CS for education Migosi Ogamba……Photo /courtesy
By IP Reporter
NAIROBI, Kenya (Sept. 16, 2025)
Classes ground to a halt in public universities across Kenya as lecturers began a nationwide strike, leaving thousands of students stranded barely weeks into the new semester.
Lecture halls and libraries stood empty as the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) directed its members to withdraw their services after talks with the government over salary arrears collapsed.
The disruption has thrown academic calendars into uncertainty with students voicing fears of delayed exams and extended semesters.
Many institutions were still recovering from the effects of last year’s two-week strike.
“This is devastating,” said a third-year student at the University of Nairobi. “We had just settled back into classes, and now everything is on hold again.”
Union leaders say lecturers are owed billions of shillings under past collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), and they accuse the government of repeatedly making promises without action.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said dons would not return to class until their demands are met.
The Ministry of Education has yet to issue a formal response, but government officials in past disputes have cited budget constraints.
For now, the strike leaves students in limbo, unsure when learning will resume or whether the semester will be salvaged.
