UASU rejects 3pc pay rise as govt cuts CBA offer to Sh11bn

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 26 — The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has rejected a proposed 3 per cent basic salary increase for public university staff after the government reduced its offer for the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) from Sh12 billion to Sh11 billion, threatening to intensify the ongoing lecturers’ strike.

The union said Monday that negotiations had collapsed after an Inter-Ministerial Committee meeting ended without a resolution, with UASU faulting the government for tabling a lower counter-offer than the one presented on October 12.

UASU described the latest proposal as inadequate amid rising living costs, arguing that the proposed salary increment failed to reflect increases in the prices of essential commodities.

“An offer that translates to only a 3% basic salary increment does not address the economic realities facing university staff,” the union said in a statement.

The union cited government data showing that petrol prices had increased by 20 per cent since the beginning of the year, while diesel prices had risen by 42 per cent.

Following the breakdown in talks, UASU announced that it would intensify the industrial action until its demands were substantively addressed, calling on public university staff to remain united.

The union maintained that the government must table a credible counter-offer and conclude negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA.

It also demanded an unequivocal commitment that salaries for public university staff would be funded through the National Exchequer, describing the issue as a fundamental condition for resolving the dispute.

“These are fundamental issues that must be addressed for the dispute to be resolved,” UASU said.

The latest development leaves the dispute unresolved, with the union warning that it would not call off the strike without a satisfactory agreement.

“UASU will not relent until our demands are substantively addressed,” the union said, urging members to remain steadfast in their push for what it termed a just CBA.

​Bruhan Makong is a Senior News Reporter for Capital FM in Nairobi, covering diplomacy, foreign policy, national security, climate, and human rights across East Africa and the wider region.