University lecturers and non-teaching staff will get Sh3.9billion for their salary arrears from the 2017/2021 collective bargaining agreement, according to supplementary budget documents signed by President William Ruto .
The money will be used to settle 50 per cent of the workers’ salary arrears.
"A total of Sh3.9 billion has been set aside to clear university salary arrears dating back to the 2017/2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement," the document states.
The president approved the Supplementary Appropriation Bill weeks ago, unlocking billions of shillings to address salary gaps, medical cover and long-standing arrears in the education sector.
Apart from the university staff salary arrears, the supplementary budget also allocated Sh4.1 billion to the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb), bringing its total funding to Sh45.6 billion.
Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Dr. Constantine Wasonga addressing the media at the Head office in Nairobi on October 1, 2025.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation
In addition, higher education institutions such as Moi University and the University Funding Board have been allocated Sh6 billion. And the Teachers Service Commission has been given a further Sh24.2 billion to cover salary shortfalls and medical health insurance.
The Nation has learnt that the university workers expect the money, factored in the 2025/2026 supplementary budget, to be in their accounts by May 31.
"Following the government allocation of Sh3.9 billion through the supplementary budget on April 7,2026, for the payment of salary arrears as per the 2017/2021 CBA, l ask your intervention to ensure all public universities implement parties' agreement by way of paying the workers across all public universities on or before May 31,2026,"reads part of a notice by the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers Secretary-General Albert Njeru to the university staff in all public universities.
In a telephone interview, Mr Njeru said that the members of the union were expecting payments that were factored in the supplementary budget.
"It is true, we are expecting money to hit the accounts of our members. This notice is meant to prepare members for payment,” Mr Njeru said.
The government and university staff unions, including Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions and Hospital Workers (Kudheiha) reached a two- phase payment agreement for a total of Sh7.9 billion in outstanding arrears from the 2017/2021 CBA.
The phased payment was negotiated to officially end a 49- day nationwide university lecturers' strike that paralysed learning in universities between September and November last year.
The unions signed a return-to-work formula with their employer, the Inter-Public Universities Councils' Consultative Forum, that outlined the payment plan for the arrears.
According to the deal, the first Sh3.8 billion was to be paid by December last year and the remaining Sh3.9 billion by the close of the 2025/2026 financial year.
Cash for the first phase of the deal was released to universities in December 2025, and the final 50 per cent is now scheduled for release by the end of this month.
The unions had demanded the release of Sh2.73 billion from phase two of the 2021/2025 CBA, Sh7.9 billion outstanding from the 2017-2021 CBA and negotiation and registration of the 2025/2029 CBA. The agreement paved the way for negotiations of the 2025/2029 CBA.
