The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) declined a KSh12 billion return‑to‑work counter‑offer presented by the government on Monday, 12 October.

UASU Secretary‑General Constantine Wasonga described the proposal as “awfully inadequate” and called for the full implementation of the terms already agreed between the unions and the government.

Union leaders said the government has not fully executed the 2025‑2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement and that the Return‑to‑Work Formula signed on 5 November 2025 remains unhonoured by the Ministry of Education, the Treasury and university councils.

They also noted the absence of a structured financial counter‑proposal for the current CBA cycle, despite negotiations that began last year.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba appealed to striking lecturers on 5 October, urging a return to lecture halls while bilateral talks continued, and said the Ministry had cleared arrears from the 2017‑2021 and 2021‑2025 CBAs.

Despite the cabinet secretary’s assurances, public university teaching remains suspended as both unions maintain their demands.

The breakdown marks the second high‑level negotiation failure since the nationwide industrial action began on Friday, 2 October, prolonging learning disruptions for students across Kenya.