Constantine Wasonga serves as the Secretary General of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the body representing academic staff across Kenya’s public universities.
A seasoned educationist and union leader, Wasonga has become a prominent figure in the higher education sector, known for his consistent advocacy for better pay and working conditions for university lecturers.
He was elected as the Secretary General of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) in July 2021.
Constantine Wasonga Educational Background
He holds a Bachelor of Education (Arts) degree with teaching subjects in History and Religious Education, as well as a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Nairobi.
Wasonga holds a PhD in Education from Maseno University, where he also serves as a lecturer.
As of 2022, he was pursuing a second PhD focusing on higher education management.
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Career Background
Before joining university service, Wasonga taught in several secondary schools, including Maseno School, before transitioning into academia.
Since his election as UASU Secretary General, he has led multiple rounds of collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations with the government and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
His leadership has seen the union engage in several industrial actions aimed at securing improved terms for lecturers.
In 2018, Wasonga announced the end of a 78-day nationwide lecturers’ strike after the signing of a return-to-work formula that safeguarded university staff welfare and paved the way for renewed dialogue with the government.
Beyond union negotiations, he has represented UASU in legal petitions and court proceedings related to university staff rights and remuneration.
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In 2025, reports surfaced of internal disagreements within the union over the extension of his term.
A section of UASU’s officials protested against the amendment to the lobby group’s constitution, which scrapped the term limits of executive members.
The lecturers accused the UASU Secretary General, Constatine Wasonga, of spearheading the process that they claim is a plot he was using to extend his stay at the helm of the union’s leadership through “illegal and unethical” means.
However, the Employment and Labor Relations Court barred UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga from removing term limits for his position.
The court ordered the Registrar of Trade Unions and UASU to be served with the directive by August 13, warning of consequences for disobedience.
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