University of Nairobi students give Gov't 72 hours to end lecturers’ strike

The University of Nairobi (UoN) students want the lecturers strike resolved in the next 72 hours, failure to which they will go to the streets in protests.

The University of Nairobi Students’ Association (UNSA) leadership says the government has failed to address the deteriorating situation in public institutions that has paralysed learning.

At the same time, students in some of the public universities continue to decry the effects of the lecturer’s strike on their academic and social lives.

For nearly two weeks now, lecturers from public universities across the country, under the umbrella of Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU), have traded the lecture halls for the streets and grounds of various institutions.

They have switched from teaching to protesting what they say is the failure of the government to honour its obligations to them, including the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of 2027 2029, non-payment of arrears amongst other things

Students are now set to join the fray, with UNSA leaders saying the situation as it is now cannot hold any further.

UNSA President Ahmed Rashid said: “Tunasema Wednesday kama strike haijaisha we will go to the streets.”

The students say the strike is taking a toll on both their academics and their pockets.

UNSA Chief of Staff Michael Soi noted: “There are students who are supposed to be sitting for their exams, for example pharmacy students, but they are not sitting.”

“Students are plunged into depression, students are sinking into taking drugs, students are idle,” The association Secretary General Tony Ochieng added.

Richard Orombe, a student at Machakos University, said: “This strike has distorted our learning and has forced some students to go back home, and again it is harmful to our parents who are paying rent and students can’t manage to go to class.”

The students are now calling on the government to its word to the lecturers and pay their dues.

But aside from the strike, the students are also grappling with issues to do with funding, they say they need clarity on the funding model.

The talks between government and the striking lecturers have not been successful, pushing the strike into yet another week.