Government, UASU clash over unpaid dues

Standoff between university lecturers and the government has deepens. [File, Standard]

The standoff between university lecturers and the government has deepened, with Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba insisting that the Sh7.2 billion in contention was already paid. 

Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, October 1, Ogamba maintained that what remains outstanding is only Sh624 million, contrary to the Sh7.9 billion claim by the University Academic Staff Union (UASU).

“The second issue was on the 2017-2021 CBA. Under that Collective Bargaining Agreement, the lecturers argue that there was an amount of Sh7.9 billion to be paid. However, SRC says Sh7.2 billion of the money was paid, leaving a balance of Sh624 million,” said Ogamba.

He explained that the matter had already been taken to court, which directed parties to reconcile the figures before settlement.

“The team went to court and the court ordered the strike to be stopped, and go to a reconciliation and have the amount be verified, after which the settlement can be agreed on. So there is an order stopping the strike and the team will return to court on October 6 for a hearing to see if the reconciliation took place and what the findings were,” he said.

But UASU has flatly rejected the CS’s position, insisting that no money has been paid and the entire Sh7.9 billion is still owed. 

The union says the amount is non-negotiable; it must be cleared in full, or lecturers will stay out of classrooms. Further, UASU has vowed to challenge the court ruling that halted their strike, accusing the Ministry of frustrating their push for justice.

The dispute has now stretched into its third week, with both sides holding steady. Lecturers argue the debt stands at Sh7.9 billion, while the government insists a large portion was already settled.

Other CBAs have also been dragged into the dispute. 

On the 2021–2025 CBA, Ogamba told senators that Sh2.73 billion was released two days after the strike notice. 

On the 2025-2029 cycle, he explained that negotiations had already been scheduled to begin between June 2025 and June 2026, dismissing claims by lecturers that talks had not started.

“The third issue that they raised is the issue of the 2025-2029 CBA. We had agreed to negotiate this CBA at the beginning of the cycle. That was between June 2025 and June 2026. They were saying the cycle has not begun, but there were two meetings so far; in essence, there hasn’t been a delay,” said the CS.