Kenya university strike puts salary funding and unpaid wages under pressure

Students are paying for food and rent while lecture halls fall silent across Kenya’s public universities. Lecturers and non-academic staff stopped work on Friday, turning a dispute over pay, unpaid wages and employment rules into a nationwide disruption, according to Nation Africa Kenya. Student leaders say they could join the action if the government fails to resolve it.

The strike was called by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational and Hospitals Allied Workers (KUDHEHIA). Disruption stretched from Egerton, Kisii and Maseno to Moi University and campuses in the Mt Kenya region. Union representatives at several institutions said staff would stay away until their grievances were addressed.

Who should pay university salaries?

At the centre of the dispute is how public universities fund their workers. At Egerton, UASU chapter secretary Grace Kibue called for salaries to come from the national treasury, arguing that university education is a national responsibility. She also demanded full implementation of the previous collective bargaining agreement, a negotiated deal covering pay and working conditions, alongside talks on a new agreement for 2025–2029.

In Murang’a, UASU chapter secretary Stephen Njenga opposed proposals that would make universities finance salaries from student fees. He said institutions with fewer students could struggle to meet payroll, while some students already face difficulty paying fees. Njenga also criticised the Public Service Commission’s development of common human resources rules for public universities, saying workers had not been adequately consulted. Kibue separately called for employment rules to be renegotiated.

The bargaining agenda goes beyond basic pay. UASU’s proposal covers allowances, pensions, research support, promotions, academic freedom and disciplinary procedures. A return-to-work agreement signed in November 2025, and later adopted as a court order, required the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum and the three unions to accelerate negotiations and finish within 30 days. At Tom Mboya University, UASU chapter secretary Maurice Ndolo said commitments to employees must be honoured and bargaining must deliver timely results.

Arrears deepen the dispute

At Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, KUSU branch chairperson Eric Gachoki said months of engagement with the government and university management had failed to produce a resolution. The branch accused management of leaving salary arrears from 2021 to 2025 unpaid despite repeated efforts through dispute-resolution channels. It also alleged that staff had been threatened for joining the strike and demanded an end to such treatment.

“This money is not a favour; it is a debt.” — Eric Gachoki, KUSU branch chairperson at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.

The disruption comes about a month into the first semester of the 2026/2027 academic year. A prolonged stoppage could interrupt teaching and examinations and delay graduation for final-year students. Kenya Universities Students Organization president Gerald Mukaria said students were prepared to mobilise in support of lecturers. Alupe University student leader Joel Wafula highlighted the cost of remaining on campus without learning.

The next test is whether the government and university employers return to negotiations and address both national bargaining demands and institution-level arrears. KUSU representatives at Dedan Kimathi said they remained open to dialogue but would continue striking until their demands were met. UASU has warned that unresolved grievances could lead to the closure of all public universities.