Students at Moi University School Medicine frustrated with frequent strikes at the institution, which they blame for stalling their studies and delayed their graduation by two years. Now, they are appealing to the national government and university management to speedily resolve the standoff caused by lecturers’ overdue salary arrears.

Speaking to the media in Eldoret, Muga Robert, a final-year medical student said the students have spent eight years in medical school – two years longer than required – due to repeated disruptions their studies.

Muga explained that, although students have completed their coursework, they were unable to sit for their final exams that was scheduled for October 6, 2025, because of the lecturers’ strike. The delay, he regretted, threatens their graduation scheduled for December graduation and subsequent internship placement.

“We have endured sleepless nights, taken loans and missed family milestones, yet we are still stuck here because of issues beyond our control,” Muga said.

He noted that the prolonged academic disruptions not only affected students but also have a ripple effect on the country’s healthcare system, which remains understaffed and overburdened. He appealed to the government through the ministry of education and the ministry of health to urgently pay lecturers their dues and allow students to complete their studies and begin internships as scheduled.

Mobisa Euniseve, a sixth-year medical student, echoed the frustrations, saying she was scheduled to complete her final exams this month and graduate on December 18 but her hopes have been dashed by the standoff.

Moi University has had multiple strikes this year that have adversely affected the academic calendar, she said.

“It’s heartbreaking to watch our peers graduate and start families and move on with life as we are trapped in endless labour disputes,” Mobisa lamented.

She called on the university management and the national government to find a permanent solution. She said parents and guardians are already financially drained from years of paying rent and catering for students who remained stuck in school.

Another student, Henry Amili, who has been at Moi University for over a decade, said that one academic year at the institution often stretches into three due to repeated strikes and urged the government to focus on resolving the crisis rather than spending public resources on non-priority activities.

Amili also called on the youth to register and use their voter’s cards as a tool for change ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging them to hold leaders accountable for neglecting the education sector.

The students appealed to the government to release the Ksh7.9 billion ($61.1 million) owed to lecturers, arguing that the delayed payment continued to paralyse universities nationwide. They also criticised the Moi University administration for failing to adapt and find alternative solutions, unlike other institutions that have managed to continue learning despite similar challenges.

This comes barely three weeks after the nationwide university strike began following the collapse of negotiations between lecturers’ unions and the government.

Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga confirmed that Ksh2.73 billion ($21.1 million) in arrears had been released. However, the union vowed to continue with the strike until all outstanding dues are fully paid and the remaining demands met.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Fredrick Maritim and Godfrey Kipkulei

Moi University medical students speaking to the media in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, where they decried endless strikes and pleaded for government intervention.

Moi University medical students expressing their frustrations in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu Uasin Gishu, where they decried endless strikes and pleaded for government intervention. Credit: Fredrick Maritim