The National Treasury has urged university lecturers to consider accepting their pending payments in installments due to the government’s current fiscal constraints and cash flow challenges. Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education on Tuesday to address the ongoing lecturers’ strike.
Mbadi explained that the government cannot pay the Ksh7.9 billion owed to lecturers in a single lump sum. The Ministry of Education initially proposed settling the arrears in three installments, which the Treasury approved. However, the lecturers’ unions, Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), declined the offer.
The Treasury revised the plan to two installments, one in the 2025/2026 financial year and the other in 2026/2027, but the unions rejected this proposal as well. Mbadi emphasized that the government must be 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 said. He urged lecturers to acknowledge the current economic situation and agree to a payment formula that is viable for the government.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba supported Mbadi’s stance, revealing that the striking lecturers refused to accept 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,” Ogamba said.
Ogamba also 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,” he added.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga maintained that lecturers will not return to class until the government honors its obligations. Wesonga claimed that the government had reneged on previous agreements and vowed that this time, the union would not back down.
“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. The standoff has disrupted learning in public universities nationwide, and attention now turns to Parliament and the Treasury to find a compromise.
