University students will have to wait longer before resuming classes after key talks between the government and lecturers’ unions failed to reach an agreement to end the ongoing strike.
The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) on Monday, October 12, reportedly rejected a Ksh12 billion offer from the government to return to work.
The unions say they want the government to negotiate specific issues raised by lecturers rather than focus solely on the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga argued that the Ksh12 billion offer was insufficient, insisting that the government should fully implement the CBA.
Kenyan Lecturers Protesting On The Streets Over Poor Pay And Unfulfilled Collective Bargaining Agreement, January 16, 2025.
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UASU
"The counteroffer from the government is awfully inadequate, and we have rejected it in total," Wasonga stated.
This is the second talk that has collapsed following the commencement of the nationwide strike on Friday, October 2.
The lecturers are striking over the government's failure to implement the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Wasonga also argues that the university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury have also failed to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025.
At the same time, UASU accuses the government of having also failed to provide a financial counter-proposal for the 2025-2029 CBA despite negotiations having continued since last year.
Meanwhile, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, on October 5, asked the lecturers to go back to work as their issues were being addressed.
According to Ogamba, the Ministry of Education has cleared arrears arising from previous Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), including the 2017-2021 and 2021-2025 agreements.
"The government has committed to safeguarding the welfare of all our lecturers and has demonstrated this commitment through action. As we speak today, all arrears under the 2017-2021 and 2021-2025 CBAs have been cleared," Ogamba stated.
Treasury CS John Mbadi (right) during a meeting with his Education counterpart John Mbadi at the Treasury Building in Nairobi on October 6, 2026.
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Treasury