- University of Nairobi students blocked sections of Waiyaki Way, lighting bonfires and burning tyres as they demanded an end to the lecturers’ strike
- Students’ association president Ahmed Rashid called on Education CS Julius Ogamba to resign
- The nationwide strike, which began on October 2, stems from a dispute over the implementation of the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement
Harry Ivan Mboto is a Current Affairs and Politics Editor at TUKO.co.ke, covering general news. Mboto has five years of journalism experience and joined TUKO.co.ke in 2024
University of Nairobi students took to the streets on Wednesday, October 21, blocking sections of Waiyaki Way as they demanded an end to the ongoing lecturers’ strike and called for Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to resign.
Source: UGC
The students lit bonfires, burnt tyres and barricaded parts of the busy highway with stones, disrupting traffic and forcing motorists to seek alternative routes.
Carrying placards, twigs and whistles, the protesters chanted slogans and accused the government of failing to resolve the dispute between university lecturers and the state, leaving learners to bear the consequences.
Why are University of Nairobi students protesting?
The demonstrations followed a 72-hour ultimatum issued by the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA), which warned the government that students would take to the streets if the lecturers’ strike was not resolved.
In a statement on Friday, October 16, UNSA president Ahmed Rashid said learners would join protests if the government failed to address the dispute within the set deadline.
During Wednesday’s demonstrations, Rashid called on students across the country to unite in demanding accountability from the Ministry of Education.
“Comrades power! Chase Ogamba, chase! Ogamba must go. Our lecturers must be paid. I have been in school since 2017. I want to graduate,” he said.
Rashid urged students from other universities to join the push for a resolution, accusing education officials of failing learners whose academic programmes have been disrupted. The student leaders also threatened to stage daily demonstrations until lecturers were paid and the dispute was resolved.
They expressed concern that the prolonged industrial action had disrupted lectures and examinations, leaving some students uncertain about when they would complete their studies.
What caused the lecturers’ strike?
The nationwide lecturers’ strike began on October 2 after university staff unions accused the government of failing to make progress in implementing the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and other university staff unions are demanding negotiations, the signing of the agreement and its full implementation.
The agreement covers key employment terms, including salaries and allowances.
UASU secretary-general Constantine Wasonga has maintained that the deal must be supported by a clear financial commitment from the government, particularly the National Treasury.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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