The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a seven-day strike notice, warning that learning in all public universities will grind to a halt if the government fails to honour key collective bargaining agreements worth billions of shillings.

Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga announced that the strike will officially begin on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, unless the government meets their demands in full.

“Today, we are issuing a seven-day strike notice. The strike shall commence on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, and it shall continue until all the issues are implemented in total,” Wesonga declared.

Billions in arrears

According to the union, the government has failed to honour several financial commitments to lecturers, including unpaid salaries and arrears from past collective bargaining agreements. Wesonga outlined that lecturers are owed billions dating back years, with the union insisting that only immediate payment will avert the looming industrial action.

“Ksh2.7 billion must hit our members’ bank accounts; the Ksh8.8 billion arrears for the 2017–2021 CBA must hit our members’ bank accounts,” Wesonga stated.

The arrears, amounting to over Ksh10 billion, remain a central point of contention between the government and UASU. The union accuses the state of deliberately delaying payments and undermining the welfare of university staff despite repeated engagements and commitments.

Lecturers vow total withdrawal of labour

Wesonga emphasised that lecturers across all public universities will down their tools and withdraw their labour should the government ignore the seven-day ultimatum.

“Our members in all public universities shall withdraw their labour and shall not resume duty until the issues are solved,” he warned.

The planned strike is expected to paralyse learning and research activities across public universities, affecting thousands of students preparing for end-of-semester exams. UASU has in the past staged nationwide strikes that disrupted academic calendars, piling pressure on the government to act.

As of Tuesday, the government had not issued an official response to the union’s demands. The Ministry of Education and the National Treasury are now under pressure to move swiftly to avert the looming strike that could once again destabilise higher education in the country.

UASU maintains that its members are determined to stay away from work until every cent owed is paid, setting the stage for a showdown with the government if no deal is reached within the week.