Learning in public universities remains at a standstill as lecturers insist they will not return to classrooms until the government settles outstanding dues and engages in new negotiations.
The industrial action, now entering its fourth week, has left students frustrated and classes halted across the country.
Lecturers under the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) staged a march outside the University of Nairobi on Wednesday, reiterating their demand for the full Sh7.9 billion owed under the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and pressing for talks on the 2025–2029 CBA.
UASU National Chairperson Grace Nyongesa said the strike will continue until all issues are resolved.
“We are marching for victory today on the issues we are fighting for. On the 2017–2021 CBA, our demand is clear: we want the full Sh7.9 billion implemented, and we will negotiate for that CBA in total. Four years down the line, its value has already depreciated,” she said.
She criticised the government for ignoring lecturers’ concerns and called for better treatment of teaching staff.
“We are heavily taxed, yet the system isn’t working, pension schemes are collapsing, and we are demanding dignity in our profession. We will not return to work until even the new 2025–2029 CBA is discussed and agreed upon,” Nyongesa added.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga confirmed that the unions were invited to a payroll audit meeting in Machakos on Thursday regarding arrears from the 2017–2021 CBA.
However, he dismissed the exercise as unnecessary, insisting the union already has verified figures.
“The court ruled that the 2017-2021 CBA stands at Sh7.8 billion, and we will not allow the government to overturn that judgment through the back door. We already know what tomorrow’s outcome will be. We will table our audit, take tea and return, because this strike will not end until Sh7.1 billion hits our accounts,” Wesonga said.
He rejected the government’s proposal of Sh3 billion for the 2025–2029 CBA, calling it “a joke of the highest order.” “They had committed to harmonise our allowances, but now they are suggesting a reduction instead. I want to tell the country that, unfortunately, we are headed for a long lecturers’ strike,” he added.
KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya criticised Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba for mishandling negotiations and ignoring court rulings.
“CS Ogamba was not in office when this CBA was being discussed; he does not understand the origin of this crisis, yet he has been quick to dismiss what we are telling the public. The Sh7.9 billion is non-negotiable. Ogamba has no power to revise a court order,” he said.
He dismissed the Machakos payroll audit as “a PR exercise” and announced plans to take the matter to key government offices. “We will not reopen any audit or discuss any report. Today, we want to go to the Ministry of Education, Parliament, and the Treasury to remind them that the CBA is our business,” Mukhwaya said.
The ongoing strike has halted all activities in public universities, with lecturers demanding payment of Sh7.9 billion from the 2017–2021 CBA and negotiations for the 2025–2029 agreement.
The disruption echoes last year’s extended strike, which delayed the academic calendar into early 2025. Some students have warned they may join the strike if the government does not act.
The unions have also criticised the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for overstepping its advisory role and complicating negotiations. Wesonga said SRC’s actions made it difficult for lecturers to engage effectively with their employer.
“As per labour conventions, we are supposed to negotiate with our employer. However, SRC is supposed to give its advisory, but the way they are giving that advisory, it seems they do not allow workers to negotiate with their employer,” Wesonga said.
He further criticised SRC’s limit of Sh3 billion over four years, questioning how it could fairly cover all three unions.
Union leaders also cited other issues, including delayed statutory deductions, lack of medical coverage, and failing pension schemes, which have worsened lecturers’ welfare.
Officials appealed to students to remain patient during the ongoing strike. “We want to plead with our students to bear with us so that we can complete this matter once and for all. When we start learning next year, we do not want any other disruptions,” Wesonga said.
The unions announced plans to escalate the strike to individual university chapters across the country. Last week, CS Julius Ogamba said the government had formally engaged SRC to guide negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA.
He noted that initial negotiations in September by the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) had been missed by UASU.
“The government remains committed to dialogue and a fair resolution of the lecturers’ concerns,” Ogamba said during the launch of the National Examination and Assessment season.