The government has committed to ending the ongoing Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) strike regarding the implementation of the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by clearing the outstanding debt of Ksh7.76 billion in a phased disbursement plan of over three years.

Mbadi at National Assembly

Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education at the National Assembly on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, John Mbadi, made submissions on a petition by UASU and KUSU regarding the pending money that has paralysed learning in all public universities and colleges for weeks.

In his submission, the CS informed the Committee that the government has so far provided Ksh8.6 billion toward the implementation of the particular CBA, comprising Ksh6.6 billion in the financial year 2019/20 and Ksh2.0 billion in the financial year 2021/22.

Mbadi further explained that the total cost of the CBA, as determined by the Employment and Labour Relations Court, is Ksh16.57 billion, inclusive of pension liabilities, following a legal process that culminated in the Court of Appeal of Kenya’s ruling on 28 March 2025, which dismissed the government’s appeal.

”To settle the outstanding Ksh7.76 billion, the State Department for Higher Education has proposed a phased disbursement plan over three years, to which the National Treasury has concurred,” a statement of the National Treasury and Economic Planning read in part on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.

Additionally, John Mbadi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to honouring lawful obligations, promoting industrial harmony in the education sector, and maintaining fiscal discipline.

Efforts to end the strike

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba was also present at the meeting that brought together the leadership of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), under the patronage of the National Assembly’s Education Committee.

In his remarks, Julius Migos noted that the gathering was part of the ongoing efforts to end the strike undertaken by UASU and KUSU. ”The meeting is part of our ongoing efforts to resolve the current trade dispute in the university sub-sector and to restore normal operations for the benefit of our students,” Ogamba noted.

Meanwhile, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has become the latest public institution to announce the temporary suspension of academic activities following ongoing industrial action by UASU and KUSU.

In a notice issued by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Robert Kinyua, the university has stated that a Special Meeting of the Senate held on Thursday, October 30, 2025, resolved to halt all academic programmes with immediate effect.