University staff unions reject pay offer, call nationwide strike from Friday

KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya addresses the media in Nairobi on October 1, 2026. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

Teaching and learning in public universities is set to be disrupted from Friday after three university staff unions rejected a counter-offer by the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and called on their members to withdraw their labour.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and Kenya Universities and Colleges Allied Workers Union (KUDHEIHA) announced the strike after meeting IPUCCF in Machakos on Thursday.

In a joint statement, the unions said they had rejected the counter-offer arguing that it failed to address issues they had raised during negotiations.

“The unions reject the counter offer from IPUCCF in toto since it does not take to account the appeals made by the unions,” the statement said.

The unions directed their members to withdraw their labour from midnight Thursday, paving the way for a nationwide strike from Friday.

“Given the prevailing circumstances, the unions call upon the members to withdraw their labor effective midnight today, Thursday 1st October 2026 until our demands are fully met,” the statement said.

The unions said the counter-offer also violated provisions of the registered 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which they said provided for the harmonisation of allowances in the 2025–2029 CBA cycle.

“The counter offer violates the provisions of the registered CBA 2021-2025 between the unions and IPUCCF which provided for harmonisation of all allowances in the 2025-2029 CBA cycle,” the statement said.

Medical benefits proposed by IPUCCF have also emerged as a point of contention.

The unions said the proposed package was below what employees in equivalent grades in the civil service currently receive.

“The proposed medical benefits are inferior to those being enjoyed by equivalent civil servant grades,” they said.

The unions also rejected a proposed four per cent automatic annual increment, saying it was inadequate in the face of rising living costs.

“The proposed automatic annual increment of 4 per cent is below the prevailing inflation rates of more than 6 per cent,” the statement said.

“This cannot cushion our members against high cost of living,” UASU secretary general Constantine Wasonga said.

The unions further accused IPUCCF of failing to address the shortage of academic staff in public universities despite rising student numbers.

“The counter offer does not address recruitment of more academic staff to match the high enrollment of students in public universities,” they said.

The strike threatens to affect lectures, examinations, research and other university activities across public institutions.

It also comes less than a year after public universities were hit by a 49-day strike involving university workers.

The previous strike, which began on September 17, 2025, was called off on November 5 after UASU, KUSU and the Government signed a Return-to-Work Formula.

Among the commitments made at the time was the payment of Sh7.9 billion in salary arrears in two instalments and the conclusion of the 2025–2029 CBA within 30 days.