Kenya: Public universities paralyzed by a national strike since October 2, 2026

Kenya's public universities have been at a standstill since October 2, 2026. Three higher education unions launched a national strike following the failure of negotiations on the 2025-2029 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), according to Capital FM and The Kenya Times.

The movement is led by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), which represents lecturers and researchers, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA). It affects all public universities and their constituent colleges, according to Capital FM.

A significant salary gap

The core of the dispute is salary-related. The employer, the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), has put a cumulative increase of 8.25% over four years on the table, or about 2% per year, according to Capital FM; The Kenya Times reports an annual increment of 4%. In both cases, the offer remains very far from union demands: UASU is demanding between 36% and 68%, KUSU between 36% and 113%, and KUDHEIHA between 75% and 193%, according to Capital FM.

The unions are also challenging the budget allocation. UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga stated that "a four-year agreement" cannot be sustained within the 9.76 billion Kenyan shillings proposed, as cited by The Kenya Times. An official from the organization also considers the proposed annual increase to be "well below" current inflation rates, with Kenyan inflation exceeding 6% according to the same media outlet.

Beyond salaries, the demands focus on the harmonization of allowances, medical coverage, car and mortgage loans, as well as the level of teacher recruitment.

A lasting conflict

This standoff is not new. Kenyan academics had already led a seven-week strike in the autumn of 2025, which ended with a return-to-work agreement signed on November 5, 2025. The unions now accuse the authorities of failing to honor these commitments, following a seven-day notice period filed in September 2026.

For their part, technical education trainers from KUTVET have suspended their movement for fourteen days, setting October 19, 2026, as the deadline for a government response, according to The Kenya Times.

For students, the consequence is immediate: classes are interrupted with no announced resumption schedule. Kenya, which has been investing in its higher education for decades and welcomes students from across East Africa, thus sees its public university system weakened by a recurring social conflict — a reminder that the right to education also depends on the working conditions of those who provide it.