Students from the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) were teargassed by police outside the Ministry of Education offices in Nairobi on Monday, February 25, 2025, as they protested the closure of their university.
The protests were triggered by the suspension of academic activities following an ongoing strike by lecturers over unpaid salaries.
Chanting slogans and holding placards, the students demanded that the government intervene and urgently address the crisis.
They called for the immediate reopening of the university and for a resolution to the ongoing financial disputes that led to the lecturers’ strike.
The strike, which started on February 13, 2025, was sparked by the delayed payment of January salaries to TUK staff.
Lecturers, supported by staff unions such as UASU and KUSU, accused the Ministry of Education of failing to settle the arrears, leaving them in financial distress.
As a result, all planned exams were cancelled, and students were ordered to vacate the university’s halls of residence.
The unions condemned the Ministry for neglecting their pleas for timely salary payments and for not taking action to prevent the disruptions.
The strike and protests have left many students and staff facing uncertainty, as they demand a swift resolution to the ongoing crisis.
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