University Academic Staff Union Secretary General Constantine Wasonga with union officials at the Technical University of Kenya in Nairobi on October 29 /POOL
Despite the government’s commitment to releasing Sh4.3 billion to implement lecturers’ pay rise, efforts to resolve the ongoing nationwide lecturers’ strike have reached an impasse. The lecturers, led by their union, are demanding a clear road map from the government on how to settle the remaining Sh5.4 billion before returning to class.
This means public universities will remain closed until an agreement is reached on the outstanding balance, as the government continues its negotiations with the unions. To fully implement the return-to-work formula negotiated by the inter-ministerial team, taxpayers will need to allocate Sh9.7 billion.
The strike, led by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), has caused widespread disruption in all public universities across the country. The National Assembly’s Education Committee convened a meeting of the inter-ministerial team in an effort to bring the strike to an end.
The committee, composed of representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, and the National Treasury, alongside the Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and three unions—UASU, Kenya Universities Staff Union, and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions and Hospitals Workers—has been working towards finding a solution.
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga emphasized that the government must provide a written commitment on how the remaining Sh5.4 billion will be cleared before the strike ends. “The strike is on until we get the Sh9.7 billion. We’ve accepted the Sh4.3 billion, but the government must commit in writing how it will settle the remaining balance,” Wasonga said.
The Sh4.3 billion offer is an attempt by the government to resolve the issue, but students and parents have expressed growing frustration as the strike drags on.
Wasonga further stated that UASU is willing to return to the lecture halls once the government agrees to pay the remaining Sh5.4 billion in two equal installments.
The negotiations are the closest the committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, has come to resolving the deadlock between the government and the unions. Melly urged both parties to meet immediately and finalize the payment plan for the Sh5.4 billion to facilitate the resumption of learning.
“We are directing that you retreat and hold the negotiation so that the strike can be called off. We want to see lecturers back in the universities,” said Melly.
Siaya Woman Representative Christine Ombaka encouraged the government to show goodwill at the negotiation table to bring the strike to an end. “I see there is light at the end of the tunnel. We need to know when the balance of Sh5.4 billion will be settled,” Ombaka said.
Mandera South MP Haro Ebrahim emphasized that both sides should consider the bigger picture and ensure that learning resumes in universities. “There must be a level of give-and-take. The compromise should be that the ministry commits on how to raise the Sh5.4 billion, but it should not be the reason for UASU not to call off the strike,” Ebrahim said.
As the standoff continues, pressure is mounting on both the government and UASU to find a resolution. Last week, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah urged both sides to resolve the strike quickly, noting that students remain the hardest hit by the ongoing disruption.
“The students are unfortunately the most affected by this deadlock. Many are confined to campuses with no access to classes, food, or essential support, leaving them vulnerable and frustrated,” Omtatah said.
The government and UASU have been urged to come to a swift resolution to minimize further disruption to academic activities in the country’s public universities.
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