Court Halts Nationwide Lecturers’ Strike, Orders Talks
The Employment and Labour Relations Court has suspended the ongoing nationwide strike by lecturers and other staff from public universities, a move that has disrupted learning for the last two days across the country.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Stephen Radido directed the university unions, the Ministry of Education, and all relevant stakeholders to enter into conciliatory talks.
He explained that the law requires parties in an industrial dispute to explore conciliation before a strike can proceed.
“There is evidence that the applicant [Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum] has reported a trade dispute to the Cabinet Secretary, Labour, as required under the Labour Relations Act. Good faith in industrial relations requires that parties conciliate sincerely.
For this reason, the court will issue an order stopping the ongoing strike pending the outcome of conciliation,” Justice Radido stated.
Why the Strike Was Called
The strike was declared after the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) issued a seven-day strike notice.
The unions had warned that learning and operations in all public universities and colleges would come to a standstill if the government failed to meet its obligations on pending Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga accused the government of deliberately dragging its feet on fully implementing the 2017–2021, 2021–2025, and 2025–2029 CBAs.
According to Wesonga, arrears of Ksh2.73 billion from the 2021–2025 CBA remain unsettled, while Ksh7.9 billion from the 2017–2021 CBA has also not been paid.
In addition, the unions want the government to move forward with negotiations, registration, and full implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, September 10, Wesonga said union leaders were frustrated by the government’s repeated failure to keep its promises despite multiple meetings and formal submissions.
He accused both the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the government of undermining the spirit of dialogue after months of tough negotiations.
Government’s Attempt to Avert the Strike
Interestingly, just a day before the industrial action began, the government released Ksh2.73 billion meant to settle part of the 2021–2025 CBA arrears. The move appeared to be a last-minute attempt to convince lecturers and staff to cancel their planned strike.
However, the payout did not stop the unions, and learning across major public universities still came to a halt.
At institutions such as the University of Nairobi (UoN), Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT), University of Eldoret (UOE), Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), and several others nationwide, lecturers and support staff went ahead with the strike.
Videos and images obtained by Newshub.co.ke showed striking lecturers marching in the streets, blowing vuvuzelas, and carrying placards and banners as they pressed for their demands.
What Happens Next
Following the ruling, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba appealed to the unions to obey the court’s directive and call off the strike immediately.
He urged the staff to return to work so that all parties could sit at the table and resolve the outstanding issues through conciliation.
However, as of now, the university unions have not issued any official response to the ruling, and the strike continues to affect learning across public universities in Kenya.
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