Police lob teargas to disperse UoN medical students protesting over missing marks

Police were forced to use teargas on Wednesday to disperse protesting medical students from the University of Nairobi (UoN).

The students were demonstrating over delayed exam results and missing marks.

The protest, which began peacefully, saw a large number of students gather at the university’s main campus along University Way.

They were carrying placards bearing messages such as “Accountability is also a unit. Results!!” and blowing vuvuzelas.

The students chanted and danced, at one point spilling onto the road and carrying twigs and sticks.

Tensions escalated after police arrived at the scene, leading to the use of tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Students expressed frustration over what they termed as the institution's poor handling of examination results.

This is not the first protest against pending exam results. In August, the medical students held a demonstration at their campus at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

They said their results were due in July, but two months later, they had not received updates, as the University prepares to reopen in September.

According to University policy, students require results from the previous year to progress to the next level of their academic program.

Hundreds of students annually miss the deadline to clear for graduation due to either missing marks or delays in results being released.

In August, UoN launched an investigation into missing exam results ahead of its 73^rd graduation ceremony, scheduled for Friday, September 19, 2025.

This came after the University held a special Dean’s Committee meeting to discuss the issue and a resolution was reached to identify lecturers with pending results.

In a memo dated August 26, 2025, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof Ayub Gitau, directed the respective deans and chairs of departments to compile a list of missing mark cases.

“During the Special Deans Committee meeting held on Friday, August 22, 2025, it was observed with concern that some faculties have not released exam results for 2024/25, and in instances where exams have been released, only a fraction were made available,” Prof Gitau states in the memo.

“The situation is affecting University operations, and if not urgently addressed, could impact students’ progression and the upcoming graduation ceremony.”

The memo, copied to Vice Chancellor Prof Margret Jesang, further instructs heads of departments to compile a list of lecturers with pending marks and submit it to the office of the DVC (Academic Affairs) in both soft and hard copies by 2pm on Thursday, August 28.