In a united stand for their rights, lecturers under the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and workers affiliated with the Kenya University Workers Association (KUSU) commenced a strike, demanding the implementation of a long-overdue Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Dr. Wakoko Makarios Wanjala, chairman of the UASU Kibabii chapter, voiced the frustrations of faculty members who have endured unaddressed grievances since 2021. “We have been patient enough, but the government has failed to fulfill its promises,” he stated, highlighting the toll the situation has taken on educators.
Echoing these sentiments, Dr. Nyukuri Wanjala, UASU Kibabii chapter Secretary General, expressed disappointment over the lack of implementation of the 2021-2025 CBA. While public servants received a blanket salary increase of 7-10%, he lamented that Kibabii’s lecturers were overlooked. “Monetary and non-monetary benefits were supposed to be harmonized across universities, yet we continue to face disparities,” he noted.
Dr. Nyukuri also emphasized the need for a localized CBA that would address critical issues such as commuter allowances and medical coverage. “We have suffered a great deal, and it’s time for our voices to be heard,” he insisted.
Meanwhile, KUSU Kibabii branch chairman Wafula Ngome affirmed that their own CBA has similarly gone unimplemented, asserting that workers will not return to their posts until their demands are met.
