The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Vice Chairperson, Cyprian Ombati, has urged the government and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to urgently address disparities in allowances among lecturers in public universities, saying the inconsistencies undermine fairness and equality in the education sector.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation, Ombati said the union is pushing for harmonization of allowances under the upcoming 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to ensure that lecturers performing similar work receive equal compensation, regardless of the university they serve in.
“We are asking for harmonization of allowances, and this is from SRC,” Ombati said.
“A lecturer in Kenyatta University and another in Multimedia University are doing the same job, yet their allowances differ drastically. One may receive a computer allowance of Sh90,000, while another gets Sh30,000. That is not fair.”
Ombati noted that SRC was established in 2010 with the guiding principle of “equal pay for equal work,” which meant to standardize compensation across the public sector. However, he said the commission has failed to enforce this principle in the university system, resulting in wide disparities in lecturers’ benefits.
“There’s a mantra in SRC called equal work for equal pay,” he emphasized. “If me and you are doing the same work that has the same value, then we should be paid the same amount. But that is not what is happening in our universities today.”
He revealed that the SRC had previously agreed to harmonize the allowances in the 2025 CBA, but has since appeared reluctant to implement the decision.
“They agreed that in the 2025 CBA we shall harmonize,” Ombati said. “Now we have come to the table again, and they are not ready to do it. They want to push it into the future.”
According to Ombati, the resistance stems from the government’s fear of the financial implications of harmonization.
“They are running away from the reality that harmonization means uplifting those earning less to the same level as others,” he explained.
“If one professor earns Sh10,000 less than another in the same position elsewhere, then bring him up to Sh30,000 like the other so that both feel equally valued.”
Ombati stressed that harmonization is not only about fairness but also about maintaining morale and equity within the higher education sector.
“We are all professors, and we all serve the same public,” he said. “SRC must ensure equal treatment and standardization across the board; that is why it exists.”
He affirmed UASU’s commitment to continue advocating for parity and justice for all university staff under the new CBA.
