Public universities in Kenya have ground to a halt as lecturers intensified their nationwide strike. The action has crippled learning just weeks after the start of the 2025/26 academic year, throwing thousands of students into uncertainty.
Strike Spreads Across Campuses
The strike began on September 17 and has quickly spread. Lecturers at Moi University, the University of Nairobi, Technical University of Mombasa, and Kirinyaga University have joined the boycott. Egerton and Maseno universities have also reported near-total shutdowns.
Students found campuses deserted on Wednesday and Thursday. Classes were cancelled, and no official updates were given.
The Lecturers’ Demands
The strike is led by the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu). They are demanding:
- Sh2.73 billion for Phase Two of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
- Sh7.9 billion outstanding from the 2017–2021 CBA.
- Immediate talks on the 2025–2029 CBA.
Uasu secretary general Constantine Wesonga accused the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) of ignoring a 2021 Labour Court order. The ruling had directed the Treasury to provide funds to implement the CBAs.
Voices from the Ground
In Eldoret, Uasu Moi University chapter secretary Busolo Wekesa said staff had not received any payments under the current CBA. He also highlighted the lack of medical cover for four months, which he said had already caused deaths among staff.
“This is not new money. It was promised and is long overdue,” Wekesa said.
Government Response Rejected
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced on Wednesday that the Treasury had released Sh2.5 billion to implement the CBA. He urged lecturers to suspend the strike.
But union leaders dismissed the call. Uasu trustee Jane Michael said the government only listens when strikes happen. “Negotiations without timelines or counter-offers are meaningless,” she added.
Uncertain Future
Moi University chair Richard Okero warned that continued underfunding is unsustainable. Public universities admit more than 150,000 students each year, he said, and the system risks collapse without serious investment.
With talks stalled, students remain stranded and the future of the semester hangs in the balance.
