The standoff between public university lecturers and the government deepened on Friday after the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) flatly rejected a proposal to settle Ksh7.9 billion in arrears in phases.
Speaking in Nairobi, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga maintained that lecturers would not resume duty until the government clears the entire amount in a single payment.
“The payment of Ksh7.9 billion should be done at once, immediately,” Wesonga declared. “Lecturers through their organs have instructed me that they don’t disseminate knowledge in phases; therefore, their arrears should not be paid in phases either.”
The fiery union leader further demanded that the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) be negotiated, signed, registered, and implemented before the academic staff can consider returning to lecture halls.
“We have four months’ arrears; those must be settled before lecturers contemplate going back to work,” he added.
Six Weeks of Paralysis
The lecturers’ strike, now in its sixth week, has crippled learning in all public universities since it began on September 17, 2025. Students remain stranded as campuses across the country stand silent, with no clear end in sight.
The government, through Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, had expressed optimism earlier this month that a deal was within reach. Speaking on October 13, Ogamba noted that talks held in Machakos between the unions and government negotiators were “close to a breakthrough.”
“We met with the university union to work out the issues of the 2017–2021 CBA, and they also have another team that is negotiating the 2025–2029 cycle,” the CS said, adding that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had already tabled a substantial offer.
Ogamba revealed that according to SRC records, the government had already paid Ksh7.2 billion, leaving a balance of Ksh624 million still in dispute.
Initially, the state had proposed to clear the arrears in three phases but later revised the plan to two phases — a compromise UASU has firmly rejected.
“No Work Without Full Pay”
The lecturers’ insistence on a one-off payment underscores the widening trust deficit between the union and the state. UASU argues that previous phased settlements have often dragged on, leaving lecturers unpaid long after promises were made.
Meanwhile, parents and students are growing increasingly anxious as the stalemate threatens to derail the university calendar.
Despite the Education Ministry’s assurances, Wesonga and his team appear determined to hold the line until their demands are fully met — setting the stage for what could become one of the longest university strikes in Kenya’s history.
Leave a Reply