Non-teaching university staff join lecturers in strike plan over stalled CBA

KISUMU, Kenya, Sep 25 — The Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) has issued a seven-day strike notice, joining the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) in threatening nationwide industrial action over stalled negotiations for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

KUSU announced the notice on Friday during a meeting at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, a day after UASU issued a similar seven-day notice for lecturers.

UASU said strike would begin at midnight on October 2, citing the failure by university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025.

UASU also said the government had failed to provide a financial counter-proposal for the 2025–2029 CBA.

Lecturers set October 2 strike over CBA

KUSU, which represents non-teaching university staff, said its decision was driven by delays in concluding and registering its own CBA.

The union blamed public university employers and government agencies for the delay and called on the Ministry of Education and National Treasury to intervene.

KUSU Secretary-General Dr Charles Mukhwaya said university workers were under increasing financial pressure due to inflation, rising prices and high fuel costs.

“The economic environment that our members find themselves in requires that they get cushioned against inflation, the high cost of living, and high fuel prices,” Mukhwaya said.

He questioned why university workers had not received a 2025–2029 agreement while other public sector employees had already negotiated, concluded, registered and implemented their CBAs.

“Our colleagues in the larger public service already had their 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated, concluded, registered, and implemented as early as 1st July 2025. Why not the universities?” he said.

The development comes after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) disclosed on September 21 that neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury had provided a written commitment that funding for public universities’ CBAs would be provided through the National Exchequer.

UASU subsequently said the absence of such a commitment meant SRC could not issue the constitutional advice required to facilitate financial counter-proposals.

The lecturers’ union has also opposed any move towards funding academic staff remuneration through student fees or other market-based funding, maintaining that public university lecturers are public officers.

KUSU said the delay in its negotiations had heightened frustration among university workers and warned that failure to resolve the dispute could disrupt university operations.

The union is giving the government seven days to return to the negotiating table and conclude the agreement.

“We have been forced to issue this strike, not because we wanted, but because the government wants it,” Mukhwaya said.

KUSU said its officials and delegates from public universities had gathered in Kisumu to plan and mobilise workers ahead of the proposed industrial action set for October 2.

The parallel strike notices could affect teaching, administration and other services in public universities if the two disputes remain unresolved.