UASU-allied lecturers present petitions to Treasury, Education Ministry » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 18 – University Academic Staff Union (UASU)-aligned lecturers stage a public protest in Nairobi, presenting petitions to the Treasury and the Ministry of Education over the unfulfilled Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in September.
The lecturers have been on strike for the past four weeks, causing widespread disruption to academic activities across the country.
The union is demanding the full implementation of the 2021-2025 CBA, which was signed in September 2024.
Despite the agreement, UASU claims that the government has failed to honor key provisions, leaving lecturers frustrated and students stranded.
The strike, which began on October followed a breakdown in negotiations between UASU and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).
The two parties had initially signed a return-to-work formula in September but failed to reach an agreement on the execution details, prompting the union to declare industrial action.
In response to the ongoing crisis, the Labour Court intervened, ordering both sides to return to the negotiating table and expedite discussions.
The court also granted UASU 14 days to respond to a notice of motion, with all interested parties required to submit their responses within two weeks.
In a move aimed at facilitating the return-to-work formula, the government recently raised the allocation for its implementation from Sh 1.6 billion to Sh 4.6 billion.
However, UASU maintains that this increase is insufficient to meet the terms outlined in the CBA.
Amidst the ongoing strike, more than a dozen UASU officials at Moi University were suspended last week for their role in the industrial action.
The lecturers were also blocked from entering the university grounds, forcing them to hold meetings outside the campus gates.
UASU branch secretary Ojuki Nyabuta confirmed the suspensions and described the actions as a clear attempt to intimidate union officials.
“The officials had to hold their meeting outside the university gate after we were blocked from entering the campus by the management,” Nyabuta said, adding that more than 1,000 lecturers participating in the strike had received show-cause letters from the university management.
The ongoing strike has disrupted learning at public universities, leaving thousands of students uncertain about the completion of their courses. UASU has vowed to continue the strike until their demands are fully met, further deepening the standoff between lecturers and the government.
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