University of Nairobi students clashed with police on Tuesday, October 27, as they protested the ongoing lecturers’ strike, disrupting traffic along Waiyaki Way in Nairobi.
The students barricaded sections of the busy highway with stones and lit bonfires after moving from Museum Hill towards Parklands, forcing motorists to turn back or use alternative routes.
Police officers moved in to disperse the protesters, firing tear gas as students scattered in different directions. Officers later began removing the barricades to restore traffic flow.
The demonstrations came as frustration grows among university students over the prolonged strike, which has disrupted lectures, examinations and academic programmes across public universities.
The nationwide lecturers’ strike began on October 2, 2026, after university staff unions and the government failed to agree on the implementation of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The unions are demanding a firm financial commitment from the government to fund the agreement, which covers salaries, allowances and other employment benefits.
Negotiations have stalled over the government’s counteroffer of KSh11.9 billion for the four-year agreement, which the unions have rejected as inadequate.
Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga has maintained that the deal must be backed by clear funding commitments, particularly from the National Treasury.
Tuesday’s protest was the second time in less than a week that UoN students had blocked sections of Waiyaki Way over the strike.
On October 21, students staged a similar demonstration, lighting bonfires and barricading the road to demand an immediate resolution to the dispute and the resumption of learning.
The University of Nairobi Students Association had earlier issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the government, warning that students would take to the streets if the dispute was not resolved.
The continued disruption has left students uncertain about when lectures and examinations will resume, with some academic programmes facing delays.
The latest confrontation adds pressure on the government and university staff unions to resolve the dispute and restore normal learning in public universities.