commission.