ACCOMMODATION CRISIS AT UON

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI HITS BY ACCOMMODATION CRISIS

By Maritim Kipngetich

Second year students at the University of Nairobi’s Chiromo Campus may not enjoy their stay in school this semester due to lack of accommodation facilities.

The students, who had been in a long holiday, arrived early this month only to realise that accommodation they had applied could not be reflected in their student portals.

“I applied room in November last year, but since then my room status in student portal is reading ‘waiting’,” Gideon Kirui, a second year Bachelor of Science student, says.

A side view of the University of Nairobi. The towers behind is currently under construction.

Gideon’s hopes reached stalemate last week when he was informed by hall officers that when room status in the student portal is reading ‘waiting’ chances of missing it is high.

Since the university is situated at the heart of the city,

accommodation outside the school is prohibitive. Renting a room outside the university is sh15000 per month, but students are only required to pay sh4000 per academic year (8 months) when they get room within the university.

“I can’t try to look for a room outside the university because my parents will not afford to pay rent,” Kirui says.

Main gate to the University of Nairobi Main Campus.

Kirui has been forced to move in with a friend who got a room, although he said bed they use is too

small to accommodate two people.

Kirui’s story is all too familiar across the university. Many students missed rooms and they are expected to attend their classes as early as 8am.

The problem of accommodation was brought about by double-intake programme which was introduced in 2010 by the then Minister of Higher Education William Ruto.

The University of Nairobi is the only university in Kenya that can accommodate 75 per cent of its student population. It has been trying, over the years, to accommodate all students they admit, but problem of accommodation in the institution started in 2013.

The university administration said it has been trying to avert the issue of accommodation by alternating student’s presence in school, giving immature long holidays.

The change of administration of the institution, by swearing in a new vice chancellor, has been seen as a marvelous move with the new vice chancellor saying he intends to build accommodation facilities that can house 5000 students.