Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has admitted that
the government is still in the dark about the exact amount of money, university
lecturers are demanding in their ongoing strike.
Ogamba said the lecturers’ unions have raised several
issues, but the most contentious is the implementation of the 2017–2021
Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“There is a question of how much is outstanding between what
the unions are asking for and what the government says is owed. Because of
that, the matter went to court. The court ordered that the strike be halted and
directed both sides to a conciliator to verify the amount before a settlement
can be agreed on,” Ogamba said.
The CS noted that the court order temporarily stopped the
strike and required verification of the disputed figures.
He added that the conciliation outcome will be presented in
court on October 6.
“The real issue is the 2017–2021 CBA. Once we verify how
much is due, we can move to the next stage of settling it,” he said.
Lecturers are also pushing for the 2025–2029 CBA.
According
to Ogamba, negotiations for the new cycle were scheduled to start in June 2025
and run through to June 2026, after which a formal agreement would be signed.
“The unions are claiming that negotiations for the new cycle
have been delayed, but that is not the case. They have already had two
meetings, so discussions are ongoing,” he clarified.
Despite the strike disrupting learning in public
universities, Ogamba stressed that talks are active and the government remains
committed to resolving the standoff.
“In this country, the facts are often crowded in the noise.
The short of it is that negotiations are ongoing, and we expect clarity from
the conciliation process,” he said.
University lecturers downed their tools demanding payment of
arrears from previous CBAs and timely negotiations of new agreements, plunging
the higher education sector into uncertainty.
Ogamba said the other issue at hand is the 2021–2025 CBA.
According to him, lecturers went on strike last year over
its implementation, but the standoff was resolved through negotiations and a
return-to-work formula.
Under that deal, he said, Sh4.3 billion was paid to cover
salaries up to June 2025.
Another Sh2.73 billion was due in July 2025, but its delay triggered the latest strike notice. The government settled the amount two days after the notice.
The final tranche of Sh2.73 billion will be paid in June 2026.
“So far as the 2021–2025 CBA is concerned, the issues have
been addressed,” he said.
In an address to the media, The Kenya University Staff Union
(KUSU) and the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) vowed to continue with
their strike.
They accused university vice chancellors of misleading the
government and threatening not to pay their salaries.
They insist the Sh7.9 billion they demand from the government is
non-negotiable.
