The employees of 31 public universities have vowed to continue with their strike until the national government honours their 2017-2021 collective bargaining agreement.
The Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) members said the government was unwilling to end the stalemate.
Led by Kusu Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya, the employees vowed to intensify their strike - which has entered its fourth week - by paralysing learning in public universities.
SILENT
"For a month now, the Ministry of Education and vice-chancellors of our universities have been silent on this issue. We will not call off the strike until our demands are met," said Mr Mukhwaya.
Addressing the union members on Tuesday at Moi University's main campus in Kesses, Uasin Gishu County, Mr Mukhwaya said: "The Cabinet Secretary for Education asked us to give the government one-and-a-half weeks. Three weeks have since elapsed, why should we call off the strike? We will continue with the strike because it is our constitutional right."
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The unionist took issue with the government for ignoring the plight of university employees.
PUBLIC SERVANTS
"University workers are the only public servants who are yet to enjoy their 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The rest of the public servants are already enjoying it," he said.
He said it was unfortunate that the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum had shown no interest in their quest for higher pay. Mr Mukhwaya said vice-chancellors had taken sides on the matter, adding that this was likely to divide the staff.
Meanwhile, the union's Organising Secretary Ernest Wayaya apologised to parents and students for the strike.
He explained that members were being forced to industrial action by insensitive employers and government.
AGREEMENT
The unionists, who also met their members working at the University of Eldoret, said that the government's reluctance to honour the lecturers' pay agreement was negatively affecting the lives of more than 600, 000 students, 27, 000 union members and thousands of parents.
A spot check by the Nation at both the University of Eldoret and Moi University found that no learning was going on at the two institutions.
The students, who spoke to the Nation, blamed the government and the universities for the strike.
"Some of us should be graduating in the course of the year, but as things are, we will have to wait longer because of the government's failure to reach an agreement with our lecturers," said a student at the University of Eldoret.
