Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Alfred Mutua has met with university unions to resolve the ongoing strikes that have disrupted learning in all public universities.
Mutua held discussions with officials from the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) amid the industrial action that has entered its second week, causing significant classroom absences for students.
The meeting, which included UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga and KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya, resulted in an agreement to form an inter-ministerial negotiating team. This committee will tackle the key issues raised by the unions and work towards establishing a return-to-work formula.
The team will consist of representatives from the Labour, Education, and Finance ministries, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, public universities, the State Corporations Advisory Committee, and the two unions.
Lecturers and staff, numbering over 800, have stated they will not return to work until their demands are met. The nationwide strike, initiated on September 18, has impacted all 35 public universities, with UASU members particularly frustrated over stalled negotiations regarding the 2021-25 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
During the meeting, Mutua stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of such strikes swiftly. “We must deal with these matters before they fester,” he noted, reiterating his ministry’s commitment to promoting fairness in employer-employee negotiations.
The unions are advocating for salary increases and allowances, with discussions on other issues outlined in the CBA to follow. The inter-ministerial committee will begin its discussions on Thursday and will continue until a resolution is reached.
Also present were Shadrack Mwadime, Principal Secretary of the State Department of Labour, and other senior government officials. The ongoing strike has disrupted education for thousands of students, with both the government and unions optimistic that negotiations will lead to a prompt resolution and the resumption of normal activities in public universities.
