Lecturers' 26-day strike appears to have missed its target by a wide margin even as they announced Wednesday night reaching a Sh20 billion deal with the government for their 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The deal, set to be signed and officially sealed on Friday, October 30, is far less than the Sh98 billion the public university staff unions were aiming for when they downed tools on October 2, 2026.
"We have a deal on financials," Uasu secretary general Constantine Wasonga announced to university staff and students, indicating an end to the strike that has paralysed learning across all public universities in the country.
He said unions' technical teams would meet on Thursday to craft the paperwork ahead of Friday's signing ceremony.
The announcement signalled an end to the stalemate that was increasingly becoming concerning as it had ropped in students who have since the start of the strike held two protests demanding government's intervention.
The pay deal was reached after Education CS Julius Ogamba held talks with Treasury CS John Mbadi and other senior government officials at State House convened by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
Wasonga thanked Ogamba for taking charge of the negotiations that culminated in the deal, which is higher than the Sh11.96 counteroffer government had offered on October 26.
"Today we have agreed on a figure we have negotiated with the government, not a figure imposed on the union," Wasonga said, describing Ogamba as "a man of his word".
"I want to thank also the CS for National Treasury John Mbadi - stay there," he said.
Wasonga said the Sh20 billion will go towards salaries and allowances for the four-year CBA cycle for Uasu, Kusu and Kudheiha members.
The amount is, however, substantially low compared to what the university staff were bargaining for as it does not cater for all the components contained in the 2025-2029 CBA.
Under the CBA, teaching staff were demanding for a 36-68 per cent basic salary increment, alongside house allowances of up to 58 per cent depending on staff grade.
Other demands included a transport allowance of up to Sh60,000, annual leave allowance of between Sh50,000 and Sh70,000, annual book allowance of between Sh65,000 and Sh90,000 and professional allowance of Sh80,000.
During a series of unproductive negotaitions with the government representative, IPUCCF, the unions argued that the amount was to cover for the cost of living adjustments. IPUCCF's 3 per cent flat rate annual increase was rejected in toto.
With Wasonga confirming that the Sh20 billion will go towards allowances and salaries means concerns about medical cover remain unresolved.
The amount does not also cater for the Sh7.9 billion the unions were demanding as arrears for the lapsed 2021-2025 CBA, for which they have sought National Assembly's Education Committee's intervention.
But even then, Wasonga said the unions were happy with what the negotiation team had given them, undersoring the importance of dialogue in resolving pay disputes.
"These things when we talk, we solve them. But you don't impose figures on us, then what is the role of us the unions?" he posed.
