The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has called off a 49-day lecturers' strike that disrupted public universities across Kenya. The decision follows a government commitment to pay Ksh7.9 billion in outstanding salary arrears in two phases. UASU leaders assured students of efforts to recover lost learning time.
On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) announced the end of a 49-day strike by lecturers in Kenya's public universities, which had halted operations since September. The strike, now in its seventh week, prompted shutdowns at several institutions, including Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) on November 1, and Egerton and Pwani universities on November 4, with students ordered to vacate premises by November 5 except for those in medicine, law, postgraduate, or international programs.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga stated that the union reached an agreement with the government to disburse the Ksh7.9 billion in arrears from the 2017–2021 Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA). The payment will occur in two phases: the first between November and December 2025, and the second in July 2026. This deal came a day after a mediation session on November 4 by the National Assembly's Committee on Education, where Wasonga indicated the union would review the government's phased payout offer for the students' sake.
Addressing the media, Wasonga apologized to students: "I want to apologise to the comrades for the 42 plus days they have lost. However, our members have committed that they are going to recover the lost time fully." He added, "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." Wasonga warned that failure to honor the agreement could lead to another strike starting next week.
The resolution paves the way for negotiations on the 2025–2029 CBA, expected to conclude within 30 days under the return-to-work formula. University senates, such as Egerton's, expressed apologies for inconveniences and promised updates via official channels.