UoN students block Waiyaki Way, demand end to lecturers’ strike

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 21 — University of Nairobi students on Wednesday blocked sections of Waiyaki Way with burning tyres and stones, disrupting traffic as they protested a prolonged lecturers’ strike that has paralysed learning in public universities.

The demonstrators called for the immediate resolution of the labour dispute, warning that the continued closure of classrooms was disrupting their academic programmes and leaving students idle.

“We want to go to class as soon as possible. That is why we are on the streets today,” a third-year student said, adding that students were suffering from the prolonged disruption.

University of Nairobi Students Association President Amed Rashid and other student leaders also demanded the resignation of Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, accusing him of failing to resolve the recurring lecturers’ strikes.

“Our lecturers must be paid. Our Education Minister has failed us. We want to go back to class,” Rashid said.

The protests also turned tense along Uhuru Highway, where students were involved in running battles with a group described by witnesses as boda boda operators, as the demonstrations disrupted movement in parts of the Nairobi central business district.

The unrest comes amid a continuing standoff between university workers and the government over the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and funding for staff salaries.

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has maintained that the strike will continue after negotiations with the government collapsed, saying the latest offer did not adequately address its demands.

UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the October 12 meeting involving university unions and the government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee ended without an agreement.

“The talks have collapsed. The strike therefore continues,” Wasonga said.

The union has demanded a revised offer and a firm government commitment to fund salaries in public universities, while faulting the National Treasury for failing to attend the negotiations.

​Bruhan Makong is a Senior News Reporter for Capital FM in Nairobi, covering diplomacy, foreign policy, national security, climate, and human rights across East Africa and the wider region.