UASU issues seven-day strike notice to public varsities

Learning in public universities is set for major disruption after the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) issued a seven-day strike notice.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 10, UASU Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga said the union had been  pushed to the wall by years of unmet promises and would have no choice but to down tools.

The union accuses the government and university councils of failing to implement key Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) dating back nearly a decade.

“The Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) hereby issues a seven-day written strike notice with effect from the date of this letter to all Councils of Public Universities and Constituent Colleges over failure to implement 2021–2025 Phase Two CBA arrears for the FY 2025/2026, totalling Sh2.73 billion,” Dr. Wasonga said.

The strike is set to begin on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, unless their demands are met.

The union is also demanding immediate negotiation, conclusion, registration, and implementation of the 2025–2029 National Collective Bargaining Agreement, in line with the Recognition Agreement signed on October 28, 2019, between UASU and the Inter-Public Universities’ Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).

Additionally, they are accusing the government of defying court orders on the 2017–2021 CBA. The Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) in CBA cases Nos. 1, 2, and 3 of 2020 directed the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), Treasury, and the Ministry of Education to allocate funds for its implementation.

“The court stated clearly that the SRC is directed to work together with the IPUCCF Implementation Committee, the Ministry of Education, and the Treasury to make the provision for the additional budgetary allocation necessary for implementation of the CBA,” Dr. Wasonga noted.

According to UASU, continued disregard of CBAs and court rulings has left lecturers demoralized, underpaid, and unable to meet professional and personal obligations.

“Our members in all public universities and constituent colleges shall withhold their labour and shall not resume duty until the three issues raised in the written strike notice are addressed,” Dr. Wasonga declared.

If the strike proceeds, it will paralyze teaching and research in more than 40 public universities and constituent colleges, affecting tens of thousands of students, many of whom are preparing for end-of-semester exams.