BREAKING: University Lecturers Call Off Strike After Sh20 Billion Agreement With State

Public university lecturers in Kenya have agreed to end their month-long industrial action after reaching a Sh20 billion settlement with the government, paving the way for learning to resume at institutions across the country.

The breakthrough was reached on Friday following prolonged negotiations between lecturers’ unions and the Ministry of Education. The agreement is expected to resolve the dispute over salaries and allowances that disrupted academic activities and left thousands of students stranded.

The deal was signed by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU). According to reports, the government will release the Sh20 billion in three phases to facilitate the full implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which has been at the centre of the dispute.

Under the return-to-work agreement, students are expected to resume classes on Monday next week, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty across public universities. The government is expected to issue a formal statement on Saturday outlining the payment schedule and other details of the agreement.

The strike had severely affected learning, research and university operations, with several institutions forced to postpone examinations and revise their academic programmes.

The University of Nairobi was among the hardest-hit institutions, with graduation activities and end-of-semester examinations postponed indefinitely. Kenyatta University, Moi University and Egerton University also experienced significant disruptions to their academic calendars.

Frustration over the prolonged shutdown spilled onto the streets of Nairobi, where University of Nairobi students staged protests along Waiyaki Way. On Tuesday, demonstrators lit bonfires and barricaded sections of the busy highway with stones, bringing traffic to a standstill and forcing motorists to seek alternative routes.

Police officers used tear gas to disperse the protesters before removing the barricades and restoring traffic flow. The demonstrations followed an earlier protest on October 21, with students threatening further daily action until Friday if the dispute remained unresolved.

The Sh20 billion settlement now offers hope for thousands of affected students. Universities are expected to announce revised academic calendars to recover lost teaching time and reschedule postponed examinations.

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