NAIROBI, Kenya – National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has urged university staff unions to cease their current strike and instead participate in conversation as a means of resolving their complaints.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 24, 2025, at Parliament Buildings after meeting with officials from the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), the Speaker acknowledged their concerns about the government’s commitment to honouring existing Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
The two unions, who started a statewide strike on September 17, 2025, are asking for a total settlement of Sh11.53 billion in salary arrears dating back to 2017.
The issue revolves about Sh2.73 billion payable under the second phase of the 2021-25 CBA, as well as Sh8.8 billion in arrears from the 2017-21 agreement.
The unions are also advocating for the negotiation, registration, and implementation of a new 2025-29 CBA.
The boycott has caused a crisis at public universities, disrupting courses, exams, and research at all 39 institutions and their campuses.
The unions have accused the government, represented by the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury, of bad faith.
How can Parliament resolve industrial actions
They further reference a court decision issued in January 2021 instructing the government and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to fully fund the 2017-21 CBA implementation, which they claim has yet to be met.
In response, Speaker Wetang’ula emphasised Parliament’s duty as a neutral forum for settling such disagreements.
“I reminded the union leaders that Parliament remains a key institution for addressing such concerns and advised them to make use of the House by formally presenting their petitions, provided the matter is not before any court of law,” he said.
The Speaker promised UASU and KUSU that after their petitions are processed by the Clerk’s Office and tabled in the House early next week, he will recommend that the Public Petitions Committee prioritise and expedite their review.
What Speaker Wetang’ula promised the unions
According to him, the committee will invite the petitioners to give their arguments and will summon key officials from the Ministry of Education, including the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary for Higher Education, to address the concerns presented.
“This process will ensure that both sides are heard and a structured way forward is developed,” Wetang’ula noted.
At the same time, the Speaker appealed to the unions not to hold students hostage to the dispute, stressing that learning should not be disrupted when dialogue is possible.
“I encouraged them to return to class, give negotiations a chance, and allow Parliament to play its rightful role in mediating and finding lasting solutions in the best interests of all stakeholders in higher education,” he added.
The strike, now in its second week, continues to deepen anxiety among students and parents as uncertainty over the academic calendar grows.
Discussion about this post