University of Nairobi (UoN) students staged new protests on Tuesday, October 27, blocking part of Waiyaki Way and disrupting traffic as they demanded an end to the ongoing lecturers’ strike.
The protesters lit bonfires, burnt tyres and used stones to barricade sections of the highway after moving from Museum Hill towards Parklands, forcing motorists to turn back or seek alternative routes.
Police officers moved in to disperse the crowd, firing tear gas that sent students running in different directions. Images and videos seen by The Kenya Times showed protesters scrambling for safety as motorists turned around to avoid the affected sections of the road.
Officers later began removing the barricades to restore traffic flow along the busy highway.
The latest demonstrations come less than a week after a similar protest on October 21, when UoN students blocked sections of Waiyaki Way over the lecturers’ strike and the disruption of academic activities.
Students Demand End to Lecturers’ Strike
The students took to the streets on October 21 to express frustration over the lecturers’ strike, which has disrupted lectures and examinations and left many uncertain about when they will complete their studies.
Also Read: UoN Addresses Notice Ordering Students to Leave University
Some protesters carried placards, twigs and whistles while calling on the government to address the lecturers’ grievances and allow learning to resume.
The protests followed a 72-hour ultimatum issued by the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA), which called on the government to resolve the dispute.
In a statement on Friday, October 16, UNSA President Ahmed Rashid warned that students would join street demonstrations if the government failed to find a solution within the deadline.
UNSA leaders said the prolonged dispute had paralysed learning in public universities, leaving some students unable to sit their scheduled examinations.
“There are students who are supposed to be sitting for their exams, for example, pharmacy students, but they are not sitting,” UNSA Chief of Staff Michael Soi said.
The association’s Secretary General, Tony Ochieng, also raised concerns about the impact of the disruption on students.
“Students are plunged into depression, students are sinking into taking drugs, students are idle,” Ochieng said.
Why UoN Students Are Protesting
The demonstrations come as lecturers continue their nationwide strike, which began on October 2 over the implementation of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Also Read: Traffic Snarl-Up as University Students Protest in Nairobi, Block Roads
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and other university staff unions want the government to negotiate and fully implement the agreement, which covers salaries, allowances and other employment terms.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga has maintained that the government must back the agreement with a clear financial commitment, particularly from the National Treasury.
The dispute has disrupted academic activities at the University of Nairobi and other public universities, prompting students to demand an end to the impasse.
Ogamba Urges Lecturers to Return to Work
The lecturers’ strike has continued despite Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba’s appeal for them to return to work as talks over unresolved issues continue.
Speaking during the 10th graduation ceremony at Thika Technical Training Institute on Friday, October 23, Ogamba said the government had cleared historical salary arrears under previous collective bargaining agreements and was willing to address outstanding matters under the current deal.
“For our universities, the Government has demonstrated its commitment to staff welfare by clearing all arrears under the 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreements. As we speak today, there are no historical arrears under any Collective Bargaining Agreements,” Ogamba said.
The Cabinet Secretary urged university staff to return to work while discussions continued, warning that prolonged disruption could affect students’ education.
“My plea to our university staff is this: let us not unduly interrupt the education of our students over matters that the Government has already demonstrated willingness and readiness to address,” he said.
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