Police Disperse UoN Students Protesting Lecturers’ Strike Along Waiyaki Way

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 21 – Police have dispersed University of Nairobi students who staged protests along Waiyaki Way on Wednesday, demanding an immediate resolution to the ongoing lecturers’ strike that has disrupted learning in public universities.

The demonstrations disrupted traffic along the busy Nairobi highway as students expressed frustration over the prolonged closure of lecture halls and uncertainty surrounding the resumption of academic activities.

The protesters called on the government and university lecturers’ unions to resolve the impasse, warning that students were bearing the brunt of the industrial action through missed lectures, delayed examinations and interruptions to their academic programmes.

The protests followed an ultimatum issued by the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA), which had given the government until Wednesday, October 21, to address the dispute or face student demonstrations.

Students said the continued strike had left them unable to proceed with their studies as scheduled, raising concerns about possible delays in completing their courses and graduating.

The University of Nairobi students have accused the government of failing to resolve the dispute between university staff unions and the relevant authorities.

UNSA President Ahmed Rashid Burrow previously called on the Ministry of Education to address the lecturers’ grievances, insisting that students should not continue suffering because of the unresolved labour dispute.

“Our lecturers must be paid; the Ministry of Education has failed us,” Burrow said during an earlier address on the strike.

The students have urged the government to engage the lecturers’ unions and agree on a settlement that would allow normal academic activities to resume.

The industrial action has raised concerns over the progress of university programmes, with students facing uncertainty over teaching schedules, examinations and graduation timelines.

The nationwide lecturers’ strike began on October 2, 2026, following disagreements between university staff unions and the government over the implementation of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) are among the unions involved in the dispute.

The unions have pressed for the implementation of agreed employment terms, including salary adjustments, allowances and other financial commitments.

They have also demanded a firm commitment from the government on funding the agreement, maintaining that the dispute cannot be resolved without concrete assurances on the outstanding issues.

Negotiations between the unions and government representatives have so far failed to produce a settlement acceptable to the lecturers.

UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga has maintained that the strike will continue following the collapse of talks held on October 12.

The union rejected the government’s counter-offer, arguing that it did not adequately address its demands.

The prolonged industrial action has disrupted academic programmes across public universities, leaving students uncertain about when normal learning will resume.

Students have raised concerns about missed lectures, postponed examinations and the possibility of delayed graduation, particularly for those approaching the completion of their studies.

The strike has also intensified pressure on the Ministry of Education and university staff unions to reach an agreement and prevent further disruption to the academic calendar.

The demonstrations along Waiyaki Way mark an escalation in student frustration, with learners increasingly demanding that their academic interests be prioritised in negotiations.

The immediate challenge remains finding a lasting solution to the labour dispute to allow lecturers to return to classrooms and students to resume their studies.

With the strike continuing, students are urging the government and university unions to reach an agreement without further delay.