University Lecturers Call Off Three-Week Strike

On Saturday, November 23, the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) called off the lecturer strike that has been interfering with university operations nationwide since September.The strike was called off in response to the government’s pledge to fulfil the terms of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which was initially worth Ksh9.76 billion.

Under Supplementary Estimates II, the National Treasury agreed to set aside Ksh4.3 billion for the 2021–20 CBA’s implementation in the 2024–2025 fiscal year.

The lecturers’ union, however, refused to resume work unless the government clarified how it intended to reimburse the remaining Ksh5.46 billion to the academics.

Days after the National Assembly Committee on Education met with representatives of the Universities Academic Staff Union, the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum, and the Inter-Ministerial Committee, the most recent action to terminate the lecturers’ strike was taken.Constantine Wasonga, the secretary general of UASU, stated during the meeting that the union is willing to take the initial sum as long as the government agrees to a transparent payment schedule for the remaining Ksh5.46 billion over the following two fiscal years.

“UASU agrees to take Ksh4.3 billion immediately but the government must agree to pay the balance.

In the 2025/26 we will be paid half of Ksh5.4 billion and in 2026/27 the remaining half. We must agree on how to negotiate other items on the Return to Work Formula,” said Wasonga.

Appearing before the Senate, the CS stated that the government and UASU are differing on the exact figure of increments which lied between 7 per cent and 10 per cent agreed upon in their 2021 -2025 National Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) signed in 2019.

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