Public university lecturers have firmly rejected a proposal by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) to renegotiate their 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) dismissed the proposed Sh3.1 billion allocation as “unacceptable and unrealistic,” even as their nationwide strike entered its sixth week.
In a letter dated October 21 and addressed to SRC Acting Secretary and CEO Margaret Njoka, Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the union had completely rejected the IPUCCF’s counter-offer, which was based on guidelines issued by the commission.
“Uasu hereby registers complete rejection of the IPUCCF’s counter-offer and formally appeals the guiding SRC beacons for the 2025–29 CBA received on October 10, 2025,” Wasonga said in the letter.
He argued that both the SRC advisory and the IPUCCF counter-offer failed to uphold the principle of fair remuneration outlined under Article 41(2)(a) of the Constitution, which requires the government to attract and retain skilled professionals in the public sector.
“Furthermore, your advisory and the attendant IPUCCF counter-offer fails to adhere to the principle of fair remuneration – Article 41(2)(a) – and the constitutional need to attract and retain necessary skills in the public sector,” he said.
The union accused SRC of dictating final positions instead of offering negotiable ranges, a move they said contravenes Article 41(5) of the Constitution that guarantees the right to collective bargaining.
“The SRC beacons and the entire counter-offer by the IPUCCF are viewed as an imposition of final positions on the union rather than the provision of negotiation ranges, thereby undermining our right to genuine collective bargaining as enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya,” Dr Wasonga said.
He further criticised the proposed Sh3.1 billion for being inadequate and detached from the country’s current economic realities, citing inflation and the rising cost of living.
“We cannot accept figures that fail to reflect the true value of academic labour,” Wasonga added.
Uasu also expressed frustration over what it termed unfair disparities in pay between university lecturers and other public servants. The union noted that teachers had been awarded salary increments ranging between 12 and 29.5 per cent for the same period, while university lecturers continued to face stagnating pay.
The union maintained that it will not sign any agreement that undermines its members’ rights and vowed to continue pressing for fair remuneration and improved working conditions across public universities.
