Wafula, Richard Makhanu2023-07-122023-07-122020Wafula, R. M. (2020). Leading an Academic Staff Union as a Middle-level Academic (2003–2013). Journal of Higher Education in Africa/Revue de l'enseignement supérieur en Afrique, 18(2), 147-166.0851–7762http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/26186ArticleThis article examines the emergence of the author as a leader of the Universities Academic Staff Union at a university in East Africa. Using the role, resource and constraint-based theories as well as autoethnography, which is a sub-category of qualitative research, the author traces the intellectual and political ferment that enabled him to become a unionist. From the discussion that emanated from the data he collected, from memos, newspaper articles and personal memories, it became increasingly clear that as a unionist his story demonstrates tensions, contestations and in some cases expensive trade-offs. Overall, there were actions that he performed well and others that he would implement differently were he given a second chance to lead the unionenautoethnographyUniversities Academic Staff Unionprotest literatureArticle