The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) announced on Thursday, September 26, that they are ending their nationwide strike that had halted teaching in public universities for several weeks.

The decision followed a meeting with an inter‑ministerial committee where both unions and the government agreed on a return‑to‑work formula addressing the grievances that triggered the industrial action.

UASU said the strike would be halted immediately once the agreement is executed and confirmed that no lecturer or staff member would face victimisation or disciplinary action for participating in the strike.

The government also agreed to withdraw Employment and Labour Relations Cause No. E780 of 2024, the legal case that had sought to challenge the strike’s legality.

A core component of the settlement is a salary increase for academic staff: lecturers in Grades 13A, 14A and 15A will receive a 7 % raise, while those in Grades 10A, 11A and 12A will get a 10 % increase.

UASU described the pay rise as a “step in the right direction” after years of salary stagnation and said the financial concession should boost morale among university staff.

With the strike lifted, public universities are preparing to resume normal teaching and learning activities, and administrators are working with lecturers to adjust academic calendars and recover lost instructional time.