Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba has expressed optimism that the ongoing lecturers’ strike will soon come to an end following a meeting between the universities, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and lecturers’ unions held in Nairobi on October 9.
According to the CS, the meeting agreed to establish a technical team to review university payrolls and confirm the actual amount of money disbursed from the Ksh7.9 billion allocation in question. He said the team would determine how much has already been paid and how much remains pending.
“We have encouraged the union leaders to talk to their members, the lecturers, and ask them to go back to class as the issue is being resolved,” said Ogamba. “As we speak, negotiations are ongoing, and we believe that we will be able to resolve this matter.”
The CS explained that according to SRC records, Ksh7.2 billion of the total Ksh7.9 billion had already been paid, leaving a balance of Sh624 million still under review.
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The verification process, now in progress, will allow unions to confirm whether the figures provided by SRC are accurate before further discussions on the outstanding balance are held.
Ogamba emphasized that while he could not commit to specific timelines, the government is determined to find a lasting solution through dialogue and evidence-based verification. “It is now a question of determining how much of the Ksh7.9 billion is outstanding,” he said, adding that the results of the technical team’s review will guide how any remaining payments are handled.
The Ministry has urged lecturers to resume teaching to minimize disruption to learning as talks continue. The verification exercise and subsequent negotiations are expected to pave the way for a structured resolution to the pay dispute and restore stability in public universities.
By Benedict Aoya
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