Following a breakthrough in delibarations on the implementation of the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).There is renewed hope that the 48-day university lecturers’ strike could soon come to an end after the lecturers’ unions agreed to resume talks with government.
Appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee, officials from the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) indicated their willingness to reconsider their earlier hardline stance on phased payments, signaling a possible breakthrough.
“For the sake of our children, we are going to reconvene our organs to reconsider our stand. However, the Ministry of Education should apologize to us for calling us confused,” said Constatine Wasonga, UASU Secretary General.
The unions, however, rejected the government’s initial proposal to settle arrears on a 50-50 basis, instead demanding an 80-20 payment structure, citing previous delays in phased remittances.
“The government should give us 80%, and the remaining 20% is our irreducible minimum for the sake of our children, this House, and the country,” the union leaders stated.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi defended the government’s position, saying that while it is committed to honoring the agreement, implementation must align with the country’s financial realities.
“We want to honor the agreement, but we can only do so in a way the economy can sustain,” Mbadi told the committee.
Members of Parliament urged both sides to prioritize students’ welfare, noting that the prolonged strike has severely disrupted learning in public universities.
“We must prioritize the return to learning even as negotiations continue,” said Mandera South MP Abdul Haro.
Committee Chair Julius Melly also warned universities against taking disciplinary action against lecturers involved in the strike, demanding the immediate withdrawal of show-cause letters.
“I want you to pronounce yourselves that those letters shall never see the light of day. Withdraw them immediately,” Melly said.
With both sides showing goodwill, UASU officials met with the union’s National Executive Committee on Tuesday evening 4th November to deliberate on the government’s latest offer will on Wednesday 5th November at 9 AM hold a briefing that could mark the end of one of the longest strikes in Kenya’s higher education sector.
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