The National Treasury has appealed to university lecturers to accept their pending payments in instalments, citing the government’s current fiscal constraints and cash flow challenges.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Education on Tuesday to address the ongoing lecturers’ strike, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the government is unable to pay the Ksh7.9 billion owed to lecturers in a single lump sum.
Mbadi said the Ministry of Education had initially proposed settling the arrears in three instalments, a plan which the Treasury approved. However, the unions, Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), declined the offer.
“That’s when we revised the plan to two instalments; one in the 2025/2026 financial year and the other in 2026/2027,” Mbadi said, adding that the unions also turned down the revised proposal.
The Treasury boss emphasized that the government must remain realistic about its financial commitments to prevent disrupting the broader economy.
“We want to commit ourselves to an arrangement we can realistically sustain. Our economic stability is improving compared to last year, when we almost defaulted on our foreign debt,” Mbadi noted.
“I therefore urge lecturers to acknowledge the realities of our current economic situation and agree to a payment formula that is economically viable for the government.”
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba echoed the Treasury’s position, revealing that the striking lecturers refused to accept the staggered payments, insisting on a full settlement.
“They insist on being paid the full amount at once, despite our explanation that the money has not been budgeted for and that remains the current position,” Ogamba said.
Ogamba further disclosed that, according to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), only Ksh624 million of the demanded Ksh7.9 billion qualified as payable arrears.
“By that time, we had already disbursed Ksh200 million, leaving a balance of Ksh7.7 billion,” the CS added.
Despite the government’s explanation, UASU has vowed to maintain the strike until all payments are made in full. UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga insisted that lecturers will not return to class until the government honors its obligations.
Wesonga claimed that the government had reneged on agreements reached after previous industrial disputes, and he vowed that this time the union would not back down.
He further demanded that, beyond clearing the arrears, the government must negotiate, sign, register, and implement the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in full before lecturers resume teaching.
“We have seen this pattern before. The government signs agreements but fails to honor them. This time, we will not resume duty until the arrears are paid and the new CBA is implemented,” Wesonga stated.
As the standoff deepens, attention now turns to Parliament and the Treasury to see whether a compromise can be reached to end the strike that has disrupted learning in public universities nationwide.
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