Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has announced plans to resume negotiations with university lecturers’ unions as the government seeks to end the ongoing nationwide strike that has disrupted learning in public universities.
Ogamba said the Ministry of Education was working with the National Treasury and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to secure additional funding for an improved financial offer following the rejection of the government's initial Sh9.7 billion proposal for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The CS indicated that negotiations could resume within days, with reports on Monday, October 26, pointing to planned conciliation talks between the government and university staff unions.
The strike, which began on October 2, 2026, followed a deadlock in negotiations over the new collective bargaining agreement covering lecturers’ salaries and allowances.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and other staff unions have maintained that the government's proposed allocation is insufficient to meet their demands under the four-year agreement.
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga has argued that the new CBA covers additional components that require more funding than the amount offered by the government.
Ogamba explained that the government was assessing the unions' demands to ensure any revised offer would be financially sustainable and supported by the necessary budgetary commitments.
The ongoing industrial action has disrupted academic activities across public universities, leaving students uncertain about the resumption of normal learning and the academic calendar.
The planned negotiations are expected to focus on the disputed financial offer and outstanding issues surrounding the implementation of the new agreement.
However, it remains unclear whether the anticipated talks will immediately resolve the impasse, as lecturers continue to push for an offer that addresses their demands.
Source: The Star and Education News Kenya.
