NAIROBI, Kenya—University staff unions have petitioned Parliament to intervene in the ongoing lecturers’ strike, demanding a firm government commitment to fund the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and resolve outstanding salary and employment issues affecting public universities.
The petition was presented to the National Assembly by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and filed by Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga Opiyo, Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) Secretary-General Dr Charles Mukhwaya and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) National Trustee Odoyo Genga.
The petition has been referred to the Departmental Committees on Education and Labour for consideration.
The unions, which represent approximately 30,000 university employees, want Parliament to intervene in the stalled negotiations, secure funding for the new CBA and address the payment of salaries for public university staff.
They accuse the Ministry of Education and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) of failing to honour commitments made in previous return-to-work agreements aimed at resolving the dispute.
According to the petitioners, a return-to-work formula signed on November 23, 2024, committed the parties to conclude negotiations and implement the 2025–2029 CBA by July 1, 2025.
A subsequent agreement signed on November 5, 2025, again set a 30-day deadline for concluding negotiations and implementing the agreement, but the outstanding issues remained unresolved.
The latest petition comes as public universities remain affected by a nationwide strike that began on October 2, 2026, following disagreements over the proposed CBA and the funding of university employees’ salaries.
At the centre of the dispute is the unions’ demand for a written government commitment guaranteeing that the financial obligations arising from the agreement will be funded through the National Exchequer.
The petitioners say the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) informed them on September 21, 2026, that neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury had provided the required assurance.
The unions argue that without a clear funding commitment, there is no guarantee that the negotiated terms will be implemented, leaving employees uncertain about their salaries and conditions of service.
The financial cost of the proposed agreement has further complicated negotiations, with the government and the unions holding sharply different positions on the amount required.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Principal Secretary for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala said the government was engaging stakeholders to bridge the gap between its proposal and the unions’ demands.
“Some issues are under parallel discussions when it comes to financial. There’s a huge difference between what they are proposing of Sh9.7 billion and their demand of Sh98 billion,” Inyangala said.
She expressed confidence that the parties could reach an agreement, saying the government was continuing discussions with stakeholders to resolve the strike.
The unions maintain that the dispute extends beyond salary adjustments to include staff welfare, employment terms and the long-term financial sustainability of public universities.
The industrial action follows a 49-day strike in 2025 that ended on November 5 after the parties signed a return-to-work formula. That dispute involved outstanding salary arrears under previous CBAs and delays in negotiating the current agreement.
The prolonged industrial action has disrupted teaching and learning, leaving students facing uncertainty over class schedules, examinations and the completion of their studies.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah called for dialogue between the unions and the Ministry of Education, urging the relevant parliamentary committees to work together towards a lasting resolution.
Ichung’wah said members of the Education and Labour committees were familiar with the history of the dispute and should use that experience to help resolve the impasse.
He also urged the unions and the ministry to exercise restraint, warning that students bear the consequences when industrial disputes interrupt classes and examinations.
The petition now places pressure on Parliament to examine the funding arrangements and facilitate discussions involving the unions, the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury and university management as the strike continues.
