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UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said on Thursday that the strike followed the failure by university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury to honour a Return-to-Work Formula signed in November 2025.
The warning came as Parliament continued its scrutiny of financial decisions made by schools, with principals being required to explain why they introduced extra payments without clearance from the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry of Education opened the Grade 10 selection process on August 24, 2026, giving learners until September 11 to make their choices through the Selection and Placement System.
The union is also calling for action on the proposed 2026 Career Progression Guidelines, which it says have faced delays in approval and budgeting by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba said the extension was approved after the ministry noted that some eligible students and trainees had been unable to submit their applications within the initial period.
The fire broke out in the early hours of May 28 as students were asleep. Authorities said it began on the first floor of one of the dormitories, which was later completely destroyed.
Ruto had nominated Sossion and Lentoijoni to fill vacant positions at the commission following a period when the TSC had fewer members than required.
The 2026 examination cycle comes as the education sector continues to implement reforms under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), while KCSE remains in place for secondary school candidates.
Homa Bay County Education Director Eunice Khaemba said schools were witnessing an increase in learners facing mental health challenges, adding that many of them come from homes where parents are also dealing with depression and anxiety.
While unveiling the policy at State House, Nairobi, on July 21, President Ruto said free university education would be anchored in the Higher Education Loans Board (Amendment) Bill, 2026, adding that it had already been submitted to Parliament.
Data from the Ministry of Education shows that more than 330 cases of student unrest have been reported since April, among them 95 school fires and dozens of attempted arson incidents. The violence claimed the lives of 18 learners, making the period one of the deadliest school terms in recent years.
The Ministry of Education says recruitment in Kenya’s public TVET institutions follows constitutional requirements on diversity and equal opportunity. Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba told a Senate committee that all 47 counties are represented in the TVET workforce and outlined trainer hiring processes, audits and planned human resource instr