Lecturers, top leaders reconvene to consider two-phased pay deal

Lecturers on Tuesday evening called a meeting to reconsider the government’s offer in a bid to end the 49-day strike.

This came after a session with the National Assembly Committee on Education, which urged the dons to re-look at the two-phase payment plan that will see them get Sh3.85 immediately and an equal amount in July, 2026.

The deal initially rejected on October 27 has been termed as the best offer, with Treasury CS John Mbadi arguing that the government was not in a position to make a one-off payment of the Sh7.9 billion owed to the universities staff.

“Our economy is still fragile. We almost defaulted on our loans last year. If we are not careful, we could slide back into a financial crisis,” said Mbadi.

Julius Melly, the Education Committee chairman, also recommended that the lecturers participating in the strike be absolved from any victimisation when they return to work.

“Can we agree that when we leave here (Parliament), you will reconvene a meeting with your top organs and reconsider the deal to pay the money twice, for the sake of our children. The payment is just six months apart, and it will be the priority when discussing the 2026/2027 budget,” he said.

However, the University and Academic Staff Union (Uasu) initial push to get up to 80 per cent of the funds (about Sh5 billion) to be paid in the first phase and the remaining 20 per cent next year was not successful.

The lecturers rejected the earlier proposal by the government to pay the debt in two phases, citing unfulfilled financial promises and a long list of commitments set for next year.

Secretary General, Constantine Wasonga, told the committee that the union was awaiting pledges lined up to be fulfilled next year. This includes the inclusion of a budget to factor in car loans, mortgages, and staff promotions.

Dr Wasonga also said the university workers expect Sh2.73 to be paid in the same year, which could mean piled financial pressure.

“We agreed with the IPUCCF (Inter-Public Universities Councils’ Consultative Forum) that mortgages and car loans would be factored into the 2026–2027 sector budget. But we have not agreed on any figure. Those are still just promises,” he said.

He added that many lecturers covered under the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) had since retired without benefiting, complicating their day-to-day operations.

“We don’t want to clog the 2026–2027 financial year with new promises again. Our position is that the Sh7.9 billion should be paid at once so that we can close this chapter and move forward,” he said.

Wasonga, however, noted that the union would reconvene its top organ to reconsider the government’s two-phase offer — a sign that the 48-day strike by university staff could soon end.

Sources within Uasu last evening told The Standard that the union top officials were meeting and would call off the strike this morning.

Yesterday, Wiper leader  Kalonzo Musyoka accused President William Ruto of failing to address the ongoing strike.

The former Vice President claimed rampant corruption had hindered the country’s progress, particularly in higher education.

“All the stealing that is happening in Nairobi is because they have a lot of money to throw away, yet university lecturers have been on strike for nearly three months and they cannot be paid the Sh7.9 billion owed to them by the government,” he said.

He was speaking during the graduation of 1,000 youth, the first cohort of the Machakos Youth Empowerment programme.

He asked President Ruto to divert the money he has been using for “empowerment” programme to compensate the striking staff.

 “President Ruto, you cannot keep our university lecturers in the streets. These are some of our best brains. On one hand, you can get your agents to mobilise 10,000 people to the State House and bribe them with Sh10,000 each,” said Kalonzo.

“If you cumulatively take that into account, the amount you are spending to bribe Kenyans is enough to pay university lecturers and get the students back to the lecture halls.”

The National Treasury has maintained that a one-off payment was not feasible.

Yesterday, CS Mbadi admitted that the total cost of the 2017–2021 CBA had been determined at Sh16.57 billion by the Employment and Labour Relations Court, but only Sh8.8 billion had been released earlier. 

He told the Education Committee that the balance of Sh7.76 billion remained pending after the government lost its appeal in March.

He added that the public wage bill had ballooned from 16 per cent of ordinary revenue in 2013 to over 40 per cent today, with the government now spending nearly Sh80 billion every month on salaries.