A critical meeting aimed at resolving the protracted national lecturers' strike collapsed on Friday, October 24, 2025, after the Universities' Academic Staff Union (UASU) issued its firmest demand yet: the immediate and full payment of KSh 7.9 billion in outstanding arrears before any return-to-work negotiations can commence. The standoff, now entering its sixth week, has paralysed learning across Kenya's public universities, affecting tens of thousands of students and threatening the academic calendar.

Talks held in Machakos between the union, the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), and government representatives ended in a stalemate. UASU Secretary-General Dr. Constantine Wasonga declared that the union would not call off the industrial action, which began on September 17, 2025, until the historical debt is cleared. “We shall not call off the strike unless we negotiate and sign, and the due of KSh 7.9 billion should be paid in full,” Wasonga stated on Friday.

Verified Arrears and Rejected Offers

The union's position was significantly bolstered by a new report from the IPUCCF's own Technical Committee, presented on the same day, which officially verified the KSh 7.9 billion figure as the outstanding balance owed to staff under the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). In a statement, UASU noted that the report, co-signed by senior university officials, aligns with multiple court judgments that have affirmed the union's long-standing claims.

This demand for past dues comes on the heels of the union's categorical rejection of a new government offer for the next CBA cycle. On October 21, 2025, Dr. Wasonga confirmed that UASU had formally appealed and rejected a KSh 3.1 billion counter-offer from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and IPUCCF for the 2025–2029 CBA. The union described the offer as “unacceptable and unrealistic,” arguing it fails to cushion academic staff against high inflation and creates unfair pay disparities compared to other public servants, such as teachers, who received higher salary awards for the same period.

Allegations of Intimidation

As the industrial action continues, the union has accused some university administrations of resorting to intimidation. Several institutions have issued suspension, interdiction, and show-cause letters to striking academic staff. At the Technical University of Kenya, for instance, over 40 lecturers were reportedly interdicted for participating in the strike. UASU National Organising Secretary Onesmus Maluki dismissed these measures as tactics meant to coerce staff but insisted the union's resolve remains unbroken.

The government, through Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, maintains that it is engaged in finding a solution. “Our learners are suffering out there just because the government has not refused to pay but just the amount of money to be paid,” the Cabinet Secretary stated on Friday. This is despite the government having previously released KSh 2.73 billion in September to settle arrears from the 2021-2025 CBA in an unsuccessful attempt to avert the strike.

Impact on Higher Education

The prolonged dispute has created a crisis for students, many of whom have been forced to leave campus while others remain stranded, uncertain about their academic future. Reports from various universities, including the University of Nairobi and Kenyatta University, depict deserted lecture halls and libraries, with some students forced to take up menial jobs to survive as they await a resolution. There is growing concern that the deadlock will lead to a compressed academic year, potentially compromising the quality of education. With a court ruling on the broader dispute not expected until December 11, 2025, and with the union vowing to continue the strike until its demands are met, there is no immediate end in sight to the disruption gripping Kenya's public university system.