UASU members on strike demanding for more pay. Photo/Courtesy
By Daisy Okiring
The ongoing lecturers’ strike has intensified after the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) rejected the government’s offer to settle their arrears in two phases. Speaking during an interview on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, KUSU Secretary General Dr. Charles Mukhwaya confirmed that the strike remains active across all 42 public universities.
“The strike is still on because our members across all universities feel that the government owes them Ksh7.9 billion, and they deserve to be paid in full,” Mukhwaya said.
His remarks came a day after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba pleaded with lecturers to call off the strike and resume teaching. The industrial action, which has paralyzed learning in universities nationwide, stems from the government’s delayed payment of salary arrears dating back several years.
The Ministry of Education had proposed a three-phase payment plan before revising it to two instalments, but KUSU maintained that its members would not accept partial payments. “The government started with three payment plans, we declined. Then it came down to two phases, and our organs again said no,” Mukhwaya noted.
Read More: SADC urges calm as Tanzania plunges into deadly post-election violence
Lecturers Cite Longstanding Debt and Inflation
According to Mukhwaya, the lecturers’ rejection of the phased plan is driven by frustration over the government’s prolonged delay in settling the debt, which has been outstanding since July 2017. He argued that spreading payments over several years would further erode the real value of the money due to inflation.
“Our members feel they have waited too long. From July 2017 to date is eight years, and now you still want to pay them in phases up to 2029,” he said. “This is a small amount compared to what the Ministry handles, so there’s no justification to drag payments for more than a decade. Where will the value of that money be by then?”
The unions have accused the government of repeatedly breaking promises made during past negotiations and say they have lost trust in the state’s commitment to fulfill its financial obligations.
Read More: Law Society Cracks Down on Fake Lawyers in Malindi: Offices Ordered Shut
Government Appeals for Patience Amid Fiscal Strain
In response, CS Ogamba and Treasury officials have asked lecturers to consider the country’s fiscal constraints. Treasury CS John Mbadi recently told Parliament that the government’s financial position remains tight, and paying the Ksh7.9 billion in full could destabilize public finances.
“We are not refusing to pay; we want to do it in a way that the economy can sustain,” Mbadi said earlier this week.
However, lecturers insist that they will not return to class until all arrears are cleared in one lump sum. The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has echoed KUSU’s stance, warning that any attempt to delay payments could prolong the strike indefinitely.
As negotiations continue, the impasse has disrupted academic calendars, delayed examinations, and left thousands of university students uncertain about their semester schedules. Education stakeholders are urging both sides to find a middle ground to restore learning and safeguard the stability of Kenya’s higher education sector.
About the Author
