NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21 – The lecturers’ strike could be nearing resolution after the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) accepted Sh4.3 billion offered by the National Treasury to implement the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee, UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga accepted the offer but demanded that the remaining Sh5.4 billion be paid over two financial years.
“UASU accepts the Sh4.3 billion, but the government must commit to paying the Sh5.4 billion in two installments: half in the 2025/2026 financial year and the remainder in 2026/2027,” Wasonga stated on Thursday.
“The strike is on until we get the Sh 9.7 billion. We will take the Sh4.3 billion and in turn the government must tell us how we are getting the Sh5.4 billion and it must be done voluntarily,” he told reporters when pressed on the status of the strike in light of the offer.
The development came during a meeting that included Principal Secretary for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala, Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime, and members of the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum.
The chair of the House Education Committee, Julius Melly, directed the stakeholders to reach a consensus and sign a formal commitment on implementing the CBA.
“We are instructing all parties to meet and agree on calling off the strike so students can resume learning as early as tomorrow,” Melly, the Tinderet MP, said.
More to follow…
