Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology have announced the resumption of classes on November 10, 2025, following the end of a 49-day lecturers' strike. The strike concluded after unions signed a return-to-work formula with commitments from the government on salary arrears. Students are urged to return promptly to avoid missing classes.
The nationwide lecturers' strike, which lasted 49 days or seven weeks, disrupted academic activities across public universities in Kenya. On November 5, 2025, the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Inter-Public Universities Councils’ Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) signed a return-to-work formula (RTWF), prompting the strike's end and the restoration of normal operations.
Kenyatta University (KU) issued a notice stating that all activities for the first semester of the 2025/26 academic year will resume on Monday, November 10, 2025. Academic Registrar Bernard Kivunge emphasized the immediate resumption following the strike's calling off on November 6, 2025. “Following the calling off of the industrial action by members of staff in the University on 6th November 2025, all activities for the First Semester are expected to resume immediately,” Kivunge stated. He urged students to report on time to prevent missing classes.
Similarly, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) directed students to return to campus on Friday, November 7, 2025, ahead of classes restarting on November 10. Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Robert Kinyua, announced: “Following the calling off of the industrial action by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), all students are hereby requested to report back to the University on Friday, 7th November 2025.” The notice confirmed classes would resume on November 10, 2025.
The agreement addressed key demands, including the government's pledge to pay salary arrears from the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga highlighted the importance of implementation: "It is upon the government that you honour what we have signed here today. If you honour what we have signed here today, I want to commit that there shall be no strike called by UASU up to 2030."
Under the RTWF, lecturers received guarantees against victimization, with all disciplinary actions revoked. “All disciplinary or intended disciplinary actions, including show cause letters, suspensions, or dismissals, are hereby withdrawn and revoked with immediate effect,” the formula stated. This settlement also ensures reinstatement of staff and full payment of withheld salaries and benefits, paving the way for uninterrupted academic progress.