The government and university lecturers have reached a verbal agreement worth KSh20 billion, raising hopes of an end to a strike that has disrupted learning in 35 public universities for nearly a month.
The deal covers basic salaries and allowances under the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Dr Constantine Wasonga announced it on Wednesday, October 28. He said the figure was reached through negotiation, not imposed by the government.
The strike began on October 2 after talks on the CBA stalled and the unions rejected the government's offer as too low. Staff from UASU, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and KUDHEIHA took part.
The agreement is not yet signed. Wasonga said a union technical team will write down the agreed terms, and UASU will officially call off the strike on Friday, October 30, at 3 pm. If that happens, lecturers are expected to return to class on Monday, November 2.
The new figure is a big move from the government's earlier offers of KSh9.76 billion, KSh11.95 billion and about KSh11.96 billion. It is still far below the KSh98 billion UASU had asked for, a gap of KSh78 billion. Wasonga described the earlier KSh11.96 billion offer as "awfully inadequate."
Key details are still unclear. Wasonga has not said how the KSh20 billion will be shared or when payments will be made. He has said the new CBA also covers the harmonisation of allowances and car loan and mortgage arrangements.
Other issues remain open. The strike has highlighted staff shortages, medical insurance concerns and how lecturers' salaries should be funded. UASU says they should be paid from the National Exchequer, not from student fees.
For students, the main questions are whether the deal is signed on Friday and how universities will make up the lost teaching time. Universities have not yet announced .
