The University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA) has issued a stark ultimatum to the university management calling for a reduction of exorbitant accommodation fees or face a shutdown of the university and disruptions in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The students’ grievances are not new, they lament deplorable hostel conditions, delayed academic results, and an administrative system buckling under its own weight. This latest threat of a strike is a symptom of a deeper malaise afflicting UoN and Kenya’s public universities at large.
The decline of these institutions, once pillars of academic excellence, raises urgent questions about the state of higher education in Kenya and the systemic failures that have allowed this erosion to continue. The University of Nairobi’s troubles are not an isolated phenomenon but a reflection of a broader crisis in Kenya’s public higher education sector.
What Happened At The University of Nairobi?
The students’ demands, articulated in a fiery statement by UNSA center on accommodation fees that have soared to Ksh. 42,000 per semester, a figure deemed exploitative by students struggling to make ends meet.
“Accommodation fees must fall. If they don’t, there will be no UoN,” declared one student leader.
The hostels, described as dilapidated and overcrowded, are a far cry from the conducive living spaces students expect. Reports of leaking roofs, inadequate sanitation, and unreliable electricity have surfaced repeatedly, painting a grim picture of neglect at the University of Nairobi. This is not the first time such complaints have emerged.
In 2021, students protested a fee hike that saw accommodation charges rise from Ksh. 5,460 to Ksh. 40,320 per semester, a sevenfold increase that sparked demonstrations swiftly quashed by police teargas. The echoes of those protests resonate in today’s unrest, suggesting a cycle of unresolved grievances.
The financial strain on students is compounded by broader economic challenges. The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), a lifeline for many, has been slow to disburse funds forcing students to rely on well-wishers to afford UoN’s fees.
In 2021, the university reported that 1,971 government-sponsored students failed to report for the September-December semester, likely deterred by fees that had nearly doubled from Ksh. 26,500 to Ksh. 59,000 annually for undergraduates. Self-sponsored programs saw even steeper increases, with medical degrees jumping from Ksh. 445,000 to Ksh. 640,000. These hikes, justified by the university as necessary to cover rising operational costs, have made higher education increasingly inaccessible, particularly for the poor.
The new funding model introduced in 2024, criticized as discriminatory, has only deepened the divide, prompting further protests and exposing fault lines in Kenya’s higher education system. The University of Nairobi’s financial woes are a microcosm of the challenges facing public universities across Kenya.
Institutions like Kenyatta University and Moi University are similarly strapped, grappling with mounting debts, unpaid staff salaries, and unremitted pension contributions. A 2021 report by the International Monetary Fund flagged UoN as one of the state institutions with significant financial deficits, recommending job cuts and reforms that have yet to be implemented. The decline in government funding, coupled with internal mismanagement, has left universities unable to maintain basic services.
Overcrowded lecture halls, outdated teaching materials, and crumbling infrastructure are now commonplace, as students and faculty navigate an environment that stifles learning.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these issues, exposing UoN’s unpreparedness for online learning with unreliable internet and outdated e-learning platforms. The university’s failure to adapt to modern educational demands, such as integrating technology or revising curricula to meet industry needs, has further eroded its standing.
Brain Drain at The University Of Nairobi Is Palpable
This decline is not merely logistical but existential. The University of Nairobi, once ranked among Africa’s top institutions, has slipped to the 1001-1200 bracket in the QS World University Rankings for 2026. This drop reflects a broader erosion of academic output, reduced research funding, and an inability to attract international faculty or students.
The brain drain is palpable. Between 2004 and 2007, Moi University lost 31% of its law faculty, 18% of its information sciences staff, and 14% of its business and economics lecturers. UoN has not been spared, with lecturers seeking better opportunities abroad or in private institutions.
A 2024 report noted that the university’s failure to pay competitive salaries or honor collective bargaining agreements has fueled strikes, with lecturers demanding salaries ranging from Ksh. 99,650 for junior staff to Ksh. 338,146 for professors. These unfulfilled promises, coupled with a retirement age disparity and inadequate housing allowances, have left faculty demoralized, further compromising teaching quality.
The students’ threat to strike is thus a manifestation of entrenched systemic failures. The cycle of protests, strikes, and administrative inaction is not unique to UoN. In Nigeria, for instance, lecturers have gone on strike 16 times since 1999, citing poor working conditions, underfunding, and overcrowded facilities. The parallels are striking – both nations suffer from a proliferation of universities driven by political motives rather than educational need, stretching resources thin.
In Kenya, public universities have seen funding for capital assets slashed consistently with each passing financial year. Research allocations have been cut by more than Ksh. 454 million per year since the start of COVID. This starvation of resources has left institutions like UoN unable to invest in infrastructure, research, or staff development, creating a vicious cycle where quality declines, enrollment drops, and revenues dwindle further.
The human cost of this decline is profound. Students, the lifeblood of any university, bear the brunt of these failures. Prolonged strikes disrupt academic calendars, delaying graduations and increasing costs.
Stories of systemic failures underscore a generation caught in the crossfire of administrative neglect and policy failures. Yet, the University of Nairobi’s challenges are not insurmountable. Bold reforms could reverse its fortunes and those of Kenya’s public universities.
What Should The University Of Nairobi Do?
First, financial transparency and accountability must be prioritized. Audits to address mismanagement, coupled with a reallocation of resources to critical areas like infrastructure and staff welfare, could stabilize institutions. The government must increase funding, not just for operational costs but for research and innovation, ensuring universities like UoN remain competitive globally.
A 2014 Nigerian education policy outlined solutions that Kenya could emulate – quality student intake, practical curricula aligned with labor market needs, and access to training funds like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund. Kenya’s own Higher Education Loans Board could be reformed to expedite disbursements and expand coverage, ensuring no student is denied education due to financial constraints.
Second, universities must embrace modernization. Investing in digital infrastructure, as exposed by the pandemic, is non-negotiable. UoN should upgrade its e-learning platforms, train faculty in digital pedagogy, and integrate emerging fields like data science and artificial intelligence into its curricula.
Partnerships with industry could bridge the gap between academia and the workforce, ensuring graduates are equipped for a globalized economy. Exchange programs, as UoN has begun to explore, could attract international students and faculty, restoring its global prestige.
Third, addressing faculty and student welfare is critical to breaking the strike cycle. Honoring collective bargaining agreements, harmonizing retirement ages, and increasing allowances could retain talent and boost morale. For students, affordable accommodation and improved hostel conditions are urgent priorities.
The government and university administration must engage in meaningful dialogue with UNSA and faculty unions, treating their demands as legitimate rather than quashing protests with force. A participatory approach, where students and faculty have a voice in governance, could foster trust and collaboration.
Kenya must rethink its approach to university proliferation. Creating new institutions for political gain, as seen in Nigeria and many African countries, dilutes resources and undermines quality. Consolidating existing universities, ensuring they are well-funded and equipped, would better serve the nation’s educational goals. The government could also explore public-private partnerships to supplement funding, provided they prioritize access for marginalized students.
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