African Nazarene University (ANU) Lecturers and staff through Kenya Private Universities Workers Union (KPUWU) have made a milestone achievement after signing a long-awaited Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that has been in negotiation table for close to seven years.
Speaking to Education News in a recent interview after signing of the CBA KPUWU Nazarene Chapter representative John Ngila said the signing of the CBA marks a historic moment in the university since it’s more than a contract that represents a bold statement about inclusivity, dignity, and shared growth.
Ngila further noted that the CBA, which is the first of its kind to be signed within private universities, places immense resources and trust in the hands of employees, which is a new wave of responsibility and opportunity, thanking the university for showing its commitment.
“After seven long years of patience, persistence, and faith, we have officially signed our first Collective Bargaining Agreement which is a groundbreaking achievement for both management and employees. This is the first CBA of its kind in Eastern and Central Africa within a private university — a powerful symbol of what can happen when dialogue triumphs over division, and when people work together for the greater good,” said Ngila.
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“It has taken me to places I never imagined, tested our patience and endurance, but every moment was worth it. This milestone achievement not only strengthens employee inclusivity but also gives African Nazarene University room for innovation and paves the way for ISO certification — a clear sign that our esteemed institution is ready to compete and thrive globally,” he added.
According to Ngila, ANU has shown that it is truly a space where work is dignified, voices are heard, and there are no limits to what one can become, revealing that the signed CBA will see employees getting a 5 per cent on their salaries being cost of living adjustment.
It will also see performance management being set up which will also pay bonuses for those employees who perform well, with promotion of employees being done annually for those who qualify.
Further to these benefits, employees will enjoy free tuition waiver on all programmes being offered at ANU, getting local travel allowance at Ksh43 per km which is considerably higher than the previous Ksh25 per km which they used to get initially, with house and transport allowances being increased by 5 per cent annually.
“We are having a review of salaries we agreed to increase the current salaries with the percentage as we await the review. But in general salaries at ANU are not bad at all. They are very competitive,” said Ngila.
On October 2, 2025 the lecturers and the staff went on strike citing the institution’s failure to sign a long-awaited CBA after the lapse of a seven-day strike notice issued to the university administration. This was later followed by signing of the historic CBA on October 08, 2025.
By Roy Hezron
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