- Public university lecturers are set to begin a nationwide strike on October 2 after UASU’s seven-day notice expires.
- Hillary Muhalya examines the CBA and university financing dispute threatening to disrupt learning across public institutions.
- Students face uncertainty over lectures, examinations and academic calendars if the industrial action proceeds and persists.
Lecture halls could fall silent across Kenya from October 2 as public university lecturers begin a nationwide strike, turning a long-running dispute over the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) into a fresh test of university staff financing while thousands of students face uncertainty over their academic programmes.
Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga has directed academic staff across public universities to withdraw their services following the expiry of the union’s seven-day strike notice.
The union issued the notice on September 24, setting the industrial action to begin at midnight on October 2. UASU said the decision followed what it described as failure by university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025.
Under the directive, lecturers are not expected to enter classrooms, conduct lectures or undertake other academic activities once the strike begins and until the union formally calls off the industrial action.
The planned strike threatens to disrupt lectures, examinations and other university programmes if the standoff persists.
At the heart of the dispute is the negotiation and implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA.
UASU has rejected a proposed Sh9.76 billion financial package, arguing that it does not adequately address the issues contained in the proposed four-year agreement. Wasonga said on October 1 that the union would reject the figure, noting that its demands include harmonisation of allowances as well as car loan and mortgage provisions.
Another major point of contention is the financing of public universities.
Lecturers have opposed proposals that would increase reliance on student tuition fees to finance staff salaries and other university obligations. The union maintains that remuneration should be financed through the National Exchequer rather than being dependent on student fees.
The looming strike now puts additional pressure on the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury and university councils to find a settlement with UASU and prevent the dispute from developing into a prolonged academic crisis.
Students face uncertainty
For students, the immediate concern is the uncertainty surrounding the academic calendar.
A prolonged strike could interrupt lectures, delay examinations and force universities to revise their academic schedules, potentially affecting graduation timelines and other academic milestones.
The dispute also comes as Kenya’s public universities continue to face broader financial pressures, including funding gaps, accumulated obligations and rising operational costs.
The CBA standoff has therefore brought into sharp focus the difficult balance between meeting government obligations to university staff, maintaining quality public higher education and ensuring that students are not left carrying an increasing financial burden.
As the October 2 strike deadline approaches, attention now shifts to negotiations between the government and UASU.
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The outcome of those talks will be closely watched by lecturers, students, university administrators and parents, with the immediate question being whether the two sides can resolve the impasse before the industrial action disrupts normal academic operations.
By Hillary Muhalya
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