SRC Says Only Ksh624M Owed to Lecturers, Not Ksh7.9B
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has told striking lecturers to talk directly to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) through their union to resolve the long standing pay dispute that has stalled learning in public universities.
Speaking on Friday, October 3, 2025, during the launch of the National Examination and Assessment Season, Ogamba asked the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) to open talks with SRC over the disputed payments tied to the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). He also asked lecturers to suspend their strike, now in its third week and engage in dialogue.
According to the CS, figures from SRC show a huge gap between what the union is demanding and what the government acknowledges as outstanding. While UASU is claiming Ksh7.9 billion is outstanding, Ogamba noted that SRC records show only Ksh624 million is pending.
Ogamba clarified that the Ksh7.2 billion in dispute had already been factored into annual salary increments during the CBA’s implementation. He broke down the payment, saying Ksh4.3 billion for October 2024–June 2025 had been fully paid, Ksh2.73 billion for the 2025/26 financial year was paid between July and September 2025 and another Ksh2.73 billion for the 2026/27 period will be paid in July 2026.
Earlier, the CS had asked lecturers to go back to work citing a court order and the government’s partial implementation of the agreement. While appearing before the Senate, Ogamba reiterated the government’s position that it will implement the CBA in phases.
Meanwhile, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has slammed the government for dragging its feet on the matter. In a post on his X account on October 1, Owino said the government has abandoned lecturers and students.
“This week marks the third week of the lecturers’ strike, one of the worst in years. It has paralysed learning, disrupted research and stranded thousands of students. At the heart of this dispute is chronic underfunding of universities and the government’s persistent failure to honour CBAs,” Owino said.Owino further claimed the government owes lecturers Ksh7.9 billion from the 2017–2021 CBA and Ksh2.73 billion from phase II of the 2021–2025 agreement. Despite acknowledging the recent release of Ksh2.5 billion, Owino said students are now at risk of losing a semester while graduations and research have been pushed into uncertainty.
“This is not just about money—it is about misplaced priorities, where billions are going into corruption and patronage while our children suffer,” he added.
As the impasse continues, thousands of students in public universities are in limbo, with their academic calendar hanging in the balance. Ogamba said talks are ongoing to find a lasting solution and normalise higher education institutions.
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SRC Says Only Ksh624M Owed to Lecturers, Not Ksh7.9B