Striking Lecturers Reject Government’s Two-Phase Ksh.7.9 Billion Offer, Demand Immediate Full Payment
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga declared that lecturers would not resume duty until all their demands were fully met, accusing the government of repeatedly reneging on previous agreements
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has firmly rejected the government’s proposal to settle Ksh.7.9 billion in salary arrears through a phased payment plan, insisting that the entire amount must be paid at once before lecturers can return to work
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga declared that lecturers would not resume duty until all their demands were fully met, accusing the government of repeatedly reneging on previous agreements
“The government has been signing documents and reneging. Lecturers are ready to go the long haul. Once the arrears are paid, they will resume duty. We don’t want a strike that lasts until 2030 this one must end this year,” Wesonga said
The government’s offer involved disbursing the Ksh.7.9 billion in two installments, contingent on lecturers returning to work
However, Wesonga noted that after consultations with the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Delegates Council (NDC), members ratified three key resolutions that must be honored before the ongoing strike now in its 46th day can end
First, the union demands that the Ksh.7.9 billion arrears be paid immediately and in full. Second, the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) must be negotiated, signed, registered, and implemented without delay
Third, all public universities and colleges are to continue the strike until these resolutions are fulfilled
“The lecturers have made it clear: knowledge isn’t delivered in phases, and bills aren’t paid in phases. Therefore, no one should imagine the arrears can be paid in parts,” Wesonga emphasized
Also read : NACADA, Police Seize and Destroy Over 50,000 Litres of Illicit Alcohol in Major Kericho Crackdown
Earlier this month, lecturers had already dismissed a Ksh.3.5 billion offer from the Ministry of Education, insisting on full payment
Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba, speaking in Nyamira County on October 24, admitted that the dispute over the total amount owed remained unresolved
“Our learners are suffering out there not because the government has refused to pay, but because there’s no agreement on the exact amount,” Ogamba said
With the standoff deepening, the government may now be forced to revisit its approach as negotiations stall and public universities remain paralyzed
Writer : Mweru Mbugua
