Lecturers, university workers' strike suspended

By Peter Ochieng

The Employment and Labour relations court has suspended lecturers and university workers’ strike, which began on Wednesday morning, disrupting learning activities in over 30 public universities across the country.

Judge Justice Jacob Gakeri issued temporary orders, stopping the lecturers and workers from calling or inciting others to take part in the strike. Citing the matter as urgent, the judge directed the parties to continue negotiating to resolve the disputed issues.

The matter will be mentioned on October 2.

As earlier reported by Nairobi Review, members of the Universities' Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) began their strike on Wednesday morning, demanding that the government addresses their grievances, which include discriminative medical cover, implementation of the 2021/2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), annual salary increments, staff promotions, proper staff placement to appropriate notches and the improvement of poor working conditions.

At Maseno, university dons assembled at the graduation square to officially commence the strike.

“No don is permitted to conduct any teaching, either in-person or online. Solidarity forever,” said Dr. Onyango S. Okeyo, UASU Maseno Chapter Secretary.

The 7-day strike notice was issued on September 11, 2024. Two days later, lecturers attended a meeting with Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Migos Ogamba to try and reach an amicable solution. The talks collapsed.

“It’s not feasible to continue earning the same in an environment where everything has gone up and our purchasing power eroded,” said Charles Mukhwaya, KUSU Secretary-General after the talks hit a snag.

“We don’t eat promises and promissory notes. We don’t care if it takes years. If they come with promises, we’ll reject them. We want something tangible,” added UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga.

Wasonga said they refuse to accept further delays in their compensation. “We are ready for talks, but we will not return to work until a deal is reached. They either sign the 2021-2025 CBA or it will be the end of the world.”