Education CS Julius Migosi Appeals for Union Cooperation Amid Ongoing Lecturers’ Strike
Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba Migosi. (photo By Mbugu Harrison)
By Mbungu Harrison
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba Migosi, has called on university staff unions to accept the government’s proposed phased payment plan for the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) arrears, even as demands for his removal intensify amid the ongoing lecturers’ strike.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions (KATTI) National Championship Season Two games at the Kenya Coast National Polytechnic, CS Migosi reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing the issue within its available financial capacity.
The dispute stems from the 2017–2021 CBA, which was signed before Migosi’s appointment. Once the arrears issue emerged, the Ministry of Education engaged the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to verify the figures.
“The SRC initially assessed the outstanding amount at Sh624 million, while the unions claimed it was Sh7.9 billion. A joint verification later confirmed the correct amount at Sh7.7 billion,” said Migosi.
In response, the government proposed paying the arrears in three installments of Sh2.1 billion, Sh2.8 billion, and Sh2.8 billion over successive financial years. However, the unions rejected this proposal, demanding full payment upfront.
“Government finances are constrained by the budget process. This historical debt was not included in the 2025–2026 budget, which makes it impossible to pay the entire amount at once,” Migosi explained. “As a result, we have revised our offer to two payments of Sh3.8 billion each.”
The first tranche of Sh3.8 billion is slated to be paid through the upcoming supplementary budget, with the remaining balance set to be cleared in the 2026–2027 financial year.
Migosi urged the unions to consider the government’s financial limitations and resume teaching, emphasizing that the government’s offer was made in good faith. He pointed out that the government had already disbursed Sh9.7 billion under the 2021–2025 CBA, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to honoring agreements despite fiscal challenges.
“This government has continually met its obligations, even in the face of financial constraints,” Migosi said.
The CS also appealed to lecturers to end the strike, cautioning that the prolonged disruption would harm students who were not responsible for the pending arrears. “The students at universities today were not part of the 2017–2021 CBA. It is unfair to punish them for an issue they did not cause,” he remarked.
He assured that the government is balancing the financial demands of the unions with the academic progress of students and noted that institutions would make up for lost time through weekend and evening classes.
Migosi commended students for their patience and called on all stakeholders to embrace dialogue in order to safeguard the academic calendar.
This appeal comes amidst calls from the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) for Migosi’s removal, citing his failure to resolve the university deadlock.
COTU Coast Chapter, has called for the removal of Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba over his alleged failure to resolve the ongoing university lecturers’ strike that has paralyzed learning across the country.
COTU Coast Region Chairman Moris Ohanga said the Education CS should step aside, accusing him of incompetence and neglect in addressing the grievances raised by university lecturers.
The industrial action, now in its 49th day, has disrupted academic calendars in all public universities.
“If the minister cannot do his job and resolve these problems, we are requesting the President to remove him from the education docket. There is no way students can stay at home without learning, yet parents have paid school fees,” Ohanga stated.
Speaking during a joint meeting of various workers’ unions in Mombasa County under the aegis of the Transport Workers Allied Union, Ohanga lamented that the prolonged strike has taken a heavy toll on Kenya’s higher education system.
“Parents have paid fees, but since the opening of the semester, students have not been learning. Now they will be sent home again without completing their studies. This is unacceptable. We are asking the minister to come to the negotiating table with the lecturers and resolve this matter once and for all,” he added.
However, while speaking in Mombasa during the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions (KATTI) national championships held at the Kenya Coast Polytechnic, CS Ogamba dismissed calls for his resignation.
He claimed that the current crisis was inherited from his predecessors and assured the public that the government is working to find a lasting solution.
“The university dons must come to the table and engage constructively. What they are demanding is not captured in the 2025–26 budget, but we will consider settling the balance in the next budget cycle,”Ogamba said.
