Public universities face a longer shutdown after lecturers rejected the government’s latest pay proposal.
The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) on Monday, turned down a Ksh12 billion offer tabled to end the nationwide strike that began on October 2.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga dismissed the counter offer as insufficient, saying it fails to honour past commitments and address current demands.
“The counteroffer from the government is awfully inadequate and we have rejected it in total,” Wesonga stated.This marks the second round of collapsed talks.
The unions accuse university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury of failing to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025.At the heart of the standoff is the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Lecturers say the government has not presented a proper financial counter proposal despite negotiations running since last year, and want specific issues like harmonized allowances, medical cover, and staffing levels negotiated, not just headline figures.
Students remain at home as Education CS Julius Ogamba urges lecturers to resume work, insisting arrears from previous CBAs have been cleared.
