The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) will hold a street protest in Nairobi on Thursday as the lecturers’ strike enters its second week, with negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) deadlocked.
The lecturers went on strike on October 2 after a seven-day strike notice expired, demanding the immediate negotiation, signing, registration and full implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA.
The union has rejected the government’s Sh12 billion counter-offer for partial payment, accusing the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) of giving misleading advice and frustrating negotiations.
Uasu is also demanding full payment of Sh7.9 billion in salary arrears accumulated under previous CBAs, including the 2017–2021 agreement.
The union wants the 2025–2029 CBA backed by a written financial commitment from the government and the National Treasury.
In a notice dated October 12, Uasu secretary general Constantine Wasonga informed the Inspector General of Police that members would hold a peaceful procession starting at 10am at the University of Nairobi’s Graduation Square.
The march will proceed along University Way and Koinange Street before crossing Kenyatta Avenue to Cardinal Otunga Plaza.
Protesters will then turn onto Kaunda Street and continue along Parliament Road and Harambee Avenue.
The union plans to stage sit-ins at Parliament Buildings, the National Treasury and the Ministry of Education offices before returning to the university’s Graduation Square, where its leaders are expected to issue a statement and announce the way forward.
“I wish to notify you that there will be a peaceful procession by members of the University of Nairobi Academic Staff Union (Uasu). The procession will be on Thursday, 15th October, 2026, from the University of Nairobi, Graduation Square, to Parliament Buildings, National Treasury, Ministry of Education offices and back to University of Nairobi, Graduation Square,” the notice reads.
“Kindly provide us with the necessary security,” the union said in its notification to the Inspector General of Police.
The notice was copied to the regional police commander, the officers commanding Nairobi Central and Kilimani police divisions, and the officer in charge of Parliament Police Station.
Thursday’s protest will be the first major street demonstration by university lecturers since the industrial action in September and October 2025.
During that strike, lecturers and officials from Uasu and the Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) held peaceful marches through Nairobi’s central business district towards Parliament, the National Treasury and the Ministry of Education.
The 2025 strike centred on demands for payment of billions of shillings in salary arrears under the 2017–2021 CBA, implementation of Phase Two of the 2021–2025 agreement and the commencement of negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA.
Following the latest strike, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on October 5 urged the lecturers to resume work, saying the government had addressed most of their concerns.
“The government has committed to safeguarding the welfare of all our lecturers and has demonstrated this commitment through action. As we speak today, all arrears under the 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 CBAs have been cleared,” Ogamba said during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani Stadium.
However, a conciliatory meeting between the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), Uasu and Kusu on Monday, October 12, failed to break the deadlock after the unions rejected the government’s Sh12 billion counter-offer.
It was the second collapse of negotiations, following the rejection of an initial proposal by IPUCCF for an annual salary increment of four per cent.
“The counter-offer from the government is awfully inadequate, and we have rejected it in toto,” Wasonga said.
The unions insist that the government must fully implement the agreed terms and address the specific concerns raised by university staff.
The latest breakdown in talks has deepened the dispute, with the unions accusing the government of reneging on its commitments under the return-to-work formula signed on November 5, 2025.
