Kenya, 23 October 2025 - Learning in several public universities remains paralysed for the sixth week as lecturers, through the University Academic Staff Union (UASU), reject the Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s (SRC) offer of Sh3.1 billion for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The stalemate has left thousands of students stranded and disrupted the academic calendar across the country.
The SRC had proposed the Sh3.1 billion package to cater for salary adjustments for academic and non-teaching staff in all public universities. However, UASU dismissed the offer as “unacceptable and unrealistic,” arguing that it does not reflect the economic realities faced by lecturers amid rising living costs. UASU insists that lecturers will not resume duty until the government settles the Sh7.9 billion owed from the 2017–2021 CBA and commits to fully implementing the 2021–2025 and upcoming 2025–2029 agreements.
Speaking to Standard Media Group UASU Organizing Secretary, Onesmus Maliki condemned recent disciplinary measures issued by some university administrations against striking staff, terming them as acts of intimidation. “No amount of threats or coercion will break our resolve,” Meanwhile, students in major universities such as the University of Nairobi, Moi University, Egerton, and Kenyatta University have expressed frustration, with many fearing a possible extension of the academic year.
The SRC said the offer was based on budgetary constraints and guided by the government’s fiscal sustainability framework. In a statement, the commission urged UASU to return to the negotiating table to prevent further disruption to learning. Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu appealed for dialogue, warning that the prolonged strike risks derailing the government’s efforts to stabilise higher education and restore academic order.