Varsity councils to decide on closures as lecturers' strike drags on

It has emerged that some public universities could soon shut down as the 47-day lecturers' strike continues to disrupt learning.

Only a few institutions have managed to resume classes after talks collapsed on how to settle lecturers’ Sh7.9 billion arrears.

With just five weeks left to the end of the semester, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Ogamba said that university councils will now independently decide whether to continue teaching, partially operate, or close altogether.

“Each university council must now assess its own situation and decide the best course of action. Some have resumed teaching after internal agreements, while others remain completely paralyzed,” Ogamba told the Standard in an interview.

He however, said that the two-phase payment plan is the best offer the government could give to striking lecturers.

He said the climb down from three phases was a major development that should have been taken up by the unions.

The CS announced that the government had offered the best deal available to the striking workers, warning there would be no new offer due to budgetary constraints.

Ogamba said that the ministry will consider a supplementary budget in November to partly address the arrears before factoring in the balance in the 2026/27 budget.

“I explained to them that we can take the Sh3.8 billion now in the first supplementary budget and factor in the balance in the next budget cycle,” the CS said, adding that the move would ease the current financial strain on institutions.

A status report by the Ministry of Education as of October 31 reveals that out of all the 42 chartered universities and constituent colleges, only 16 have resumed full teaching, another 14 are partially operational, while 12 remain completely shut.

According to the report, universities that have fully resumed teaching include: University of Embu, Tom Mboya University, Alupe University, Open University of Kenya, Chuka University, Tharaka University, Kaimosi Friends University, Murang’a University of Technology, Kirinyaga University, Garissa University, Koitaleel University College, Turkana University College, Mama Ngina University College, Nyandarua University College, Bomet University College, and Kabarnet University College.

Those that are partially teaching are Kibabii University, University of Eldoret, Karatina University, University of Kabianga, Cooperative University of Kenya, Maasai Mara University, Kisii University, Taita Taveta University, Machakos University, Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Technical University of Kenya, Technical University of Mombasa, Kenyatta University, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

Universities that have not resumed any teaching include Meru University of Science and Technology, Pwani University, Moi University, Multi-Media University, Laikipia University, Rongo University, Egerton University, South Eastern Kenya University (which only held a graduation), Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, University of Nairobi, and Maseno University.

The CS explained that the ministry could not dictate a uniform approach because universities operate under different circumstances. 

The ongoing strike, which began on September 17, stems from a dispute over the payment of Sh7.9 billion in arrears owed to university lecturers. 

Earlier talks between the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury, and the unions failed to yield a breakthrough after the government proposed to pay the arrears in two tranches, a plan the unions rejected.

The stalemate persists as thousands of university students remain uncertain about their academic future, with exams, graduations, and semester timelines hanging in the balance.

The standoff has now cost students nearly two months of learning time, with VCs now warning that if teaching does not resume soon, the semester may have to be cancelled or extended into the next academic year.

Professor Daniel Mugendi, the Vice Chancellor’s committee chairman, raised fears of the university's ability to recover the time lost during the September/December period.

Mugendi, who doubles as Embu University VC, said he foresees a scenario where the institutions will be forced to push the Semester to January.

“The universities could be forced to take their end-of-semester examinations in January; this has happened before as a measure to recover the time lost,” Mugendi said.

On Friday, university workers represented by the University and Academic Staff Union(UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union(KUSU) rejected a government proposal to pay their salary arrears, dating back eight years, in two tranches.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) revealed that a meeting convened to present the deal to national delegates ended in rejection, with members insisting that the money must be paid in full and immediately.

Constantine Wasonga, the UASU Secretary-General, said that the government offered a proposal on Thursday, which was presented to the union’s organs for deliberation but was rejected.

“The government offered a proposal on Thursday. We convened the organs of the union, met, and had three resolutions taken to the National Delegates Council (NDC). The NDC approved and ratified the NEC resolution. No one should imagine that a decade-long arrears can be paid in phases. All public universities and constituent colleges are still on strike. All chapters must re-energize and relaunch the strike,” Wasonga said in a briefing.

Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya said the verdict on the government offer was a resounding no.

“This is a historical debt. You can’t take two years to repay. The government has made a habit of giving promissory notes and not paying,” he said.

Under the proposed deal, the payment of Sh7.9 billion owed to lecturers and other university staff was to be made in two halves. 

The first payment would be made in November under the supplementary budget, while the remaining balance would be cleared in July 2026.

At the same time, lecturers and the government agreed to convene a meeting in a week to begin negotiations for a new pay deal under the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).