University lecturers and staff unions have asked Parliament to lock in the KSh 20 billion agreed to end the lecturers' strike, warning that the deal could collapse without firm backing from the National Treasury.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA) appeared before a joint sitting of Parliament's Education and Labour committees on Wednesday, 4 November 2026.

Led by UASU Secretary General Dr Constantine Wasonga, the unions asked Parliament to secure binding government guarantees that the KSh 20 billion allocated towards the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreements is released as agreed.

Lecturers resumed teaching on Monday, 2 November, after the return-to-work formula was signed on Friday, 30 October, ending a strike that began on 2 October. The unions say critical issues around university funding, staff salaries and outstanding employment obligations remain unresolved.

"The agreed Ksh. 20B must be released in accordance with the stipulated tranches, the outstanding CBA items must be concluded within the agreed timelines, be signed, registered and implemented," Dr Wasonga told the committees.

Under the agreement, the KSh 20 billion is to be released in three instalments: KSh 6.7 billion in the 2026/2027 financial year, KSh 6.7 billion in 2027/2028, and KSh 6.6 billion in 2028/2029. The deal also provides for a 3.5 per cent annual increase in lecturers' basic salaries over four years, effective 1 July 2025.

Labour Committee Chairperson Ken Chonga warned that without National Treasury backing, the agreement could be breached and trigger another strike. "There is consensus between unions and IPUCCF on what was agreed. But the critical vulnerability is National Treasury's absence in the meeting. Without Treasury backing, breach is likely and will trigger another strike," Chonga said.

Wasonga also raised two further issues he said could bring lecturers out again: reliance on students' fees to finance university operations, and the alleged failure to remit KSh 100 billion in members' pension and salary dues.

Education Committee Chairperson Julius Melly assured the unions that Parliament would closely monitor implementation of the agreement. The Education Committee is scheduled to meet the Principal Secretaries for Higher Education and the National Treasury to formalise the funding framework. Negotiations on outstanding non-financial issues are expected to conclude by 28 February 2027.

Melly said the KSh 6.7 billion expected in the current financial year would be included in Supplementary Estimate No. 1 for the 2026/27 financial year, and that the National Assembly's Implementation Committee would follow up on execution of the agreement.

Labour Principal Secretary Shadrack Mwadime told the committees the return-to-work formula is a binding government commitment. He said the inter-ministerial committee he chaired included the Principal Secretary for Higher Education and a senior National Treasury official, and that the KSh 20 billion commitment followed direct discussions with the Treasury. "Our lecturers are teaching; there is peace that has now come back to our universities," Mwadime said.

Representing university management, Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum Chairperson Prof Fred Simiyu Barasa said the forum tabled its first CBA offer in October 2025, escalated the matter to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission in November 2025, and presented an improved offer on 1 October 2026. He said direct Exchequer funding was outside the forum's mandate and squarely for Parliament.

The unions also proposed amendments to the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill (2026) to separate student financing from the operational costs of universities, and called for the settlement of outstanding government obligations to public universities.

Sources: People Daily, 5 November 2026; The Kenya Times, 5 November 2026; People Daily, 4 November 2026; Kenyans.co.ke, 4 November 2026; HiviLeo, 4 November 2026.