Students at Maasai Mara University have called on the national government to urgently intervene and resolve the ongoing lecturers’ strike that has brought learning to a standstill in public universities across the country.
The students — many of whom joined the institution in August this year — expressed frustration over the academic disruption, saying they are already falling behind in their coursework.
“We’ve barely settled into our first semester, and now we are being told classes are suspended. Some of us haven’t even had a single lecture in key units,” said Brian Kiprotich, a first-year student pursuing a degree in Education.
Speaking at the campus, they also highlighted the personal toll the strike is taking, including financial strain due to prolonged stays on campus without learning activities.
“We come from humble backgrounds. Our parents have sacrificed a lot to get us here, and now we’re stuck, spending money every day with no classes,” said Mary Naserian, another student. “We’re not asking for much—just a chance to study.”
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The ongoing industrial action was triggered after the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied workers (KUDHEIHA) issued a seven-day strike notice.
They down their tools after the government failed to address their concern saying that government’s failure to honour signed Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) has affected them greatly.
Although the strike had already paralysed learning in several institutions for two consecutive days, the Employment and Labour Relations Court has since issued orders suspending the industrial action.
However, students at Maasai Mara remain cautious.
“Even with the court suspension, we don’t know when learning will actually resume. We want a long-term solution, not just temporary fixes every time there’s a disagreement,” added Kiprotich.
The students are now urging both the government and union officials to sit down and resolve the issues amicably to ensure the academic calendar is not further disrupted.
As the situation unfolds, public universities across the country remain on edge, with thousands of students caught in the crossfire between lecturers and the
By KIMUTAI LANGAT
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