UASU blames delayed negotiations for continued University strike

The failure to agree on salary increases and allowances for public university workers has prolonged a nationwide strike, with the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) accusing the government of delaying talks on a four-year employment deal worth billions of shillings.

UASU National Vice Chairman Cyprian Ombati said the government did not begin negotiations early enough to ensure the 2025–2029 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was concluded before its implementation period. He maintained that the union had submitted its demands in advance, giving the government sufficient time to engage with workers.

Speaking on Radio Generation on Friday, October 23, Ombati said the delays contributed to the strike, which started on October 2, 2026, after negotiations between university unions and employers failed to produce an agreement.

“We submitted our proposal well in advance to allow negotiations to be completed on time, but the government delayed engaging with us. We therefore hold the government responsible for the ongoing strike,” Ombati said.

The industrial action has brought disruption to public universities, with teaching and non-teaching employees represented by UASU, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions and Hospitals Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) taking part.

At the centre of the dispute is the CBA covering the period from July 2025 to June 2029. UASU is seeking basic salary increases of between 36 per cent and 68 per cent, depending on job grades, as well as a 57 per cent rise in house allowances and the harmonisation of commuter allowances.

The union is also pushing for better allowances and other employment benefits, with the final financial requirement expected to depend on the terms agreed upon by the parties.

Ombati said the union was dissatisfied with government proposals of Sh9 billion and Sh12.5 billion, arguing that the figures were presented before negotiations had established the percentage increases for salaries and allowances.

He said the agreement covers approximately 30,000 public university employees over four years, meaning the proposed funding must be considered in relation to the number of workers and the period covered.

“The reason being, and I want members of the public to understand, is yes, when they say 9 billion, you may think it is a lot of money, but we are talking, and it's not actually for lecturers only. This strike is for all workers in public universities, who are about 30,000 of them, and it is for a period of four years,” he said.

The union’s position is that the parties should first settle the percentage adjustments for each component of the CBA before determining the overall cost of implementing the agreement.

“When you go to the negotiation table, you negotiate. You agree on this one. We have agreed on this percentage. On this one, we have agreed on this percentage. That is where now you go back, bring in the numbers of staff to arrive at a figure.”

UASU has further challenged the basis of the proposed funding, questioning why the new agreement should cost less than earlier CBAs despite demands for improved benefits and harmonised allowances.

Ombati pointed to the 2017–2021 agreement, which he said was valued at Sh16.5 billion, and the 2021–2025 CBA, whose cost he placed at Sh19.4 billion. The union wants the government to address its demands through negotiations rather than base the discussions on a financial figure before the terms are settled.

The disagreement is unfolding against the backdrop of the government’s wider education spending. The 2026/27 national budget has allocated Sh784.5 billion to the education sector, with Sh163.9 billion earmarked for higher education.

However, the higher education allocation covers several areas of spending and is not dedicated solely to meeting the financial demands under the disputed CBA. The two sides have yet to reach common ground on the proposed salary adjustments, allowances and the resources required to fund them.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has called on university employees to return to work, pointing to court orders suspending the strike and urging the unions and employers to resolve the dispute through negotiations.

Ogamba has also said the government remains committed to completing the 2025–2029 agreement and maintained that arrears owed under previous CBAs had been paid.

Ombati said the government had requested more time to assess its financial position during the talks but then took nearly 10 days without returning to the negotiating table. He argued that the delay had prolonged the deadlock at a time when students were already bearing the effects of the industrial action.

The continued closure of normal university activities has disrupted academic programmes, leaving students uncertain about when learning will resume fully. The longer the dispute remains unresolved, the greater the challenge of restoring university operations and addressing the concerns of affected students.

UASU is calling for the government to return to the negotiating table and reach an agreement on the outstanding salary and allowance demands. The union maintains that an acceptable settlement must emerge from discussions in which both sides agree on the terms and calculate the cost accordingly.