Public university lecturers have pledged to intensify their ongoing strike after rejecting a verbal Ksh11 billion counter‑offer from the government, which was presented during an Inter‑Ministerial Committee meeting on Monday, October 26, 2026.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) noted that the latest proposal is a reduction from the Ksh12 billion offer made on October 12, 2026, and would only translate to roughly a three percent increase in basic salaries.

UASU described the 3 % salary rise as inadequate given the surge in living costs, citing a 20 % rise in petrol prices and a 42 % rise in diesel prices since the start of the year.

The union said the Inter‑Ministerial Committee concluded without resolving the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) dispute, urging the government to present a credible counter‑offer and commit to funding staff salaries from the National Exchequer.

UASU announced that the strike, which began on October 2, 2026, will be intensified and escalated until a satisfactory resolution is secured, calling on all public university staff to remain united.

The ongoing industrial action has already disrupted teaching and learning across Kenya’s public universities, with no agreement reached between lecturers and the government as of the latest meeting.