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Union officials walk out as varsity dons’ pay talks flop
Universities Academic Staff Union National Chairperson Grace Nyongesa, Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga, and Organizing Secretary Onesmus Mutio at the Uasu head office in Nairobi on September 10, 2025.
Talks between the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum and university staff unions collapsed yesterday after hours of tense negotiations over the implementation of the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
The meeting, which was held at Machakos University, raised hopes of ending the impasse that has disrupted learning in public universities for one month. But the session ended without a consensus.
Union leaders walked out of the discussions. They accused the government of insincerity and failure to commit to clearing outstanding arrears owed to staff under the 2017–2021 CBAs.
The unions — Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu), and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) — maintained that their members would not resume work until the government fully honours the agreement.
They warned that if the stalemate persists, university students will only be able to return to class next year.
“Watasoma next year,” said Uasu Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga after the meeting.
According to a report by a technical committee of the Joint Negotiations Committee, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had grossly understated the amount owed to university staff. The audit revealed that the total financial requirement stood at Sh16.57 billion, of which the government has disbursed Sh8.8 billion, leaving an outstanding balance of Sh7.77 billion.
The report dismissed the SRC’s earlier claim that only Sh624 million was due to the staff. The committee said the commission’s figures were inaccurate and inconsistent with the court-approved calculations.
The collapse of the talks now sets the stage for a prolonged crisis in public universities. Students face uncertainty, as learning is paralysed in the institutions of higher learning.
Consultative forums
"Dons shall remain on strike until the two remaining demands are implemented in total," Dr Wasonga told Daily Nation.
In a letter dated October 10, 2025, Taita-Taveta University Vice-Chancellor Prof Fred Simiyu Barasa, who also chairs the consultative forum’s Joint Negotiations Committee, invited the leadership of the three university unions for a meeting at Machakos University at 2:30 pm.
The meeting followed resolutions made during a previous consultative forum and unions’ joint session held on October 9 at the same venue, which deliberated on the progress and challenges surrounding the implementation of the 2017–2021 CBAs.
According to the invitation, a joint technical committee was formed during that meeting to verify and audit documentation on the implementation of the 2017–2021 CBAs and to report its findings to the Joint Negotiations Committee.
“Consequently, you are hereby invited to attend the IPUCCF and Unions Joint Negotiations Committee meeting scheduled for Monday, 13th October, 2025 at 2:30pm at Machakos University to consider and approve the report of the Joint Technical Committee and to agree on the way forward,” Prof Barasa stated.
The letter was addressed to Dr Constantine Wasonga, Kusu Secretary-General Dr Charles Mukhwaya, and Kudheiha Secretary-General Bro. Albert Obed.
However, just hours before the scheduled meeting, Uasu issued a statement rejecting the consultative forum’s counter-offer and SRC beacons for negotiations on the 2025–2029 CBA, saying the process had violated the constitutional right to collective bargaining.
Negotiation
In the document signed by Dr Wasonga and dated October 13, Uasu accused the consultative forum and the salaries commission of presenting final offers without allowing room for negotiation.
“A keen reading of the SRC beacons and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum counter offer shows that they are final offers and the union has not been given a chance to negotiate as per Article 41(5) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. The union, therefore, recommends that SRC beacons should provide ranges within which parties can negotiate and not give final positions,” the union stated.
“The union has therefore rejected SRC beacons and IPUCCF Counter-Offer in entirety,” it added.
UASU further raised concern over promotions, citing the 2021–2025 CBA signed on November 23, 2024, which provided that every academic staff member who had completed at least three consecutive years of service was eligible for review and promotion. The union faulted the SRC for failing to include any beacon or allocation for promotions despite IPUCCF’s earlier recommendation that 10 percent of the total CBA cost be set aside for that purpose.
“The union has noted with concern that there is no beacon on Promotion from SRC despite IPUCCF recommendation of a provision of 10 percent of the CBA cost for promotions. The Union expects a Counter-Offer on this item,” UASU said.
The union also noted that not all allowances in its demand proposal were considered by IPUCCF, and where offers were made, they fell below expectations.
“Analysis of the Counter-Offer by IPUCCF shows that not all allowances in the Union’s demand proposal have been considered and offers given. The Union is concerned that in the IPUCCF recommendation to SRC, IPUCCF does not provide the means (averages) of the amounts to be paid to enable SRC to give advice on how to progressively review and harmonize the rates across all Public Universities,” the document reads.
UASU has since recommended that IPUCCF should provide average figures to enable SRC give appropriate and harmonised advice for all universities.
Citing SRC’s Revised Guidelines in the Public Sector (Ref. No. SRC/ADM/CIR/1/13 VOL.IV(28)), UASU reminded the employer that in the event of a stalemate, the law provides for an appeal to the Commission within 14 days.
“The SRC beacons should provide ranges within which parties can negotiate and not give final positions,” UASU stated.
The union has, therefore, appealed to IPUCCF to review its June 2025 recommendations and thereafter, appeal to SRC to issue new beacons for the 2025–2029 CBA, taking into account the justifications presented by the union.
Consequently, the union has appealed to IPUCCF to review its June 2025 recommendations and, thereafter, lodge a formal appeal to the SRC to issue new beacons for the 2025–2029 CBA period.
“The union appeals to IPUCCF to first review their recommendations of June 2025 and thereafter, appeal to SRC to give new beacons for 2025-2029 CBA based on the above justifications,” said Dr Wasonga.
