University lecturers end strike after 49 days

Public University lecturers ended their two-month-long strike after accepting the government’s payment offer.

The breakthrough brings relief to thousands of students who have been out of class for nearly two months.

Lecturers and staff under the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and Kenya Union Of Domestic Hotels Educational Institutions Hospitals & Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) said that they have signed a return-to-work formula outlining the payment of the owed Sh7.9 billion under the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said that they have agreed to have a two-instalment payment plan, which will be settled by June 2026.

“We have agreed to be paid in two instalments – one between November and December at a cost of Sh3.8 billion, and the second in June next year. We are happy that we have secured the whole amount,” he said.

The lecturers also signed a framework for negotiating the 2025–2029 CBA.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) John Mbadi said on Tuesday that the government is cash-strapped and cannot foot the owed Sh7.9 billion at once, urging lecturers to take up the instalment payments.

UASU has declared that lecturers will abandon lecture rooms until the amount is paid in a lump sum.

Wesonga previously noted that the terms must be met before the striking lecturers resume their duties.

The strike, which began in mid-September, had crippled operations in public universities across the country.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly on Tuesday, Wasonga explained that lecturers had agreed to suspend the industrial action after assurances from the government.

“We have accepted the two-tranche proposal and will monitor the government’s compliance closely,” he said.

Wasonga noted that the union had pushed for full payment of the arrears at once, citing the plight of lecturers covered under the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), many of whom have since retired without benefiting from the negotiated pay rise.

“Some of our members have retired in hardship while waiting for what was rightfully theirs,” noted Wasonga, adding,

“We also expect the government to honour its promise on mortgages, car loans and staff promotions in future budgets.”

Mbadi defended the phased approach, saying the government’s constrained fiscal space made a lump-sum payment impractical.

“I want to commit here that what we have offered, we will respect however difficult it is,” said Mbadi.

“We are operating in a difficult environment, but we will rearrange the budget and get some money. Paying all at once would destabilise the economy,” he added.

Wasonga noted that the union had pushed for full payment of the arrears at once, citing the plight of lecturers covered under the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), many of whom have since retired without benefiting from the negotiated pay rise.