JKUAT students' association threatens action if lecturers' strike continues

Jomo Kenyatta University Students Association has called for a resolution to the ongoing lecturers’ strike, warning that the industrial action is threatening students’ academic progress and financial stability.

The students said the strike is more than an inconvenience on their education and economic well-being.

 The student's association now says that if it continues, they would demand compensation for the extended disruption.

“Should this strike drag on due to the continued failure of both parties to reach an amicable solution, we shall be compelled to demand an increase in financial support through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to cover the prolonged stay and additional, unbudgeted expenses borne by our families,” said association secretary general Lenox Abira.

The students decried the growing financial burden on them and their families, noting that staying on campus without classes means continued expenses for accommodation, food, and utilities, without any academic progress.

“This translates into a substantial, unwarranted increase in student expenditure, forcing families who budgeted for a specific academic calendar to stretch already limited resources,” they said.

Calling for an immediate end to the stalemate, the students have urged both parties to put learners’ interests first.

“We demand that both parties stop holding our future hostage and prioritize the well-being of the hundreds of thousands of students depending on them,” the statement read.

They added: “We urge both parties to recognise the unbearable cost this stalemate is imposing on the youth of this nation.”