Lecturers defy suspensions, vow to press on with nationwide strike

The standoff between university lecturers and the government has deepened, with several institutions now issuing suspension and show-cause letters to striking staff as the industrial action entered Day 37 on Thursday.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) on Wednesday dismissed the disciplinary measures as intimidation tactics, insisting the strike will only end once the government pays the Sh7.9 billion owed to lecturers and signs the 2025–2029 national Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

UASU National Organising Secretary Onesmus Maluki revealed that the union had received reports indicating that up to 40 lecturers at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) had been suspended for participating in the strike. Lecturers from Dedan Kimathi, Karatina, and Kirinyaga universities have also faced suspensions.

However, the union vowed to press on until all its demands are met.

“In union language, we call them love letters because they amount to nothing. Those are expected intimidation. We are not scared of those letters,” Maluki said.

“When we call off the strike, the first thing we will do is sign a return-to-work formula. The first line in that agreement will be that there shall be no victimization arising from this strike. No member will lose their job.”

But Vice-Chancellors Committee Chairperson Daniel Mugendi defended the disciplinary actions, maintaining that universities were acting within the law.

“The courts have already spoken on the matter and indicated that the strike is illegal, so actions by university managements are within the confines of the law,” Prof. Mugendi told The Standard in an interview.

The prolonged strike, now in its sixth week, has disrupted learning nationwide, with students having lost nearly half the semester. There are growing fears about how institutions will recover the lost time.

It also emerged that some universities are grappling with 'double strikes' where staff are participating in both the national industrial action and local strikes over internal grievances.

According to Maluki, Multimedia University, the Technical University of Kenya, and Dedan Kimathi University are among those affected.

“For instance, Multimedia University is on both an internal strike and the national strike. Their internal issue is workload — management has been increasing teaching hours without negotiation, despite a court ruling in our favor,” Maluki said.

He warned that such internal disputes could prolong the paralysis even after the national strike is resolved.

At the heart of the nationwide dispute is the government’s alleged failure to honor the 2017–2021 CBA, under which lecturers are demanding KSh7.9 billion in unpaid salary arrears, as well as negotiations for a new pay deal covering 2025–2029.

Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) Secretary General Charles Mukwaya said the unions are now awaiting a High Court ruling set for October 28.

Mukwaya revealed that an audit of the disputed amounts — conducted by lecturers — was completed on October 9 but rejected by the government.

“We sat for three days and verified the payrolls. The audit showed that the government owes us KSh7.9 billion, confirming the union’s position. But when it came time to sign the report, the IPUCCF representatives refused,” Mukwaya said.

He accused the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) of “playing hide and seek” to delay payment.

“The government and IPUCCF are using SRC as a scapegoat. They know they have not paid the money. Even if they audit it in Machakos, Kisumu, or Mars, the figure will remain KSh7.9 billion,” he added.

According to Maluki, only KSh2.7 billion has been paid so far under the 2021–2025 CBA,leaving two key demands unresolved — payment of the KSh7.9 billion and implementation of the new CBA.

The union has also rejected the government’s counteroffer for the 2025–2029 agreement terming it very low.

“They offered us a two per cent annual increment — far below what other public servants received. They also failed to review house allowances, which have not been adjusted in 17 years,” Maluki said.

UASU is also pushing for harmonization of allowances across universities and wants the government to hire 15,000 new full-time lecturers by next year to address the acute shortage of academic staff.

“Every year, the government allocates funds to hire primary and secondary school teachers, but universities are ignored. We want similar allocations for universities. Our members are overworked, and it’s affecting research and teaching quality,” Maluki added.

As the strike drags on, learning across campuses remains paralyzed, with uncertainty over when normalcy will resume.