The crisis was triggered by a 1st September 2025 notice from the University of Nairobi Students’ Association (UNSA), signed by Secretary General Wasike Elisha, which proclaimed: “No results, no classes!” The statement accused the administration of neglecting basic academic processes and warned of a total shutdown if results were not uploaded promptly.
Frustration among students is widespread, with over half of UoN’s faculties yet to release results. Thousands are unable to graduate or progress to the next academic level. “Some students who were supposed to graduate don’t know the way forward. We can’t even be promoted to the next level without results. And HELB has not released loans either,” said a third-year student.
Other students argue the issue is not only about unpaid fees. “Some comrades have cleared their school fees but still have no results,” said second-year student Dancan Ondimu. The twin pressures of delayed marks and financial uncertainty have left many in despair, with some losing an entire academic year after missing supplementary exams.
Student leaders blame the government’s new funding model, which they argue unfairly placed many students in higher bands, forcing them to pay unaffordable fees. They also accuse management of withholding results despite the Vice Chancellors’ assuring President William Ruto that the model is working. “The big issue is the new funding model. It’s favouring management but burdening students. That’s why you find a student has paid fees but still misses results,” said student leader William Ayodo.
Matters were further inflamed on 3rd September when Vice-Chancellor Prof Margaret Chesang Hutchinson issued a memo mandating drug tests for all students. While the administration defended the directive as a safety measure, students dismissed it as a diversion from the results crisis.
Analysts warn the standoff reflects deeper structural problems in public universities, chronic underfunding, delayed government disbursements, and irregular lecturer pay, all of which undermine academic progress. Delayed graduations, they caution, not only disrupt careers but also slow Kenya’s supply of skilled labour.
As UNSA mobilises for a full shutdown, management faces a defining test. Without urgent solutions and restored trust, the crisis at UoN could escalate into a wider challenge for Kenya’s higher education sector. For now, the students’ slogan remains firm: “No results, no classes.”
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