Police were forced to use tear gas to disperse crowds of students from the University of Nairobi (UoN) who were protesting on Wednesday, September 3.
The protest began peacefully, with a large group gathering and chanting near the university's main campus along University Way.
They were protesting about delayed exam results and missing marks, and blocked the busy road with stones and lit bonfires, causing a major traffic jam.
A video obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed students marching and chanting as they criticised the institution's handling of examination results. However, the situation quickly changed when the police arrived.
According to reports, the police were forced to use tear gas to disperse the protesters. Some students responded by throwing stones at the police, which led to a tense standoff between the two groups.
The students are from the University of Nairobi's medical school. They claim that their grades are being withheld and that some of their marks are missing.
This, they say, has prevented them from continuing with their studies.
"We are here today to demonstrate peacefully, but we have been brought rioting officers. We are here because we sat for our exams in April, and up to now, in September, we have not had results. Graduation is in two weeks, and we do not have results. We cannot apply or stay in these rooms because we do not have results,” Emmanuel Keboi Oribo, Chairperson of the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA) Faculty of Health Sciences, said during the protests.
Keboi added that they will continue the strike until the school provides them with their results. They have also paralysed all university activities until everyone has received their results.
The authorities have not yet commented on the incident.
The strike came just weeks after the University of Nairobi Students Association (UNSA) had announced on August 2nd that it was temporarily suspending a strike that was scheduled for Monday, August 4, 2025.
This decision followed an internal memo from the university administration, which stated that it had met and adopted a report to review the students' accommodation fees.
"No strike on Monday! Instead, we are marching this Wednesday to collect the new hostel accommodation rates. Join us in making our voices heard," read part of the students' notice.
