UoN directs lecturers to resume work on Monday amid ongoing strike

This follows the order issued by the Employment and Labor Relations Court( ELRC) on September 19, 2025, which suspended the strike called by UASU (Universities Academic Staff Union), KUSU (Kenya University Staff Union) and KUDHEIHA (Kenya Union Of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers), and directed parties to engage in a conciliation process.

In a statement signed by Prof. Ayub Gitau, Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), the institution termed the strike as unprotected.

“ All students are expected to attend classes without fail, and academic and administrative staff are required to discharge their duties as scheduled,” he said.

For close to three weeks, the university dons downed their tools, vowing not to resume work until their demands on Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) are met.

The teachers claimed the government owes them Ksh.7.9 billion from the 2021 CBA, a figure disputed by Education CS Migos Ogamba, who revealed that the oustanding amount stood at Ksh.624 million. 

According to the CS, the majority of the obligations were cleared in three tranches including Ksh.4.3 billion disbursed for the period October 2024 to June 2025, Ksh.2.73 billion allocated in the 2025/2026 financial year and another Ksh.2.73 billion planned for 2026/2027, to be paid as scheduled in the coming year.

On their part, the unions defiantly disputed the CS's remarks, saying that the government's position is unlikely to unlock the deadlock and have them return to class.

“SRC is saying that automatically on increment it has been settled. I want to ask them slowly, when was the CBA implemented? I have the data, and what I want to be shown is the payslip and the evidence. Show us: we transmitted this and this to this bank. Don’t come up with cooked figures,” UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga stated. 

“We have the labour, they have the money. Why do you think they fear a verification team? It is because they fear."