Lecturers End Strike After Sh9.7bn Deal Signed
In a significant development, lecturers in Kenya have called off their strike after reaching an agreement with the government, marking the end of a long-standing dispute that has disrupted learning at public universities since September.
The deal, signed between the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), ensures the full implementation of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), valued at Sh9.7 billion. This marks a crucial step towards resolving the financial and contractual issues that led to the strike.
Under the terms of the agreement, the National Treasury has committed to allocate Sh4.3 billion for the implementation of the CBA in the 2024-2025 financial year. The remaining Sh5.4 billion will be disbursed in two installments of Sh2.7 billion each in the 2026-2027 financial year.
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga emphasized the importance of resuming work, urging lecturers to prepare for classes starting Monday. “I want to impress upon lecturers that they should prepare to resume classes on Monday,” he stated. This announcement provides much-needed relief to students and parents who have faced prolonged academic disruption.
The strike, which had left universities and constituent colleges in turmoil, severely impacted the education of thousands of students across the country. In the wake of the deal, Wasonga assured that efforts would be made to recover the academic time lost during the strike. Lecturers were encouraged to coordinate with university management to ensure that lost instructional hours would be made up through extended teaching sessions, including on weekends.
While the strike had caused significant disruption, with lectures halting until a satisfactory agreement was reached, the signing of the return-to-work formula is expected to end the standoff that had seemed impossible to resolve just days earlier. On Thursday, talks had stalled when UASU insisted that the government provide a written commitment for clearing the remaining Sh5.4 billion. However, the breakthrough agreement ensures that all legal petitions related to the strike will now be withdrawn.
The resolution of the strike also follows intense negotiations between various government bodies, including the Ministry of Education, Labour, and the National Treasury, along with the three major university unions: UASU, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions and Hospitals Workers (KUDHEIHA).
As the strike ends, the focus now shifts to restoring the academic calendar, ensuring that students receive the education they are entitled to without further delays. With the agreement signed and a clear path forward, both lecturers and students can now look to the future with a renewed sense of optimism.