University lecturers have given President Uhuru Kenyatta's government a 10-hour ultimatum to implement the Sh10 Billion 2013–2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in February.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) on Friday announced that they would go on strike from 1st July 2017 if the government failed to implement the CBA.
“If the CBA is not implemented by close of business today, all university lecturers and professors in all Kenyan public universities shall withhold their services effective from tomorrow 1st July 2017 and the strike shall continue until the registered 2013-2017 CBA is fully implemented,” UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga declared.
Mr Wesonga noted that the government and the university councils were provoking lecturers to begin a new round of strikes as they were reluctant in implementing the CBA.
“All along we have tried to be impartial. We have never even contemplated involving ourselves in politics, however, if you rattle us, we will rally our members against the government,” he stated.
He warned that this would be the worst strike to hit the country terming it as "grandmother of all strikes".
“This will be the grandmother of all strikes. Lecturers are more energetic and more determined than ever to fight for their dignity and constitutional rights,” he said.
UASU Chairman Muga K’olale on his part blamed the government for the resumption of the strike stating that this would impact the education sector negatively.
In February, the lecturers signed a deal worth Sh10 Billion after striking for a period of three weeks.
