University of Nairobi students on Wednesday afternoon staged protests along Waiyaki Way, disrupting traffic as they demanded an immediate end to the ongoing lecturers' strike.
The students lit bonfires, burnt tyres, and barricaded sections of the highway using stones, forcing motorists to seek alternative routes as vehicles struggled to pass through the affected area.
While protesting, the students said the prolonged lecturers' strike had significantly affected their studies, prompting them to take to the streets to demand a quick resolution to the dispute.
Images obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed a section of students holding placards, twigs and whistles as they demonstrated along the road while chanting slogans to pressure the government to address the dispute.
The demonstrations came amid an ongoing lecturers' strike that has disrupted learning at the university, leaving students concerned about delays in their academic programmes.
The demonstrations come less than a week after the university’s students’ association issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the government, warning that they would take to the streets if the strike was not resolved.
In a statement on Friday, October 16, University of Nairobi Students Association President Ahmed Rashid said students would join the protests if the government failed to resolve the dispute within the deadline.
The student leaders accused the government of failing to address lecturers' grievances, saying learners should not continue bearing the consequences of a dispute between university staff and the state.
UNSA also raised concerns about students missing lectures and examinations, with some facing uncertainty over when they would complete their studies.
The nationwide lecturers' strike began on October 2, after university staff unions said the government had failed to make progress in implementing the 2025-2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and other staff unions are demanding the negotiation, signing and full implementation of the agreement, which covers employment terms, salaries and allowances.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga has insisted that the agreement must be backed by a clear financial commitment from the government, and in particular, the National Treasury.