Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) Secretary General Dr Charles Mukhwaya (centre) gestures during a media briefing on October 01, 2026, where they declared a nationwide strike from Friday, October 2, for university staff members. With him are Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) National Organising Secretary Jacob Musembi (right) and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) National Trustee Odoyo Genga.Lecturers and other staff in public universities will begin a nationwide strike on Friday October 2 after their unions rejected a counter-offer made by the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) in their protracted fight for a new pay deal.The unions said the offer made by the IPUCCF failed to address their concerns raised after an earlier offer. They said the proposal violates provisions of the registered 2021–2025 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), particularly on the harmonisation of allowances in the 2025–2029 agreement. The parties had met at Machakos University but the meeting ended in disarray.The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) announced the strike on Thursday afternoon, saying negotiations over the 2025–2029 CBA had failed to yield an agreement.The unions further objected to the proposed medical benefits, saying they are inferior to those enjoyed by civil servants, while the proposed four percent annual increment falls below the prevailing inflation rate, which they said, is above six per cent. They also accused the employers of failing to address the staffing of academic departments amid high student enrolment in public universities.The unions said they had rejected the latest counter-offer tabled by IPUCCF, describing it as inadequate.“IPUCCF tabled a counter-offer that the unions consider very inferior. And therefore the three unions wish to state as follows: That UASU, KUSU and KUDHEHA reject in total the counter-offer from IPUCCF. The proposed automatic annual increment of a mere four percent is far below the prevailing inflation rates, which are more than six percent. And this cannot cushion our members against the high cost of living,” said national organising secretary UASU, Jacob Musembi.They said the offer failed to address appeals raised by the unions after an earlier counter-offer and breached provisions of the previous 2021–2025 CBA.“The counter-offer does not address one of the critical issues, that is, the recruitment of specifically the academic members of staff to match what is well known to us, the very high enrollment of students in public universities,” the unions said.Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga speaks during a press briefing at the union headquarters in Nairobi on September 24, 2026.The unions had issued a seven-day strike notice last week following prolonged negotiations with the government and university employers over the new CBA.They said the parties had committed to commence negotiations within 30 days after signing a return-to-work formula on November 5 2025, but accused the employers of failing to honour the commitment.“We have been on the table with these employers for all this while, and we feel that we are being taken round and round and round in cycles,” said Mr Musembi.The strike is expected to affect teaching and other services in public universities as members of the three unions withdraw their labour. The unions called on their members to remain united and report to the strike from Friday“The three unions call upon our members to withdraw their labour effective midnight today, Thursday 1st October 2026, until our demands are met in total. Tomorrow, we all come out in our large numbers, launch this strike, keep the strike on,” they said.Also Read:Public universities face total shutdown as lecturers issue strike noticeAccording to recommendations by the Inter-Public Universities Councils’ Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), university staff should receive an 8.25 per cent increase in basic salary over the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) period, implemented at two per cent each year.The proposal is contained in IPUCCF’s recommendations to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) after considering the 2025-2029 demands submitted by UASU, KUSU and KUDHEIHA workers.From left: Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) National Chairperson Dr Grace Nyongesa, Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga and National Trustee Jane Michael raise their fists in solidarity during a press briefing at the union headquarters in Nairobi on September 24, 2026.IPUCCF considered three options for the salary review, including a two per cent increase across the board, a two per cent increase for grades 11-15 and three per cent for grades 1-10, and a three per cent increase across all grades, which would have resulted in a cumulative 12.56 per cent increase.
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