Premium
Dons’ strike killing future of our education
Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) officials when they issued a strike notice.
Education is the heartbeat of any nation’s progress. It is the foundation upon which innovation, productivity, and good governance are built.
Yet in Kenya today, that heartbeat is weakening, choked by government indifference and a system that continually frustrates those entrusted with shaping the nation’s future: our lecturers and teachers.
The ongoing lecturers’ strike has once again thrown thousands of university students into uncertainty. Many are stranded in hostels, unsure whether to go home or continue spending the little they have while waiting for a resolution that seems nowhere in sight. The silence from those in authority is deafening, and as days turn into weeks, the dreams and ambitions of students hang in the balance.
What is even more worrying is the lasting impact this crisis will have on the quality of education. When lecturers eventually resume, the pressure to “catch up” will almost certainly lead to compressed learning schedules and rushed coursework.
I have lived through that reality. During my third year at Maseno University, a 14-week semester was squeezed into six weeks following a lecturers’ strike. The result was predictable – low morale, shallow understanding, and a generation of students robbed of true academic engagement.
The current situation mirrors that same cycle, one that undermines the credibility of our higher education institutions. With new students preparing to join universities, we risk admitting them into an already broken system – where learning is compromised, lecturers are demotivated, and the government appears unconcerned.
It is disheartening that in a democratic nation like Kenya, essential workers like lecturers, teachers, doctors, and others must constantly resort to strikes to demand fair pay for their services.
Education is not a privilege; it is a right and an investment in the country’s future. When the government fails to prioritise it, it fails the entire nation.
Kenya cannot aspire to global competitiveness while neglecting the very sector that drives national growth and social transformation. It is time the government demonstrated genuine commitment by addressing the grievances of lecturers and ensuring that students receive not just an education – but quality education.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
Rony Alal, Nairobi
