The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has officially called off the lecturers’ strike that had disrupted operations across all public universities for three weeks.
The strike was called off on Saturday, November 23, after the union signed a return-to-work formula with the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).
As part of the deal, the government agreed to honour the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in full.
Lecturers will receive their full dues as stipulated in the CBA valued at Sh9.7billion.
Sh9.7billion deal and its implementation
The government committed to fully implementing the 2021-20 CBA in the 2024/2025 financial year, with the National Treasury pledging to allocate the full amount under Supplementary Estimates II.
The implementation will happen in three phases with the first one valued at Sh4.3 billion covering nine months up to June 2025.
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The second and third phases will see the government disburse the balance in equal instalments of Sh2.7 billion each.
"UASU agrees to take Ksh4.3 billion immediately but the government must agree to pay the balance. In 2025/26 we will be paid half of Ksh5.4 billion and in 2026/27 the remaining half. We must agree on how to negotiate other items on the Return to Work Formula," UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga.
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Recovering lost academic time
Learning across all 35 public universities and constituent colleges was paralysed close to a month ago after lecturers downed their tools, leaving students and parents facing uncertainty.
"Students are waiting to graduate and parents have paid fees. It's time for parties to compromise for the sake of our education system," Tinderet MP Julius Melly stressed
Wasonga added that with the strike called off, lecturers will recover lost academic time.
"We will extend teaching hours during the daily schedule and over weekends to recover time lost during the industrial strike," Wasonga stated.
This resolution marks the end of a prolonged standoff that saw lecture halls remain empty for three weeks.