Lecturers Announce October 2 Strike Over Unpaid CBA Arrears and University Insolvency

The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a nationwide strike notice, declaring that public universities across the country will shut down on October 2, 2026, following the government’s failure to honor a return-to-work formula signed in November 2025.

Speaking at the union’s headquarters in Nairobi, UASU Secretary-General Dr. Constantine Wasonga criticized university councils, the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury for failing to fulfill their commitments. He highlighted that delayed exchequer releases have left public universities technically insolvent, exacerbating staffing shortages and undermining faculty welfare.

“Universities are technically insolvent because the government has not been remitting money due to them. You are going to see the mother of all strikes this season because universities are understaffed, we are overworked and we don’t have pension schemes; and you want us to take it lying down? We won’t! Therefore, on October 2nd, all universities shall be closed,” Dr. Wasonga stated.

UASU National Chairperson Grace Nyongesa expressed disappointment with the employer’s inaction, warning that the academic staff would not resume duties until their grievances were comprehensively resolved through clear and binding Exchequer funding commitments.

The union’s demands include the immediate, full payment of outstanding Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) arrears spanning the 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 cycles, rejecting any proposals for staggered disbursements. Union officials also condemned stalled promotions, delayed gratuity payments, lack of pension schemes, and unilateral adjustments to lecturer salaries via administrative instruments without proper consultation.

Addressing broader operational crises in higher education, UASU criticized the current university funding model and insisted that faculty salaries must be disbursed directly from the Exchequer rather than drawn from student tuition fees. Pointing to severe staffing shortages, Dr. Wasonga noted that approximately 9,000 lecturers are currently tasked with instructing over one million students nationwide, leaving staff severely overstretched. In response, the union urged lecturers to boycott all part-time teaching arrangements and demanded that the state prioritize clearing more than KSh 100 billion in pending bills owed to public universities to stabilize the higher education sector.