NAIROBI, Kenya — Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has urged university lecturers to end their nationwide strike and resume teaching, assuring them that the government is committed to implementing the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Ogamba said the government had demonstrated its commitment to honouring agreements with education sector unions by clearing historical salary arrears owed under previous CBAs.
Speaking during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations on Monday, the CS said arrears arising from the 2017–2021 and 2022–2025 CBAs had been fully paid.
“It is with this same spirit that we are committed to timely negotiation and conclusion of future Collective Bargaining Agreements, including the 2025–2029 CBA,” Ogamba said.
He called on university lecturers to return to classrooms, arguing that the outstanding issues could be addressed through negotiations without disrupting learning.
“I therefore call upon university staff unions and our individual lecturers to reciprocate the good faith, obey the orders of the court and return to work,” he said.
Lecturers Reject Government Offer
The strike by members of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) followed the collapse of negotiations between the unions and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).
The lecturers rejected recommendations submitted to the Ministry of Education and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, arguing that the proposals had been made without adequate negotiations with the unions.
The unions have maintained that employment terms, salaries and working conditions should be agreed through a collective bargaining process rather than imposed through government circulars.
They also rejected a proposed Sh9.76 billion settlement, arguing that the figure had not been negotiated with the unions.
The lecturers accused the government of making unilateral decisions on their salaries, terms of service and working conditions.
Government Defends CBA Implementation
Ogamba’s remarks come amid the dispute over implementation of the current four-year CBA, which was signed in July 2025.
The agreement provides for phased increases in teachers’ basic salaries over the four-year period.
The first phase was implemented in July 2025, while the second phase took effect in July 2026.
President William Ruto has said the 2026/2027 national budget has provided an additional Sh8.1 billion to facilitate implementation of the agreement as scheduled.
Teachers Push For Two-Year CBA Cycle
The lecturers’ strike also comes as teachers under the Teachers Service Commission seek changes to the duration of CBA negotiations.
Teachers have asked the government to reduce the current four-year CBA review cycle to two years, arguing that a shorter cycle would allow salaries and employment terms to be reviewed more frequently.
President Ruto said the government would consider the proposal after the conclusion of the current 2025–2029 agreement.
“Because we have signed the current one, we will return to the two-year plan when it’s over,” Ruto said.
The President likened the proposal to homework, saying he would consider the request and return with an answer.
The government is now seeking to resolve the university lecturers’ dispute through negotiations while urging union members to return to work to minimise disruption to learning in public universities.
