UASU, KUSU, and KUDHEIHA End 49-Day Strike After Sh7.9 Billion Agreement.
Lecturers and non-teaching staff have called off their 49-day industrial action – the last day of their strike – following the signing of a deal between their unions and the government which will see learning resume in every public university in the country.
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) all signed the agreement on Wednesday with their bosses, the Inter-Public Universities Councils’ Consultative Forum (IPUCCF). After months of impossible negotiations which had even involved Parliament stepping in, the unions are finally back at work.
As part of the agreement the government has promised to pay out the Sh7.9 billion that it owes the university staff under the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). They will do this in two big payments – Sh3.88 billion by the end of December 2025 and the remaining Sh3.88 billion by the end of July 2026. The two parties also agreed to sort out the 2025–2029 CBA within the next 30 days.
UASU Secretary-General Dr. Constantine Wasonga said that while the unions hadn’t managed to get everything they wanted from the deal – like the immediate payment of the Sh7.9 billion – they accepted the deal anyway because they saw it was a good move for the country and because the government had given its word on the payment.
“We are ending this strike without getting all the things we wanted, of course we wanted full payment of the Sh7.9 billion but we are willing to compromise in order to stop learning being disrupted by this strike… We have made concessions and we’re now ending the strike,” Dr. Wasonga said.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said that the government just didn’t have the cash to pay the whole lot at once and that paying in instalments would make a big difference.
“The government is broke and can’t just lay out the cash for the Sh7.9 billion” Mr. Mbadi said, trying to get the unions to go with the government’s plan.
The agreement also tackles a problem with money that was previously given to the universities that they didn’t use. The government agreed that any university that didn’t use all of the Sh2.2 billion given to them to pay off arrears will have to pay back the difference when the new money is paid out.
The deal also means that all the disciplinary action taken against staff who went on strike will now be wiped, and the strikers won’t have to worry about their jobs.
“We will cancel all disciplinary action against staff who went on strike – we appreciate the patience and solidarity of all of our members and students,” Dr. Wasonga said.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba stated that the government had already paid Sh2.73 billion owed to lecturers before the strike even started. However, he admitted that more money was owed and that when the unions and the government can’t agree on a deal, it causes problems.
“It was time to put down the gun so that we could resolve this matter. The strike had disrupted learning and affected students for too long,” said Mr Ogamba.
According to Ministry of Education officials, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) proposal to pay the arrears in three installments was rejected by the unions, and hence, parliamentary mediation. The final agreement was a compromise between the Ministry, Treasury, and union representatives who met at Parliament.
KUSU Chairman Charles Mukwaya described the agreement as a big win for university staff and normalcy.
“Through goodwill and understanding, the parties have agreed to this return-to-work formula to restore normalcy in all public universities and constituent university colleges while addressing KUSU’s concerns in good faith,” Mr. Mukwaya said.
Under the agreement, KUSU members are protected from victimization. Those whose contracts were terminated during the strike will be reinstated unconditionally, and their benefits will remain intact. The unions also emphasized the need for the timely implementation of the new CBA to prevent future disruptions.
The strike, which started on 17 September 2025, affected over 600,000 students in public universities and was driven by three main issues: non-payment of 2021–2025 phase two CBA arrears of Sh2.73 billion, incomplete implementation of 2017–2021 CBA despite a court ruling, and delay in negotiating 2025–2029 CBA.
With the return-to-work formula in place, universities will now reorganize their academic calendars to recover lost time and ensure continuity of learning.
UASU, KUSU, and KUDHEIHA End 49-Day Strike After Sh7.9 Billion Agreement.
