Senior government officials met on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing strike by lecturers and non-academic staff that has paralysed operations in all public universities and constituent colleges.
The Daily Nation has also established that there are ongoing informal negotiations with senior officials of the unions that called the strike.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Migos Ogamba, met with his National Treasury counterpart John Mbadi at the latter’s office. The meeting was also attended by the Principal Secretary for Higher Education, Dr Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, and Dr David Ndii and Mohammed Hassan from the Presidential Council of Economic Advisors.
“The government is committed to enhancing sustainable financing for higher education while advancing access, equity and quality,” the MoE said on its official X page.
Dr Inyangala did not reveal the nature of the talks, only describing the process as ‘work in progress’.
The secretary-general of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), Dr Constantine Wasonga, had earlier told Daily Nation that union officials expect to be invited by the government side for what he termed ‘proper negotiations’.
“We had an informal meeting on Saturday but we expect the government to invite us for a meeting on Tuesday. We need a commitment by the government that the money will be available to pay lecturers. That commitment should come from the Cabinet Secretaries for National Treasury, Education and Labour,” Dr Wasonga told Daily Nation .
Why lecturers and university staff are on strike again
His counterpart at the Kenya Universities Staff Union, Dr Charles Mukhwaya, confirmed to Daily Nation that there have been informal discussions, including with Mr Ogamba, to find a solution but nothing had been agreed upon yet.
“Nothing constructive but there have been overtures. The vice chancellors took the matter to court and therefore we have challenged the order that they obtained. As much as we want to call off the strike, there are process to be followed,” he said.
Members of Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) are also on strike alongside UASU and KUSU.
On Tuesday, Mr Ogamba urged university lecturers and other staff to return to work “in good faith” as negotiations for the contentious 2025-2029 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) continue.
Speaking during celebrations to mark World Teachers’ Day, Mr Ogamba said the government had demonstrated its commitment to addressing the welfare of university staff by clearing outstanding arrears under the 2021-2025 CBA.
He said the government was similarly committed to negotiating and concluding future agreements, including the 2025-2029 CBA.
“I therefore call upon all the university staff unions and the individual lecturers to reciprocate this good faith, obey court orders and return to work,” he said at the Kasarani Gymnasium in Nairobi.
“Let us not interrupt the education of our children over matters the government has demonstrated it is willing and ready to resolve at the negotiating table,” Mr Ogamba said.
Uasu submitted its proposals for the 2025-2029 CBA to the Employers' Negotiation Forum, including the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), in February last year, ahead of the expiry of the previous agreement on June 30, 2026.
The proposals cover salaries, allowances, pensions, research support, promotions, academic freedom and fair disciplinary procedures.
The union is seeking basic salary increases of between 36 and 68 per cent, depending on the grade. It has also proposed a 57 per cent increase in house allowance, a commuter allowance of up to Sh60,000 for grades 14A and 15A, and a Sh80,000 professorial allowance.
Uasu is further seeking annual book allowances of between Sh65,000 and Sh90,000, depending on grade, and annual leave allowances ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh70,000.
The union has also proposed passage and baggage allowances of between Sh30,000 and Sh70,000, alongside enhanced medical, dental and optical cover.
Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constantine Wesonga briefs union members gathered at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) on the first day of the nationwide lecturers' strike on October 02, 2026.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation
The dispute comes against the backdrop of an earlier industrial dispute that resulted in a return-to-work formula signed in November 2025 and subsequently adopted as a court order.
Under Clause 12 of the agreement, the IPUCCF and the three university staff unions were required to fast-track negotiations for the 2025-2029 CBAs and conclude them within 30 days.
The unions had submitted their proposals early last year, with Uasu submitting its demands on February 3, 2025, Kusu on February 13 and Kudheiha on March 5.
The negotiations were conducted through the IPUCCF in line with the Labour Relations Act and guidelines issued by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) on collective bargaining in the public service.
A fortnight ago, UASU claimed the negotiations have stalled because the IPUCCF is colluding with the SRC despite the agency being an independent commission.
“If you check, IPUCCF recommendation is word for word the advice from SRC calling for retention of the same figures, so who is advising who,” UASU secretary general Constantine Wasonga said.
Dr Wasonga said the Union will not allow the IPUCCF counter offer or recommendation to be superimposed on the SRC letterhead.
The union said the SRC should consider submissions from the IPUCCF and from UASU and issue advice, and the advice should not be final to allow parties room to negotiate.
