Lecturers and non-teaching staff at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) have once again taken to the streets to protest unpaid salary arrears.
On Monday, the aggrieved employees gathered outside the institution, marching in solidarity while chanting slogans.
Some carried placards, while one protester dramatically bore a cross, symbolising their plight during the peaceful demonstrations.
The strike began on Thursday, January 23, following the expiry of a seven-day notice issued earlier.
Leading the protest, University Academic Staff Union (UASU) TUK Chapter Secretary-General Fred Savanje accused both the government and the university administration of neglecting their demands.
He highlighted several grievances, including unpaid salaries dating back to September 2024 and the university’s alleged failure to remit statutory deductions such as the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), and SACCO contributions.
“We are holding peaceful demonstrations daily, petitioning the relevant authorities to address our grievances. However, we have yet to receive any formal response from the institutions we petitioned,” Savanje stated.
He further emphasised the adverse impact of the strike on learning, warning that the protests would persist until their demands were met.
“As you can see, no learning is taking place, and this will continue in the coming days until the administration bows to pressure and releases our dues,” he declared.
A strike notice issued on January 16 had warned that lecturers and other university employees would down their tools if their grievances were not addressed.
This latest strike follows a recent warning from UASU over the government’s failure to implement the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
UASU Organising Secretary Onesmas Muluki said despite signing the agreement in 2024, the government has yet to fulfill the agreement including payment of November and December salaries for some lecturers.
"We agreed that new salaries for university lecturers would be implemented in December, including arrears for October and November. Instead, we went for Christmas without the promised salaries," Muluki said.