Higher Education PS Beatrice Muganda announces end of lecturers’ strike
By Steve Ireri, November 5, 2025Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Muganda Inyangala has announced the official end of the nationwide lecturers’ strike, paving the way for classes to resume and restoring hope for thousands of students who had been left stranded.
In a post on X on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, the PS likened the end of the lecturers’ strike to the long-awaited sight of white smoke rising above a conclave.
She expressed excitement that after weeks of silence and frustration across campuses, learning would finally resume and the sounds of academic life would once again echo through lecture halls and libraries.
“White smoke at last! Kenya’s lecturers strike ends classrooms to reopen, hopes restored for thousands of students. #EducationForAll #Kenya,” Inyangala wrote.
Inyangala then shared photos of herself with Education Cabinet Secretary Dr Migos Ogamba and other education sector stakeholders in a high-level meeting.
The images captured moments of calm and relief, including one where CS Ogamba was seen shaking hands with senior officials, a gesture that signified a consensus had finally been reached after weeks of tension.
UASU standoff
The breakthrough comes after a drawn-out standoff between the government and university lecturers under the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU).
The strike had paralysed academic activities nationwide, following UASU’s rejection of the government’s phased payment plan for Ksh7.9 billion owed to lecturers.
The impasse escalated last week after UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga announced that the strike would continue until the entire amount was paid in full and a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was signed and implemented.
The union’s National Executive Council and National Delegates Conference had also backed the hardline stance, insisting that lecturers do not “disseminate knowledge in phases,” and therefore would not accept payment in phases either.
The government, on its part, had proposed to clear the arrears in two instalments while committing to fast-track negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA.
After several rounds of talks, both sides finally agreed on a path forward, culminating in Wednesday’s announcement by Dr Inyangala.