Lecturer strike splits Kenya press

The pay strike by Kenyan lecturers which has closed the country's universities has divided the country's press.

Calls for negotiations to settle the crisis by two dailies are challenged by a commentator in an opposition paper who launches a scathing attack on the academics.

Writing in the opposition Kenya Times Justus Mungata brands the lecturers as "deadwoods".

"Most of the professors you hear talking about pay hikes will never use a single cent to buy a book! They only want more money to drink more beer and buy newer more impressive cars," Mr Mungata rages.

'Idlers and deadwoods'

"Rewarding such characters with higher pay would be doing disservice to the students and the nation. There is little doubt that the public university system is riddled with deadwoods masquerading as intellectuals."

No one would employ them elsewhere Commentator in Kenya Times

The writer demands that the universities "be cleansed of idlers, who fail to inspire young and curious students".

"Their only claim to knowledge is that they are in the university, just like the trees growing there... no one would employ them elsewhere."

"Why do you expect to get sympathy from the Kenyan public, most of who are unemployed?"

Mr Mungata calls for the introduction of "a clear system of rewarding industry and punishing laziness" before any pay rises are considered.

In marked contrast, People Daily criticises the government and calls for an immediate pay rise.

"The manner in which the government has handled the crisis so far cannot be said to be constructive," it says.

With the World Bank warning against further increases in public sector wages, nothing short of a compromise will work East African Standard

"What the government needs to do is to work out a practical response to the lecturers' demands. If possible, some pay rise should be offered immediately."

The major circulation East African Standard also calls on the government to find a quick solution to the strike, but within the country's means.

Call for compromise

It says the authorities "did not expect such resolve" from the lecturers. "But now that they have demonstrated their determination, it is time to launch a return-to-work formula."

"Whether the strike is justified or not is a moot point at this stage, the next plan is how to return professors to the lecture halls."

The boot's on the other foot for Dr Mwiria The Nation

But the Standard warns with a large budget deficit, and "with the World Bank warning against further increases in public sector wages, nothing short of a compromise will work, at least in the medium term".

The leading daily The Nation highlights the changing fortunes of the government official charged with settling the strike, in a piece headlined "The boot's on the other foot for Dr Mwiria".

"As a fiery university lecturer, Dr Kilemi Mwiria led a pay strike by academic staff 10 years ago. Today, as an assistant minister, he finds himself in the awkward role of leading Government negotiations with his former colleagues."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.