You have seven days to act: UASU threatens strike over lecturers' pay

Nairobi, Kenya, September 24 — The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has warned of a seven-day nationwide strike by lecturers, starting at midnight on October 2. This decision comes after the union claims that university councils, the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury have not adhered to the Return-to-Work Formula signed in November 2025.

UASU also criticized the government for failing to present a financial proposal for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The union expressed concern that lecturers in public universities have been neglected while other public sector employees have finalized their agreements last year. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) revealed on September 21 that neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury had provided a written promise to fund public universities' CBAs through the National Exchequer, making it impossible for the union to receive constitutional advice for financial counter-proposals.

UASU firmly opposes the government's stance that lecturer funding could come from student fees and market-based funding. The union maintains that public university lecturers are public officers whose remuneration should be paid from the National Exchequer, as per constitutional guidelines. The union also questioned the proposed shift towards a market-based funding model for universities, highlighting the uncertainty of whether public universities will still exist under this new funding system.

UASU's primary demands include the negotiation, signing, registration, and implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA with a commitment from the Ministry of Education and National Treasury to fund it through the National Exchequer. They also seek to prevent the removal of public officer status for public university lecturers and ensure that proposed funding legislation explicitly protects their remuneration from the Exchequer.

Furthermore, the union wants to take part in creating human-resource instruments for public universities currently being developed by the Public Service Commission. The union emphasizes that fairly remunerating academic staff is vital for the quality of public university education, ensuring the safety of students, and contributing to Kenya's socioeconomic development.