JKUAT temporarily suspends academic activities amid staff strike
By Joel Masibo, November 1, 2025Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has announced the temporary suspension of academic activities following ongoing industrial action by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU).
In a notice issued by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Robert Kinyua, the university has stated that a Special Meeting of the Senate held on Thursday, October 30, 2025, resolved to halt all academic programmes with immediate effect.
Temporal closure
”Due to the ongoing industrial action by members of staff under the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), which has adversely affected the normal operations of academic programmes, a Special Meeting of Senate held on Thursday, 30th October 2025 at 12:00 noon resolved that the University temporarily suspends academic activities with immediate effect until further notice,” JKUAT said in a statement on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
The decision comes after the industrial action disrupted the normal operations of the institution, making it difficult to continue with lectures and other academic engagements.
As a result, all students have been directed to vacate the university premises by 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2025. However, the suspension will not affect certain groups of students. ”Consequently, all students are required to clear out from the University by 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, 2nd November 2025,” the statement added.
Those exempted include medical students currently on clinical rotations, JKUAT TVET Institute students, students from Mombasa and Nakuru campuses, SOD eLearning (SODeL) students, JKUAT/KESRA students, and postgraduate students who are conducting research.
UASU, KUSU tough stance
The university administration has expressed regret over the inconvenience the suspension may cause while appreciating students’ understanding and cooperation during this period. It has also assured the university community that updates on the resumption of academic activities will be communicated in due course through official channels.
The ongoing industrial action by UASU and KUSU has affected several public universities across the country as staff push for better working conditions and implementation of agreed-upon collective bargaining terms. At the same time, UASU has rejected the government’s proposal to pay Ksh7.9 billion in arrears in phases to end the seven-week strike. The union has demanded that the 2025-2029 collective bargaining agreement negotiations be finalised.