Inside the pay deal that ended lecturers' 48-day strike

By Newsflash Writer

After 48 days of a crippling shutdown in public universities, lecturers finally ended their strike following intense negotiations and the signing of a comprehensive return-to-work formula with the government.

The strike, which had paralysed academic operations across all public universities and affected more than 600,000 students, forced some institutions to cancel semesters and send learners home. The breakthrough came after the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu), the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury, and university councils reached an agreement to settle salary arrears and safeguard staff welfare.

Under the deal, lecturers will receive Sh7.9 billion in unpaid salary arrears from the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), to be paid in two equal instalments — Sh3.88 billion by December 31, 2025, and another Sh3.88 billion by July 2026. The two sides also agreed to start negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA within 30 days.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi admitted that the government was facing financial challenges and could not release the entire amount at once. He urged the lecturers to accept phased payments as a practical compromise. The deal also compels universities that failed to fully utilise their previous allocation of Sh2.2 billion for arrears to contribute Sh182 million once the government releases new funds.

Union concessions and government commitments

Uasu Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga said the lecturers had accepted the two-phase payment in good faith to protect students and ensure the survival of higher education. “We are not leaving this industrial action with all that we wanted—immediate full payment of Sh7.9 billion—but we acknowledge the firm commitment from the National Treasury and Parliament,” said Dr Wasonga.

As part of the return-to-work formula, all disciplinary actions against lecturers who participated in the strike will be dropped.

The agreement further guarantees that participation in the industrial action will not affect contract renewals or future employment opportunities. “All disciplinary cases commenced during the strike shall be deemed withdrawn,” added Dr Wasonga, thanking union members and students for their patience.

Kusu Chairman Charles Mukhwaya described the agreement as a major step toward restoring stability in the country’s higher learning institutions. He said the deal reflected mutual goodwill between unions and the government and assured academic staff of protection from victimisation, salary security, and prompt payment of benefits.

Restoring stability in public universities

The agreement guarantees that all unionisable staff will receive full pay and benefits for the strike period. Salaries and accrued benefits for September and October are to be released by November 10, while payments for the first five days of November will also be made. Employees whose contracts were terminated during the strike will be reinstated unconditionally, and those whose contracts expired will have their renewals secured.

Additionally, the hiring of external staff during the strike will not affect the earnings or entitlements of existing university employees. “No member shall lose any benefit, earning, or entitlement as a result of participating in the industrial action,” reads the deal.

The strike had been triggered by repeated delays in settling salary arrears and implementing previous CBAs. Union leaders had accused government negotiators of lacking authority to commit funds and rejected proposals by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to stagger the arrears into three instalments.

The stalemate was finally broken after meetings at Parliament where both sides agreed on a two-phase payment plan. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed that Sh2.73 billion under the 2021–2025 CBA had already been paid but acknowledged lingering tensions over pending arrears. “It was time to put down the gun and find a solution. The strike had gone on too long and disrupted learning across the country,” he said.

With the return-to-work deal signed, universities are now reorganising their academic calendars to recover lost time — marking the end of a 48-day strike that had brought Kenya’s higher education system to a standstill.