Medical Students at Moi University have voiced their frustrations over regular lecturers’ strikes at the institution that have delayed their course completion.
The students lament that as a result of the strikes, some of them have been at the university for over 8 years now.
Normally, a medical course at a university in Kenya is completed within 6 years, but for students at Moi University, that seems impossible.
“I have been here for 8 years trying to chase a medical degree – all these because of disagreement between the university management and lecturers,” noted a student.
Currently, there is no learning ongoing at the Moi University College of Health Sciences, due to the ongoing doctor-lecturers strike that started on November 29, 2021.
The doctor-lecturers are demanding allowances arrears of up to Ksh200 million that the university has failed to pay for the last two years.
The students are now calling on the Ministry of Education, President Uhuru Kenyatta, and the university management to intervene and ensure the strike comes to an end.
“We have been suffering for a long time. These strikes are bringing a dent in our luminous career. We are not going to suffer, and we urge the government to release the money, if that is the problem, or the administration to talk to lecturers,” pleaded another student.
The doctor-lecturers argue that the Ministry of Education and the Treasury already released their funds, but Moi University management ended up using the cash on other things.
Students now fear the ongoing strike will mean they have to spend more time at the university as they continue waiting to end their studies.
They also lamented that due to having overstayed at school, some of them are now forced to do menial jobs to make ends meet, after the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) terminated their financial support.
“I’m tired of being a student, I’m now a career student. This is our eighth year in this institution, we had an agreement to be in school for six years, HELB has terminated their support, we have to do menial jobs…some of us here are bodaboda operators, go to mjengos and other jobs,” said another student.
The students now want the Ministry of Education to ensure standardization of medical courses that will ensure all students finish their courses at the same time.
With the ongoing doctor-lecturers and the upcoming festive season, students at the Moi University College of Health Sciences fear the earliest they can resume their studies in January 2022.
