- The University of Nairobi Students’ Association 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.
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.