Public universities are slowly returning to normalcy after the government agreed to release the first tranche of Ksh7.9 billion owed to lecturers, ending weeks of industrial action that paralysed learning nationwide.
The strike, which began on September 17, brought lecture halls to a standstill as lecturers demanded full implementation of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, citing years of unmet commitments. Campuses across the country were marked by protests, creative demonstrations and growing frustration among students.
As the standoff dragged on, students bore the brunt, with many forced to leave campus or seek side hustles to survive amid uncertainty over academic calendars.
After 49 days of disruption, pressure from Parliament, students and senior government officials forced a breakthrough. A Return-to-Work Formula was signed on November 5, paving the way for payment of the arrears in two phases the first by December 2025 and the balance by July 2026.
While learning has resumed, the crisis has once again exposed the chronic underfunding of public universities and the heavy cost of delayed government commitments on education.
