๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ข๐ฒ๐๐ค๐ข ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ซ๐ฌโ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ค๐
A photo of UoN students blocking the road.Photo Courtesy of Capital FM
University of Nairobi (UoN) students on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, blocked sections of Waiyaki Way in Nairobi to demand an immediate end to the ongoing lecturersโ strike, disrupting traffic and forcing motorists to use alternative routes.
The demonstrators lit bonfires, burnt tyres and placed stones on parts of the busy highway, bringing traffic to a standstill in some sections.
According to images published online, some students carried placards, twigs and whistles as they chanted slogans during the protests.
The students said the strike had disrupted their studies, leaving them worried about missed lectures, examinations and possible delays in completing their academic programmes.
The demonstrations followed a 72-hour ultimatum issued by the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA) on Friday, October 16. The associationโs president, Ahmed Rashid, warned that students would take to the streets if the government failed to resolve the dispute by Wednesday, October 21.
Student leaders accused the government of failing to address lecturersโ grievances, arguing that learners should not suffer because of disagreements between university staff and the government.The nationwide lecturersโ strike began on October 2, 2026, after negotiations over the 2025โ2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) stalled.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and other university staff unions are demanding the negotiation, signing and full implementation of the agreement, which covers salaries, allowances and other employment conditions.
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga has maintained that the agreement must be supported by a clear financial commitment from the government, particularly the National Treasury, to ensure its implementation.
The strike has disrupted learning in public universities across the country as students and lecturers continue to call for a lasting solution to the dispute.
