JKUAT Students queuing during an election to elect their student leaders. (Photo|jkuat.ac.ke]
Jomo Kenyatta University Students Association (JKUSA) union officials have defended their move to hold a demonstration inside the main campus in Juja yesterday saying the administration had forced them to that for failing to address their grievances in time.
The leaders led by the new president Robinson Omondi said that on numerous occasions they've held meetings with the administration to discuss their issues and were promised solutions but the administration has consistently failed to live up to live up to the promises.
Their issues include lack of WI-FI and poor lighting at the main campus, insufficient academic and accommodation facilities, unwarranted fee increments amongst others.
Richard Ochieng, JKUSA Secretary-General said he does not understand why the university has failed to address simple issues like lack of WI-FI, poor lighting and the concern on fee increment terming them simple issues that can be rectified in record time.
"On Tuesday, October 17 JKUSA had a meeting with the administration to get a way forward on the emerging issues affecting the students. Omondi warned that the students shall continue to 'misbehave' until administration 'behaves'.
They further dispelled allegations that the strike is political.
"We are not associated or involved in any political grouping, our mass action is political neither is it as a result of the ongoing lecturers strike," said Denver Walter, JKUSA sports official.
The leaders, however, promised not to disrupt tomorrow's graduation ceremony.
On Wednesday, the university closed the school indefinitely but confirmed through its official Twitter handle that the graduation scheduled for tomorrow shall proceed as planned.