UASU, KUSU Threaten Nationwide September Strike Over Retirement Age, Delayed CBAs and University Funding Crisis

By Gedion Nzyoki -

NAIROBI, Kenya|August 4, 2026 — Kenya's public universities are staring at a possible nationwide shutdown ahead of the September reopening after the country's two main university staff unions accused the government of violating labour agreements, delaying Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), and unilaterally changing the retirement age of academic staff.

University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Dr. Constantine Wasonga (centre) and Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) Secretary General Dr. Charles Mukhwaya (right) address the media during a joint press briefing in Nairobi on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Photo: Courtesy

The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) warned that unless the government urgently addresses a raft of longstanding grievances, learning in public universities could be disrupted when students are expected to report next month.

Speaking during a joint press briefing at the unions' headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday, UASU Secretary General Dr. Constantine Wasonga challenged the Public Service Commission (PSC) to provide evidence that university unions were consulted before issuing a circular revising the retirement age for university employees.

UASU Disputes PSC's Consultation Claims

Dr. Wasonga dismissed assertions by PSC Chief Executive Officer Paul Famba that stakeholders were consulted before the retirement policy was introduced.

"I want to challenge the CEO of the Public Service Commission to be truthful. The University Academic Staff Union has never discussed the matter of retirement age with anyone," he said.

He challenged the commission to produce attendance lists, meeting minutes, and resolutions from forums it claims were held with stakeholders at the Kenya School of Government and Machakos University.

According to Wasonga, UASU attended a scheduled meeting at the Kenya School of Government on September 12, 2025, but the meeting never took place because no stakeholders turned up.

He further argued that UASU had formally protested plans to alter retirement provisions before a meeting allegedly held at Machakos University, maintaining that the union never endorsed any changes.

"We negotiated retirement ages for our members and registered the same at the Employment and Labour Relations Court. Let them not mislead the country that UASU was involved," he said.

Union Rejects Revised Retirement Age

Wasonga criticised the PSC circular and its subsequent addendum, arguing that they unlawfully reduce the retirement age of lecturers and professors despite existing Collective Bargaining Agreements.

He said the move would force many experienced lecturers into premature retirement, leaving universities with severe staffing shortages.

"How can you reduce somebody's retirement age by ten years?" he posed.

He argued that lecturers, senior lecturers, associate professors, and professors had negotiated retirement ages under legally binding CBAs and insisted those agreements cannot be overturned through an administrative circular.

"I want to see those minutes. Where did we agree that professors move from 74 years to 70 years and lecturers from 74 years to 65 years?" he asked.

Warning Over Looming Lecturer Shortage

Wasonga warned that implementing the retirement changes could cripple teaching across public universities.

"Who is going to teach in September? Universities are going to be empty," he said.

He noted that Kenya currently has about 9,000 active lecturers serving nearly one million university students, despite government projections showing the country will require more than 35,000 lecturers by 2029.

He also directed UASU members to stop accepting part-time teaching assignments, arguing that the practice has discouraged universities from employing lecturers on permanent and pensionable terms.

"Stop taking part-time teaching assignments because you are denying your brothers and sisters employment opportunities," he told members.

The union further demanded uniform national rates for part-time lecturers should the practice continue.

September Strike Warning

Wasonga revealed that UASU had exercised restraint in recent months in the hope that negotiations on the 2025–2029 CBA would be concluded.

However, he warned that the union's patience had run out.

"I had promised the country there would be no strike if the ministry behaved. I am now withdrawing that statement. I can call a strike at any time from now," he declared.

The union said key issues that remain unresolved include harmonisation of allowances across public universities, implementation of the long-approved car loan and mortgage scheme for lecturers, salary reviews, payment of CBA arrears, and excessive teaching workloads.

UASU also rejected proposals linking lecturers' salaries to university fee collections under the higher education funding model.

"Our salaries should be paid directly from the Exchequer and ring-fenced," Wasonga said.

KUSU Blames Government for University Crisis

KUSU Secretary General Dr. Charles Mukhwaya accused the government of mismanaging public universities and failing to uphold workers' constitutional rights.

"The issues affecting our universities are manageable, but the government is completely unable to manage these institutions," he said.

He criticised persistent delays in negotiating and implementing CBAs, saying employees continue waiting years before receiving salary adjustments and arrears.

"Why should workers be discussing arrears from nine years ago? These employees have already lost the value of their money," Mukhwaya said.

He urged the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury to expedite payment of all outstanding arrears under the 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 CBAs while concluding negotiations for the 2025–2029 agreement without further delay.

Funding Model and HR Reforms Under Fire

Mukhwaya also faulted the government's university funding model, saying repeated policy shifts have destabilised institutions and created uncertainty for both universities and students.

"You cannot use universities as a laboratory for trial and error," he said.

He questioned why universities are expected to admit students without receiving adequate government capitation while lecturers' salaries increasingly depend on student fee payments.

The KUSU Secretary General maintained that university staff, like teachers in basic education, should receive their salaries directly from the National Exchequer rather than relying on internally generated revenue.

He also opposed the proposed Human Resource Instruments (HRIs), arguing that any changes affecting employees' terms and conditions of service—including retirement age and salary structures—must first be negotiated with the unions.

"You cannot change HRIs somewhere behind closed doors and impose them on workers. That violates the Constitution," he said.

With the unions now threatening industrial action, the spotlight shifts to the Ministry of Education, the Public Service Commission, and the National Treasury to resolve the standoff before universities reopen in September.