Kenya university strike: Parliament calls for urgent intervention
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen
The strike by Kenyan public university lecturers is entering its 20th day, and the National Assembly is asking the government to intervene to unblock negotiations on the 2025–2029 collective bargaining agreement. The Education Ministry says it is consulting the parties to restore classes, reports Citizen.
Kenya’s National Assembly has urged the government to intervene urgently to end the strike by public university lecturers, now in its 20th day. Speaker Moses Wetangula and MPs called for a resolution to the dispute over implementation of the 2025–2029 collective bargaining agreement, according to Citizen.
The national strike began on 2 October after negotiations between university staff unions and the forum representing public university councils failed. The unions are challenging decisions on salaries and working conditions in particular, and rejecting a proposed settlement of 9.76 billion Kenyan shillings that they consider non-negotiated.
Before the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, Principal Secretary for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala said the Education Ministry was consulting the parties to resolve the deadlock. The university lecturers’ union secretary-general, Constantine Wasonga, warned that the action could continue if the government did not change its position. Classes remain suspended and students have been sent home.
The mobilisation is continuing despite the appeal issued by Kenya’s Education Minister on 5 October for a return to work. On 16 October, Nairobi students had given the authorities 72 hours to resolve the dispute, after the launch of the Kenyan university lecturers’ strike.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
