The long-running pay standoff in public universities has escalated after the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) moved to court seeking the imprisonment of three Cabinet Secretaries. The union accuses Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba, Treasury CS John Mbadi, and Labour CS Alfred Mutua of contempt for failing to implement court directives on salary arrears.
In a case filed by lawyer Titus Koceyo, Uasu argues that the officials blatantly ignored a ruling directing the payment of Phase II arrears under the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The arrears, totaling Sh2.73 billion, remain unpaid despite a July 2020 court judgment also requiring the full settlement of the 2017–2021 CBA.
Other officials cited include Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor, Salaries and Remuneration Commission Secretary Margaret Njoka, Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) chair Prof Fred Simiyu Barasa, and forum secretary Prof Daniel Mugendi. The union wants them compelled to appear in court on October 6, 2025, to explain their actions.
Uasu maintains the officials should face a six-month jail term or pay fines of Sh200,000 each for contempt. The strike, which began on September 17, has paralyzed teaching and research across all public universities.
The union is also contesting a recent court order suspending the strike following Ogamba’s announcement of the release of the Sh2.73 billion arrears. Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga insists the matter remains unresolved and accused IPUCCF of misleading the court by hiding crucial facts about the CBAs.
Meanwhile, Uasu continues to push for the conclusion of a new 2025–2029 CBA, which proposes higher salaries, allowances, extended retirement age, and enhanced benefits. If approved, the package could see top professors take home nearly Sh1 million monthly by 2029.
The court battle now sits at the center of the industrial dispute, with Uasu vowing not to return to class until all agreements are fully implemented.
