The Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) has accused the government of failing to address the ongoing lecturers’ strike genuinely, despite public claims that negotiations are underway.
Speaking on Tuesday, KUSU Secretary-General Dr. Charles Mukhwaya said the Ministry of Education and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) have yet to engage directly with union leaders to find a solution.
“We need to sit with all stakeholders involved in this matter,” Mukhwaya said. “SRC and the Vice Chancellors will only tell the government what they want to hear. But for us, we have not been called by the CS or the PS.”
The strike, now in its fourth week, has paralysed learning in all public universities, forcing thousands of students to return home and sparking protests across several campuses.
Mukhwaya dismissed claims by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba that negotiations were progressing, saying, “Nothing is going to come out. We are where we started. The strike has just begun.”
At the centre of the dispute is the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which university unions say remains only partially implemented. According to KUSU, the government still owes lecturers Sh7.9 billion in unpaid arrears, while SRC maintains the outstanding amount is only Sh600 million.
On Monday, CS Ogamba had expressed optimism that the stalemate was nearing resolution after talks with the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) in Machakos. However, KUSU insists no such progress has been made.
The prolonged standoff has disrupted academic calendars, with many students running out of accommodation and upkeep funds. At the University of Nairobi, students staged protests demanding a swift resolution to the dispute.
This impasse highlights a recurring cycle of industrial action in Kenya’s higher education sector, often linked to delays and disputes over CBA implementation. Previous strikes in 2017, 2018, and 2021 similarly crippled operations across universities.
As the deadlock drags on, both sides appear entrenched leaving staff and students uncertain about when normalcy will return.
