UASU issues seven-day strike notice over stalled lecturers’ CBA

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 24 — The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a seven-day notice for a nationwide strike by lecturers, with the industrial action set to begin at midnight on October 2.

The union said the decision follows what it described as the persistent failure by university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025.

UASU also said the government has failed to provide a financial counter-proposal for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

“While other employees in the public education sector concluded their 2025–2029 CBAs last year, lecturers in public universities have been abandoned,” the union said on Thursday.

The notice follows a disclosure by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on September 21 that neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury had provided a written commitment that funding for public universities’ CBAs would be provided through the National Exchequer.

UASU said the SRC consequently could not issue the constitutional advice required to facilitate financial counter-proposals to the unions.

“This disclosure by SRC confirms that the negotiations held at Machakos University since last year have been an exercise in futility,” UASU said.

The union also objected to what it said was a government position that funding for public university lecturers could be drawn from student fees and market-based funding.

“UASU rejects this position firmly. Academic staff in public universities are public officers.”

The union argued that lecturers’ remuneration should be secured from the National Exchequer, citing the constitutional definition of public office and the requirement that remuneration and benefits be payable from the Consolidated Fund or money provided by Parliament.

UASU also criticised reliance on social media statements regarding the proposed new university funding model.

“Unions cannot be directed to rely on social media declarations or to interpret the implied meanings in the proposed Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which Parliament has not enacted,” the union said.

It questioned whether public universities were being shifted towards a market-based funding model, asking: “Do we still have public universities or have they changed to market based universities?”

UASU’s demands

The union wants the 2025–2029 CBA negotiated, signed, registered and implemented, with the Ministry of Education and National Treasury providing a commitment that it will be funded through the National Exchequer.

It is also demanding that the Government cease attempts to remove the public officer status of public university lecturers and that the proposed tertiary education funding legislation explicitly safeguard their remuneration from the Exchequer.

UASU further wants to participate in the development of human-resource instruments for public universities currently being developed by the Public Service Commission.

The union said fair remuneration of academic staff is critical to public university education and the future of students.

“A dignified, fairly remunerated academic staff is critical for the quality of public university education, the safe guarding the future of students, and the socioeconomic development of Kenya,” UASU said.

Jeremiah Wakaya is the Online Editor at Capital FM Kenya. He is a multimedia journalist with over a decade of experience covering politics, diplomacy, constitutional affairs, renewable energy, and wildlife conservation.