Talks to end Moi University lecturers’ strike collapse
By Aloys Michael, August 25, 2025Talks between Moi University management and the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) to end the lecturers’ strike have collapsed, with no deal reached after key disagreements.
The strike by lecturers at Moi University has entered its second week, with efforts to resolve the standoff between the university and the UASU hitting a deadlock.
UASU branch officials, led by Secretary Wegesa Busolo, said they met with Vice Chancellor Professor Kiplagat Kotut and his team in Nairobi, but the university’s offer fell far short of their demands.
“The management summoned us for what they said was consultation, but at the meeting in Nairobi, we could not agree on what they were offering for us to call off the strike,” Busolo spoke in a press briefing on Monday, August 25, 2025.
The lecturers are demanding payment of the delayed June and July 2025 salaries based on the negotiated 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). They are also pushing for the implementation of a Return-to-Work Formula signed with the university on November 30, 2024.
Busolo said UASU’s total demand includes over Ksh9 billion in arrears, of which Ksh5 billion is pension-related.
“The university has failed to remit our pension money for many years, and now many of our staff are retiring without any benefits,” Busolo stated.
Return to work formula
The union insists that the Return-to-Work Formula, which contains 25 clauses, has been completely ignored by the management.
“They have ignored all that we agreed, and we have decided that we will not engage in futile negotiations as we suffer,” he said.
He added that despite the appointment of a new university management and council, the situation had worsened.
“Since they came, what they did first was to declare some 120 lecturers as redundant,” he said, warning that staff morale had hit rock bottom.
The union also cited a lack of medical cover, promotions, and continued non-remittance of pension contributions for over five years.
UASU Vice Chairperson Linda Khaemba voiced concern over the impact of the standoff on staff dignity and student morale.
“We wonder what image we are giving to our young people who see their lecturers suffering without any dignity,” she said.
“It’s becoming difficult to go to class and tell our students to work hard… yet they can see how we are suffering.”
The union has vowed not to return to work until all their demands are met, including review of promotion policies and implementation of retirement benefits as agreed in the National CBA.