Even before lecturers across all public universities resume classes in the ongoing nationwide lecturers’ strike, the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a seven-day strike notice to TUK Council chairman Farah Idle.
The new notice, dated 13th October, 2025, is signed by Constantine Wasonga, the National Secretary General of UASU, and received by the university on the same date.
“Pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Labour Relations Act 2007, and the Employment Act, 2012, the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), hereby issues a seven (7) day(s) strike notice with effect from the date of this letter to the Technical University of Kenya Council,” it reads.
In the notice, UASU accuses TUK of failing to implement the 2013–2017 Local CBA, which was signed in 2019, while insisting that additional arrears from the 2012–2013 CBA, implemented in 2014, remain unpaid.
UASU accuses TUK of failure to pay grass salary to members of staff from July 2025 as per the Return-To-Work formula of March 17, 2025.
The union further accuses the employer of failure to provide a Pension Scheme as provided for in the Retirement Benefits Act and the Employment Act 2007.
“Failure to implement the Return-To-Work formula signed on 17th March 2025, between the Unions, the Technical University of Kenya, and the Ministry of Education,” Dr. Wasonga’s notice copied to the TUK Vice Chancellor and Cabinet Secretaries of Education and Labour, adds.
The Union also protests what it calls a blatant violation of academic staff’s fundamental rights and freedoms without disclosing the details of the incidents, and has set next Monday on Mashujaa Day, as the official date to commence the industrial action.
“Take Notice that from the 20th October, 2025, All Academic Staff Shall Withdraw their labour and shall not resume duty until the aforementioned issues are comprehensively addressed.”
The strike notice comes as the ongoing industrial action across all 42 public universities that has paralysed learning activities marks a month.
If UASU proceeds with the fresh threat, and in the event, they end the ongoing national strike, TUK students are likely to experience further delay in this first semester.
The lecturers rejected an offer made last week by the Inter-Universities Councils’ Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), which aimed at ending the impasse.
On Monday, Dr Wasonga wrote to IPUCCF chairman Prof Fred Simiyu, saying UASU totally rejects the counteroffer made by the public universities through the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE).
“We hereby forward our response to the counteroffer presented to us on 10th October 2025. Unfortunately, the union notes with concern that the agreement has not been honoured at all; instead, only a few terms and conditions of service have been selected for negotiations,” the UASU SG stated.
