NAIROBI, Kenya — Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has waded into the mounting university lecturers’ strike, calling on the government to promptly honour existing Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) to break the impasse and safeguard the higher education sector.
Speaking today, Nyoro said the strike is symptomatic of deeper frustrations among academics who claim that agreed commitments have repeatedly been sidelined. He challenged state actors to act with urgency, warning that prolonged disruption threatens not only student careers but the country’s reputation for academic excellence.
“Lecturers and professors are within their rights to demand that the government fulfill the CBAs it signed,” Nyoro said. “The colleges and universities cannot continue to suffer while negotiations drag on.”
Nyoro’s intervention comes as public universities remain largely shut down, with students forced to await clarity on the academic calendar. He reiterated his stance that fair compensation and respect for institutional agreements are essential for restoring trust in the education system.
The strike, led by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), is driven by demands for payment of billions in owed allowances, enactment of a new CBA for 2025–2029, and release of withheld funds under previous agreements.
With mounting pressure from students, families, and civil society, Nyoro’s call adds momentum to ongoing appeals for government action. Whether the administration heeds it may determine how long universities stay closed — and how much long-term damage the strike inflicts on Kenya’s education sector.
