Kenyan university lecturers have rejected the government’s proposed Ksh7.9 billion phased payment, insisting on full settlement of all arrears before resuming academic duties. Speaking on Friday in Nairobi, Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constantine Wesonga announced that both the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Delegates Conference (NDC) had unanimously dismissed the offer.
“The payment of Ksh7.9 billion must be done once and immediately. Lecturers do not deliver knowledge in phases; therefore, no one should ever imagine that they can pay our arrears in phases,” Wesonga declared.
He noted that lecturers have endured years of broken promises, delayed payments, and unfulfilled agreements, accusing the government of failing to honour past commitments. Wesonga emphasized that no learning would resume until the arrears are cleared in full and the new 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is negotiated, registered, and implemented.
“The 2025–2029 CBA must be negotiated and registered in total before we return to class. We also have four months’ salary arrears that must be paid immediately,” he added.
UASU directed that all public universities and their constituent colleges remain closed until the lecturers’ demands are met. “All 38 UASU chapters must re-energise and relaunch the strike,” Wesonga stated.
The firm stance came just a day after UASU, alongside KUSU and KUDHEIHA, had signalled readiness to resume duties following the government’s proposal to clear arrears in two instalments. However, after urgent NEC and NDC meetings, the unions rejected the deal, saying partial payments were unacceptable.
The ongoing strike has left thousands of university students stranded, with the government’s phased proposal now rejected, leaving the future of higher education in uncertainty.
