NAIROBI, Kenya – The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) has suspended diploma and undergraduate examinations indefinitely due to an ongoing strike by lecturers and non-teaching staff.
A memo from Academic Registrar Moses Wamalwa, issued on Monday, February 3, directed students to vacate university premises immediately.
“Please note that the suspension takes effect immediately. Consequently, all diploma and undergraduate students are directed to vacate the university premises by 2:45 pm today,” the memo stated.
The disruption follows a strike by members of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), which began on January 14.
The lecturers are protesting delayed salaries and have vowed to continue their industrial action until their grievances are addressed.
On Monday, staff members staged peaceful demonstrations in Nairobi, reinforcing their demands.
The strike has also gained the support of non-teaching staff under the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, and Hospital Workers (KUDHEIHA).
Important Notice to members of staff and students
The suspension of exams comes despite an earlier directive from Vice Chancellor Prof. Benedict Mutua, who had instructed government-sponsored first- and second-year students to complete their registration ahead of the exams.
In a notice dated January 20, the VC clarified that payment of fees was not mandatory for registration but emphasized that students with less than 75 percent class attendance would have to defer their studies.
The university has not provided a timeline for when the examinations will be rescheduled, stating only that further updates will be communicated in due course.
Meanwhile, lecturers say they will escalate their strike by petitioning the National Assembly, as well as the Ministries of Finance and Education, in a bid to resolve the impasse.
