Under a Sh20 billion deal signed between the government and university staff unions to end weeks of industrial action, university lecturers will receive a 3.5 per cent salary increment and a minimum monthly commuter allowance of Sh18,000.
The agreement covers the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and provides for annual salary increases of five per cent, in addition to the initial adjustment. This is part of the government’s efforts to address outstanding remuneration demands by university employees.
“This agreement paves the way for the immediate resumption of teaching, learning, research, and other academic programmes at our universities. The Sh20 billion package provides for significant improvements in staff remuneration and welfare. It includes a 3.5 per cent increase in basic salaries over the four-year period,” said Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala.
“We must review academic calendars and make appropriate arrangements to recover the four weeks of lost teaching time. We must also ensure that students’ academic progression, examinations and graduations proceed as scheduled. Our students and their families have borne the greatest burden of this disruption. We owe them a stable learning environment,” Dr Inyangala said.
The Secretary General of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), Constantine Wasonga, said that the Sh20 billion would be provided in three instalments: Sh6.7 billion in the 2026/27 financial year; Sh6.7 billion in the 2027/28 financial year; and Sh6.6 billion in the 2028/29 financial year.
Universities Academic Staff Union Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga and Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba during a press conference at Jogoo House, Nairobi, on November 5, 2025, where they signed a return-to-work formula to end the 49-day lecturers' strike.
Photo credit: Bonface Bogita | Nation
“Monthly basic salaries will increase by 3.5 per cent annually for four years, effective from July 2025. The automatic annual increment will increase to five per cent annually. Commuter, leave, passage, and baggage allowances have been harmonised and increased for the vast majority of academic staff in public universities. Accrued arrears in respect of basic salaries and allowances for the period from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 shall be paid in three instalments,” said Dr Wasonga.
He continued: “Based on these agreements, UASU and KUSU have today signed a return-to-work formula, bringing to an end the strike that has disrupted teaching and learning in public universities.”
Dr Wasonga said all disciplinary action initiated against employees during the industrial action shall be deemed withdrawn.
“Furthermore, employees on fixed-term contracts shall not be prejudiced in the renewal of their contracts for participating in the national industrial action,” he said.
Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) chairman Charles Mukhwaya said: “The strike, which commenced on October 2, 2026, is now over. It is over because the government has made available Sh20 billion to cover the cost of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).”
The amount that employees will actually receive depends on their job grade, applicable allowances, and statutory deductions.
Under the proposed 2025–2029 CBA, graduate assistants’ monthly basic salaries will rise from the current range of Sh63,647 to SH97,988 to a range of Sh73,038 to Sh124,929 by 2028–2029.
Assistant lecturers and tutorial fellows will earn between Sh123,788 and Sh211,725, up from the current range of Sh107,872 to Sh166,072.
Lecturers and research fellows will see their basic salaries increase from Sh121,928 to Sh187,710 to Sh139,917 to Sh239,312 by the final year of the agreement.
From left: Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) National Chairperson Dr Grace Nyongesa, Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga and National Trustee Jane Michael raise their fists in solidarity during a press briefing at the union headquarters in Nairobi on September 24, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Bogita | Nation Media Group
Senior lecturers’ salaries will rise from the current range of Sh154,739 to Sh238,221 to between Sh177,568 and Sh303,707.
The basic salaries of associate professors will rise from between Sh193,182 and Sh297,403 to between Sh221,684 and Sh379,160.
Professors’ salaries will increase from between Sh224,631 and Sh345,816 to between Sh257,772 and Sh419,888 by 2028–2029.
The Sh20 billion package will finance basic salaries and allowances under the four-year agreement. This follows prolonged negotiations in which the government increased its initial offer of Sh11.96 billion, while the unions lowered their demand from Sh98 billion.
The unions had sought basic salary increases ranging from 36 to 68 per cent, depending on staff grade, as well as a 57 per cent increase in housing allowances.
They proposed raising the maximum basic salary for professors from Sh345,816 to Sh580,144 by the final year of the agreement. For senior lecturers, the proposed maximum basic salary would rise from Sh238,221 to Sh399,644. They also demanded higher housing and commuter allowances, a professorial allowance of Sh80,000, annual book allowances ranging from Sh65,000 to Sh90,000, and annual leave allowances ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh70,000. Initially, the employers, through the Inter-Public Universities Consultative Forum, proposed a cumulative salary adjustment of 8.25 per cent over four years, based on annual increases of two per cent.
However, the unions rejected this, arguing that it was inadequate given the rising cost of living, and that it failed to address their concerns regarding allowances and the remuneration of senior academic staff.
The deal is expected to pave the way for learning to resume in public universities after weeks of disruption caused by the dispute.
This latest deal follows an earlier return-to-work formula, signed on November 5, 2025, in which the parties committed to concluding CBA negotiations within 30 days. However, the unions later complained that the December 5 deadline had not been met.
