University lecturers across Kenya will continue their nationwide strike until the government clears the outstanding Sh7.9 billion owed to them, the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has declared.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi on Friday, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga said the decision followed extensive deliberations by the union’s top organs, the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Delegates Conference (NDC).
“The position of the union with regard to the ongoing stalemate is clear. Yesterday, we received an offer from the government, but I could not make a decision alone,” said Wesonga. “Therefore, I convened the organs of the union, the National Executive Committee, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. The NEC came up with three resolutions, which we processed and presented to the National Delegates Conference, the supreme organ of the union.”
He said the NDC, which met from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, unanimously approved and ratified the resolutions of the NEC.
“These are the resolutions: that the payment of Sh7.9 billion be done at once and immediately,” he stated. “Lecturers through the organs have instructed me that they do not disseminate knowledge in person until the arrears are settled. No one should contemplate or imagine that it can be paid in bits.”
According to Wasonga, the union has maintained that the delayed payment, which has accumulated over a decade, must be made in full before any teaching can resume.
“No one should imagine that a decade-long arrears can be paid in phases because lecturers have said they don’t disseminate knowledge to students in person without full payment,” he emphasized.
The UASU boss added that the NDC also ratified another resolution requiring the government to negotiate, sign, register, and implement the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) before lecturers consider returning to work.
“Before lecturers can contemplate going back to work, all public universities and their constituent colleges shall remain on strike until all the demands are met,” he affirmed.
Wesonga reiterated that the union is not opposed to dialogue but insisted that talks must be based on tangible action.
“We are open to talk, but on one condition, you pay the Sh7.9 billion at once,” he said. “Once we are done with these two issues, we are ready to negotiate the next phase. But this one, we are settling this year.”
The strike, which began on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, has paralyzed learning in all public universities nationwide for 43 days now, with the union urging the government to move swiftly to resolve the impasse and restore normal academic operations.
