The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Lecturers at public universities across Kenya have launched an industrial strike over unresolved grievances concerning the implementation of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), university funding, and the payment of university staff.
KUSU Egerton branch secretary Bernard Ojiambo said teaching and learning had come to a complete halt at Egerton University as university-based unions kicked off the strike. Addressing union members, Ojiambo described the day as a somber one for the country, using the rallying cry “Comrade Power!” to open his remarks.
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He explained that the strike was triggered by delays in negotiating and finalizing the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Ojiambo recalled that the unions had signed a return-to-work formula on November 5, 2025, under which the CBA was to be concluded and registered at the Employment and Labour Relations Court within 30 days — a timeline that was not honored.
He officially declared the start of the strike at Egerton, confirming that teaching and learning activities had been completely paralysed.
Beyond the CBA, the unions’ grievances also extend to the implementation of previous agreements and concerns over the current university funding model. A union official addressing the gathering said the unions want university employees to be paid through a centralised payroll system and placed under the Exchequer payroll structure.
She added that the unions were also demanding the implementation of the 2025-2029 CBA and the release of funds owed to universities, which they estimate exceed Sh100 billion, including amounts allegedly unremitted under previous funding models. The official also raised concerns about the current model, which ties funding to individual students, arguing instead for a centralised system to ensure consistent payment of university staff.
The strike involves three unions — the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Universities and Colleges Staff and Allied Workers Union (KUDHEA) — whose demands, the official said, are broadly aligned. She noted that members had withdrawn their labour and would remain off duty until further instructions from their respective union leaderships.
Ojiambo said the strike would persist until the unions’ demands were met. While acknowledging the disruption the action would cause students, he said the unions remained committed to pursuing their grievances, instructing members to stay home and avoid reporting to work until otherwise directed by their union leaders.
