The union is demanding that all outstanding commitments made under the agreement be honoured, warning that continued delays could trigger another dispute in the country's public universities.
The warning comes just days after lecturers returned to work following a nationwide industrial action that disrupted learning in public universities for more than three weeks.
Wasonga appeared before parliamentary committees on labour and education on Wednesday, November 4, where he called on the government to honour the commitments made under the return-to-work agreement signed on October 30, 2026.
He explained that lecturers had agreed to suspend their strike to allow further negotiations after the government committed KSh20 billion towards settling outstanding staff arrears and addressing the dispute.
However, the union wants the money released according to the agreed payment schedule, warning that prolonged delays could undermine the agreement reached with university workers.
According to the agreement, the KSh20 billion will be released in three instalments of KSh6.7 billion, KSh6.7 billion and KSh6.6 billion during the 2026/2027, 2027/2028 and 2028/2029 financial years, respectively.
The agreement also provides for a 3.5 per cent annual increase in basic salaries for four years, effective July 1, 2025, alongside an automatic annual salary increment of five per cent and improved allowances.
UASU has also raised concerns about the financial difficulties facing public universities, arguing that institutions cannot be expected to deliver quality education, research and innovation without adequate and predictable government funding.
Wasonga maintained that lecturers' salaries and benefits should not depend on student enrolment numbers, university fee collections or student loan payments.
He argued that the government has a constitutional and legal responsibility to ensure public universities receive sufficient funding to meet their obligations to employees and students.
The union further insisted that outstanding items under the Collective Bargaining Agreement must be concluded within the agreed timelines rather than being subjected to prolonged negotiations.
Although UASU has expressed willingness to continue engaging the government, its latest warning signals that industrial unrest could return if the commitments made during negotiations are not honoured.
The developments have raised fresh concerns among university students and parents, who are hoping that the government and lecturers will resolve their differences without another disruption to the academic calendar.
UASU has not announced a new strike date, but its leadership wants the government to demonstrate its commitment through the actual implementation of the agreement.
Source

Leave a Reply