The Employment and Labour Relations Court has suspended the strike by university staff that paralysed learning in public universities on Wednesday and Thursday, and has ordered the parties to attempt to resolve the dispute through conciliation.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, Justice Stephen Radido of the Nairobi Employment and Labour Relations Court ordered the suspension of the strike pending conciliation.
“There is evidence that the applicant [Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum] has reported a trade dispute to the Cabinet Secretary, Labour, as contemplated under the Labour Relations Act. Good faith in industrial relations requires that parties conciliate in good faith. The court will, therefore, issue an order interdicting the ongoing strike pending conciliation,” Justice Radido ordered.
The judge directed the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and government agencies involved to file and serve responses by September 30 2025, with further proceedings scheduled for October 6 2025.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba before the National Assembly Committee on Implementation at Bunge Tower, Nairobi, on August 19, 2025.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
Immediately afterwards, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba appealed to the unions to comply with the court order and call off the strike in order for the parties to pursue conciliation process.
He also announced that the government had released the Sh2.73 billion to universities for payment of the lecturers’ and other staff pay which is in arrears.
“The government has already fully paid the sum of Sh2.73 billion in honour of its obligations under the 2021/2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). It is regrettable that the industrial action has disrupted teaching and learning in our universities, affecting hundreds of thousands of students despite the good faith and commitment demonstrated by the Government,” Mr Ogamba said in a statement.
“We therefore call upon the university staff unions to call off the current strike in compliance with the order of court, to allow room for the legally sanctioned conciliation process,” the CS said.
The strike began on Wednesday, September 17, after a seven-day notice. The unions made three demands:The unions made three demands: the immediate release of Sh2.73 billion in arrears from the 2021–2025 CBA, settlement of Sh7.9 billion from the 2017–2021 CBA and negotiation, registration, and implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA. Union leaders have been adamant that they will not end the strike until all the demands are addressed.
"We gave a seven-day strike notice, after waiting for three months to be paid. Why should anybody wait to the eve of our strike to request that they be given another two weeks to pay. Those are games,” said Dr Maloba Wekesa, Uasu chapter secretary, University of Nairobi Chapter.
Members of the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheia) have also joined in the strike paralysing learning and other activities in all public universities and constituent colleges.
“The reason why we have launched this strike is because the government has failed to pay us. The only thing I got yesterday was a letter. Dons do not eat letters,” said Uasu secretary general Dr Constantine Wasonga when he launched the strike at Maseno University on Wednesday.
Uasu has accused the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury of defying binding court orders, including one by the Employment and Labour Relations Court that directed additional budgetary allocation for the full implementation of the 2017–2021 CBA.
On Tuesday, September 16, Uasu officials expressed dismay at learning that the SRC was not aware of the court order issued in 2021 directing additional budgetary allocation for implementation of the CBAs.
KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya urged the stiking dons not to resume duty until all their demands are met.
“We gave our proposals to government months ago but they have never given a counter offer for the 2025-29 CBA, so what are we supposed to do,” he posed.[email protected]
