A government audit has exposed major flaws in the Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s (SRC) handling of university salary arrears, revealing that public institutions are still owed Ksh7.7 billion from the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
The audit, compiled by a verification team under the Joint Negotiations Committee (JNC), accuses SRC of using a flawed computation model that grossly understated the actual amount owed, instead of applying the court-mandated diagonal method which factors both annual and negotiated increments. SRC reportedly added up yearly increases, resulting in a misleading figure of Ksh624 million.
“This methodology was inconsistent with the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruling and therefore invalid,” reads the report signed in Machakos on October 13.
The audit places the total financial requirement for full CBA implementation at Ksh16.57 billion, including Ksh13.81 billion in salary arrears and Ksh2.76 billion in pension liabilities.
So far, the government has released Ksh8.8 billion, leaving a balance of Ksh7.77 billion.
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The CBAs, signed in October 2019, were backed by phased funding beginning in July 2020. However, implementation stalled amid disputes over payment models, triggering legal battles between university unions, councils, and the Ministry of Education. The matter dragged through the courts until March 2025, when the Court of Appeal upheld the diagonal method as the valid approach.
Union leaders say the audit vindicates their long-standing claims. “This report confirms that university staffs were shortchanged. The arrears must now be paid in full,” said UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga.
The audit breaks down the financial shortfalls across 38 public universities and constituent colleges. The University of Nairobi tops the list with Ksh1.41 billion in pending arrears, followed by Kenyatta University (Ksh798 million), Moi University (Ksh719 million), and JKUAT (Ksh645 million). Egerton, Maseno, and the Technical University of Kenya also face significant deficits.
The report also recommends urgent reconciliation talks between SRC, the Ministry of Education, and university councils to resolve the discrepancies and mobilize resources to settle the outstanding balance.
By Masaki Enock
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