Kenya Lecturers Set to Strike as Universities Report US$770 Million Hole
Kenya’s public university lecturers plan to strike from 2 October. Vice-chancellors say the state owes them more than US$770 million and cannot fund a new pay deal without fresh Treasury money. The post Kenya Lecturers Set to Strike as Universities Report US$770 Million Hole appeared first on The Rio Times .
Public university lecturers in Kenya are scheduled to go on strike beginning 2 October, following the revelation that the state owes them over US$770 million. The Kenyan public universities claim they cannot afford a new lecturers' pay deal without additional funding from the national Treasury. The lecturers' union has threatened to stop work at midnight on Friday, 2 October, if their demands are not met.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) is responsible for setting and advising on public-sector pay in Kenya. It requested vice-chancellors to confirm the financial resources available to fund the 2025-2029 collective bargaining agreement (CBA). However, the Vice-Chancellors' Committee of public universities stated that the state has never fully paid what it owes under the current funding model.
They estimate that the government owes them Sh100 billion (about US$770 million) in unpaid state funding, which covers the arrears since the introduction of the Student-Centred Funding Model in 2023.
The universities reject the proposal to fund the new pay deal from the per-student money, as it falls short of their existing wage, teaching, and running costs. The UASU, representing teaching staff at public universities, has issued a seven-day strike notice, citing the government's failure to honor a return-to-work deal signed in November 2025. The union argues that lectures must be paid from public funds, as per Kenya's constitution.
The lecturer strike coincides with a funding gap in student financing. The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) was allocated Sh56.3 billion (about US$435 million) but needed Sh112.1 billion (about US$866 million), leaving a shortfall of Sh55.8 billion (about US$431 million). The Universities Fund, responsible for paying scholarships, faces a further shortfall of Sh16.26 billion (about US$126 million). These gaps amount to Sh72.06 billion (about US$556 million), which could affect nearly 689,000 students.
The Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, is currently under consideration in Parliament. UASU wants the bill to guarantee that lecturers are paid from the exchequer. A strike would disrupt teaching at Kenyan public universities, impacting international students, joint research projects, and foreign partners with campus contracts.
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