UASU Ends Lecturers’ Strike After Agreement with Government

UASU Ends Lecturers’ Strike After Agreement with Government.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) announced on Saturday, November 23, the end of a strike that had disrupted university operations nationwide since September.

The decision followed a government pledge to honor the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), originally valued at Ksh9.76 billion.

The National Treasury committed to allocating the full CBA amount in the 2024/2025 financial year under Supplementary Estimates II. As part of the deal, all legal petitions filed to halt the lecturers’ strike were withdrawn, and UASU representatives pledged to recover lost teaching time.

This resolution came shortly after the National Assembly Committee on Education convened a meeting involving UASU, the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), and the Inter-Ministerial Committee.

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The meeting sought to break the stalemate, as UASU had refused to resume work until the government clarified its payment plan for the remaining Ksh5.46 billion after disbursing Ksh4.3 billion.

Payment Schedule Agreement

UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga indicated the union’s readiness to accept the initial payment if the government provided a clear timeline for settling the balance over two financial years.

The proposal entailed paying half of the remaining Ksh5.46 billion in 2025/2026 and the other half in 2026/2027. Wasonga emphasized the need for an agreement on negotiating other items in the Return to Work Formula.

Tinderet MP Julius Melly highlighted the urgency of restoring operations in universities, noting that students were awaiting graduation and parents had already paid fees. He urged all parties to compromise for the sake of the education system.

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Similarly, Nyamira MP Jerusha Momanyi called on the government to formalize its commitment to clear the balance, pressing the Treasury and relevant ministries to ensure future payments.

The lecturers initiated the strike on September 18 after failed negotiations between the government and their representatives. The industrial action escalated, forcing most institutions to release students as learning ground to a halt.

UASU Ends Lecturers’ Strike After Agreement with Government.

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