ACCOMMODATION CRISIS:

PHOTO: A side view of the Technical University of Kenya, formerly known as Kenya Polytechnic. Accommodation crisis has hit the university.

Students housing crisis at the Technical University of Kenya

By Maritim Kipngetich

Limited housing facilities at the newly chartered Technical University of Kenya has forced hundreds of students to seek shelter in low income and high crime areas of Nairobi. In 2012 Technical University of Kenya (TUK), formerly known as Kenya Polytechnic, was upgraded into a full-fledged university offering degree courses. It has since expanded its student population by a third to 12,115. By 2016 the student population is expected to hit 21,625.

Although TUK has rented student accommodation facilities in South C and South B estates, it can only host 10% of the student population. The university is located in the heart of the city and has limited space for expansion.

Majority of its students have taken up shelter in shanties and old structures in Landmawe, about 3km outside the city, which previously housed workers of the Kenya Railways Corporation. When she applied for admission at TUK two years ago Mercy Chebet says she expected to be granted accommodation by the university. Chebet is pursuing a bachelor‘s degree in Business Management.

“I realized later that students are required to find their own housing facilities.  My family is in Rift Valley so I had nowhere to live in Nairobi. Trying to find affordable housing was very frustrating. Rents are very high in decent estates and in places that are more affordable there are high rates of crime. It is just not safe, especially for a girl,” she laments.

Chebet had to move in with a relative in Shauri Moyo estate, located about five kilometers from the university. She says attending classes has been difficult because she cannot afford the Ksh.50 fare she has to pay daily.

“It is inconvenient to live too far away from the university since we have classes as early as 7:00a.m,” she says. “Additionally, I have to walk to and from school everyday. I spend two hours everyday walking. I could use this time to do other things like revising.”

Chebet’ story is all too familiar across the university. Hundreds of other students reside in informal settlements and far off low-income estates such as Industrial Area .Some live with friends studying in other institutions such as the University of Nairobi (UoN) which has a number of hostels for its students.

Kevin Onyango, a second year Pharmacy student at TUK, lives with a friend at the UoN hostels located near State House Road.

“I went to high school with Sammy. When I told him about the housing problems at my university he invited me to live with him in his hostel room. It is a very small room but it is still better than living too far off from town or having to pay lots of money for rent. My parents are already straining to pay my tuition. They cannot afford to pay high rent rates,” says Onyango.

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