NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 21- The future of students in public universities hangs in the balance as university lecturers vow to continue their ongoing strike, leaving academic schedules in disarray.
The strike, led by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), has paralyzed learning across all public universities from September27, despite the government’s partial payment of 2.5 billion shillings toward the lecturers’ outstanding arrears.
Students are caught in a precarious situation, with their educational progress hindered by the strikes and the unpredictability of academic calendars.
Cynthia, a first-year student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, shared her concerns, noting that the strike began just one week after her admission.
She explained that some courses have yet to be introduced due to the absence of lecturers, and that no learning has taken place at the university for the past week.
“It’s incredibly unfortunate that the strike started just after we were admitted. We haven’t even started some of our units, and it’s been over a week since learning stopped. We urge the government to engage in negotiations with our lecturers so that we can resume our studies. Meanwhile, our peers in private universities are continuing their education. How are we supposed to catch up?” Cynthia lamented.
The situation is even more dire at Maseno University, where the strike has resulted in lecturers gathering in lecture halls and university corridors, engaging in discussions rather than teaching.
This has left students in confusion, with the responsibility for their education largely falling on their shoulders.
Ian, a final-year communication and media student at Maseno University, spoke out about the disadvantages students are facing due to the ongoing strike. He emphasized that, as seniors, they are at a critical juncture where the guidance of their lecturers is essential for the completion of their academic projects.
“We are in our final year with several important projects that need supervision. But since the lecturers are on strike, we have no one to guide us,” Ian said. “The government must urgently call for negotiations with UASU to resolve this issue and agree on a plan to pay the pending arrears.”
Lecturers are accusing the government of failing to honor two collective bargaining agreements — one covering the period from 2017 to 2021, and the other from 2022 to 2025 — amounting to over 7.9 billion shillings. They have made it clear that they will not end the strike until their outstanding arrears are paid.
By Eric Malala
