Crisis looms in universities as lecturers issue 7-day strike notice

The Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a seven-day strike notice, with the industrial action set to begin on October 2, 2026.

Speaking at the union’s offices in Nairobi, UASU Secretary-General Dr. Constantine Wasonga said the decision follows the persistent failure by university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury to honour the return-to-work formula signed on November 5, 2025.

“Universities are technically insolvent because the government has not been remitting money due to them. You are going to see the mother of all strikes this season because universities are understaffed, we are overworked and we don’t have pension schemes; and you want us to take it lying down? We won't! Therefore, on October 2nd, all universities shall be closed,” Wesonga said.

The union is also demanding clear and binding funding commitments from the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury, including assurances that the agreed funds will be provided through the National Exchequer.

“We have our colleagues from different universities to address our issues, and we are very disappointed, and we are not going to budge. When we get out, we would want our issues addressed squarely. We have been acting in good faith, but when we are pushed out to demonstrate our anger, we shall do so," UASU National Chairperson Grace Nyongesa added.

The union in August demanded the immediate payment of pending 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) arrears in full, rejecting any staggered payment plan.

The unions argued that delayed payments have left university staff financially strained, while no interest has been paid on the arrears despite years of delay.

The unions also decried stalled promotions, delayed gratuity payments and what they described as unilateral changes to the salaries of lecturers through government human resource instruments without consultation.

On university funding, the officials said public universities are struggling to operate because of delayed exchequer releases, accusing the government of experimenting with higher education policies through the new university funding model.

They maintained that lecturers should continue being paid directly through the exchequer and not from student fees.

The union further urged lecturers to boycott part-time teaching arrangements, arguing that universities have increasingly relied on part-time staff instead of recruiting more full-time lecturers.

Dr. Wasonga claimed Kenya has about 9,000 lecturers serving more than one million university students, leaving existing staff overstretched.

The unions also questioned the government's pledge to fully fund university students, arguing that clearing over Ksh.100 billion in pending bills owed to universities should be the immediate priority to stabilise the higher education sector.