University lecturers have warned they could resume industrial action if the government fails to address outstanding salary and pension obligations, raising fresh uncertainty over the return to normal learning in public universities barely days after a nationwide strike was called off.
Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga issued the warning while appearing before a joint National Assembly Committee on Labour and the Committee on Education, where he raised concerns over the funding of university staff salaries and accumulated financial obligations owed to employees.
Wasonga said the return-to-work agreement had temporarily eased tensions but warned that unresolved issues could trigger another round of industrial action.
He particularly opposed proposals to pay lecturers’ salaries using fees collected from students, arguing that university employees should not depend on student fee payments to receive their monthly earnings.
“The storm might have subsided because of this return-to-work formula, but there are two issues that will make us rise: that is, funding from student fees and non-remittance,” Wasonga told the parliamentary committees.
He further cited outstanding obligations amounting to approximately KSh100 billion, describing the money as part of members’ pension and salary entitlements.
The UASU secretary-general also highlighted the financial difficulties facing staff at individual universities, citing Egerton University employees who, according to him, had gone close to 10 years without receiving their dues.
At Moi University, Wasonga said staff were owed KSh1.2 billion in Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) arrears covering the 2017–2021 period.
He urged Parliament to intervene in addressing the outstanding obligations, warning that the return-to-work agreement would not permanently resolve the dispute if the underlying issues remained unaddressed.
The warning comes after UASU and other university staff unions signed a return-to-work formula with the government on October 30, ending a nationwide strike that began on October 2 and disrupted teaching, learning and research in public universities.
The agreement provided for KSh20 billion in government funding towards the implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA, paving the way for lecturers to resume their duties.
However, the latest concerns raised by Wasonga indicate that the unions still have unresolved demands beyond the financial commitments contained in the agreement.
Speaking during the parliamentary meeting, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Labour Shadrack Mwadime said the government remained committed to implementing the agreement reached with the unions.
Mwadime thanked the unions for agreeing to resume work while negotiations on the remaining non-financial components of the CBA continued.
He said the government was putting administrative measures in place to facilitate the discussions, assuring Parliament that negotiations would begin before the end of the week.
Mwadime further committed to ensuring the outstanding negotiations were concluded by February 28, 2027.
The discussions are expected to address the remaining contentious issues between the government and university staff unions as both sides seek to prevent another disruption in public universities.
The latest parliamentary engagement therefore places renewed focus on whether the government will meet the outstanding obligations and implement the return-to-work commitments before tensions escalate again.
