Countdown to Shutdown: UASU Issues One-Month Strike Notice Over Systemic Higher Education Crisis
By John Toris & Liz Anyango September 18, 2026 Learning across all public universities faces total paralysis following a one-month strike notice issued by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU). Frustrated by persistent government delays and deep-seated structural issues, the union has given the Ministry of Education a strict ultimatum. If the multi-billion shilling disputes remain unresolved within 30 days, academic staff across 41 public universities will down tools indefinitely.The looming industrial action is fueled by the following critical battlegrounds; 1. Stalled 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA ) - At the heart of the ultimatum is the stalled 2025–2029 CBA. UASU points out that the agreement was supposed to be fully signed and executed by late last year. Instead, negotiations have ground to a halt. Union officials have rejected state counter-offers, maintaining that current packages fail to cushion lecturers against rising inflati...