Uasu proposes salary increases for university staff, up to Sh1m

Universities teaching staff have proposed salary adjustments that could raise the earnings of the lowest-paid academic staff to Sh397,000 per month.

In their new proposal, which will be discussed in the upcoming round of negotiations, professors, who are the highest-ranked academic staff, could earn up to Sh1 million, including basic salary and allowances.

The details are outlined in the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) proposals by the University and Academic Staff Union (Uasu).

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The proposals include up to 23 allowances for academic staff, with some positions seeing salary increases of up to 67.8 per cent by 2029. Currently, the lowest paid teaching staff, such as Graduate Assistants and Research Assistants (Grade 10A), earn between Sh63,647 and Sh97,988 per month.

Under the proposal, by July 2028, the lowest-paid academic staff in this group would earn Sh86,594, marking an increase of Sh22,947. The highest-paid would earn Sh164,387, an increase of Sh66,399.

In addition to salary increases, the proposal includes allowances. Housing allowance for Graduate Assistants and Research Assistants would rise from Sh35,383 to Sh55,692. Commuter allowance would also increase from Sh20,000 to Sh60,000. 

Allowances

Other proposed allowances include an internet service allowance of Sh10,000, a communication facilitation allowance of Sh1,000 per day (up from Sh500), a book and ICT allowance of Sh65,000, a risk allowance of Sh30,000, an extraneous allowance of Sh30,000, and an annual leave allowance of Sh50,000.

With these adjustments, a Graduate Assistant receiving all allowances would earn a total of Sh397,286 per month.

On the other hand, the highest-ranking academic staff, a professor currently earning a basic salary of between Sh224,631 and Sh345,816, could see a significant salary increase. Under the proposal, their salaries could rise to between Sh305,610 for the lowest-ranking professor and Sh580,144 for the highest-ranking professor.

This means the lowest-ranking professor would see an increment of Sh80,979, while the salary of the highest-ranking professor would increase by a record Sh234,328.

In addition to the basic pay increase, professors would also receive a commuter allowance of Sh60,000, a housing allowance of Sh116,028, a professorial allowance of Sh80,000, a book and ICT allowance of Sh90,000, an annual leave allowance of Sh70,000, a risk allowance of Sh30,000, an extraneous allowance of Sh50,000, and a communication allowance of Sh1,000 per day.

With all allowances factored in, a professor would take home a cumulative salary of Sh1,096,172 per month.

At the same time, Uasu is proposing the adoption of a special responsibility allowance for teaching staff in acting capacity, which would be 20 per cent of their basic salary. Also proposed is an increase in the entertainment allowance by between Sh3,000 and Sh10,000.

The union argues that these proposed pay increments are essential for attracting and retaining top academic talent in Kenyan universities, which they believe are struggling with brain drain and non-competitive compensation.

Uasu contends that the rising cost of living and stagnant wages in recent years have made it increasingly difficult for academic staff to support themselves and their families.

According to the union, the proposed pay structure would not only improve the lives of lecturers and researchers but also enhance the quality of education and research in Kenyan universities.

However, critics argue that the government faces a difficult balancing act in considering the proposal amidst budgetary constraints. The proposal comes at a time when universities are struggling to meet operational costs due to financial constraints.