The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a 7-day strike notice to the government over what they term as unfulfilled Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and arrears.
Led by UASU Secretary General, Constantine Wasonga, on Wednesday through a notice said that the government has failed to fulfil negotiated and registered CBAs; therefore, university lectures will discontinue their services in all public universities.
“Therefore, the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) hereby issues a Seven (7) days written strike notice with effect from the date of this letter to all Councils of Public Universities and Constituent Colleges,” read the notice in part.
The union maintains that they are not going to relent until the government honour the past agreements. So far 41 universities have signed the strike notice dated September 10, 2025.
“CBA arrears have accumulated to Ksh3.27 billion. This is one of the CBAs that have not been honoured. The court had issued a directive for more funds to be allocated to cater for the CBAs, but the government has not yet complied,” Wasonga told a press.
“We expected the monies to be paid before the onset of the September term.”
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UASU is pushing for the three key grievances that remain unresolved despite a court directive stating that the SRC should work together with the IPUCCF Implementation Committee, the Ministry of Education, and the Treasury to make provision for the additional budgetary allocation necessary for implementing the CBAs.
The union has stated that failure to implement the 2021-2025 Phase Two CBA arrears amounting to Ksh. 2.73 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year; negotiate, conclude, register, and implement the 2025-2029 National CBA in line with the Recognition Agreement signed on October 28, 2019, between UASU and the Inter-Public Universities’ Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and implementation of the 2017-2021 CBA, despite rulings by the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC CBA Nos. 1, 2, and 3 of 2020), which directed the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to work with IPUCCF, the Ministry of Education, and the Treasury to provide the necessary budgetary allocation, they are going to down their tools.
UASU has further warned that members across all public universities and their constituent colleges will withdraw their labour beginning Wednesday, September 17, 2025, and will not resume duty until the issues are addressed.
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“Further, you are categorically and unequivocally informed that: Our members in All Public Universities and their Constituent Colleges, shall withdraw their labour and shall not resume duty until the three (3) issues raised in the Written Strike Notice are addressed. That the said strike shall commence on Wednesday 17th September 2025,” the Union said.
This comes after in July this year National Treasury CS John Mbadi signalled that the government could also consider outsourcing services in underfunded institutions, stating that it can no longer fully cater to the needs of government-sponsored students.
According to the Treasury CS, public universities are collectively owed more than Ksh4 billion—a debt he attributes to years of educating students without adequate state funding since 2016.
By Juma Ndigo
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