The Ministry of Education has stepped in to address the concerns raised by students from the University of Nairobi (UoN), following a protest held on Monday, July 21.
On that day, hundreds of UoN students marched to the Ministry’s headquarters at Jogoo House in Nairobi, demanding an urgent review of what they described as unaffordable accommodation charges at the university.
Education Principal Secretary (PS) Beatrice Inyangala responded to the protest by assuring students that the Ministry is committed to resolving the matter. She announced plans to hold a dialogue with student leaders to reach a peaceful and practical solution.
According to PS Inyangala, past interactions between government officials and student representatives have shown that open dialogue often leads to meaningful agreements.
“We are calling on the students to come to the table,” Inyangala said. “From experience, whenever we engage student leaders in open discussions, the outcome is always positive and peaceful.”
The students, however, were firm in their petition. They demanded that the university immediately reduce its accommodation fees. They warned that if their demands are not met, they will stage more aggressive protests.
They expressed anger over the sharp increase in hostel fees — from Ksh 6,000 in 2021 to Ksh 43,000 currently — a hike they described as unreasonable and unaffordable for the average student.
Student leaders further urged incoming first-year students to delay reporting to campus until the fee issue is addressed.
Patrick Owino, Chairperson of the UoN Council of Governors, stated: “We’ve tried resolving this matter internally, but the university management has continuously ignored our concerns. Today, we’ve submitted an official petition to the Education Principal Secretary, and she has pledged action.”
He added, “Our expectations are straightforward — by the time first years are admitted, the accommodation fee must be reduced.”
Owino also accused the UoN administration of using delay tactics to avoid solving the problem, further escalating frustration among students.
In addition to the demand for lower housing fees, the students are also calling on the university to establish a fully functional University Council to ensure better governance and accountability.
The students warned that if their grievances continue to be ignored, they will organize widespread protests that could bring Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) to a standstill by disrupting transport and paralyzing businesses.
The Ministry now faces pressure to act swiftly to prevent potential unrest in one of Kenya’s most prominent public universities.
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