Treasury has urged lecturers to accept their owed payments in instalments due to existing fiscal constraints.

While appearing before the Education Parliamentary Committee on the lecturers' strike on Tuesday, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said that the government is cash-strapped and cannot foot the owed Ksh.7.9 billion at once.

CS Mbadi said that the Ministry of Education had requested approval of the payments in three instalments, which was approved, but it was declined by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU).

"That’s when we revised the plan to two instalments — one in the 2025/2026 financial year and the other in 2026/2027," he said, adding that the proposal was also rejected.

Mbadi said that the exchequer has to commit to realistic payment plans to also allow the government to settle owed payments while still keeping the economy afloat.

"We want to commit ourselves to an arrangement we can realistically sustain. Our economic stability is improving compared to last year, when we almost defaulted on our foreign debt," Mbadi noted.

Read Also: "The Strike Is Still On" KUSU SG Dr Charles Mukhwaya Insists

"I therefore urge lecturers to acknowledge the realities of our current economic situation and agree to a payment formula that is economically viable for the government.”

On his part, Education CS Julius Ogamba said that striking unions declined the proposal to receive payments in instalments, forcing the ministry to go back to the drawing board.

"They insist on being paid the full amount at once, despite our explanation that the money has not been budgeted for — and that remains the current position,” he said.

He intimated that out of the demanded Ksh.7.9 billion, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) said that only Ksh.624 million was payable as arrears.

"By that time, we had already disbursed Ksh.200 million, leaving a balance of Ksh.7.7 billion," CS Ogamba added.

UASU has maintained that lecturers will abandon lecture rooms until the amount is paid in a lump sum.

UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga previously noted that the terms must be met before the striking lecturers resume their duties.

He pointed out how the government is fond of reneging on its agreement in past strikes, vowing that they would not budge until the government settled the decade-long payment.

Aside from the payment of the Ksh.7.9 billion forthwith, Wesonga maintained that the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) must be negotiated, signed, registered and implemented in totality.