University Lecturers Secure Sh20bn Deal to End Strike, Learning to Resume Monday
University lecturers have secured a Sh20 billion deal with the government to address basic salaries and allowances under the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), raising hopes of an end to the prolonged strike that has disrupted learning in public universities.
Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the union would sign a return-to-work formula with the government on Friday, paving the way for learning to resume on Monday next week.
A Ministry of Education official said the money would be paid in three phases, with the arrangement expected to guide the implementation of the agreement and facilitate the resumption of academic activities.
The breakthrough follows weeks of negotiations between the government and university staff unions over salary increments, allowances and the implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA.
The industrial action has disrupted teaching, examinations and other academic programmes, leaving students uncertain about when normal university operations would resume.
The strike began on October 2, 2026, after negotiations over the new CBA stalled despite an earlier return-to-work agreement signed in November 2025.
Under that arrangement, the parties had committed to fast-tracking negotiations for the new agreement, but the failure to reach a lasting settlement triggered fresh industrial action.
The dispute has centred on the amount required to implement the CBA, the proposed salary adjustments and how the government would finance the payments. The unions have maintained that the agreement must be implemented in a manner that addresses lecturers’ salary and allowance demands.
UASU, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) have also raised concerns over salary arrears, staff promotions, medical cover, allowances and the recruitment of additional academic and non-academic personnel.
The standoff has highlighted broader challenges facing public universities, including funding shortages, staffing gaps and mounting institutional debts.
University staff have repeatedly called for the government to honour negotiated agreements, warning that prolonged disputes affect staff morale and disrupt the academic calendar.
The proposed deal could offer relief to thousands of students whose studies have been affected by the strike.
However, the resumption of learning will depend on the formal signing of the return-to-work formula and communication of the agreed terms to union members.
The phased payment arrangement is expected to be a key component of the settlement, with both sides under pressure to ensure that the latest agreement translates into a lasting resolution and prevents further disruption in public universities.
