UON urges students to clear fee arrears as lectures resume after university strike

University of Nairobi has urged its students to clear pending fees and resume attending lectures after announcing the resumption of teaching, learning, examinations, research and other academic functions following the suspension of a nationwide public universities' strike.

In an announcement issued on Monday, the University of Nairobi said academic and administrative operations would resume after university staff unions reached an agreement with the government, ending weeks of industrial action that disrupted activities in public universities.

The announcement, signed by Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Professor John D. Mande, follows the signing of a Return-to-Work Formula (RTWF) between the government and university staff unions on Friday, October 30.

The university said the industrial action had affected operations across public universities and their constituent colleges since October 2, after staff unions raised concerns over unresolved grievances relating to Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and outstanding arrears.

“The Unions called the strike off and signed a Return-to-Work Formula (RTWF) with the government on Friday 30th October, 2026,” the university stated.

The strike involved the Universities' Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and the Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels Education Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA).

The unions had issued a seven-day strike notice on September 28 and September 30, 2026, citing unresolved labour disputes and delays in addressing agreements covering university employees.

The industrial action subsequently affected teaching, examinations, research and other university services, disrupting the academic calendar and activities for thousands of students across the country.

In its latest communication, UON directed students to settle outstanding financial obligations and return to their academic programmes as the institution prepares to restore normal operations.

“Students are requested to clear any pending fees and attend lectures without fail,” the announcement stated.

The university's communication was addressed to all staff and students for the 2026/2027 academic year and copied to senior university officials, faculty administrators and heads of departments.

Among those copied were the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors responsible for research, human resources and administration, and finance, planning and development, as well as principals of constituent university colleges.

Other recipients included deans of faculties, the Academic Registrar, Director of ICT, Director of Finance, departmental chairpersons, faculty registrars and faculty accountants.

The university's announcement signals preparations to restore academic activities following the agreement between the government and the unions, which had brought public university operations to a standstill.

The dispute centred on the implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreements, which outline employment terms, salaries, benefits and other working conditions for university employees.

The resumption marks the end of weeks of industrial action that disrupted academic activities across public universities in Kenya, paving the way for the restoration of normal operations and the recovery of lost academic time.