Learning Disruption Looms in Public Universities as UASU Issues Strike Notice

The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued a seven-day strike notice over the stalled 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), setting the stage for a nationwide industrial action in public universities.

UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga announced that teaching staff in all public universities will down their tools on October 2 if the dispute over the CBA is not resolved within the notice period.

In addition, the union says the strike notice comes after delays in concluding negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA, with lecturers expected to withdraw their services across public universities unless an agreement is reached.

This notice sets the stage for a nationwide lecturers’ strike that could disrupt learning, teaching and other academic activities across Kenya’s public universities.

The CBA

The 2025–2029 CBA is expected to outline the terms and conditions of service for academic staff, including employment-related provisions that are negotiated between the union and employers.

UASU says the prolonged delay in concluding the agreement has left lecturers without a negotiated framework for the next four-year period, prompting the union to issue the strike notice.

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Under the Labour Relations Act, a seven-day strike notice is a formal requirement before protected industrial action can begin, giving the parties an opportunity to resolve the dispute through negotiations before a strike takes effect.

The announcement comes as universities continue with their academic calendars, meaning thousands of students could face disruptions should the strike proceed as planned.

Planned Strike

Previous industrial actions involving university staff have often resulted in interruptions to learning schedules while negotiations continued between unions, university management and government agencies.

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UASU has maintained that the planned strike is directly linked to the unresolved 2025–2029 CBA and has urged the relevant parties to conclude negotiations within the seven-day notice period.

Attention is now expected to shift to discussions involving the union, public university employers and government stakeholders, with it likely to determine whether a settlement can be reached before the October 2 deadline or whether lecturers will proceed with the nationwide strike.

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UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga
PHOTO/UASU