A group of striking lecturers at Machakos University in Kenya took their protest online, interrupting a live Zoom class on October 2. They confronted their colleague, who was teaching despite the nationwide university strike called by the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU). The lecturers demanded that he dismiss his students immediately.
The striking lecturers joined the Zoom session one after another, piling pressure on their colleague. They questioned what image he was setting for students by continuing to teach during the strike. One lecturer asked, "Who do you think you are? End this class right now; you cannot be teaching when everybody else is on strike." The lecturer hosting the class remained composed, acknowledging his colleagues' concerns.
The strike, which began on October 2, was called over the government's failure to implement the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement. UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga stated that university councils, the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury had not honoured a Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025. The government had not provided a financial counter-proposal for the CBA despite ongoing negotiations.
The scenes at Machakos University were not isolated, with striking lecturers filmed blowing whistles and vuvuzelas, carrying placards, and walking into ongoing lectures to order colleagues to stop. The protests took place across several campuses, highlighting the lecturers' determination to press for their demands. The strike brought learning to a halt in public universities across the country.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba addressed the matter on October 5, during World Teachers Day celebrations. He directed striking lecturers to return to work without delay, stating that the government had already met most of their demands. Ogamba called on the lecturers to reciprocate in kind and return to work.
The lecturers' actions were captured in video clips shared online, showing multiple lecturers joining the meeting to pressure their colleague. The tone was blunt, with lecturers questioning the colleague's decision to continue teaching during the strike. The incident highlighted the tense situation at Kenyan universities, with lecturers pushing for their demands to be met.
The strike and protests by lecturers have significant implications for the education sector in Kenya. The government's response and the outcome of the negotiations between the unions and the government will determine the future of the education sector. The incident at Machakos University is a reflection of the broader issues affecting the sector, with lecturers seeking better working conditions and implementation of agreements.
Key points
- Lecturers at Machakos University interrupted an online class, pressuring a colleague to stop teaching amid a nationwide strike.
- The strike was called over the government's failure to implement the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba directed striking lecturers to return to work without delay.
