Lecturers from public universities across Kenya have once again taken to the streets, marking the fourth week of a nationwide strike that has disrupted learning in public institutions. The protests, which started on October 29, 2024, are a response to the government’s failure to implement the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), a deal that was supposed to bring significant improvements to the welfare of university lecturers.
Earlier today, the lecturers marched to Nairobi’s Central Business District, where they reiterated their demands for the full implementation of the CBA. The strike, which has now entered its fourth week, has brought academic activities to a standstill in public universities, with students across the country forced to stay at home. The only students who have not been affected by the disruption are those enrolled in private universities.
The core issue driving the lecturers’ discontent is the delayed and inadequate salary increment. Under the 2021-2025 CBA, lecturers were promised a salary increase of between 7% and 10%. However, the government has only signed off on a 4.5% increase, a figure that remains unpaid to this day. This partial implementation of the agreement has left many lecturers feeling betrayed, prompting them to drop their tools and intensify their protests.
Beyond the salary increment, the lecturers are also demanding other key provisions of the CBA, including improved medical cover, annual salary increments, and staff promotions. These demands are seen as crucial for the well-being and professional growth of university staff, but the government’s slow response to these issues has created mounting frustration.
The strike has had a profound impact on university operations, particularly in the public sector. Research activities, community services, and the day-to-day running of universities have been severely hindered. For the students, the ongoing strike means delayed graduations, a disrupted academic calendar, and the uncertainty of when normal learning will resume.
University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor, Professor Margaret Hutchinson, has publicly called for an end to the strike, urging lecturers to return to work. She acknowledged the negative impact of the strike on the university’s research initiatives and general operations. In her statement, she also expressed gratitude to the students for their patience and resilience during this challenging period.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court had earlier ruled that the strike was unprotected, urging the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) to resume talks with the government. The court also ordered that both parties return to the negotiation table in a bid to fast-track a resolution. However, despite the court’s intervention, the situation remains unresolved, and the lecturers’ demands remain unmet.
In addition to the ongoing protests, several lobby groups have called for the extension of the university semesters to compensate for the lost academic time. This proposal is seen as a potential solution to make up for the disruption caused by the strike, allowing students to complete their studies without further delays. However, there is little indication that the government and the universities are ready to implement such a measure.
The lecturers’ strike is not a new phenomenon. Over the years, there have been several instances of industrial action in the public universities, often centered around issues of pay, working conditions, and the overall treatment of staff. In many cases, it is the students who bear the brunt of these strikes, having to wait longer to graduate and sometimes facing additional financial burdens as a result of extended academic years.
The ongoing strike highlights the need for better dialogue between the government and university staff. With the 2024 academic year already disrupted, there is a growing sense of urgency to resolve the issues at hand and restore normalcy to public universities. Until a solution is found, students and lecturers alike will continue to wait in limbo, with no clear indication of when the strike will end or how long its effects will last.
