 |
| UASU leaders at a press conference. Photo: NMG |
The 49-day standoff that crippled public universities across Kenya has finally come to an end after university staff unions struck a deal with the government for the payment of Ksh7.9 billion in long-overdue salary arrears.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), alongside KUSU and KUDHEIHA, called off the strike on Wednesday, November 5, after securing a government commitment to settle the arrears in two installments, Ksh3.8 billion between November and December 2025 and the balance by July 2026.
Announcing the breakthrough, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga said the unions had agreed to resume work immediately, marking the end of nearly seven weeks of paralyzed learning and stalled research in public universities.
“We have agreed to be paid in two instalments — one between November and December for Ksh3.8 billion, and the second in June next year. We are happy that we have secured the whole amount,” Wesonga declared.
 |
| Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and other leaders |
The deal was sealed at Jogoo House on Tuesday evening after intense negotiations mediated by the National Assembly’s Committee on Education.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and Treasury CS John Mbadi witnessed the signing, with Mbadi explaining that the government’s cash crunch made a one-off payment impossible.
Wesonga, flanked by union officials, extended an olive branch to students, apologizing for the disruption and assuring them that lecturers would recover all lost time, with the semester expected to be slightly extended.
“Comrades, we are sorry for the 42-plus days you have lost. Our members are committed to ensuring you get the full academic experience you deserve,” he said.
 |
| UASU members during a past strike |
The truce not only restores calm to campuses nationwide but also paves the way for talks on the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which are set to begin within 30 days.
Wesonga,however, warned that the newfound peace hinges on the government honoring its end of the bargain.
“If the government fails to pay as agreed, we will not hesitate to resume the strike — even as early as next week,” he cautioned.
The lecturers’ strike, which began in September, followed months of frustration over unpaid dues from the 2017–2021 CBA and ignored court orders.
With the new deal in place, the unions say they are ready to ensure “industrial peace in the university sector until 2030” provided the Treasury keeps its word.
0 Comments