The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a seven-day strike notice, threatening to down tools starting midnight on 2 October 2026 if the stalled 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) remains unresolved. The union cited the government’s failure to provide a financial counter-proposal as a key factor behind the looming industrial action.
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga announced the strike deadline following a one-month ultimatum given to the Ministry of Education and the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) on 18 September 2026. Wasonga said the government had until 18 October 2026 to negotiate, sign, register, and implement the CBA or face the strike.
“We are giving IPUCCF and the government exactly one month from today to negotiate, sign, register and implement the 2025 to 2029 CBA. If by October 18 this has not happened, UASU will issue a seven day strike notice,” Wasonga told reporters, underscoring the union’s frustration with stalled talks.
The union claims the persistent failure of university councils, the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on 5 November 2025 has worsened the crisis. UASU has raised concerns about underfunding, staffing shortages, the reliance on part-time lecturers, and increasing workload pressures in public universities.
According to a Students’ Representative Council (SRC) disclosure on 21 September 2026, neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury has provided a written commitment to securing Exchequer funding for university CBAs. This lack of formal financial backing remains a sticking point in negotiations.
The current dispute centres on the financing of salary increments and allowances stipulated in the 2025–2029 CBA. UASU insists these payments must be funded directly from the National Exchequer and not through increased tuition or student fees, which they argue would worsen access and affordability.
Despite warnings of industrial action from UASU, there has been no official confirmation from government ministries or the IPUCCF on the status of the negotiations or proposed counter-offers. The exact legal standing of the strike notice remains unclear amid varying reports on its timing and scope.
This face-off recalls ongoing challenges in Kenya’s higher education sector, where fiscal constraints and staffing gaps have repeatedly strained service delivery. Public universities have increasingly depended on part-time lecturers to fill vacancies amid budget pressures, impacting teaching quality and institutional stability.
The potential strike would disrupt academic activities nationwide, affecting thousands of students across public universities. The timing amid ongoing post-pandemic recovery efforts also adds urgency to resolving the dispute swiftly.
CapeFlats.co.za will monitor developments closely and provide updates as government, IPUCCF, and UASU respond to the deadline unfolding through October 2026.