A meeting between the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Treasury, the National Assembly, and the Universities and Academic Staff Union (UASU) has resulted in a breakthrough that could culminate in the calling off of the ongoing lecturers' strike.
In the meeting facilitated by the National Assembly Committee on Education held on Tuesday, November 4, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga revealed that he would convene a meeting with members of the union and discuss a potential end to the 48-day strike.
“For the sake of the children and students of this country, we are going to convene, as the organs of the union, so that we can reconsider,” he noted.
The meeting was aimed at coming up with a solution to the strike, with Members of Parliament (MPs) bringing together all the players involved in the strike matter to reach a long-standing resolution.
However, Wesonga demanded an apology from the Education Ministry over alleged threats and intimidation towards the striking staff. Also, Wesonga demanded that the Interpublic Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) review its handling of university staff, accusing them of severely demotivating the striking staff.
The fiery union boss also demanded an 80-20 phased payment plan, terming it as the irreducible minimum. This is after the Ministry had suggested a 50-50 approach to settle the Ksh7.9 billion arrears owed to lecturers.
“The worst of the worst is 80-20. They give us 80 per cent, and 20 per cent to remain. 80 per cent will be Ksh5 billion, so that Ksh2 billion is taken to 2026/2027. That is my irreducible minimum for the sake of you, Mr Chair, the Committee members, and the students of this country,” Wesonga asserted.
However, this proved to be a huge talking point in the meeting, with Wesonga asserting that the arrears should be paid immediately. However, the Treasury Ministry, also present at the forum, disclosed it was not feasible for the funds to be released immediately, as due process had to be followed.
Still, it is unclear when the meeting between UASU and other unions will occur, as well as the resolution of the impasse around the phased approach to the payment of the dons.
As per UASU, the ongoing strike stemmed from the government’s failure to implement the 2017-2021, 2021-2025, and 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) between the union and the government in full.
While issuing a seven-day strike notice back in September, Wesonga expressed his frustration at the government’s continued delay in honouring the CBAs worth billions, despite multiple meetings and formal submissions.
He noted that the union had exhausted all available avenues for dialogue, accusing IPUCCF and the government of undermining the CBA agreements following rigorous discussions.
During the strike, a court order was issued directing the striking lecturers to call off the strike and engage in conciliatory talks with the Education Ministry, but the order fell on deaf ears.
