Moi University Students Raise Alarm Over Disruption Caused by Lecturers’ Strike
The production of new doctors and medical experts will be diminished, as the medical students will not be able to complete their studies on schedule,
The majority, especially those at medical school, say their academic schedules have been brutally upset, casting their professional futures into uncertainty. Photo/ Acheing Kemuma
By Juliet Jerotich
Moi University School of Medicine students have complained about the prolonged lecturers’ strike that has suspended learning. The students are now appealing to the government and concerned authorities to step in with urgency and bring an end to the crisis so that academic programs may run uninterrupted.
Speaking to the press in Eldoret, the students—led by Francis Kihara, a sixth-year medical student—blamed government officials for giving more importance to empowerment and political programs over the vital issue of higher education. Kihara was shocked by the reality that education, the backbone of the country’s growth, has been thrown into disarray by persistent industrial action by lecturers at universities.
He urged all parties involved, including the Ministry of Education, university management, and the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), to engage in meaningful dialogue to reach a lasting solution. “It is disheartening that our leaders are launching projects across the country while we, the students, remain stranded in our institutions, unsure of when learning will resume,” Kihara said.
The students complained that they have stayed in universities far longer than the expected duration of their courses. The majority, especially those at medical school, say their academic schedules have been brutally upset, casting their professional futures into uncertainty. A six-year degree course now runs into its eighth year for some due to consecutive strikes and academic interruptions.
They added that Moi University has been among the most devastated institutions because it has suffered a series of strikes in the recent past. The disruptions, they added, have discredited the institution’s academic status and demoralized students and employees. “We are wasting valuable time and resources. Our parents and guardians keep paying fees and maintenance, but we are not learning. It’s unfair and tiring,” one student said.
The students also threatened that the strikes would have long-term effects on the healthcare industry in the nation. The production of new doctors and medical experts will be diminished, as the medical students will not be able to complete their studies on schedule, aggravating the deficit of skilled personnel in hospitals in Kenya.
They called upon President William Ruto and Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to intervene personally to end the stalemate. They called for genuine negotiations between the government and lecturers’ union to avoid future strikes, restore normalcy in the universities, and secure the future of thousands of Kenyan students whose ambitions are being derailed.
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