No deal, no classes as lecturers warn strike could last for months

Charles Mukhwaya, Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) secretary general, during an interview on Spice FM’s The Situation Room on the ongoing university lecturers’ strike over the 2025–2029 collective bargaining agreement. [Screen grab]

University lecturers have warned that their nationwide strike will continue unless the government presents an offer that addresses their demands.

Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya made the remarks during an interview on Spice FM’s The Situation Room as talks over the 2025–2029 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) remain deadlocked.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), KUSU and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) began the strike on October 2 after negotiations with the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum collapsed.

The industrial action is the second university staff strike in 13 months. The previous strike ended on November 5, 2025, after the unions reached a deal with the government over arrears under the 2017–2021 CBA.

The current dispute centres on pay adjustments, allowances and other employment benefits. The unions have rejected the government's offer, insisting that a new proposal must address their demands.

Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala has maintained that the government wants an agreement that is fair to university staff while remaining affordable for universities and the State.

Mukhwaya accused the government of failing to honour agreements reached with unions and demanded a counteroffer that addresses their proposals.

“The government should come up with a counteroffer that addresses our respective and specific demands and proposals,” Mukhwaya explained.

He questioned the government's claim that it lacked the money to meet the unions’ demands, arguing that the establishment of new universities contradicted that position.

“We do not agree that there is no money when the same government is opening new universities instead of funding the existing ones,” Mukhwaya maintained.

The union official argued that both parties should honour the terms they negotiate and sign, accusing the government of disregarding agreements after reaching them.

“Whenever we negotiate, we engage in discussions with the aim of reaching a mutual agreement. Therefore, by the time a CBA is signed, both parties should have agreed to the contents of the document,” he observed.

Mukhwaya blamed recurring university strikes on the government's failure to implement agreements, warning that students would continue to bear the consequences of the dispute.

“The university strikes seem never-ending because the government of the day is failing to keep its promises,” he added.

He expressed concern over students whose academic plans have been disrupted by the strike, particularly those who have worked hard to qualify for university education.

“It is heartbreaking to see young people who have worked hard and are eager to pursue university education being affected by the ongoing strike,” he noted.

Mukhwaya also questioned the pace of engagement by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), arguing that it was not moving quickly enough to address issues affecting university staff.

“The SRC has its own challenges that we may not be aware of but when it comes to universities, it seems they are dragging their feet,” he remarked.

He further accused government leaders of lacking an incentive to address challenges in public universities, claiming their children study abroad instead of attending local institutions.

“The government of the day has failed and it is deliberately doing this because its leaders’ children do not attend local universities; they go abroad to study,” he alleged.

With negotiations still deadlocked, Mukhwaya warned that the strike could extend into the Christmas and New Year period if the government failed to meet the unions’ demands.

“We have already wished the students a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If the government fails to meet our demands and continues splashing money elsewhere, as we have become accustomed to seeing, the strike will continue,” he warned.