Editor's Review

 Ogamba has asked lecturers to respect court orders and return to work amid the ongoing nationwide strike.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has asked lecturers to return to work amid the ongoing nationwide strike.

Speaking on Monday, October 5, CS Ogamba told lecturers that the government is committed to implementing the terms of the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on time.

He asked them not only to respect the court orders but also to act in good faith, saying President William Ruto's government had already resolved arrears from past CBA agreements.

"As we speak today, all arrears under the 2017-2021 and 2021-2025 CBAs have been fully cleared. It is with this same spirit that we are committed to timely negotiations and conclusion of all future CBAs, including the 2025-2029 CBA.

"I therefore call upon all university staff unions and the individual lecturers to reciprocate this good faith, obey court orders and return to work," the CS urged the university dons.

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A file photo of UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga

Ogamba pleaded with the lecturers not to interrupt the education of university students over matters that the government has demonstrated it is willing to resolve at the negotiation table.

Earlier, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga slammed the government for threatening to sack lecturers if they did not return to work.

"You cannot joke with people who have gone to school. You want to scare us with sacking? Dons can teach anywhere in the world, and we are very few," Wasonga stated.

Lecturers affiliated to the Universities' Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) declared a strike last week following failed talks between the unions and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).

The lecturers accused IPUCCF of submitting recommendations to the Ministry of Education and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission without negotiating with them.

The unions also rejected a proposed Ksh9.7 billion settlement, adding that they had not negotiated for the aforementioned amount.

Some of the key issues the university dons want addressed include unilateral decisions on salaries, terms of service and working conditions.