Glimmer of hope for end of 43-day lecturers' strike

The 43-day lecturers’ strike that has paralysed learning in public universities could be called off at any time.

The Standard has established that the Ministry of Education and the unions representing university staff could have reached a breakthrough.

In the negotiations, the government has agreed to pay lecturers Sh7.9 billion owed to them in two tranches.

The first payment will be made in November under a supplementary budget, while the remaining balance will be cleared in July next year.

At the same time, the lecturers and government have further agreed to convene a meeting in a week to open negotiations for a new pay deal for the 2025/2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Standard has established that the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) on Thursday evening convened a National Executive Committee — union top governance organ— to discuss the proposal.

A similar meeting of the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) has been convened.

Both unions will tomorrow convene a second meeting bringing together all their delegates to confirm the decision before the strike is called off.

Uasu Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said they met the government on Thursday and had a candid discussion.

He, however, said that after the meeting, no deal was agreed upon, even as insiders hinted at possible end to the strike.

He said the government presented its proposals, which will be presented to the National Executive Council and the national delegate conference

“We urge students to stay calm. No need to go to the streets. Allow us a few days to settle this matter. As I promised the country, this time we must get it right,” said Wasonga in a phone interview with The Standard.

Kusu Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya said the government has shown willingness to end the strike.

“We are consulting at every level on how we can expedite the resolution of this crisis,” Mukwaya told The Standard.

Initially, the Ministry of Education had committed to pay Sh2.5 billion and proposed the balance be cleared in three financial years but sources within the union indicate that the offer was rejected.

The union was further scheduled to meet the National Assembly Committee on Education on Tuesday next week to present their grievances and lobby the lawmakers to pay the arrears.

The impasse has left public universities paralyzed for two months, as it entered day 43 on Thursday forcing the fate of thousands of students and an entire semester into uncertainty.

The dispute has given rise to a crisis of learning continuity and university management.

With students losing two months of the September–December semester, questions are mounting over how time will be recovered and whether universities can sustain academic credibility amid the financial strain.

At the centre of the crisis is the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), signed on October 28, 2019, between public universities and the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU).

The unions’ note that the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC), later upheld the decision by the Court of Appeal, which established the true cost of the CBA at Sh16.57 billion.”

With only Ksh 8.6 billion disbursed, the unions insist the arrears owed amount to Ksh 7.97 billion.culture and Technology (JKUAT), the students’ association yesterday appealed to the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to provide emergency upkeep funds, saying most students living off-campus are struggling to pay rent and meet basic needs.

The students have issued an ultimatum demanding that the impasse be resolved before the end of the week or they will take to the streets to push both sides toward an agreement.

Lenox Okandi, the JKUAT Students Association (JKUSA) president expressed deep frustration over what they described as a failure of leadership that continues to jeopardize their education and future.

“We will not remain silent as our right to education is repeatedly violated by prolonged industrial action,” Okandi said.

Similar concerns have been raised by University of Nairobi students who are now reporting that the strike has financially strife students after the administration asked them to report back to school.

However, they say, despite the directive, no teaching and learning has taken place.

“Some students had travelled back home during the strike but were forced to come back last week when the administration ordered them to report back, however, with no learning they are spending the little money they have.”