Kenyan University Lecturers Threaten Nationwide Strike Over Funding Crisis
Nairobi, 24 September 2026
Kenyan public university lecturers have issued a strike notice for October 2026, protesting a Sh 100 billion government debt that has left higher education institutions technically insolvent.
The Road to Industrial Action
On Wednesday, 23 September 2026, the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) officially issued a seven-day strike notice to the Kenyan government [1]. This directive, formalised by UASU Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga on Thursday, 24 September 2026, outlines that the nationwide strike is scheduled to begin at midnight on Friday, 30 September 2026, leading to a total academic shutdown by 2 October 2026 [2][3]. The union’s decision to down tools stems from a persistent failure by university councils, the Ministry of Education, and the National Treasury to honour the Return-to-Work Formula signed on 5 November 2025, alongside ongoing delays in finalising the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) [1][2][3].
Negotiation Breakdown and Exchequer Commitments
The immediate catalyst for the strike notice was a meeting held on Monday, 21 September 2026, between UASU officials and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) [3]. During these discussions, the SRC revealed that it could not issue the necessary constitutional advice required to facilitate financial counter-proposals for the 2025–2029 CBA [3]. This administrative impasse arose because neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury had provided a written commitment to guarantee the funding of the agreement through the National Exchequer [1][3]. Consequently, UASU leaders argue that negotiations held at Machakos University since last year have been undermined by a lack of state commitment [3].
Technical Insolvency and the Sh 100 Billion Debt
Kenya’s public universities are currently facing severe financial distress, with the union declaring many institutions technically insolvent due to delayed exchequer releases [2]. UASU reports that the government owes public universities approximately Sh 100 billion in outstanding arrears [1][2]. This massive funding deficit is compounded by unpaid CBA arrears spanning the 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 cycles, leaving academic staff financially strained [2]. Furthermore, the lack of funding has directly impacted staff welfare, leading to stalled professional promotions, delayed gratuity payments, and the absence of functional pension schemes [2].
Overstretched Staff and Academic Pressures
The systemic underfunding of higher education has also triggered a severe staffing crisis [2]. According to UASU, Kenya currently has only about 9,000 lecturers tasked with teaching a student population that exceeds one million [2]. This creates an unsustainable academic ratio of approximately 111.111 students per lecturer, leaving the existing workforce heavily overworked [2]. In response to these conditions, the union has urged its members to boycott all part-time teaching arrangements, protesting against the universities’ growing reliance on temporary staff instead of recruiting permanent, full-time lecturers [2].
Opposition to Market-Based Funding Models
A major point of contention is the proposed Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, which UASU strongly opposes [1]. The union argues that the bill lacks structured mechanisms for academic staff remuneration and represents an attempt to transition public universities into market-based entities without a formal policy framework [1]. UASU Chairperson Grace Nyongesa has firmly rejected any proposals that would shift CBA funding responsibilities to individual universities, declaring it illegal and unfair to force lecturers to rely on student fee collections for their salaries [1][2]. The union maintains that all lecturer salaries must be paid directly through the National Exchequer to ensure institutional stability and protect the academic calendar [1][2].