Breaking news! Lectures strike called off!

University lecturers have called off the strike after 49 days.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba this morning was locked in a high-stakes closed-door meeting with leaders of public university unions as the government races to end the ongoing strike that has crippled learning across the country.

The meeting, convened by Ogamba, began at 8am at Jogoo House and brings together top officials from the University Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and KUDEIHA.

The meeting followed a tense but promising session with the National Assembly Education Committee yesterday, where unions signaled they were open to compromise, but only if the government meets key demands.

UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga told MPs the union would convene its members within 48 hours to reconsider elements of the industrial action, a rare softening of stance after weeks of stalemate.

However, Wasonga demanded a formal apology from the Ministry of Education over what union officials termed intimidation of striking staff.

He also insisted on an 80:20 payment plan for arrears, 80 percent immediately and the balance later, rejecting the government's earlier 50:50 proposal.

“We cannot accept an arrangement that results in recurring strikes every time there's a phase of payment,” Wasonga told lawmakers.

This, as he warned that partial settlement without clear timelines would only fuel more disruption.

KUSU Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya took issue with university leadership, accusing vice-chancellors of poor planning and failure to budget for CBAs, which he said contributed to the stalemate.

He urged Parliament to press universities to improve governance and financial management.

The unions further demanded immediate commencement of negotiations for the 2025-2029 CBA, while insisting that full implementation of the current and previous agreements was non-negotiable.

Committee Chair Julius Melly urged both parties to find middle ground, warning that prolonged closure of universities threatened the academic calendar, research programmes and graduation timelines.