Students Vow to Shut Down University of Nairobi as Lecturers Hold Results

The University of Nairobi (UoN) students are protesting after lecturers withheld their examination results due to salary arrears.

In images seen by The Kenya Times on Wednesday, September 3, the students had barricaded sections of roads at the junction between State House Road and Nyerere Road and set them on fire.

On Monday, September 1, the students issued a strike notice declaring that no learning activities would commence this week in any faculty of the university unless their demands are met.

“We, therefore, declare that no learning activity shall commence this week in any faculty of the University unless the following are streamlined,” the letter read in part.

“A communique and resolution addressing all the above concerns must be done by close of business Tuesday this week. We hereby issue a strike notice: beginning wednesday this week, there will be a total shutdown of all faculties.”

University of Nairobi Students on Strike

The letter, signed by UNSA Secretary General Wasike Elisha, stated that withholding results and denying students their rightful marks is halting their dreams.

The union demanded the immediate release of all pending results and missing marks across faculties, with full reflection of the same in the student portals.

They also sought clear timelines and alternative arrangements for students who missed supplementary or special exams due to delayed results.

Also Read: University Student Gifted Ksh100,000 for Naming New Auditorium

At the same time, the union called for the immediate release of results for students whose marks are being withheld due to delayed government fee component disbursements.

Students’ Grievances

The students also demanded the resolution of all graduation-related issues caused by the delays.

“It is cognizant to all that the University Senate set the official date for the resumption of studies as September 1, which is today,” the statement read in part. “However, it is equally evident that in a number of faculties, students are yet to receive their academic results.”

They claimed that over half of the university’s faculties are experiencing critical academic disruptions.

“Results are an integral component of the academic cycle, marking confirmation for students to progress to the next level,” the union said.

“Missing marks have been a perpetual dilemma. It has cost students their graduation, internships, scholarships, and, for some, an entire academic year, as they cannot sit supplementary exams once the timelines have elapsed.”

The union stated that this move contravenes the provisions of the University of Nairobi Charter, Part II, Section 6(1)(j) and shows disregard for a whole host of basic institutional norms.

Also Read: University of Nairobi Lecturers Hold Students Results Over Salary Delays

UoN Faculty Governor Urges Students to Speak Out as Results Withheld

Shem Muguna, Governor of the Built Environment and Design Faculty at UoN, lamented that students have paid their fees and fulfilled their part of the bargain, yet many still have not received their results.

“No explanations. No accountability. Just silence. We are being denied access to education—not because we failed, not because we didn’t pay, but because the system failed us,” he said.

“This is not just an inconvenience. It is a violation of our rights. It is a betrayal of every student who sacrificed, struggled, and showed up with hope.”

He emphasized that education is a right for all, not a privilege for a few and declared that students would no longer remain silent in lecture halls, but instead stand together, speak out, and demand what is rightfully theirs.

He said students are not merely learners but “voices, power, and the future”.

The governor warned against mistaking their silence for surrender or their patience for weakness, stating that this moment is one for unity rather than anger.

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