The industrial action by public university lecturers began on 2 October and entered its second week after a meeting between university unions and the Inter‑Ministerial Committee on 12 October failed to produce a new collective bargaining agreement.

The stalemate has halted teaching, examinations and academic calendars, leaving hundreds of thousands of students uncertain about when classes will resume.

University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said the unions rejected the government’s Sh12 billion proposal as “woefully inadequate” and demanded a counter‑offer that reflects the true cost of the 2025‑2029 CBA.

Wasonga highlighted that previous agreements cost between Sh15 billion and Sh16.5 billion for four‑year periods, while the 2022‑2025 deal cost Sh9 billion for basic salaries, questioning how the current CBA could be priced at Sh12 billion.

The unions also rejected a Sh9.76 billion allocation for the four‑year agreement, arguing that past four‑year CBAs consumed roughly Sh9.7 billion and that the new figure does not meet their salary demands.

UASU’s demands include salary adjustments tied to inflation and cost‑of‑living, firm commitments on recruitment, promotions, allowance harmonisation, car loans, mortgages and dedicated funding for university salaries.

UASU Chairperson Grace Nyongesa warned that arrears have eroded the value of payments and raised concerns about delayed pensions and remittances that affect lecturers’ access to bank loans.

KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya called for specific salary percentage increases and clear proposals on housing and medical allowances, noting that a three‑percent adjustment would not keep pace with inflation.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the government has cleared all arrears under the 2017‑2021 and 2021‑2025 CBAs and remains committed to timely negotiations, while urging lecturers to obey court orders and return to work.

President William Ruto, speaking on World Teachers’ Day on 5 October, affirmed that the government is engaging unions to address lecturers’ grievances, even as other programmes such as bonuses for farmers and modernisation of tea factories are being rolled out.