The Student Association of the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) has issued a memo urging the national government and the Ministry of Education to address the ongoing lecturers’ strike, which has disrupted academic operations and affected students’ access to education. The internal memo, signed by the Academic Secretary, expresses concern over the government’s failure to implement parts of the return-to-work formula agreed upon in September 2024, resulting in lecturers being unable to deliver essential services to students.
The TUK student body is advocating for swift government intervention to resolve financial issues affecting lecturers, particularly the delay in salaries and pension contributions. According to the memo, these issues have not only strained the lecturers but have also hampered the university’s academic schedule, with students facing interruptions to their studies.
In a statement directed at students, the Academic Secretary encouraged them to remain calm and continue their studies in safe environments while awaiting a resolution. He emphasized the collective impact of the strike on educational quality, warning that prolonged inaction could further disenfranchise students and destabilize the university’s operations.
The memo concludes with a call to the government to treat the matter with urgency, citing that fair and timely compensation for lecturers is critical to restoring normalcy in the academic environment. It also implies that student protests could follow if the issue remains unresolved, highlighting the association’s willingness to “join hands in solidarity” with lecturers to advocate for an amicable solution.
