UASU Gives Government One Month to Resolve University Staff CBA Deadlock
By Fride Allan Amiani
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has given the Government and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) one month to resolve the outstanding issues surrounding the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said the union expects the negotiations to be concluded by October 18, warning that failure to reach an agreement could lead to further action by the union.
Speaking during a media briefing in Nairobi on Friday, Wasonga said the parties had been given sufficient time to address the outstanding matters following an earlier agreement reached under the November 2025 Return-to-Work Formula.
He said UASU expected the Government and IPUCCF to move beyond consultations and present concrete proposals that would allow the parties to finalise, sign and implement the new CBA.
The union also raised concerns over the involvement of university vice-chancellors in the negotiations, with Wasonga questioning the commitment of some members of the IPUCCF team.
He argued that effective collective bargaining requires all parties to demonstrate commitment to negotiated agreements, including at individual university level.
UASU further criticised the role of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) in the negotiations. Wasonga maintained that the commission should provide independent advice after considering proposals from both sides rather than having its recommendations treated as the final position.
The union also expressed concern over the financial challenges facing public universities. Wasonga opposed reliance on students' fees to finance academic staff salaries, arguing that lecturers employed by public universities should be funded through government allocations.
He questioned the sustainability of a system where the ability of universities to meet staff obligations is linked to students' capacity to pay fees.
The situation at Moi University was another major issue raised by the union. UASU called for the proposed staff redundancies at the institution to be halted pending an independent assessment of its staffing requirements.
Wasonga argued that reducing the number of academic staff could worsen an already existing shortage of lecturers in public universities.
He also questioned the continued reliance on part-time lecturers, saying institutions should instead strengthen their permanent academic workforce.
According to the union, universities cannot continue admitting large numbers of students while maintaining inadequate numbers of permanent lecturers and still expect to provide quality education.
UASU also criticised proposals concerning the retirement age of academic staff. The union argued that forcing experienced academics out of universities could further deepen staffing shortages.
Wasonga noted that university professors have responsibilities that extend beyond classroom teaching, including research and community service.
The union therefore wants academic workloads to be assessed comprehensively rather than focusing solely on the number of hours lecturers spend teaching.
The latest demands come amid wider concerns over the financing and management of Kenya's public universities.
UASU is calling for the Government to address the CBA impasse while also tackling staff shortages, university funding challenges, the use of part-time lecturers and the proposed redundancies at Moi University.
With the October 18 deadline approaching, attention is now on the Government and IPUCCF to determine whether the outstanding issues can be resolved and the 2025–2029 CBA concluded within the period set by the lecturers' union.
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