CS Ogamba softens stance, initiates talks to end lecturers’ strike
By Joel Masibo, September 26, 2025Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has announced that the government is in talks with lecturers’ unions to end the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement stalemate that has paralysed learning across public universities in the country.
The striking dons are demanding a cumulative Ksh11.53 billion in pay arrears dating back to 2017, including Ksh2.73 billion in unsettled dues and Ksh8.8 billion arrears. At the same time, the tutors are also pushing for the negotiation, registration, and implementation of a new 2025–29 CBA.
However, speaking on Friday, September 26, 2025, while leading the Ministry of Education team in a meeting with the Senate Standing Committee on Education in Mombasa County, Ogamba assured the legislators that discussions are underway to find a long-lasting solution to get the lecturers back in lecture halls as soon as possible.
The Friday meeting marked the start of a two-day retreat, focused on various issues affecting the sector, including access, equity, funding, transition, and the ongoing reforms.
”The 2017-2021 is an old issue relating to the amount which should have been paid then, and SRC has said they already paid the annual salary increment for those years. It should be an issue of balance. It is not all the universities that are on strike; some are operating. We are trying to ensure that the issue is resolved as soon as possible,” Ogamba said.
Ogamaba warns striking dons
Julius Ogamba’s commitment to end the lecturers’ strike comes days after the CS had warned them to end their industrial action immediately and comply with court orders by suspending the strike, according to the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruling delivered on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
However, lecturers under the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) vowed to continue with the boycott until all their demands are addressed. This is after Julius Migos had insisted that the government had already released Ksh2.5 billion as part of the second phase of the 2024–25 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“We have done a lot in this sector, and we agreed that all grievances can be discussed without going on strike and affecting our learners,” Ogamba said.
While in Mombasa, the Education CS described the Senate Standing Committee on Education as a key stakeholder in the education sector in providing oversight on devolved functions.