Wetang'ula urges striking university staff to resume work

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has called on striking university staff to suspend their industrial action and embrace dialogue as the government seeks a resolution to the crisis disrupting higher education.

Speaking at Parliament Buildings on Tuesday after meeting officials of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), Wetang’ula acknowledged their grievances over unpaid salary arrears and stalled Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).

The two unions, which declared a nationwide strike on September 17, are demanding Sh11.53 billion in arrears, comprising Sh2.73 billion from the second phase of the 2021–25 CBA and Sh8.8 billion carried over from the 2017–21 CBA.

They are also pressing for the negotiation and registration of a new 2025–29 agreement.

The strike has disrupted lectures, examinations, and research across 39 public universities, with students left in limbo as uncertainty over the academic calendar grows.

The unions accuse the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury, and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) of acting in bad faith, citing a 2021 court order that directed the government to fully fund the 2017–21 CBA, which they say remains unfulfilled.

Wetang’ula, however, urged the unions to seek redress through Parliament, assuring them of a fair hearing. He revealed that once formal petitions are submitted, they will be tabled in the House next week and referred to the Public Petitions Committee for urgent consideration.

“The committee will invite the union leaders to make their submissions and will summon top Ministry of Education officials, including the Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary for Higher Education, to respond,” the Speaker said.

He appealed to union leaders not to hold students “hostage” to the dispute, stressing the need to safeguard learning even as talks proceed.

“I encouraged them to return to class, give negotiations a chance, and allow Parliament to play its rightful role in mediating and finding lasting solutions in the best interests of all stakeholders in higher education,” he said.

The strike, now in its second week, has heightened anxiety among students and parents, with fears of a prolonged academic disruption if the deadlock persists.