University lecturers have officially called off their 49-day nationwide strike after signing a deal with the government for the payment of KSh 7.9 billion in salary arrears. The agreement, reached on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, paves the way for the immediate resumption of learning in public universities, bringing relief to over 600,000 students whose academic calendars had been severely disrupted.

The breakthrough came after a high-level meeting at Jogoo House, Nairobi, chaired by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba Migos. Union leaders from the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) signed the return-to-work formula.

UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga announced that the government has committed to settling the KSh 7.9 billion, which stems from the contentious 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), in two installments. The first tranche of approximately KSh 3.88 billion is scheduled for payment between November and December 2025, with the final balance due by July 2026.

"We are not leaving this industrial action with all that we wanted, which was immediate full implementation... Yet, we consider the firm commitment by the National Treasury and Parliament and balanced against the interests of students, and the survival of the higher education sector in this country. UASU has made concessions and hereby calls off the strike,” Wasonga stated at the press conference on Wednesday.

The Road to Resolution

The strike, which began on September 17, 2025, paralysed academic activities across all public universities. The core of the dispute was the government's failure to fully implement the 2017-2021 CBA. For weeks, negotiations remained deadlocked, with the unions initially rejecting proposals for phased payments, demanding the entire sum be paid at once. The stalemate prompted the intervention of the National Assembly's Committee on Education, which facilitated renewed talks between the unions and government officials, including Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi.

Mbadi had previously informed Parliament that the government was cash-strapped and could not manage a lump-sum payment, urging the lecturers to accept an installment plan. The eventual agreement on a two-phase payment marked a significant concession from the unions, made in consideration of the students' prolonged stay at home.

Impact on Higher Education

The seven-week industrial action had a profound impact on students, with many facing uncertainty and financial strain. Several universities, including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), had been forced to close indefinitely and ordered students to vacate the campuses. The disruption threatened to delay graduations and the overall academic progression for thousands.

Following the agreement, university administrations are expected to recall students and revise their academic calendars to recover the lost seven weeks. Wasonga apologized to students for the lost time but assured them that lecturers were committed to covering the syllabus. "I want to apologise to the comrades for the 42 plus days they have lost. However, our members have committed that they are going to recover the lost time fully," he said.

Future Negotiations and Assurances

The signed return-to-work formula also includes critical provisions for future industrial harmony. Both parties have committed to concluding negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA within the next 30 days. This was a key demand from the unions, who accused the government of delaying the negotiation process.

Furthermore, the agreement guarantees that no lecturer will be victimized or face disciplinary action for participating in the strike. All withheld salaries and union dues for September and October are to be released immediately. Wasonga issued a stern warning that should the government fail to honour the terms of the new agreement, the unions would not hesitate to call for another strike. However, he expressed optimism, stating, "If you honour what we have signed here today, I want to commit that there shall be no strike called by UASU up to 2030."