University lecturers have dismissed the government’s latest offer to end their strike, insisting they will not return to class until all their dues are fully settled.
Through the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the lecturers and staff described the government’s plan to pay Ksh 7.9 billion in arrears in two phases as “unacceptable.”
Addressing the press in Nairobi on Friday, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga said the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Delegates Conference (NDC) had unanimously rejected the proposal.
“The payment of Ksh 7.9 billion must be done at once and without delay. Lecturers do not deliver knowledge in phases, so no one should imagine that our arrears can be paid in phases,” Wesonga said.
He accused the government of making endless promises and failing to honour agreements reached over the years, adding that members have waited far too long for what they are rightfully owed.
“For over a decade, we’ve had to endure frustration after frustration. It’s time the government meets its commitments in full,” he said.
Wesonga also demanded that the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) be negotiated, registered, and implemented before lecturers resume duty.
He further revealed that universities owe staff four months’ salary arrears, which must be cleared immediately.
“We have four months of unpaid salaries that must be paid before we can step back into classrooms,” he stated.
The union has directed that all public universities and their constituent colleges remain closed until every demand is met.
“All 38 UASU chapters must re-energize and relaunch the strike. No learning will resume until the arrears are paid in full and the CBA is implemented,” Wesonga declared.
The tough stance comes just a day after UASU, alongside the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA), appeared open to ending the strike after the government proposed to clear the arrears in two instalments.
However, after late-night and early-morning meetings, both UASU’s NEC and NDC voted overwhelmingly to reject the offer.
“NEC met last night and rejected the offer. The NDC also met this morning and agreed that we cannot accept a deal that only pays part of what we are owed,” Wesonga said.
The government had hoped that its proposal would pave the way for normal learning to resume in universities, where thousands of students have been left stranded for weeks. But with UASU holding firm, the fate of higher education now hangs in the balance.
