NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 22 – The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has petitioned Parliament over the government’s failure to provide a firm funding commitment for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), escalating pressure on the State to resolve the ongoing lecturers’ strike.
The petition, presented to the National Assembly by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, was filed by UASU Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga Opiyo, Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) Secretary-General Dr Charles Mukhwaya and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) National Trustee Odoyo Genga.
Speaker Moses Wetangula, while presenting the petition before the floor of the National Assembly, submitted the petition to the Departmental Committee on Education and the Departmental Committee on Labor.
The unions, which collectively represent approximately 30,000 university employees, want Parliament to intervene in the stalled negotiations, secure funding for the new agreement and address the payment of salaries for employees of public universities.
The petitioners accuse the Ministry of Education and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) of failing to honour commitments made in previous return-to-work agreements intended to prevent further industrial action.
They say the parties signed a return-to-work formula on November 23, 2024, committing to conclude negotiations and implement the 2025–2029 CBA by July 1, 2025.
However, a subsequent agreement signed on November 5, 2025, again committed the parties to conclude negotiations and implement the deal within 30 days, but the deadline passed without the outstanding issues being resolved.
The latest petition comes as public universities remain affected by a nationwide strike that began on October 2, 2026, after the unions accused the government and university councils of failing to honour previous commitments and make progress on the new pay agreement.
A central point of contention is the lack of a written government commitment guaranteeing that the financial obligations arising from the CBA will be funded through the National Exchequer.
According to the petitioners, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) informed the unions on September 21, 2026, that neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury had provided such an assurance.
The unions argue that the absence of a clear funding commitment has undermined negotiations and left university employees uncertain about the implementation of their terms and conditions of service.
The dispute also centres on the scale of the financial obligations, with the government and the unions yet to agree on the amounts required to conclude the negotiations.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, Principal Secretary for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala said the government was continuing discussions with stakeholders to bridge the gap between its position and the unions’ demands.
“Some issues are under parallel discussions when it comes to financial. There’s a huge difference between what they are proposing of Sh9.7 billion and their demand of Sh98 billion,” she said.
“We are negotiating and confident we shall close this gap. It is our shared interest that we resolve this strike as soon as possible because we are talking to all stakeholders.”
The financial disagreement has complicated efforts to reach a settlement, with the government seeking to reconcile the competing figures as negotiations continue.
The unions, however, maintain that the dispute goes beyond salary increments and includes the need for a binding agreement on funding, the protection of staff welfare and the long-term sustainability of public universities.
The latest industrial action follows a 49-day strike in 2025, which ended on November 5 after the government and the unions signed a return-to-work formula. That dispute involved outstanding arrears under earlier CBAs and delays in negotiating the 2025–2029 agreement
The unions have warned that repeated delays in implementing agreements risk eroding trust between university employees and the government, with lecturers demanding assurances that commitments made during negotiations will be honoured.
The consequences of the current strike are being felt by students, many of whom face disrupted teaching schedules, uncertainty over examinations and delays in completing their studies.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah called for dialogue between the unions and the Ministry of Education, urging Parliament’s relevant committees to work together to find a lasting solution.
He asked the committee handling the petition to engage the Departmental Committee on Education and members of the Labour Committee familiar with the history of the dispute.
“This is a longstanding CBA matter, and it is not new to Members who have served on the Labour and Education Committees, as they are familiar with the history of these collective bargaining agreements,” he said.
Ichung’wah urged the unions and the ministry to exercise restraint and pursue negotiations, warning that students ultimately bear the cost of prolonged industrial disputes.
“I am confident that we can find a solution to this matter. Ultimately, it is our children and young people studying in universities who suffer when they miss classes and examinations because of strikes,” he said.
The petition now places renewed pressure on Parliament to scrutinise the funding arrangements and help broker an agreement between the unions, the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury and university management.