NAIROBI, Kenya – Learning in all 35 public universities across Kenya is on the brink of a complete shutdown, with lecturers threatening to strike starting September 18.
The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has declared the strike following stalled negotiations over the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
UASU Secretary General, Constantine Wasonga, has accused the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) of delaying talks for nearly three years.
Since September 2020, the union has engaged in ten fruitless meetings with government representatives, leaving lecturers frustrated and demanding swift action.
“I convened the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which gave me authority to issue a strike notice tomorrow (Wednesday) at exactly 10 a.m. The national strike is set to begin officially on September 18,” Wasonga announced during a meeting held at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega.
The strike threat comes at a crucial time, just weeks after universities reopened to continuing students.
Grievances raised by UASU include reduced university funding, delayed salaries, and failure to remit statutory and third-party deductions such as loans, pensions, and insurance premiums. A new university funding model has also added to the union’s list of concerns.
The most recent attempt at conciliation, held on Tuesday, collapsed without resolving the lecturers’ grievances.
Wasonga blames the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for introducing an unprecedented “percentage” factor during the CBA negotiations—a move the union claims lacks transparency and stakeholder engagement.
“When we asked where they conducted the survey, who participated, and what parameters were used, they had no answers. You cannot introduce new terms mid-negotiation and expect us to agree, especially when part of our membership remains uncompensated,” said Wasonga.
UASU members had already threatened to strike in early August over the unresolved 2017-2021 CBA, with the upcoming strike adding further pressure to the strained relationship between lecturers and the government.
Wasonga emphasized that unless all their demands are met, the strike will continue indefinitely.
“If they can resolve our issues within seven days, we’ll hold off the strike. But if they don’t, we’re moving forward with it,” he concluded.
The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has declared the strike following stalled negotiations over the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
UASU Secretary General, Constantine Wasonga, has accused the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) of delaying talks for nearly three years.
Since September 2020, the union has engaged in ten fruitless meetings with government representatives, leaving lecturers frustrated and demanding swift action.
“I convened the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which gave me authority to issue a strike notice tomorrow (Wednesday) at exactly 10 a.m. The national strike is set to begin officially on September 18,” Wasonga announced during a meeting held at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega.
The strike threat comes at a crucial time, just weeks after universities reopened to continuing students.
Grievances raised by UASU include reduced university funding, delayed salaries, and failure to remit statutory and third-party deductions such as loans, pensions, and insurance premiums. A new university funding model has also added to the union’s list of concerns.
The most recent attempt at conciliation, held on Tuesday, collapsed without resolving the lecturers’ grievances.
Wasonga blames the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for introducing an unprecedented “percentage” factor during the CBA negotiations—a move the union claims lacks transparency and stakeholder engagement.
“When we asked where they conducted the survey, who participated, and what parameters were used, they had no answers. You cannot introduce new terms mid-negotiation and expect us to agree, especially when part of our membership remains uncompensated,” said Wasonga.
UASU members had already threatened to strike in early August over the unresolved 2017-2021 CBA, with the upcoming strike adding further pressure to the strained relationship between lecturers and the government.
Wasonga emphasized that unless all their demands are met, the strike will continue indefinitely.
“If they can resolve our issues within seven days, we’ll hold off the strike. But if they don’t, we’re moving forward with it,” he concluded.
