Kirinyaga University lecturers walking on the streets as they kicked off their strike on September 17, 2025Lecturers from Kirinyaga University on Wednesday took to the streets to mark the start of their strike following failure by the government to fulfil their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The lecturers said the government was to disburse Sh2.7 billion to implement the second phase of the CBA signed in November last year.
They said the Sh9.7 billion 2021-2025 CBA was to be implemented in three phases and that the government only released the first tranche in January this year.
Lucas Macharia, the chairperson of Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) in Kirinyaga county, said the second tranche was to be disbursed in July.
On Tuesday, the National Treasury announced that it had released Sh2.5 billion to clear part of the arrears, urging the union to suspend a nationwide strike.
“What the government did was produce promissory notes. Lecturers don’t eat promissory notes. If there’s no money, then there will be a strike. To avert it, the government must release funds,” Macharia said.
Macharia said they have exercised enough patience with the government and that they will not relent until they are paid their arrears.
The branch’s Secretary General Robert Gitau said the government had failed to honour the CBA, and that it has been asking for more time to process the funds, keeping the lecturers waiting for months.
He noted that the state implemented the 2017-2021 CBA in piecemeal, leaving arrears amounting to Sh8.8 billion.
Gitau added that the 2021-25 CBA expired in June and that proposals were forwarded to the government, which is yet to present a counteroffer.
“It’s for these reasons that we have gone on strike because unfortunately, this is the only language the government understands,” he said.
Kirinyaga University Staff Union Secretary General Stephen Kahungura on his part noted that many discussions have been held with the government without tangible fruits.
“This is despite the fact that we have seen lots of wastage of funds within the government. We know Treasury has money and we will not continue working without the funds,” he said.
The strike is expected to occur in 41 public universities countrywide.
