Moi University Closed Indefinitely Amidst Lecturer Strike and Student Unrest
Moi University has been closed indefinitely following a prolonged lecturers’ strike and escalating student unrest.
The decision, announced by Vice Chancellor Isaac Kosgey in a memo on Thursday, comes after a special meeting of the University Senate which resolved to suspend all teaching and learning activities for the 1st Semester of the 2024/2025 academic year.
The university’s closure affects students across all campuses, with immediate orders for all to vacate the premises. “All students in all campuses should vacate the university premises with immediate effect,” Kosgey stated. He further directed that students living in university residential halls leave without delay. International students were advised to liaise with the Dean of Students for further directions. The exact re-opening dates will be communicated at a later time.
The suspension of academic activities follows a series of protests and demonstrations by both lecturers and students. Lecturers have been on strike for several weeks demanding payment of delayed salaries and the implementation of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The industrial action has caused a halt in the delivery of academic services, leaving students frustrated and idle.
Earlier on Thursday morning, anti-riot police were deployed in Eldoret town to disperse a large group of students protesting the strike. Hundreds of students who had gathered to march to the Central Business District (CBD) were met with teargas canisters as police tried to control the unrest. The students are calling for immediate resolution of the lecturers’ strike to allow academic activities to resume.
The protests also reflected broader concerns among the student body, with many expressing discontent over the ongoing disruption to their education. Some students lamented that they were left “idling in the campus” and demanded that university leadership and government officials intervene to resolve the crisis.
Lecturers and university staff had previously staged a demonstration in Eldoret City on Wednesday, pressing for the timely payment of overdue salaries and the full implementation of their negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
As the stand-off continues, the future of the 1st Semester 2024/2025 remains uncertain, with the university community anxiously awaiting a resolution to the ongoing industrial action.
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