Lecturers Blame SRC as Pay Talks Collapse, Plan Protests Across More Universities
Efforts to end the ongoing public university lecturers’ strike have collapsed after fresh negotiations between the government and university staff unions failed to yield an agreement. The standoff, now in its fourth week, threatens to prolong disruptions in learning across all public universities.
Lecturers Accuse SRC of Blocking Negotiations
During a press briefing in Nairobi on Wednesday, University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constantine Wesonga accused the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) of frustrating the talks and overstepping its advisory mandate.
“As per labour conventions, we are supposed to negotiate with our employer. However, SRC is supposed to give its advisory, but the way they are giving that advisory, it seems they do not allow workers to negotiate with their employer,” Wesonga said.
The unions — UASU, Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and KUDHEIHA — criticised SRC’s proposal to allocate Ksh3 billion over four years, saying the amount was insufficient to cater for all academic and non-teaching staff in public universities.
“If they (SRC) want, they can come and negotiate with us. How can you give Ksh3 billion for four years? How is that supposed to be shared among all three unions?” Wesonga posed.
Unions Outline Key Demands
Union officials accused the government of ignoring major labour concerns, including automatic annual salary increments and the remittance of statutory deductions that some universities have reportedly withheld.
They also cited lack of medical insurance and pension contributions in several institutions, saying the welfare of lecturers had deteriorated sharply over the years.
“We want to plead with our students to bear with us so that we can complete this matter once and for all. When we start learning next year, we do not want any other disruptions,” Wesonga appealed.
Strike to Spread to More Campuses
With talks collapsing, the unions announced plans to intensify the strike by extending protests and picketing to individual university chapters across the country.
The industrial action, which began over stalled implementation of the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), has already paralysed lectures, research, and administrative functions in several institutions.
Government’s Position
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba defended the government’s approach, noting that the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) had already started formal negotiation sessions in September.
He said the SRC had been engaged to guide the framework for the upcoming 2025–2029 CBA, but accused UASU of skipping some of the initial meetings.
“The government has engaged all relevant stakeholders to ensure the negotiation process remains transparent and within the set legal framework,” Ogamba stated last week.
Despite the efforts, there is still no clear timeline for resuming normal operations in public universities as the strike enters its second month.
