Striking public university lecturers on Thursday took their pay dispute to the streets of Nairobi, with the Universities' Academic Staff Union (UASU) calling its members to a procession to Parliament, the National Treasury and the Ministry of Education as the stalemate over their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) deepened.

The procession, set to start at 10am at the University of Nairobi's Graduation Square, comes three days after talks between the unions and the government collapsed on Monday, 12 October, when the lecturers rejected a Sh12 billion counter-offer as inadequate.

Route and sit-ins

In a notice dated 12 October and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the union's members would hold a peaceful procession and asked the police to provide security. "Kindly provide us with the necessary security," the notice read, according to The Star.

The lecturers planned to march along University Way and Koinange Street, cross Kenyatta Avenue to Cardinal Otunga Plaza, and proceed via Kaunda Street, Parliament Road and Harambee Avenue. The union planned sit-ins at Parliament Buildings, the National Treasury and the Ministry of Education offices before returning to Graduation Square, where its leaders were expected to issue a statement on the way forward.

It is not the first time the lecturers have taken their grievances to the capital's streets. During last year's strike, UASU and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) held marches through the Nairobi central business district and presented petitions at the Treasury and the Education Ministry.

Why the talks collapsed

The current strike began on Friday, 2 October, after a seven-day strike notice expired without a deal. Monday's meeting, which brought together UASU, KUSU, the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) and the government's negotiating team, ended without agreement.

"The counter-offer from the government is awfully inadequate, and we have rejected it in toto," Wasonga said after the talks, as quoted by The Star. "The talks have collapsed. The strike therefore continues," he added, as reported by Capital FM.

The unions said the government's proposal addressed only the 2025-2029 CBA and was substantially similar to an offer they had already rejected on 1 October. UASU also faulted the National Treasury for failing to attend the meeting, arguing that its participation was essential to settling the question of how lecturers' salaries would be funded.

What the lecturers want

The lecturers are demanding the immediate negotiation, signing, registration and full implementation of the 2025-2029 CBA, backed by a written financial commitment from the government and the Treasury.

UASU is also pressing for full payment of Sh7.9 billion in salary arrears under earlier agreements, including the 2017-2021 CBA. The payment of those arrears in instalments was at the heart of the return-to-work formula signed on 5 November 2025, which ended a 49-day strike last year. The union accuses university councils, the Education Ministry and the Treasury of failing to honour that formula.

The government maintains that it has addressed most of the lecturers' concerns. Speaking on 5 October, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba urged the lecturers to return to work, saying "all arrears under the 2017-2021 and 2021-2025 CBAs have been cleared."

Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala has said the outstanding issues can be resolved through continued engagement, while KUSU Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya has said university workers will not drop their demands until an acceptable deal is reached.

Students left in limbo

The strike has paralysed teaching in public universities, leaving thousands of students uncertain about their class, examination and graduation schedules. Students face the prospect of extended semesters and delayed completion of their studies, while families continue to meet accommodation and upkeep costs for learners who are not attending classes.

The disruption comes barely a year after a prolonged strike in 2025 that kept students out of lecture halls for weeks, and with no fresh talks scheduled, there was no indication on Thursday of when learning would resume.

UASU has vowed to escalate its industrial action until the government tables what it considers a credible offer, and has urged its members across public universities to remain united.

Photos: EstherWikipedian / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Akuru Kevin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0