University lecturers strike talks stall amid Sh7.9b standoff

Efforts to end the ongoing university staff strike are in limbo following a standoff over the amount owed.

On Wednesday, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) separately disagreed on how to end the strike, with the union insisting that the government has to pay Sh7.9 billion.

But while appearing before the Senate, the CS said the amount lecturers are demanding is in contention.

“We have the CBA for 2021-2025 over which lecturers went on strike last year with Sh4.3 billion given out while the next amount Sh2.3 billion was to be given out in July, which delayed leading to the strike with the remaining balance to be cleared in June 2026,” Ogamba said.

The CS noted that a court order temporarily stopped the strike and required verification of the disputed figures.

He added that the conciliation outcome would be presented in court on Monday.

“The real issue is the 2017–2021 CBA. Once we verify how much is due, we can move to the next stage of settling it,” he said.

However, Uasu Chairperson Grace Nyongesa said no negotiations with universities management or the government were underway.

“We shall remain outside until the issues raised are addressed. There are no negotiations currently underway,” she said, insisting that the full implementation of the 2021–2025 CBA must be completed and that talks for the 2025–2029 CBA should begin immediately.

The Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya accused vice chancellors and university councils of misleading the public.

“In 2025, the Attorney General issued an advisory, and the court ordered payment of our CBAs. Vice chancellors and councils are lying to the public and running away from facts,” he said.

“The court has directed that we be paid. Whatever they are saying now, the court has refused. We cannot negotiate a court judgement. Let them pay.”

Dr Mukhwaya warned that failure to honour the agreements amounted to contempt of court. He urged union members to stand firm despite what he termed threats from university management.

However, Ogamba insisted the government would undertake an audit to ascertain the true figure of the money owed to the university staff.

Dr Constantine Wasonga, the Uasu secretary general, however said any audit must involve the unions.

Wasonga further revealed  the union would on Monday file a rejoinder challenging an earlier court case that ruled their strike illegal.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court on September 19 issued an order halting the strike to allow for a legally mandated conciliation process.

The development come as the government threatened lecturers that they will not be paid September salaries for taking part in the strike.

Meanwhile, Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu sought to know what interventions have been taken to address a crisis caused by Sh43.4 billion budget shortfall that is threatening free education programme.

But Ogamba claimed the deficit was Sh28.72 billion, and that the ministry was lobbying the National Treasury and the National Assembly for additional allocations.

“For instance in the provision for capitation for free day secondary education has been enhanced to Sh3 billion, reducing the deficit in secondary education to Sh23.61 billion,” he said.

The CS said funding for national examinations through the Kenya National Examinations Council had been provided for at Sh5.9 billion. Ogamba said the amount has been enhanced by Sh3.1 billion.

Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu also sought to know the measures the ministry had put in place to ensure clear role definition and manageable workloads for teachers at the junior secondary schools, which are currently hosted by primary schools.

Ogamba said 23,000 classrooms had been constructed to ensure that as more resources become available, and that more infrastructure for JSS, including science and ICT labs, and workshops, would be provided.