As a result of a statewide strike by professors and staff, learning activities at all public universities in Kenya ceased today, September 18, 2024.
The 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and other important concerns impacting university personnel have not been addressed by the government, prompting the Universities Academic personnel Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) to arrange a walkout.
The unions have listed a number of issues, such as inadequate and delayed pay, failure to remit mandatory deductions, and the absence of full health coverage for its members. Underscoring the need for accountability and fair treatment for university personnel, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga stressed that the strike will continue on until a just agreement is reached.
At the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), union leaders launched the strike with a call for solidarity among lecturers and staff nationwide.
Similar scenes were witnessed at University of Nairobi (UON), where staff members staged peaceful demonstrations, and at Pwani University, where lecturers marched to the administration block to voice their demands.
Students are in uncertainty as a result of the strike’s disruption of lectures and other academic activity. Numerous students have participated in the nonviolent demonstrations on other campuses in favor of the lecturers’ requests.
The government has yet to respond to the unions’ demands, but the ongoing strike underscores the urgent need for dialogue and resolution. As the situation unfolds, stakeholders are hopeful that a mutually beneficial agreement can be reached to restore normalcy in public universities.
