The crisis in public universities has taken a dramatic twist, with lecturers demanding punitive action against senior government officials for allegedly defying court rulings on salaries.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) has filed a contempt case against Education CS Julius Migos Ogamba, Treasury CS John Mbadi, and Labour CS Alfred Mutua, accusing them of ignoring orders by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
Also targeted are Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor, SRC Secretary Margaret Njoka, IPUCCF chair Prof Fred Barasa, and secretary Prof Daniel Mugendi. Uasu lawyer Titus Koceyo told Justice Stephen Radido that despite repeated court directions, the officials failed to process the second phase of the 2021–2025 CBA worth Sh2.73 billion.
The union insists that both the 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 CBAs have been partially implemented in breach of clear legal orders. In its petition, Uasu asks the court to jail the contemnors for six months or fine them for what it describes as “open defiance of judicial authority.”
The industrial action, which began on September 17, has brought academic activity in all public universities to a halt. Lecturers argue that without full compliance with court rulings, industrial peace cannot be restored.
Uasu has also dismissed Justice Radido’s suspension of the strike, accusing the government of creating a false impression that the Sh2.73 billion settlement resolves the dispute. “This matter is far from over,” said Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga, adding that the forum had misled the court.
As the wrangle persists, Uasu is pushing for a new 2025–2029 CBA featuring expanded allowances, higher salaries, improved benefits, and an increase in retirement age to 74. Graduate assistants could earn Sh86,000 while professors’ basic pay could rise to Sh305,000, excluding allowances.
With both sides locked in a stalemate, university education faces an uncertain future, leaving thousands of students stranded.
