Why forthcoming UoN UASU chapter polls are crucial

UASU UoN Chapter Secretary Maloba Wekesa speaking during a past press conference. /UoN

A quiet but politically significant contest is gathering pace as lecturers at the University of Nairobi prepare for Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) chapter elections scheduled for March 26.

The Registrar of Trade Unions issued a circular requiring all trade unions to conduct the 2026-31 chapter/branch elections between January 5 March 31, 2026, in accordance with the Labour Relations Act 2007.

The polls, to be held at the 8-4-4 Multi-Purpose Building at the university’s main campus, will see academic staff elect a new team of officials to steer the union at the country’s largest and most influential public university.

"The County Labour Office of Nairobi will oversee the process of elections to ensure a free, fair, and transparent election," Chapter secretary Maloba Wekesa said in a circular dated March 6 while convening a special general meeting on the polls.

He added that moving forward, all correspondence on the elections would be handled by the Chapter Electoral Management Board, comprising of chairperson Essajee Abdulatif and members Jamen Hudson Were and Lucy Kivuti-Bitok.

Although the campaigns have largely remained out of the public eye, mobilisation among lecturers has intensified in recent weeks through faculty meetings and closed WhatsApp groups where candidates and their allies are canvassing support.

The elections come at a time when the union has taken a prominent role in governance disputes at the university and in broader national debates on lecturers’ welfare, making the outcome keenly watched both within the institution and across the higher education sector.

At the center of the race are the current executive committee leadership that forms the core political establishment of the chapter.

The position of chapter chairperson is currently held by political science lecturer Richard Bosire, who has emerged in recent years as one of the most visible union voices at the university.

Bosire has led the chapter in public confrontations with the university council and management over governance issues and the implementation of lecturers’ collective bargaining agreements.

His tenure has also coincided with renewed activism within the union, raising the stakes for the upcoming election.

Other key positions expected to attract stiff competition are vice chairperson currently held by Fred Atoh and chapter secretary's seat, held by Maloba Wekesa, both of whom have played visible roles in the union’s recent activities.

Atoh, a linguistics scholar, previously served in an acting leadership capacity within the chapter and is viewed by some colleagues as a possible consensus candidate should the leadership rotate within the current team.

Wekesa, also from the linguistics department, has been one of the chapter’s key strategists and frequently speaks on union matters, positioning him as another potential contender if the contest opens up.

Other officials in the current leadership include treasurer Dominic Murage, assistant secretary James Ireri Kanya, and Organising Secretary Ben Nyanchoga, all of whom are expected to feature in the race for executive positions or influence alliances ahead of the vote.

Beyond the key positions, lecturers will also elect college representatives, committee members, delegate, chapter trustees, and administrators.

Union elections at the University of Nairobi are often shaped by networks across faculties and departments, with alliances among lecturers playing a critical role in determining outcomes.

Much of the campaigning is unfolding quietly through internal communication platforms used by academic staff. In a number of faculty WhatsApp groups, lecturers have been circulating campaign messages, sharing union updates while gauging support ahead of the vote.

The discreet nature of the campaigns reflects both the professional environment in which lecturers operate and the relatively small but influential electorate that participates in the union polls.

Despite the low-key campaigning style, the stakes are high for both candidates and the wider membership.

For aspirants, leadership of the University of Nairobi chapter offers a powerful platform within the national union structure.

The chapter is widely regarded as the most influential in the country due to the size of the university’s academic staff and its prominence in national debates on higher education.

Leaders emerging from the chapter have historically played key roles in shaping the direction of UASU at the national level, particularly during negotiations with the government over lecturers’ pay and working conditions.

The new team will come in as UASU is pushing to negotiate the 2025-29 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) alongside demands for the payment of over Sh7.9 billion in outstanding arrears from the 2017-2021 agreement.

A truce was reached late last year for a phased payment of the monies, averting a fresh lecturers' strike that would have paralysed learning across all public universities.

The deal followed a 49-day strike where UASU and Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) demanded improved pay, better terms and fully funded salary increments.

The elections will determine the team responsible for representing lecturers in ongoing disputes over governance at the university, implementation of collective bargaining agreements and broader concerns about the state of public universities.

The leadership will also be expected to navigate delicate relations with university management while safeguarding the interests of academic staff at a time when institutions across the country face financial and administrative challenges.

With just days to the polls, attention is expected to turn increasingly toward the emergence of clearer alliances within the academic faculty as lecturers quietly weigh their choices ahead of the March 26 vote.

The UoN chapter is the largest and most politically influential chapter in UASU and therefore, whoever wins the election gains significant influence within the national union structure.

The university is also preparing for student elections under the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA) whose nomination window closes on Tuesday, March 17.

All students have equal opportunities to participate and have their say in the Student Council Elections 2026-2027.

Voting is expected late March via the university’s e-ballot system and overseen by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

"It's all about students, and the electoral commission is only a referee to ensure fairness, accountability, and transparency in this process," a disclaimer on the UNSA elections portal says.