Staff unions at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) have officially begun a strike over delays in implementing the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), university funding and changes to negotiated human resource instruments.
The strike, involving academic and non-academic staff, kicked off on Friday, with the unions saying they will remain off duty until the government addresses their demands.
Speaking during the strike launch, Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) TUM chapter secretary Professor Ochieng Odalo said the government had failed to honour an agreement reached last year to negotiate, sign, register and implement the new CBA.
Odalo said the unions had expected the government to begin negotiations within an agreed 30-day period.
“We are on strike for mainly three issues,” Odalo said.
He also opposed proposals that would require public universities to use students’ fees to pay staff salaries, arguing that university employees are public officers whose remuneration should be funded by the government.
Odalo further raised concerns over the proposed Higher Education Placement and Funding Bill, saying it should clearly provide for the financing of university operations and staff salaries through government allocations.
The unions are also protesting changes made to human resource instruments that had been negotiated between staff representatives and university management.
Odalo called for the documents to be reopened for negotiations before being forwarded to the Public Service Commission.
Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) TUM chapter deputy secretary Ichingwa Justus said the dispute over the 2025–2029 CBA had continued despite assurances given during an earlier strike.
“We have given our offer. The government side has not brought their offer,” Justus said.
He said the unions want the CBA negotiated, signed, registered and implemented in full, including payment of outstanding dues owed to university staff.
Justus also rejected the proposal to finance staff salaries through students’ fees, maintaining that university employees are public servants and should be funded through government resources.
KUSU TUM chapter deputy treasurer Ritah Mong’ina said the unions would not withdraw the strike until their grievances are addressed.
“KUSU, UASU, and KUDHEIHA have given out their reasons, and those reasons should be heard,” Mong’ina said.
KUDHEIHA representative Joseph Musyoka said the union had issued a strike notice but the government had not responded to its concerns.
The strike comes amid continued disputes over funding, staff remuneration and collective bargaining in Kenya’s public universities.
The unions said staff will remain off duty until the government responds to their demands.