The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a nationwide seven-day strike notice, with lecturers set to down their tools at midnight on Friday, September 30, 2026. This move comes after the government failed to implement the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga stated that the union had been negotiating with the government since last year, but to no avail.
According to UASU, university councils, the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury have failed to honor the Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025. The union highlighted that despite ongoing negotiations, primarily held at Machakos University, the government has repeatedly failed to submit an official financial counter-proposal for the 2025–2029 period.
The decision to issue the strike notice follows a critical meeting on Monday, September 21, between union leadership and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). During this session, the SRC informed university unions that neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury had provided written guarantees or financial commitments confirming that funding for public universities' CBAs would be allocated through the National Exchequer.
The SRC stated that it could not issue the constitutional advice required to facilitate financial counter-proposals to the Unions without explicit financial backing from the Treasury. UASU emphasized that this admission raises serious doubts about the legitimacy and sincerity of the year-long negotiations. This development has led to escalating tension between the union and the government.
This strike notice marks the culmination of months of warning signs from academic staff. Just over a month ago, on August 14, UASU cautioned the government of imminent industrial action if the pending 2025–2029 CBA was not resolved. The union noted that while the agreement was slated for signature in November 2025, it has remained stuck in bureaucratic limbo ever since.
With the September 30 deadline fast approaching, learning across all public universities nationwide risks coming to a complete halt unless the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury intervene immediately with concrete financial commitments. The strike could have significant implications for students and the education sector as a whole.
The situation remains uncertain, with no clear indication of whether the government will meet the union's demands. The UASU has urged the government to take immediate action to prevent the strike and ensure the smooth continuation of academic activities.
Key points
- Lecturers at Kenyan public universities may go on strike on September 30, 2026.
- The strike is due to the government's failure to implement the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
- The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a nationwide seven-day strike notice.
