Public universities face shutdown as lecturers issue strike notice
Work boycotts are set to begin Friday next week, October 2, 2026 over the stalled implementation of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Students are likely to suffer massive lectures, examinations, research and other academic activities across public universities after lecturers in Kenya’s public universities threatened to stage nationwide work boycotts beginning Friday next week, October 2, 2026 over the stalled implementation of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) issued a seven-day nationwide strike notice on Thursday, September 24, 2026 warning that the strike would begin at midnight on Friday, October 2, unless the government resolves the outstanding issues within the seven-day window.
UASU through their Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the decision followed the failure by university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury to honour the return-to-work formula signed on November 5, 2025.
“This painful decision follows the persistent failure by the councils of universities, the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on 5th November 2025,” UASU said.
The union also accused the government of failing to table a financial counter-proposal for the 2025–2029 CBA despite negotiations having continued since last year. UASU noted that other public-sector employees had concluded their 2025–2029 CBAs while the agreement covering university lecturers remained unresolved.
The latest standoff followed a meeting between UASU and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on September 21. According to the union, SRC informed university-sector unions that neither the Ministry of Education nor the Treasury had provided a written commitment that funding for public universities’ CBAs would be provided through the National Exchequer.
“SRC said that it could not therefore issue the constitutional advice required to facilitate financial counter-proposals to the Unions,” UASU stated.
The union said the disclosure raised questions about negotiations conducted at Machakos University since last year.
UASU had on September 18 given the Government and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum one month to negotiate, sign, register and implement the CBA, warning that failure would trigger a seven-day strike notice.
